What other scriptures emphasize the importance of honoring God with our best? A Golden Reminder in Solomon’s Temple 1 Kings 6:30 records, “He overlaid the floors of both the inner and outer sanctuaries with gold.” • The holiest spaces of the temple were literally covered in the costliest metal on earth. • Nothing was hidden—even the floors beneath the priests’ feet shimmered with unequaled worth. • The message: if God is present, nothing less than our finest will do. A Consistent Pattern Throughout Scripture • Genesis 4:3-5 – Cain brought “some” produce, Abel offered “the best portions of the firstborn,” and God favored Abel: excellence matters. • Exodus 25-31 – Every tabernacle detail is “according to the pattern” God gave, using gold, silver, acacia wood, and skilled artistry. • 2 Samuel 24:24 – David insists, “I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” • Psalm 33:3 – “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully…” Excellence in worship is commanded, not suggested. • Proverbs 3:9-10 – “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest; then your barns will be filled with plenty…” The first and best belong to God. • Malachi 1:7-8, 14 – God rebukes priests who offered blemished sacrifices and calls such gifts “contemptible.” • Mark 12:41-44 – The widow’s two small coins were “all she had to live on.” Jesus calls it a greater gift than wealthy donors’ excess. God values sacrificial quality, not mere quantity. • Romans 12:1 – We are to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” Our whole selves—mind, time, talents—constitute the best offering. • Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Excellence in everyday tasks is worship. • 2 Corinthians 8:7 – “See that you also excel in this grace of giving.” • 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 – Sowing generously and giving cheerfully reveals a heart that honors God above possessions. Firstfruits and Tithes: Tangible Proof of Honor • Leviticus 23:10 – The Israelites brought the very first sheaf of harvest; only after that could the rest be eaten. • Numbers 18:29 – “Present the best and holiest part of it as the LORD’s portion.” • Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… Test Me in this,” says the LORD. God attaches blessing to wholehearted, not half-hearted, giving. Excellence in Service Beyond Material Gifts • Exodus 36:1-2 – God equips “Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person” with “wisdom and understanding” to make the tabernacle. Skill itself is a holy offering. • Philippians 1:10 – We are to “approve what is best” so our lives are “pure and blameless.” • 1 Peter 4:10-11 – Use every gift “as good stewards of God’s manifold grace… so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” Christ—God’s Best Given for Us • John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” The Father modeled extravagant generosity. • Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare His own Son… how will He not also… graciously give us all things?” Our response to such a priceless gift can only be whole-hearted devotion. Practical Ways to Honor God with Our Best Today • Budget first for giving and missions—don’t wait to see what’s left. • Schedule daily time with God before other appointments. • Offer skills (music, teaching, carpentry, technology) to build up the church. • Prepare thoroughly for any ministry assignment—lessons, worship sets, hospitality. • Guard moral purity; our bodies are living temples. • Work diligently at secular jobs as service to Christ, aiming for excellence, integrity, and witness. • Celebrate beauty—art, music, craftsmanship—as offerings that reflect the Creator’s glory. Key Truth to Take Home From gilded temple floors to the widow’s copper coins, Scripture weaves a single theme: God is worthy of our first, finest, and fullest devotion. Anything less falls short of His majesty—and robs us of the joy found in giving Him our very best. |
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