The first two people who gave offering to God were Cain and Abel. They did this before any instruction about offerings was mentioned in the Bible. One offering (Abel’s) pleased God. The other (Cain’s) was not. Abel gave the best from his flock. Cain seemingly offered whatever he can get from his farm. (Genesis 4:3-5)

The second mention of giving an offering is in Genesis 14: 18-19. This time, Abraham made gave an offering to God through His priest Melchizedek. He did this after rescuing his nephew Lot from captivity by the kings who attacked Sodom and Gomorra. Abraham gave a tenth from the loot. Melchizedek blessed Abraham because of what he did.

Jacob made a vow to the Lord that he would give a tenth of anything he received from Him when He worshipped because of the dream he had. In the dream, he received the promise of God to bless him and his descendants. He believed and affirmed it by making this vow.

All of them expressed their faith in God by making an offering. If we truly believe God and His promises, we should also give an offering every time we worship.

In the Old Testament, the tithes and the offerings are used by the priests to maintain the temple and for their subsistence. The priests and the Levites did not receive a portion of the territory when Canaan was apportioned to the tribes of Israel. The other tribes were obligated to look after their needs.

In the New Testament, Paul encouraged the Christians to support those who offered their life in serving the Lord through full-time ministry and those who are in need because of circumstances beyond their control (2 Corinthians 9: 1-12).

Today, the same methods of supporting the people of God and the church who needs to maintain its houses of worship apply. Our offerings shall be used for these purposes.

In the Old Testament standard for giving was the tithe, or ten percent of any property or produce (Leviticus 27:30). The tithe was a response of thanksgiving and an expression of allegiance to God. Failure to observe the tithe was viewed as robbing God, for it belonged to him (Malachi 3:8-9).

In the New Testament Paul urged God’s people to give proportionally from their income. He instructed the Corinthian Christians to set aside a certain amount of money on the Lord’s Day, depending on how much they had earned. This would then be given to other Christians enduring hardship in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:2).

Giving the tithes therefore is returning to God what is rightfully His. Giving an offering is sharing to the Lord a portion of what belongs to us as an expression of our gratitude and love for Him.

Everything that we receive from the Lord is a blessing from Him. Paul’s instructions provide us with a good model for giving today. We should give as God has blessed us (our gross earnings). We should set aside money regularly and purposefully. This habit of regular, proportional giving will remind us of several things:

• that God graciously provides for us;
• that we are responsible to support others;
• that we need to use our material treasure to secure spiritual gains.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

There is no automatic guarantee that we will receive material blessings every time we give to God, this verse does show us that God will bless us and provide for our needs. The Bible does not teach us to give in order to get. The Bible says that we get in order to give. This reverse perspective makes all the difference. God blesses us so that we can give to others. Instead of trying to manipulate God to nurture our selfish expectations, our giving should come as a response to God’s blessing upon us.

Giving is A Way to Say, “I Love You.” If we truly love the Lord, our financial budget will reflect it. The tithes and the offerings will be first in our expected expenses.

Giving begins with the heart, not the amount you have in your bank or your pocket. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, Paul describes the joy of the Macedonian Christians’ giving. He rejoices in their motivation because “they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.” Their commitment led to their sacrifice.

Sacrifice means giving up something we value for something we value more. The Macedonian Christians sacrificed because they valued the work of sharing with sisters and brothers in Christ. The greatest sacrifice of all was made when Jesus Christ sacrificed his life because he valued our redemption

Money can never be a substitute for words, but money can support our words. Our giving is one way to prove that love is real. A generous gift makes love visible in a practical way. That’s why Paul speaks of the “grace of giving” Our giving touches not only the physical needs of others but their hearts and souls as well.

Consider the way you give to the Lord. Are you regularly giving a portion of your income? How has God blessed you? What specific steps can you take to improve the way you give? Think not only of financial resources but also of other blessings and talents he has given you. How could you use these blessings to cultivate a greater harvest for the Lord?

How do you use your financial and material resources to say, “I love you”? Have you used them in ways that communicate a lack of care and love? Consider some specific ways you can communicate love by giving to the Lord’s work and to others.

Also consider how much you should give in proportion to the amount God has given to you. You may not be able to jump from your current level to your desired level, but you could increase your giving by a smaller amount now and then add one percent more as you are able.