May 30, Ezekiel 46
"And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah." - Ezekiel 46:5
The last chapters of Ezekiel may not be the most captivating portion of the exiled prophet's book. Some commentators find little to comment on, and some only offer a summary sentence about a chapter's contents. Granted, some of the chapters get little notice because they are long, detailed descriptions of the temple that Ezekiel saw in the vision. Like the chapters about the plans for the tabernacle and the construction of the temple, these chapters with lots of numbers and architectural details may fascinate some people. But some of us may realize our mind is wandering as we read across the descriptions and lists.
Another reason why some of these late chapters may not be very interesting for modern-day readers is their description of the feast days and offerings. Most of this information is repeated from the original instructions God gave Israel as Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Chapter 46 is a chapter like that.
When I first read this chapter, I noticed the traffic pattern of the worshipers who came streaming through the temple to make their offerings. If the worshipers entered through the north gate, they exited the temple compound through the south gate. Another "lane" of worshipers would be coming in the opposite direction, entering from the south and exiting through the north gate. Only the prince could enter by the east gate, and he exited the same way he came in. Imagine the thousands of worshipers who converged on the temple on feast days, and see the wisdom of such a plan to keep the line moving in an orderly manner.
But the phrase that caught my attention in the text verse is this one: Relating to the specified animals he was to offer, one of the grain offerings that went with the animals was "as much as he is able." It's repeated about his offering at the new moon two verses later. And then when the people of the land came to make their offerings to the LORD, the same idea is expressed this way about their grain offerings: "as much as one is able to give." So from the poorest of the common people to the king, there was an unspecified amount of grain that they should offer, with the only criteria being their ability to give.
That reminded me of what Paul taught the Corinthians and us about our offerings to the Lord. Paul told them that each one should "put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper." Later he described their offering like this: "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Do you hear that same sense of a criteria without a specified amount?
God is a just God. His commandments are not burdensome. He does not make unreasonable demands of those who serve him. He has made allowances for both impoverished and the wealthy to give what they can afford to give. We may measure givers and gifts by the amount, but the Lord who saw the hearts and knew the checkbook balances of the poor widow and the rich people who gave measured generosity in a different way. He said the widow who gave two of the smallest coins had put more in the temple treasury than the rich people who gave large gifts. Under the Old law, the firstborn of a family had to be redeemed by offering a lamb. But if a family was too poor to afford a lamb, the Lord would accept a much less costly sacrifice — two turtledoves or pigeons. That's what tells us about Mary and Joseph's financial status. When they came to make the offering for Jesus, they brought the two birds, not the lamb. They offered what they could.
A fixed rate is not the most equitable way to measure a gift. The wealthy may give a fixed rate and never feel it, while the fixed rate might create a hardship for a poor worshiper. Our giving should be according to what we are able to give. It should come from a heart that loves and trusts God, and we should give it cheerfully.
God does not need or want our stuff or our money. But he does want our hearts, and giving as we are able is a good measure of our heart-level attitude toward the One who has given us everything we have. We must all acknowledge what David said about the great amount the people gave in freewill offerings to build the temple. He prayed, "For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you." How can we be selfish toward the One who’s been so generous to us?
Let's keep our giving on the level of a joyful response to God's generosity and grace instead of using some standard that might make us prideful or self-righteous about how much we give.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—May 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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