The Joy of Giving.
Exegetical/Topical Sermon: Deuteronomy 14.
Scripture refs - Deut. 14; 1 Cor 16; Mal 1:6; 2 Cor 8:2 & others

This is a sermon on giving joyfully. You'll have to change the first illustration of course!

We have a new daughter, as you all know by now. Helen Elizabeth was born four weeks ago yesterday. Since then, there has been much discussion in the Munro household, and amongst our friends and relatives, about family likenesses. I think she has Catherine's ears, beautiful complexion, and eyes. Cath's mum thinks Helen's feet come from her. I think her hands look a bit like mine.

Looking further ahead, I hope Helen will have Catherine's singing voice and not mine, and that she will inherit some of the artistic talent of her parents, grandmother, great grandmother, and great great grandmother, who were all painters.

We will also have to wait and see whose character traits show up in her behaviour. Inevitably, though she'll hate and deny it when she gets to be a teenager, she will grow up to be somewhat like us. Although she is a unique individual, she will look, act, speak and think like us in many ways, because she will be our child and will bear the family likeness, for better or worse.

The bible tells us that we are all like that in our covenant relationship with God through faith in his Son Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God has adopted us into his forever family. The Holy Spirit, who like the Father and the Son is fully God, lives within us and conforms us to the likeness of Christ, who is the image of the invisible Father. In other words, God is making us, his daughters and sons, to be like him.

Our God is a generous, big hearted God. He loves us with a consistent, merciful, and limitless love. And Deuteronomy 14 tells us that we bear the family likeness. That's where the chapter starts. Verse 1 says, "You are the children of the LORD your God."

That statement is the basis of all the laws, precepts, guidelines and commands that follow. They were all designed to help God's Old Testament people Israel show that they were children of God, bearing his likeness. Verses 2 to 21 deal with various dietary laws that would make them stick out as a distinct people. When asked why they didn't eat pork or shellfish, they could answer, to honour and obey the Lord our God, who told us to keep these laws.

Verses 22 and following speak even more directly, about Israel being children of God, for these verses are about living a life of generosity, joyfulness and other person-centredness. That's why I've called this sermon "the joy of giving."

Today's text and today's sermon are obviously connected with our once a year special celebration of thankfulness to God which we call gift day. But there are two other reasons that we are considering Deuteronomy 14 today. The first reason is that it echoes last week's text of 1 Corinthians 16 about being people who have a heart for the gospel by having a heart for others. It picks up on that theme of regular consistent giving to the poor and for the work of the gospel, which we saw as Paul concluded our series on 1 Corinthians.

The second reason is that Deuteronomy provides some of the background for our next sermon series on the book of Malachi, which begins next week. Andrew is preaching on Malachi chapter one, and we will see as we go through that short Old Testament book, that Malachi, many centuries after the laws of Deuteronomy are given, calls Israel to remember precisely what Deuteronomy 14:1 says, that they are God's children. But, says Malachi, you are not acting as if God is your father. Malachi 1:6 says " "A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honour due me?" ... says the LORD Almighty." " And he accuses Israel of showing contempt for him by neglecting the covenant and the laws which God gave them for their own good and prosperity.

So, look at this passage in Deuteronomy today, not just as an isolated text which ties in with our gift day theme, but also as a link between the end of our 1 Corinthian series and the beginning of Malachi.

Let's turn to our text. Verse 22. "Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year."

Deuteronomy is a book of the law of Israel, the law of Moses, the law of God. The name Deuteronomy means "a second law," because this is the second time God has given Israel these laws. The first was when they came out of Egypt and were about to enter the Promised Land. But they rebelled against God and his servant Moses, so God caused them to wander in the desert for 40 years, and that whole generation of fighting men died, except Joshua and Caleb. And then, as they prepare finally to accept God's Promise and enter Canaan, God gave his laws a second time.

There are differences between Deuteronomy and the laws given earlier. They are essentially the same laws, with the same purpose. But the applications and examples given, are more agricultural and settled, more about life in the land, than life in the wilderness. Deuteronomy talks about fields, and grain, and new wine, as well as the cattle and sheep they had in the wilderness. It speaks of towns, rather than tents, and markets where goods can be exchanged for silver.

So, that's the context of this law of the tenth here, or law of the tithe as it's sometimes called. Tithe is just another word for tenth. But why did God command this? What was its purpose?

Well, there were at least three purposes in the tithing laws. They were, One, an opportunity for Israel to express their personal and family thanks and devotion to YHWH; Two, a means of public support of the nation's corporate worship; and Three, a systematic way to provide for the needy.

Personal piety, family devotions, public worship and social welfare. All those aspects of Israel's life as God's children were enhanced by these laws, and although we are not bound under the New Covenant to keep the laws of tithing, yet our own giving also reflects these purposes.

I want to look at each of these aspects in turn. First, the personal and familial side of tithing. The tithe was an offering which represented a personal act of worship in honour of Yawweh, the LORD of the earth and the sole provider of the harvest.

Now, there are dangers for us to avoid in the observance of tithing as part of our personal acts of devotion to God. First, you must not think that you can buy God's favour, or that giving more makes you better in his sight. We give because we are thankful to God for saving us from death and hell through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We do not give to earn Brownie points with God.

Second, there is the ever present danger of legalism. Contrast the generosity, joy and freewill intended here in chapter 14, with the hedging and qualifying, the meanness and rationalising legalism, of the Pharisees whom Jesus condemned. The New Testament warns against using the meticulous observance of every possible tithe as a substitute for weightier matters such as justice, mercy and faith. Any outward sign of right living is no substitute for a humble, loving, generous and obedient heart.

Giving is pointless when it is done merely as a personal religious act, or to make us feel good, or to assuage our guilt, and is not accompanied by real love. Stuart reminded us of that three weeks ago when he preached on 1 Corinthians 13. There the Apostle Paul said, "if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, but have not love, I gain nothing."

The purpose of Christian giving is far removed from the religious acts of human religions. In Buddhist religion, for example, giving is done, not primarily for the good of those it benefits, but for the good of the giver, who gains good karma which will help him to achieve a better reincarnation. God's people are not to be like that, but to give freely, cheerfully and willingly, expecting nothing back, just as God gives us his unconditional grace in Christ.

Tithing in Deuteronomy 14 was more than just a personal act of worship. It was not something you did solemnly and with a long face, as if you were sad to part with your money. The thing we notice most in this chapter, is that tithing was meant to be a fun family activity. Verse 23, "Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always."

But wait, there's more. Verse 24 and 25 "But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD your God will choose to put his Name is too far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine, or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and REJOICE."

What an amazing God the Israelites worshipped. He commands them to show their devotion to him by offering the best, the first tenth of all their income to honour him. But then, he tells, them, "okay, you know what I want you to do with most of that tenth, at least with the edible parts? I want you to go on holidays and have a big party. Go to Jerusalem with the family, have a barbecue with a few tinnies, and rejoice, have a great time." Service of God was hardly meant to be onerous, was it? Yet we human beings are so sinful and self-centred that we often consider even the light yolk of God's service as too much for us. Time and time again, God's prophets had to call His people to repent of turning away from his good laws, as we shall see next week in Malachi.

God wants, indeed demands, undivided devotion to Himself. We, like ancient Israel, must offer God the best of all things in our life. Our wealth, our talents and energy, our very selves. But that is not an onerous thing. It is service that is true freedom. It brings joy. Look at these gift day envelopes. The quote on them is from 2 Corinthians 8 verse 2, where Paul says that the Macedonian churches, even though extremely poor themselves, were moved by the grace of God, to give generously to the work of the gospel. So much so, says Paul, that they were "begging us earnestly for the privelege of sharing in this ministry to the saints." They were begging to be allowed to give to help Paul preach the gospel. Why? Because they knew God's grace, and as it says here on the envelope, "their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving."

This brings me to the second purpose of tithes in Deuteronomy 14, namely, to support those engaged in the Old Testament equivalent of gospel ministry. It was more than just an act of worship for individuals and their families. It was a way to provide for the needs of those involved in full-time ministry. The Levites, from the tribe of Levi, had the job of the day to day running of the Temple. They included priests and all who helped out in the temple service. Verse 27, "do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own." Joshua allocated the promised land to the 12 tribes, but Levi was given no land to work like other tribes, because they were full-time temple ministers. The other tribes were to support them, because they had no land, and no time to farm anyway.

It's not hard to see how this principle is carried over into the New Covenant. The New Testament says that those who live by preaching the gospel should be supported. That's why you pay Paul and me.

Our link missionaries, especially the Costins and the Milnes, also need our support. Graeme Costin gave up a high salary as an electrical engineer, by working fulltime for the spread of the gospel with Wycliff Bible Translators, and the Costins now live below the poverty line. We've earmarked $5000 as a target for them for today. But wouldn't it be great if we gave more than that? If you're wealthy, perhaps God may be challenging you to provide that whole amount yourself?

Incidentally, both of the passages read today illustrate the idea of proportional giving. Generosity is not the domain of the rich alone, and you mustn't think that your gift is insignificant just because you can only afford to give a little. Don't worry if you can't afford even 10 percent, there is nothing magic about that figure.

But, to those of you who are rich, you have a greater obligation in absolute terms. Perhaps you can even afford to tithe 20 or 30 or 40 percent of your income. If God has blessed you with wealth, he has not given it to you to spend just on your own comfort. What you do and how you give is between you and God. But I suspect that the most generous givers are not always those with the most money.

I was very moved by the account that Faith gave of their work on the tape we listened to last week, and in the letter which they sent to Parish Council thanking us for our support for them over the years. It challenged Catherine and I to give a certain amount towards helping them to remain in this vital gospel work, and we hope that many of you will be do likewise, so that they can concentrate on the work they are doing without getting ulcers over where the next meal is coming from.

Faith and Graeme, since they are in fact poor, also serve as an example of the third reason for which the tithe of Deuteronomy 14 was given. That is, tithes are also to help the needy. Verse 28 "At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce, and store it in your towns, so that the Levites who have no allotment or inheritance of their own, and the aliens, the fatherless, and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands."

Looking after the powerless was part of Israel's obligation under the Old Covenant. God commanded Israel, as a righteous nation, a holy people, that there were to be no destitute people in the land. They were not to harvest to the edge of their fields, but to leave the corners for the poor. Likewise they were to leave some of their fruit and grapes for poor people to come and take. There were many laws like this, because the interests of the poor and needy are bound up with the interests of God himself. Proverbs 22 says, "Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted in the law court, for the LORD will plead their case, and take the life of those who rob them."

God has the poor and needy very much in his heart. Jesus himself, the bible tells us, though he was rich, became poor for our sakes. He traded the infinite wealth of heaven for a feedtrough in a stable, so he could take on our flesh in order to die for our sins. And that is the true motivation for our giving - out of joy and gratitude for God's grace to us in Christ. The cross of Christ of Christ stands at the centre of all our tithing.

Well there you are, those are the reasons for the tithe in ancient Israel, and the reasons for our giving also. We give as an act of personal and family devotion and commitment to the LORD. It is an act of faith, because we acknowlege that God provides all we need. We give because we want to support the work of ministry. We want to see the gospel taught and proclaimed and people saved. And we give because we have God's heart for those in need.

We give, joyfully and freely.

This sermon is not to make you feel guilty if you are not giving enough. It is to remind you of the joy of giving and to motivate us all to fuflfil our covenant responsibilities before God to the poor and needy, and to the work of the gospel.

I have been astounded by the generosity of some in this congregation, which we have personally experienced. As you know, Helen was born with a cleft lip and palate, which will require surgery soon to correct. This means some extra care and possibly extra expense, we don't know yet. But we've been inundated with people spontaneously offering help. Some have brought us pre-cooked meals. Others have offered help with minding Helen so that we can do some shopping or just have some quiet time off. Someone leaned over to me last week and said, "look, we had a friend who had a cleft palate baby and it ended up costing them quite a bit, so let us know if you need any help." Someone else simply pinned some large notes to a lovely card. When I asked if there might be anyone who had a spare room for my family when they visit from the country this weekend, I received no less than five offers! And what we value most of all is all your prayers. I am amazed at the love and concern God's people have shown to us, and I know it's because you have a heart for the gospel and care about your fellow believers.

We do appreciate all your support at this difficult time, it helps to take some of the pressure off and enables me to concentrate more on the work of ministry which God has called me to. It also helps us to be able to keep on giving to others, knowing that we can still afford to help out those like the Costins. Please support their work. If you are so generous towards us, please be even more generous towards them, for they are in much greater need. So are the Milnes, and, the countless thousands who are in physical and spiritual need who benefit from your gifts to HMS, CMS, and other organisations. Not to mention the funding of ministries on our own doorstep here in Willoughby.

There is so much joy in being able to be the answer to someone else's prayers. Whose prayers can you be the answer to today by your generosity? The Costins perhaps? Or the Milnes? Or the person who will be converted and encouraged through the ministries of this church? Or the poor, the homeless, the lonely, the needy, who are helped through our church or through the Christian organisations we support? May we all know more each day the joy of giving.