To recap what we have learnt so far on the biblical guidelines for giving: we are to give from the foundation of love, unto the Lord, as we have decided in our heart. But that is not all. We are supposed to give liberally!
3. Giving Liberally
We were created in the image of God. Scripture shows us the type of giver God is…He is a generous giver:
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:32
Therefore, if we were created in the image of a generous giver, we too were created to be generous givers.
Last week we saw how the Israelites gave generously to the building of the ark of the covenant. They were so generous to the extent that they had to be restrained. This liberal giving was not a one off affair. We see this type of giving repeatedly in the Bible. Today, let us turn our attention to King David.
King David desired to build the Lord a temple:
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
2 Samuel 7:1-2
But the Lord’s will was for Solomon to build the temple.
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
2 Samuel 7:12-13
What did David do as a result of this?
Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”
Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
1 Chronicles 29:1-9
Not only did he give liberally, but he inspired others in position of authority to give liberally as well, wholeheartedly unto the Lord.
Your Turn
… Freely you have received; freely give.
Matthew 10:8
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Luke 6:30
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
Acts 4:32
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…if it is giving, then give generously…
Romans 12:6-8
The state of your heart will determine the state of your giving. Generosity is not about the amount given, it is about the state of your heart when you were giving. A generous heart will go out of its way to give. A generous heart will go out of its way to see who needs help. A generous heart will not look to hoard, rather it will look to distribute more of itself. A generous heart understands that even if it does not have money or possessions to give, it has time, encouragement and service to give. Generous giving is not limited to money. Generous giving is not limited to possessions. Generous giving is only limited to love. Where love abounds, generosity abounds.