Deuteronomy 15:19 – 23 “You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock. Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.
But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. Eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially unclean and clean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer. But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.”
There’s something very special about the first of anything. Whether we earn our first paycheck or we get our first bicycle or we have our first child, there’s always the doubt in the back of our minds: “Will this be the only _____ I ever get?” Many businesses have the first dollar bill they ever earned framed and displayed prominently. But here God is ordering the Israelites to set aside every first born animal as a sacrifice! These animals are neither to be put to work nor to be sheared (in the case of sheep.) As long as these animals are perfect, they are to be saved to be sacrificed and eaten.
What if the first born animals have defects? In that such animals are unacceptable for sacrifices but can be eaten as meat. God wants His people to realize that they should sacrifice only the very best to Him. Later on, the Israelites ignore this command, and God rebukes them for doing so.
Malachi 1:6 – 14 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ By presenting defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You ?’ By saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible.”
“When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Why not offer them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.
“But ask now for God’s favor. Will He be gracious? Since this has come from your hands, will He show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts. “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.”
“For My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the LORD is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is contemptible.’”
“You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring as an offering animals that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept this from your hands?” asks the LORD. “But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.”
APPLICATION: As I am writing this, Giving Tuesday has just passed, with all kinds of worthy causes making heart – rending appeals. If you are someone with a tender heart, it can become difficult to decide which group you should help. If we will only ask God, He can guide us to the group He wants us to support. It is also helpful to make sure that you do your homework; fake appeals abound. If you have checked things out and are satisfied that a group truly deserves your support, then be generous. God will bless your generosity in many ways.
Money is actually a relatively useless commodity unless you spend it. You can’t wear money, nor can you eat money. Many times when we are generous, God rewards us in ways that do not involve money at all. How are some of the ways in which God can reward us?
1. God can keep our clothing/vehicle/computer/phone/tablet from wearing out. I am using an eight year old tablet on which I keep my reading material.
2. God can multiply our food supplies. At a point in my life when I had given sacrificially, the level of flour, dried beans, milk powder, etc., in my kitchen remained at half – full for months. (I am embarrassed to report that it took me far longer than it should have to realize that God was up to something!)
3. God can move others to help us. Twenty – eight years ago, when communications and financial transfers were far slower than they are now, we found ourselves in Accra, Ghana with a clinic vehicle with four tires, all of which failed at the same time. Blessedly, three months earlier, someone had made a donation and now we were able to access that money to put the Land Cruiser back on the road with new tires.
4. God will move people to pray for you. The value of fervent prayer is beyond that of gold or rubies. No amount of money can buy true prayer support. When people pray, God acts. We have traveled the roads of Ghana for years, and in the one accident when our vehicle was totaled, my husband walked away from the accident and our friend who was driving had a minor injury.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You ARE the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth! Help us to honor You with our giving, knowing that You have already given us life and the promise of eternal life if we will only trust You. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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