How can we apply the principle of sacrificial giving in our daily lives? The offering that set the tone – Numbers 7:37 “one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;” The tribe of Zebulun’s leader placed costly animals on the altar. Nothing leftover, nothing second-rate. Real creatures, real blood, real value laid down before the LORD. Their gift declared, “You are worth our very best.” Timeless principles that leap off the altar • God deserves first-rate gifts, not leftovers (Proverbs 3:9). • True sacrifice costs the giver something noticeable (2 Samuel 24:24). • A repeated pattern of generosity honors God; each tribe gave the same costly offering day after day (Numbers 7). • Sacrificial giving is fragrant to God—foreshadowing Christ and echoed in believers’ gifts (Philippians 4:18). • The heart counts more than the amount (Luke 21:3-4; 2 Corinthians 9:7). Every-day ways to live sacrificial giving 1. Finances – Set aside the “first bull” of your paycheck—give before you spend. – Stretch beyond the tithe with offerings to missions, the needy, or a struggling family. 2. Time – Schedule ministry and service before entertainment: teach children’s class, visit shut-ins, mow a widow’s yard. – Keep a “Sabbath evening” free for spontaneous needs. 3. Talents & skills – Offer professional abilities (car repair, legal advice, tutoring) to those who can’t pay market rates. – Create worship music, art, or tech support that blesses the church without expecting a fee. 4. Possessions & space – Open your table for meals, your car for rides, a spare room for missionaries or college students. – Loan tools, books, or appliances freely; replace them if they break. 5. Emotional energy – Listen long when someone unloads a burden—“a living sacrifice” of attention (Romans 12:1). – Forgive quickly, absorbing the cost of another’s wrong (Ephesians 4:32). Guarding the heart behind the gift • Give quietly; seek God’s approval, not applause (Matthew 6:3-4). • Anchor generosity in gratitude for Christ’s ultimate sacrifice (2 Corinthians 8:9). • Refuse grumbling—sacrifices were burnt whole; partial obedience stinks up the altar (1 Samuel 15:22). The harvest God promises to generous givers • “Test Me… and see if I will not open the windows of heaven” (Malachi 3:10). • “Give, and it will be given to you… running over” (Luke 6:38). • “With such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). Lay something valuable on the altar every day—money, moments, abilities, love—and watch the fragrance rise to heaven. |
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