Giving: Alms and Offerings, Part 1

A while back we learnt about giving, of the two types of giving, that is tithes and firstfruits. Today we finish up that series, by looking at the last two types of giving as discussed in the Scriptures, that is alms and offerings.

Many people, because of lacking understanding of the types of giving, end up missing out on God, and missing out on the benefits of the specific types of giving. For example, you find someone giving a tithe to the less fortunate, or a tithe as an offering, and so on. God specifically talked of the four different types of giving in the Scriptures for a reason, which is that though all perform similar tasks in the church, which is provision of food for the ministers, to support the work of God and also for the needy, each of them has a specific benefit to the givers. We discussed the benefits of tithes and firstfruits in the previous teachings. Today we learn more on alms and offerings, as types of giving.

Alms

An alm is a type of giving that is directed towards a specific individual, to meet their need. Throughout the Scriptures, we see God emphasising on the importance of giving to our neighbours, the poor, and basically whoever asks of us. Again, though we are in the New Testament and some things were put as laws then, such as giving to the poor, we have to understand the purpose of God for imposing such laws, and do things with an understanding. As we saw in those earlier teachings on giving, God made giving a law and gave specific laws to cover the different types of giving, so that the children of Israel would not miss out on the benefits of giving. Left on their own, they would not have given, and would have missed out on an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the specific types of giving, and giving as a whole. This is why God made it a law, for their good, so that they could enjoy these benefits. Today, we do not give to keep the law of Moses, but with that understanding that giving is for our good, and that we are doing so to enjoy the benefits of giving that God wants us to enjoy.

Let us look at such Scriptures that were given as laws, regarding the giving of alms:

Leviticus 23:22

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 15:7

If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother…

Deuteronomy 15:9-11

Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become sin among you… For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, you shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land…

God clearly has a heart for the needy and less fortunate in the society. Many people ask why then does He allow them to be poor and needy. This is a fallen world, and it is the work of the devil to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a). Jesus came that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). He became poor so that us through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

Psalm 72:4

He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.

The above verse is of Psalm 72, a psalm of Solomon where he talks of the coming of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. In the above verse we see that one way of bringing justice to the poor of the people, and saving the children of the needy, is breaking the oppressor in pieces. This is the devil. He is the one who was and still is oppressing people through poverty. This is why also the Scripture says, in fulfillment of the prophecy by Solomon:

Acts 10:38

…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

So poverty is not of God. This is why He says that His blessing makes one rich, and add no sorrow (Prov. 10:22), and that every good and perfect gift comes from Him (Jas. 1:17). Poverty is not good and perfect, so it does not come from God. According to Deuteronomy 28:48, poverty is a curse. Jesus became a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham could come upon us, through faith in Him. He freed us from every form of curses, poverty being one of them. The devil continues to oppress people in need and lack, which is why God said that the poor will never cease from the land, as the devil is always at work to steal, kill and destroy. The way to keep him away and avoid poverty in the OT was to fear God and obey the commandments, and God would rebuke the devil on their behalf (Ps. 34:9-10, Mal. 3:9-11). They did not have authority to resist the devil, so God did it on their behalf. Today, we keep the devil away and avoid poverty by having faith in God, submitting to Him and resisting the devil (Jas. 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:8-9), and working. We have the authority to resist and rebuke the devourer, today. Submitting to God equates to doing what He tells us, His Word and instruction will show us how to walk in the blessing that is already upon and within us. One of such says that if we do not work, we should not eat. So people who believe in Jesus, rebuke the devil, and still fail to work end up failing to submit to God by doing what He says, and thus open the door for the devil to come in and make them poor.

So in the OT, since some people would still not obey God and keep His commandments, and some were just lazy, poverty crept in. Today, because some people do not submit to God and put their faith in Jesus, and do not resist the devil or work, poverty creeps in. This is why I believe even Jesus said that the poor will always be with us (Matt. 26:11). He said He had been sent to the poor, but He knew that some of them would still not accept the message (Lk. 4:18-19).

Having said that, and understanding that God has a heart for the poor, we understand that we should be generous to the needy. Here are more Scriptures showing God’s heart for the poor and needy:

Psalm 12:5

"For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

Psalm 41:1

Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

Psalm 69:33

For the LORD hears the poor, and does not despise His prisoners.

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Proverbs 14:31 

He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

God in the NT still tells us to be generous to the needy:

Matthew 5:42

Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Ephesians 4:28

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

So in our desire never to be in lack, it should be not to show off or for any other reason, but to be a blessing to others. God blessed us and has empowered us in order for us to be a blessing. Remember, the blessing is more than material things; it is an empowerment to prosper (Deut. 8:18), such that whatever you touch is blessed and prospers. God does not give people money or wealth, but gives people an empowerment to prosper and succeed in all things. One way of you accessing and walking in your blessing is through giving. Giving of alms is not restricted to the poor only; it is to anyone who is in need. When I talk about need I am not talking about just monetary needs. I am talking about physical needs (clothes, food, housing etc.), emotional needs (encouragement, comfort, love, audience etc.), and spiritual needs (encouragement through the Word, prayers, comfort and so on). This is why Jesus said we give to whoever asks of us.

The reward for giving to the needy is well stipulated by Jesus:

Luke 6:38 (KJV)

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Whatever you give, you get back, measured back with the same measure you gave, pressed down, shaken together and running over. In those days, they used baskets a lot. So if one gave one basket to the needy, he got back one basket back (good and same measure), pressed down, shaken together and running over. You give one, you get one back, filled to the brim and pouring over. You did not give one and get two back, in alms. Even today, you give, and it is with the same measurement that you used that you will be given back. Notice too that it is men who give you back. God uses men to give us back. He does not drop money from heaven as a reward for you giving to the poor; He uses men to give you back what you gave, in the same measure you used.

I believe that Luke 6:38 is general, meaning that we should not restrict it to just giving of money. At one point or another in life, we are in need of something, be it spiritual, emotional or physical. It is in giving and getting back that our needs are met, in being a blessing to one another. Some people do well in giving, but do poorly in receiving. How will you reap what you sow, if you do not receive from men? God will sometimes lead you to share your need with someone, so that they can be a blessing to you, and this is how God manifests Himself to us, and builds fellowship with us all. Jesus allowed people to give Him, in many instances, such as when He allowed the woman to anoint His feet (Matt. 26:6-13), the women He had healed to provide for Him out of their substance (Lk. 8:2-3), be fed in Zaccheus and Matthew’s houses and so on. As the Englishman said, no man is an island. Whatever God tells you to do, do it. Whether it is opening up to someone to meet your need, or meeting someone’s need. We usually pray to God to meet our needs, but restrict Him by not being willing to have people give into our lives, or sharing the need with a brethren He leads us to. He said He shall supply all our NEED according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19); He does not drop anything from heaven; He will still use men. Sometimes He will speak to someone to come give you, sometimes He will lead you to share your need with someone. If it is of Him, do it, as that is how He continues to supply your need according to His riches in glory. God enjoys relationships and is the author of them. This is why Jesus said:

Matthew 25:35-40

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' ³⁷ "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' ⁴⁰ "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'”

Jesus enjoys when we give, but He also enjoys when we receive, as that is how we become a blessing to one another, and He manifests to all of us through one another. The temptation of this is to always run to people when you are in need, but remember, our giving and receiving should ONLY be led by the Spirit of God. If He does not lead you  to share your need with someone, do not do it.

The giving and receiving of the people in the OT was always led by the law; our giving and receiving should always be led by the Spirit of God. God uses people to bless people; allow Him to use you to be a blessing to someone in whichever way they are in need, and also allow others to be used by God to be a blessing to you, in whichever way you are in need.

So, in conclusion on alms, we see those that the reward of giving of alms is getting back what we gave, reaping what we sowed (Gal. 6:7). Those who give tithes as alms end up missing on the benefits of tithing we talked about when talking about tithing, and get back the benefit of giving alms. You cannot mix the two up. God designed a tithe for a specific function and to bring a specific benefit to us, same for the giving of alms. God knew what He was saying when He told us to give a tithe, and then to also give to the poor. A tithe is a tithe, and an alm is an alm. Period. 


^{Ps. We will continue with the next teaching, on offerings, in the next part.} 



Blessings.


-- Sam Gitonga. 

(09/11/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.) 

Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.