I’m not taking an offering or asking for a donation to keep this “ministry” alive for another month, so I can write this with freedom and a smile. There is nothing for me to gain except the satisfaction of sharing what God pointed out to me recently…and then again. He loves a sacrificial gift from His people. He enjoys a present. He needs nothing, but loves an offering. If the God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament (and I know He is), He gets plain excited when presented gifts from sincere hearts.
When Solomon had been handed the keys to the Kingdom of Israel, he stood before God, overwhelmed by the immensity of the job. 1 Kings 3 tells us that Solomon offered 1000 burnt offerings. 1000! That night the Lord appeared to him and offered to give him whatever he requested. Solomon chose wisely to choose wisdom.
Many years later, we read in 2 Chronicles the events surrounding the dedication of the Temple. Solomon was the first King to build God a temple. It was magnificent. Before they moved the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holies, “There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!” 2 Chronicles 5:6.
Ummm, read the book of Numbers and tell me these people can’t count! They counted everything…twice. But this day, there are so many sacrifices it was impossible to keep count. That’s some sacrifice!
What happens next? They move the Ark into the Most Holy Place. The priests begin to worship and play instruments. The praise to our God rings out across the mountain.
“At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God.”
2 Chronicles 5:13,14
That had to be an unforgettable moment. Grandpas would be telling grandkids generations later. “The glory of God was so thick, I couldn’t see your grandma standing right there next to me. But over the din of instruments I could hear her weep tears of joy knowing Jehovah was in our midst. Awwww, it was something to see.”
His grandson will ask, “What did you bring Grandpa? How many sheep did you give Jehovah?”
He will answer his grandson, “How much offering did we bring to the celebration, you ask? Could have been three sheep or three hundred, He is worth it. I never regretted the offering.”
That’s what a good sacrifice feels like.
The story is not over though. Solomon stood before the Temple and the people and offered praises to God, who had brought this great building to completion. He thanked Him for his faithfulness in keeping every promise and then offered a very specific prayer of dedication. (2 Chronicles 6)
“When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priest could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it.”
2 Chronicles 7:1,2
Again, God showed up in power, after sacrifices and worship. Now, I’m not making light of God’s work here, but how cool is our God? He sees man’s effort to please Him with “burnt” offerings, and to show His appreciation, He burns them up with a flash of fire from Heaven!
It’s like giving Him a homemade, lopsided, box mix cake with little, hard sugar letters that spell out Happy Birtday, because the “h” broke peeling it off the package. Then you sing the birthday song to Him, completely out of tune, like you’ve heard it so many times. He smiles, blows out the candles, and BOOM, it’s a cake the Cake Boss couldn’t dream up. That’s our God.
“Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to the LORD. King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people dedicated the Temple of God.”
2 Chronicles 7:4,5
Alright now, consider those numbers again. Twenty two thousand cows and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats! That is some sacrifice…even for Solomon. Think about the blood shed, the mess, the effort it took for priests to slaughter and properly sacrifice that many animals. Some may have thought it a waste, although it is not mentioned. Maybe some of us would have thought, like Judas, the meat could have “fed the poor”.
Not to mention the timing of this gift. This sacrifice was made after God had made His presence known two times already, in the Temple and on the way to the Temple. This was after so many sacrifices had been made that no one could keep count. We might say, “Enough already!”
They clearly understood that worship included a sacrifice and were happy to give and give some more. This challenges me. When my worship seems dry and I am longing for His presence I am challenged to give.
This is not tithe. That ten percent is our obedience to Him. This can’t be giving so that I can receive. That is manipulation. I must give what I know will bless God.
The challenge is to worship with our sacrificial offering. We will give before we feel His presence, while we feel His presence, and after we know God has visited us. O God, may we also sing while we give. The Israelites did.
I emphasize this because it’s true and God loved it. The Israelites continued to celebrate for seven more days the Festival of Tabernacles. “Then at the end of the celebration, Solomon sent the people home. They were all joyful and glad because the Lord had been so good…” 2 Chronicles 7:10
This week give a gift to the Lord. Don’t just wait until a dire need is presented. Don’t just give to get that special CD offer from your favorite preacher. Don’t give because I said so or because guilt has set in. Let’s give because we are just so in love with our Savior. He loves a sacrifice and we love Him. The best gifts are the unexpected ones. Let your worship come with a sacrifice and all to His delight. Who knows? Maybe He will send fire!
