IF GOD DOESN’T NEED OUR MONEY, WHY DO WE EVEN BOTHER TO GIVE
God’s speaking “I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know Me.”
Hosea 6:6. Living Bible
REFLECTION
Our God is not a weak, poor God who needs stuff. He made everything with a word. He has a limitless supply of resources. He has no needs; he’s never had one. And even if he did have one, he wouldn’t come to us with it! So why are we encouraged to include a concept of Giving and Generosity in our Spiritual growth?
SITUATION
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to love God and our neighbor better than all burnt-offerings. We are here warned not to rest in these performances. And let us beware of resting in any form. God demands the heart, and how can human inventions please him, when repentance, faith, and holiness are neglected? In the day of distress we must apply to the Lord by fervent prayer. Our troubles, though we see them coming from God's hand, must drive us to him, not drive us from him. We must acknowledge him in all our ways, depend upon his wisdom, power, and goodness, and refer ourselves wholly to him, and so give him glory. Thus must we keep up communion with God; meeting him with prayers under trials, and with praises in deliverances.
(Matthew Henry Commentary)
Psalm 50:7-15 (The Voice)
“Listen, My people, I have something to say:
O Israel, My testimony comes against you;
I am God, your God.
8 I am not going to scold you because of your sacrifices;
your burnt offerings are always before Me.
9 I will not accept the best bull from your fields
or goats from your meadow,
10 For they are already Mine, just as the forest beast
and the cattle grazing over a thousand hills are Mine.
11 Every bird flying over the mountains I know;
every animal roaming over the fields belongs to Me.
12 I would not come to you if I were hungry,
for the world and all it contains are Mine.
13 Do you really think I eat bull meat?
Or drink goat’s blood?
14 Set out a sacrifice I can accept: your thankfulness.
Be true to your word to the Most High.
15 When you are in trouble, call for Me.
I will come and rescue you,
and you will honor Me.”
EXPLORATION
1. What does it mean when God says He is not going to scold us for bringing our sacrifices to Him in verse 8?
2. But verse 9 seems to reverse that attitude (of not scolding us) when, in vs 9 He won’t accept the best bull or goats. What’s the difference in attitude when we are sacrificing an offering as opposed to paying off someone for their favor?
3. What does the Psalmist mean when he writes that God (vs 12) says He would not even bother to come to us if He were hungry?
Scripture seems to remind us over and over: God does not need our money. Heartfelt Giving represents something else. What does it represent? See next:
This Scripture begins to show us how David wanted to leverage his money for God’s eternal kingdom. And God said that was a good thing. Why? Because David realized that what God was building on earth was more important than what David was building. David did not give to God because God was in need, but because he wanted to leverage his earthly resources for God’s eternal kingdom.
2. Offerings of gratefulness
David saw all that God had done for him and he wanted to give in response. When he went to set up the plot of land the temple would be built on, he insisted on buying it, even though the owner wanted to give it to David for free. David said, “I will not give unto the Lord my God that which cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24). David insisted on paying because he knew the issue was not providing a need (the field would be provided either way), but was the statement the gift made about David’s heart.
If David was grateful to God because of what he’d seen God do, how much more should we be grateful to God? David was blessed with a temple, but we have been blessed with Jesus, the true temple whose flesh was torn so that we could enter the presence of God.
4. Does that not that do something to your heart? Do you not want to pour yourself out for God in gratitude? Pause and reflect on your own gifts to God in the last year. (Time, offerings) Is there anything you can share about how you feel about God and about his worth to you?
3. Obedience to God’s Spirit
David did with his money exactly what God instructed of him. This is an overlooked element in giving—the involvement of the Holy Spirit. When you look at a lot of the biblical stories about giving, you find statements like, “God stirred up so-and-so’s heart to give” (Exod 36, 2 Cor 9). Giving is supposed to be a Spirit-thing, a Spirit-driven thing, in which the Spirit moves in your heart and you listen to him and obey as he directs.
From: J.D. Greear's article
https://jdgreear.com/if-god-doesnt-need-our-money-then-why-do-we-give/
