Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 5-4-18

Giving From A Generous Heart Exodus 35:20–29; 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
sacred offerings to the LORD. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments.
22 Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the LORD their offerings of gold— brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the LORD.
23 All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen
and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather.
24 And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the LORD. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.
25 All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth.
26 All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn.
27 The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gem- stones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.
28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense.
29 So the people of Israel— every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the LORD had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the LORD.
2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.
“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
The Apostle Paul’s letter is written to a young Corinthian church that in many ways is just learning to embody a distinctly Christian identity in the bustling city of Corinth, a place with a culture considered ungodly. Corinth boasted of its wealth, its entertainment, and its well- known name in the region. But while it was attractive for any- one looking for a good time, it could also lure Christians from obeying God. Paul urgently writes to address the discord in the church and explains how they should behave in the larger society.
The key verse of this lesson refers to the Corinthians’ will- ingness to contribute to a collec- tion that Paul was gathering from predominantly Gentile churches to take to Jewish Christians at Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 9:6). This is not the first occasion that Paul brings up the importance of con- tributions; he mentions this in four epistles.
Paul is taking up this collec- tion so that: 1) the gift would be an offering of gratitude on part of the Gentile Christians for re- ceiving their religious heritage from their Jewish brothers and sisters in the faith; 2) the gift would benefit the poor among the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29–30, Romans 15:25–27); and 3) the gift would establish credibility for Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles among Jewish Christians who looked unfavorably on Paul’s mission to the Gentile audi- ences.
Between Paul penning the letter of 1 Corinthians to discuss several issues facing the Corinthian church and the letter of 2 Corinthians, he receives correspondence from the church that is not very encouraging. Ev- idently, some Corinthian Chris- tians did not like Paul’s harsh
tone, while others questioned the credibility of his apostleship and authority.
Much of the contents in 2 Corinthians is Paul’s defense of himself and an explanation for his previous harsh tone. All of this sets the table for Paul to dis- cuss the central (and often con- troversial) topic in the key verses: giving.
The Freewill Offering (Exodus 35:20–29)
Here, the Israelites are faced with a decision of how to re- spond to Moses’ instructions in the previous verses of chapter 35. Previously, Moses tells the Israelites that God expects them to build a tabernacle for Him to dwell and that it is the Israelite camp’s responsibility to gather their personal materials to build it. A key part of Moses’ state- ment, however, is that he says God is not forcing them to col- lect and offer their items, but al- lowing them to decide freely if and how they would give.
This is what is meant when Moses says, “Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offer- ing of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass” (from Exodus 35:5). The responses in vv. 20– 29 are a stunning response to the freedom God gives them. Verse 29 sums up the re- sponses, saying that they gave freely, even their most valuable possessions, to the Lord.
Examine The Seeds You
Sow (2 Corinthians 9:6)
The wisdom presented in this verse was not novel. Commenta- tors suggest the concept circu- lated throughout antiquity, with the Old Testament presenting it in Proverbs 11:24. But the sig- nificance is extremely important for Paul’s purpose of motivating the church to give. He adds im- petus behind this statement by reminding the church that their lives will benefit because of their gifts to the Jerusalem church. He is not asking them to give be- yond their means, but instead encourages sharing since spiri- tual blessings will result.
Examine Your Motive and God’s Giving (vv. 7–8)
In this verse, Paul takes a slightly different approach to giving than in verse 6. Paul has already stated that he expects the church to give bountifully. But what seems to be just as im- portant—if not more—is their at- titude or emotion toward giving; they should give “cheerfully.”
The description of the atti- tude toward giving should be understood in light of the words surrounding it: “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” In other words, it is not enough for the church to give because they think will reap benefits. They must make sure that their hearts and attitudes are right when they give if they want to receive God’s blessings and provisions.
The purpose of verse 8 is closely connected to vv. 6–7. While the Corinthians can look forward to reaping God’s provi- sions if they sow with the right attitude, the purpose of their reaping is not merely for selfish reasons. God does not bless with abundance for personal wealth and satisfaction. God blesses so that the church will continue helping others by meeting their needs, just as He has met and continues to meet the Corinthian church’s needs.
In our lesson, you will study God’s expectations for financial stewardship.
“He which soweth sparingly shallreapalsosparingly;andhe which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (from 2
Corinthians 9:6).
The Scripture Reads:
Exodus 35:20 So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents.
21 All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2018