30We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
32“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekelc for the service of the house of our God: 33for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
Why is it important to assume the responsibility for “the holy offerings; for sin offerings” and for other work of the house of God?
Share your response to your friends and don’t forget to post a entry from your group
The people recognized the need for sin offerings and holy sacrifices. The history of Israel clearly reveals that this nation emphasized shedding the blood of animals and offering up their crops and grain to God. By so doing they were never allowed to forget the cost of redemption. Blood shed means a death has occurred. God is teaching His people that their problem with sin within is of such a serious nature it cannot be solved by merely instructing the mind. Only death can cure it.
These bloody offerings prepared the way for the death of Jesus and even our remembrance of that death at the Lord’s table. We ought to meditate on this every day. We should never allow ourselves to forget the cost of our redemption. It took all that God had to open a door that we might return to Him. As Peter put it, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Very closely related to the blood offerings was the promise of these people to bring the firstfruits of their crops, herds, flocks, and even their sons to God. What they were doing was recognizing the ownership and rights of God in their lives. A corresponding truth for us today is, You are not your own; you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a). God owns us. We do not own ourselves. The world says, You are your own. If you are pregnant and you do not want the baby, you can kill it, because you have a right to do what you please with your own body. But the Bible says, No, you are not your own. You do not have a right to do anything you like with the body God gave you.
This is true in other aspects of life as well. We are not our own. We have no right to determine what we are going to do with our lives or even whom we are going to marry, apart from God’s limitations. We have certain choices granted to us, but not all choices. One of the important aspects of becoming a Christian is to recognize the rights of God and to live our lives within the limits He establishes. This is what this great passage is teaching. It is the way by which Israel recognized frequently and continually that their lives were not their own. They too were bought with a price. They belonged to God. He has the right to direct their affairs and make many choices for them.
Can we daily and joyfully choose to sacrifice our will for His will? Do all of our choices reflect the ownership rights of the Lord Jesus who bought us at infinite cost?
It is important to assume responsibility for these offerings because it shows us where our hearts and thus our treasures lie. When we take responsibility for these things we also help in spreading the Word of God by maintaining the place of worship and where we learn to share the the Gospel which is the church. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and watch but when we commit to putting “skin in the game” then we are showing God and the world that we are for God.
This passage reminds me to sacrifice my will for His will by practicing assuming my responsibility for the “holy offerings; for sin offerings”.
God gives us ownership over things like our money, but we are reminded that God ultimately has ownership over it all, and we should practice an aspect of worshiping Him by sacrificing our finances to Him.
When we practice this kind of act of worship, along with others forms (communion, serving, etc.) we are able to sacrifice more of ourselves to Him, to whom all worship and praise is deserved.
I think that knowing the price and assuming the responsibility of sacrifices makes it more meaningful. In the Israelites case, they took responsibility for their ancestors actions (I’m guessing this is talking abt disobedience to God that got them exiled in the first place). It’s so easy to say “it wasn’t me who did it why should I apologize/repent” but if taken from the perspective of the party that was wronged, the intention and attitude of repentance must mean something at least. In terms of it being for the house of God, they know that they sinned against God primarily and that He must be the focus of their giving.
This passage reminds me of our calling to be a steward of the resources God has given us. When we take responsibility, we will see that all things were given and belong to God. It takes our eyes off of greed and pride.
From brother Brian
Day 32: Why is it important to assume the responsibility for “the holy offerings; for sin offerings” and for other work of the house of God?
Let’s be clear. God does not need anything from us. Everything belongs to Him. Any types of offering whether it be monetary or time is only an outwardly expression of how we can emulate Jesus. It takes sacrifice and Jesus is the epitome of such.
I confess. This ain’t easy – not at all. Giving time to serve requires a lot of sacrifice. I used to be a Deacon, coached the basketball team, became the Secretary, and hosted Bible studies at our house. I’m not naming these things to show off. I just want to share to show you my personal experience and perspective. Just sharing a piece bc I know how much it takes to run the House of God (our church).
The truth of the matter is that even though we have like 100 members, I would say only like about 10-15 put their blood, sweat, and tears to serve us sacrificially. Let’s also make this clear – I was never one of them and even though I talk a lot, I also observe a lot (are both possible LOL) ?
In no way is there any judgement whether one serves or not. I believe it’s all timing. I believe it takes prayer. It’s funny. Because at one point in my life, I felt fat spiritually. In other words, I just came to church to receive and I kept eating and eating without exerting any energy. So I prayed about it and for God to use me. I kid you not!!! God literally answered my prayers . I don’t know how long but I think it was like within a week!!! Shortly thereafter, I got a call from Bumble who asked if I was ok to be on the voting ballot to be a deacon bc someone had nominated me. Then I got a call from Steve asking me to coach the basketball team. Then Kelli asked if I wanted to co-host a Bible study focusing on recruitment of pre and new believers. Then after a few years, team leadership team voted for me to be the Secretary. Can you believe that??? I mean I had no experience with any of this and this was all new to me . God was able to use me!!!
Long story short, i voluntarily stepped down as a deacon bc I was involved with running something that is within a “grey” area (at least I think so but it’s definitely not something that would bring glory to God so it’s not positive either). I shared this with the leadership and I seriously love them to this day. They each tried to convince me to separate ties but I didn’t listen. They were not all judgmental or condemning and only wanted the best for me out of love.
Now turning to money (tithing). I also fall short here but I am happy to say that this has increased annually! I’m a work in progress. Slowly will serve again bc I do feel that God is calling me to. As I shared with you previously, I am taking baby steps and will serve in the children’s ministry.
Sorry for ranting. In summation, it takes a lot of work and commitment to run a church. Even though you think you may not have any gifts or offerings, don’t cut yourself short bc God uses the weak to show His power! He will use you if you allow it!