Num
29:6 Beside the burnt offering of the month,
and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and
their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a
sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.
Numbers
29 concerns with the offerings for the feast of Trumpets (verse 1-6), offerings
for the Day of Atonement (verse 7-11), and offerings for the Feast of
Tabernacles (verse 12-40). A young bullock, ram, and seven lambs were offered
on this the feast of Trumpets, besides the two bullocks, one ram, and seven
lambs, which were to be offered on the first day of each month, plus the daily
burnt offering of two lambs. The monthly and daily sacrifice were not omitted
on account of those additional sacrifices but were offered as usual, so that
there were offered on this day three bullocks, two rams, and sixteen lambs.
It
is not a sacrifice if it does not cost anything. It can be time, money, or
opportunity. David made this wonderful statement: “I will not offer burnt
offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24, ESV).
One commentator wrote: “It is a maxim from heaven, “Honour the Lord with thy
substance.” He who has a religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that
is worth nothing. It was David that sinned, not Araunah: therefore David
must offer sacrifice, and at his own expense too” (Clarke Commentary).
I
know of various excuses given by some who don’t put in anything into the
contribution bags. They are:
1.
I use the money to buy religious books to enrich myself.
2.
I spend on the youths when I bring them out for meals.
3.
I am helping a sister who has financial problems.
4.
I give my time to serve God.
While
those activities are good, but what they are doing is they are charging to God
for the work they are doing. They get the honour for doing those works but God
pays for all of them; they deduct it from their giving. Well. Our Lord has
something to say about this attitude: “They have received their reward”
(Matthew 6:2, 5, ESV). He means, “Well, you have already received your reward
as praises from men; I don’t have to give you anything else.”
I
used to think that it is not a sacrifice until it hurts the giver. I was wrong!
Some can go all the way out to help another, even a stranger, and don’t feel
hurt; does it mean it is not a sacrifice? Surely it cost him his time, perhaps,
also his money, and maybe, an opportunity because he could be on his way for a
job interview or an important business meeting. How about a woman who gives up
her career or a pursuit of a university degree because she chooses to be a good
wife and mother? Indeed, she has made a personal sacrifice for love and she
finds joy and fulfillment in this vocation; she does not feel hurt or is
grieved by her decision. How about a young man who gives up his career to serve
God full time? Surely, he does not have to feel hurt everyday and keeps looking
back how his former classmates have climbed up the corporate ladder and are
earning big money; that would be miserable!
God
wants us to give of ourselves cheerfully. The sacrifices the Israelites had to
offer were teaching them to give to the Lord. They were not to give them “reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7,
ESV).
How
are we giving our money, time, and talent to God? At one of the suppers
attended by Jesus, a woman came in with a very expensive bottle of
sweet-smelling perfume. After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on
Jesus' head. Some who were there commented that it was a waste. But Jesus said:
“She has done what she could” (Mark 14:8). It is the finest compliment
that can be made and which shows appreciation and acknowledging the woman has
done her best.
Let
us give of ourselves to God like that woman so that the Lord can say to us:
“You have done your best.”
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment