Mindful of the Giver

“Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.” (1Sa 2:17 AV)

The two sons of Eli used the ministry to their own desires.  Besides having affairs with the women that would come to worship, they misused the sacrificial system to their own desires and profit.  The law was very specific when it came to exactly what the portion of the sacrifice was assigned to the priests.  It was certain parts of the animal.  These were specific and non-negotiable.  However, what the two sons of Eli did was to increase their take.  A three forked prong was thrown on the seething animal as it was offered upon the altar.  Whatever meat stuck to the prongs they also took.  All fat belonged to the LORD.  Yet, the two sons of Eli took a portion.  If any resisted, they used force to take what they wanted.  The end result was the people, who at one time rejoiced to offer for their sins and give for the support of the tabernacle and its priests, now abhorred or despised the practice.  I can identify with this.

When God’s people see a selfish motive of the man of God behind their giving, they will be discouraged as they give.  There is a fine line between teaching on giving and making giving about me.  When the man of God preaches on tithing, he will have to make mention of the fact that tithing is the means by which he receives his support.  That would be the Bible.  He cannot ignore passages in the scriptures that teach the man of God is to be supported by the tithes of God’s people.  But he needs to be careful that when he speaks of giving, he is not requiring of God’s people to do more for him than they are required to do.

Every now and again, I come across a man of God who makes the giving of God’s people about him.  Maybe it is not his salary or compensation he is pressing.  It could be his vision for ministry motivated by his own ego.  There are times that I hear of stories of the people of God who were, at one time, offended by a man of God who did such that.  These men usually make giving a major part of their preaching.  There never is enough.  There needs to be more.  They see God’s people not as individual sheep who are in need of ministry, but an inanimate object which can provide resources for their own ambition.  As a man of God myself, this is a battle that must be waged and won.  It is a battle that should be a one-time thing.  We are called to build sheep.  We are not called to build works.  If we are more interested in how the giving of God’s people affects us, then we will discourage them from expressing their love for God in their generosity for grace given.