Honor God With What You Produce
Goes with the sermon from 6/23/24
Day 1
Read Mark 10:17-31
I am betting you are like me: when I get something new, I am bypassing the instruction manual for as long as my pride will let me, before I admit defeat and look in it for advice. That is a very consistent practice across the board for me. Do you find it strange that we approach new furniture like that but then the Bible like it is a step by step instruction manual telling me what I should do? I mean, it is that, to some extent, but then when we come to stories like this, we think we are to read it as the step by step instructions we need for life. “What must I do to inherit eternal life…?” Then Jesus tells the guy to sell everything he has and follow him. So therefore my steps should be that I have to sell everything, be poor and then I can get to Heaven, right?
If you just read this verse alone, then yeah…I guess that makes sense. But it is not what the rest of the Bible says. I think Jesus was speaking to this young man’s heart. Not all of our hearts, but to what he saw in this young man. He was still holding on and even though he had all of the right language to say the right things, Jesus saw right through that and spoke to him personally. That was not meant for application directly to us, but the principles that follow it are meant for us. The principle is the teaching that there could be things, like the rich young man had, that we choose over God because we just don’t let them go. That ends in a tragic story and we should realize that as we watch the disheveled rich man walk away from Jesus in our minds' eyes.
Jesus said that there is no one that leaves behind everything that is not repaid by Him. How have you lived out that idea in your life?
What do you think Jesus’ opinion is of rich people getting into Heaven, after reading this passage?
Why do you think the disciples were so amazed about what Jesus taught about rich people and Heaven?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
I am betting you are like me: when I get something new, I am bypassing the instruction manual for as long as my pride will let me, before I admit defeat and look in it for advice. That is a very consistent practice across the board for me. Do you find it strange that we approach new furniture like that but then the Bible like it is a step by step instruction manual telling me what I should do? I mean, it is that, to some extent, but then when we come to stories like this, we think we are to read it as the step by step instructions we need for life. “What must I do to inherit eternal life…?” Then Jesus tells the guy to sell everything he has and follow him. So therefore my steps should be that I have to sell everything, be poor and then I can get to Heaven, right?
If you just read this verse alone, then yeah…I guess that makes sense. But it is not what the rest of the Bible says. I think Jesus was speaking to this young man’s heart. Not all of our hearts, but to what he saw in this young man. He was still holding on and even though he had all of the right language to say the right things, Jesus saw right through that and spoke to him personally. That was not meant for application directly to us, but the principles that follow it are meant for us. The principle is the teaching that there could be things, like the rich young man had, that we choose over God because we just don’t let them go. That ends in a tragic story and we should realize that as we watch the disheveled rich man walk away from Jesus in our minds' eyes.
Jesus said that there is no one that leaves behind everything that is not repaid by Him. How have you lived out that idea in your life?
What do you think Jesus’ opinion is of rich people getting into Heaven, after reading this passage?
Why do you think the disciples were so amazed about what Jesus taught about rich people and Heaven?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read Genesis 4:1-16
The tale of two brothers that is told from right outside the gates of the Garden of Eden. In fact, the story would lead us to believe that the sacrifices here were offered maybe at the very entrance to the Garden. They were clearly made to God, and the Garden of Eden was known as the place of God, and the gates were clearly shut and they were on the outside. So it seems to make sense. What doesn’t seem to make as much sense is the understanding of what happened in these offerings. Abel brings the gift of the firstborn animals of his flock, while Cain brings the gift of the firstfruits of his harvest. “Which is better?” is not really the question that this text seems to be answering. There have been many assumptions there, but nothing really pans out neatly according to the text.
In the past, we have looked at this story from the perspective of Cain’s actions after God has regard for his brother's offering and not for his. After the lack of regard, whatever that means, Cain’s response is steeped in anger. God steps in and tries to turn Cain from his anger by reminding him he will be accepted if he does right. Cain’s next steps of murdering his brother, makes us think the story is saying that he did not accept what God was saying and rather wondered if he would be accepted, letting jealousy take over. This is a story of gifts brought before God of the production of each discipline and how one was accepted and the other was not given the attention that was expected. The Bible Project interprets this story from the question Cain wrestled with “Is there enough for me?” Which is a version of what we wrestle with every single day in life.
Why do you think God regarded one gift and not the other and is that right or wrong?
What do you learn about yourself in this perspective of the story?
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
The tale of two brothers that is told from right outside the gates of the Garden of Eden. In fact, the story would lead us to believe that the sacrifices here were offered maybe at the very entrance to the Garden. They were clearly made to God, and the Garden of Eden was known as the place of God, and the gates were clearly shut and they were on the outside. So it seems to make sense. What doesn’t seem to make as much sense is the understanding of what happened in these offerings. Abel brings the gift of the firstborn animals of his flock, while Cain brings the gift of the firstfruits of his harvest. “Which is better?” is not really the question that this text seems to be answering. There have been many assumptions there, but nothing really pans out neatly according to the text.
In the past, we have looked at this story from the perspective of Cain’s actions after God has regard for his brother's offering and not for his. After the lack of regard, whatever that means, Cain’s response is steeped in anger. God steps in and tries to turn Cain from his anger by reminding him he will be accepted if he does right. Cain’s next steps of murdering his brother, makes us think the story is saying that he did not accept what God was saying and rather wondered if he would be accepted, letting jealousy take over. This is a story of gifts brought before God of the production of each discipline and how one was accepted and the other was not given the attention that was expected. The Bible Project interprets this story from the question Cain wrestled with “Is there enough for me?” Which is a version of what we wrestle with every single day in life.
Why do you think God regarded one gift and not the other and is that right or wrong?
What do you learn about yourself in this perspective of the story?
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
Day 3
Read Leviticus 23:9-14
The people of Israel were outside the Promised Land and had nothing but these incredible promises of what it would be like when they got to where God was taking them. They dreamed about it all the time, for sure. They longed for it to be so. Maybe they even made promises that when they got there, they were going to do……for the Lord! I am speculating, but the anticipation had to have been building over the years. Moses tells them a few things they are to do when they get there, and they all have a purpose behind them. This one is neat to think about. Imagine what it is saying to the desert wanderer. “I know it has been 40 years of being lost in this mess, but when you get to the Promised Land and you experience that first harvest, take the first fruits to the priest and offer it to God.”
Can you imagine the anticipation of 40 years waiting on a promise and then finally seeing it and working to get it all set up, and then when harvest comes, and it is finally time, you take the first take to the Lord. Why would God do that? Why would He have this long process and then ask that? Because they would need to be reminded of where it came from. The best way to be reminded is to take it to the place you got it from, back to the Lord. They produced it and worked the farm and made it all happen, but God set them up and provided the entire backstory that allowed this scene to unfold. We are forgetful people that tend to take what we can and be selfish with it and that clouds out thankfulness. That is why thankfulness is best expressed by giving back to where we are aware we got it from. The teaching that is lived out in this passage continues today. True thankfulness is expressed when we acknowledge that this was not from me, for me, or about me.
How do you give God the firstfruits of what you produce today?
It is easy to apply this to financial ideas, but what other area can you learn this principle in life?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
The people of Israel were outside the Promised Land and had nothing but these incredible promises of what it would be like when they got to where God was taking them. They dreamed about it all the time, for sure. They longed for it to be so. Maybe they even made promises that when they got there, they were going to do……for the Lord! I am speculating, but the anticipation had to have been building over the years. Moses tells them a few things they are to do when they get there, and they all have a purpose behind them. This one is neat to think about. Imagine what it is saying to the desert wanderer. “I know it has been 40 years of being lost in this mess, but when you get to the Promised Land and you experience that first harvest, take the first fruits to the priest and offer it to God.”
Can you imagine the anticipation of 40 years waiting on a promise and then finally seeing it and working to get it all set up, and then when harvest comes, and it is finally time, you take the first take to the Lord. Why would God do that? Why would He have this long process and then ask that? Because they would need to be reminded of where it came from. The best way to be reminded is to take it to the place you got it from, back to the Lord. They produced it and worked the farm and made it all happen, but God set them up and provided the entire backstory that allowed this scene to unfold. We are forgetful people that tend to take what we can and be selfish with it and that clouds out thankfulness. That is why thankfulness is best expressed by giving back to where we are aware we got it from. The teaching that is lived out in this passage continues today. True thankfulness is expressed when we acknowledge that this was not from me, for me, or about me.
How do you give God the firstfruits of what you produce today?
It is easy to apply this to financial ideas, but what other area can you learn this principle in life?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Numbers 18:1-20
The next two days of devotions will be a strange direction for the sermon topic, but still fitting. My purpose in including them is to teach a principle that we should understand. Today, we will talk about the specifics of what this law was meant for, although we understand this exact law doesn’t apply the same to our situation. The work of meaning will reveal to us a principle in day 2.
The backstory here is that Aaron has been shown before the people as chosen by God to care for the work of the presence of God. This will be carried on in the Levites, or the tribe that is associated with his lineage. These people will become the priests, the ones that are to care for the tabernacle and everything about it, including the services of God, the sacrifices, etc. But in that designation, they are not inheriting land and space like the other tribes, they are to be cared for in a different way. They are supplied for by the offerings and sacrifices. When a grain offering was brought in, the Levites were able to take the firstfruits of that as a sort of salary for their work. In other words, the work of the presence of the Lord was also meant to sustain the workers that labored there. It was not to be wasted, even in the parts that seemed like an abundance. One way to see this is that God’s system was a self-feeding system.
This is part of the reason we have a system that is similar. Some writers in the New Testament, like Paul, did talk about how he would work and not take money from the church, but the general teaching was that a “laborer was worthy of his wages.” In other words, those that labored in the work of the Lord were not far fetched and absurd in thinking they could do that for a living.
Understanding how God’s system worked here, what other things do you think this teaches a church about giving and budgeting?
What does this passage have to do with anything in your life? What is your take away?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
The next two days of devotions will be a strange direction for the sermon topic, but still fitting. My purpose in including them is to teach a principle that we should understand. Today, we will talk about the specifics of what this law was meant for, although we understand this exact law doesn’t apply the same to our situation. The work of meaning will reveal to us a principle in day 2.
The backstory here is that Aaron has been shown before the people as chosen by God to care for the work of the presence of God. This will be carried on in the Levites, or the tribe that is associated with his lineage. These people will become the priests, the ones that are to care for the tabernacle and everything about it, including the services of God, the sacrifices, etc. But in that designation, they are not inheriting land and space like the other tribes, they are to be cared for in a different way. They are supplied for by the offerings and sacrifices. When a grain offering was brought in, the Levites were able to take the firstfruits of that as a sort of salary for their work. In other words, the work of the presence of the Lord was also meant to sustain the workers that labored there. It was not to be wasted, even in the parts that seemed like an abundance. One way to see this is that God’s system was a self-feeding system.
This is part of the reason we have a system that is similar. Some writers in the New Testament, like Paul, did talk about how he would work and not take money from the church, but the general teaching was that a “laborer was worthy of his wages.” In other words, those that labored in the work of the Lord were not far fetched and absurd in thinking they could do that for a living.
Understanding how God’s system worked here, what other things do you think this teaches a church about giving and budgeting?
What does this passage have to do with anything in your life? What is your take away?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Numbers 18:21-32
Yesterday, we read a rather strange passage for consideration in our sermon topic about “Honoring God With What You Produce.” Today we continued it. You may be struggling to get the point behind this, but I think the principle is taught in this part here. The Levites were to receive their livelihood from the gifts given for the sacrifice and other things in the Tabernacle, but then they were to tithe right back to the Lord what they had received. They lived off of the Lord’s work, but they still needed to give to the Lord’s work. To the spreadsheet genius and budget master, this looks like a sloppy records breeding ground that makes no real sense. We do the same thing in paying taxes, but we have a system that takes it out automatically because it would be foolish to just keep swapping money back and forth. There is not a system for this. There is a reason for that.
The point is not that in order for God’s work to go on, this has to happen so budgets are met and spreadsheets are filled in, but rather that this was important because it was a lesson that was for everyone. Everyone brought in the firstfruits of their labor for the service of the Lord, even those that lived off of that. Make no mistake about it, God doesn’t need your money or resources. That is not why we are taught to give. We are taught to give because giving makes us remember where we got it. We give as an act of faith that we got it from God, returned it to God, and the cycle of God giving will continue in that pattern. At the heart of what we believe is the principle of giving. Without the truth of God being a giver and us mirroring Him as givers, the whole idea of how God makes the world work falls apart.
Why do you give?
How can you bring your firstfruits to the Lord?
Why is it important to understand that God is a Giver and we are just mirroring Him?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Yesterday, we read a rather strange passage for consideration in our sermon topic about “Honoring God With What You Produce.” Today we continued it. You may be struggling to get the point behind this, but I think the principle is taught in this part here. The Levites were to receive their livelihood from the gifts given for the sacrifice and other things in the Tabernacle, but then they were to tithe right back to the Lord what they had received. They lived off of the Lord’s work, but they still needed to give to the Lord’s work. To the spreadsheet genius and budget master, this looks like a sloppy records breeding ground that makes no real sense. We do the same thing in paying taxes, but we have a system that takes it out automatically because it would be foolish to just keep swapping money back and forth. There is not a system for this. There is a reason for that.
The point is not that in order for God’s work to go on, this has to happen so budgets are met and spreadsheets are filled in, but rather that this was important because it was a lesson that was for everyone. Everyone brought in the firstfruits of their labor for the service of the Lord, even those that lived off of that. Make no mistake about it, God doesn’t need your money or resources. That is not why we are taught to give. We are taught to give because giving makes us remember where we got it. We give as an act of faith that we got it from God, returned it to God, and the cycle of God giving will continue in that pattern. At the heart of what we believe is the principle of giving. Without the truth of God being a giver and us mirroring Him as givers, the whole idea of how God makes the world work falls apart.
Why do you give?
How can you bring your firstfruits to the Lord?
Why is it important to understand that God is a Giver and we are just mirroring Him?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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1 Comment
This is a very helpful explanation and context. Once again, adding depth to understanding can be achieved through our devotions. Thank you for this opportunity. I have been taught to tithe, but just to the extent that, "the Bible says so...". Seeing God's example, His Plan, and how it benefits all of us in the world to be an active part of His plan gives more basis and substance to my belief. Thank you!