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The Church Caters to the People

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The Diverse Church 

Megachurch leaders designed today’s church ministries to cater to the needs of the particular context they are in.  As a result, they have a variety of congregations. The preaching style and the genre of worship music already vary within churches in a city.  For example, if we flesh out the details of their congregation, we will find stark differences in every church. However, megachurches have an advantage over other churches. They can cater to a wide array of needs due to their very nature.  

Social observers have time and again likened the megachurch to a shopping mall. The consumer-driven ministries are viewed as seasonal offerings. Consequently, you can liken them to specialized boutiques. People come in and out of the mall depending on what they need. 

On the other hand, people can think of the core ministries as anchor stores. Their existence continues to draw people to enter the church even if the need for seasonal offerings falls. This structure provides members a continuous supply of activities to suit their needs and tastes. Meanwhile, it also gives active volunteers the option to choose which particular ministry they want to serve. Therefore, in the megachurch, there is something for everyone. 

Ministries in the Traditional Church

The traditional church has a limited number of ministries, and perhaps the only art-based ministry they have is the choir. However, in the megachurch, people are given more opportunities to use their natural talents in the arts.

Aside from the music team, most megachurches also have dance troupes, video presentations, and interpretative dancing. Those gifted in making visual arts can use their talent to create posters for the weekly sermon and special events, and the painters create backdrops for the stage. Several churches are even known to do elaborate stage plays and musical performances during special events and holidays, involving the children doing Sunday school as they do. 

The weekly worship services held by the megachurch further prove the variety. While local churches only commonly hold a weekly Sunday service, megachurches conduct various services throughout the week to cater to different people and leanings. For instance, there will be Wednesday services for working young professionals, Friday evening services catered to the youth, Saturday prayer meetings, and Sunday services are separated by language for multi-racial congregations.

Worship styles can also differ as the worship team adjusts this based on the crowd they are serving. Overall gives people the option to choose a particular service and time that works best for them.  

Targetting Specific Groups

This also helps the megachurch narrow down their statistics and connect with their target groups of audience.

The youth attending Friday services will find it easier to know their crowd and make friends. In contrast, the internationals attending language-specific Sunday services will immediately feel a sense of belonging, thus making it easier for the leaders to reach out to them.

The singles ministry won’t have too much difficulty gathering people for relationship-themed training and events as most people are already together in one service.

In contrast, those who joined the dance troupe have an automatic set of acquaintances they have something in common with. 

Family-centered events such as Mothers’ Day Outs and game nights provide both parents and children the avenue to build relationships with their own age groups and life stages. Since the megachurch is large, the narrowed audiences per service and ministry provide the avenue not to make people feel as if the large overall congregation swallows them up. 

Interestingly enough, even with the apparent segregation of different cultures and life-stages to make people feel more like they belong, megachurches also excel in integrating these people and blending different social statuses, races, and life groups. As such, a megachurch experiences higher involvement and participation rates from its members than other churches.

There is the value given to volunteerism and social activity. Because the structure itself needs hundreds if not thousands of workers to function, even the non-committed members find themselves helping out. And eventually, it is through their volunteering that they become planted in the church even more. 

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A Commandment for Generations

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“The destiny of future generations depends on our action today.”

Sunday Adelaja

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,

Exodus 20:5 NRSV

Number 15 opens up shortly after Israel’s defeat at Kadesh-Barnea. This failure shows that the people have not learned how to trust and obey (Num. 14). The Lord rejected the older generation and started a clean slate with the younger ones. On the other hand, God had a different message — a word of encouragement — for the younger generation: “You are going to enter the land I am giving you as a home” (Num. 15:1).

This younger generation faced 38 years of wandering, but the Lord guaranteed that they would enter the Promised Land and claim their inheritance. The children suffered because of the sins of their fathers. Their fathers did not believe and obey the Lord, and as a consequence, the blessing was delayed, even for the younger generation. It shows us that when we disobey God, even in withholding our tithes and offering, we are not only causing trouble upon ourselves but for the next generations.

It shows us that when we disobey God, even in withholding our tithes and offering, we are not only causing trouble upon ourselves but for the next generations.

The older generation of Israelites repeatedly refused to submit to God’s authority, and to the authority of God’s appointed leaders. In the present day, these are our spiritual fathers — the pastors and the church elders. Believers commit the same mistake. We see divided churches, dysfunctional families, and rebellious people judging and wandering away from the church, and never accomplishing much in the work of the Lord.

The thing is this, and we need to get it so as not to suffer the faith of the older generation of Israelites —  Unless we submit to God’s Word and His appointed leaders (Heb. 13:7-9,17), we cannot successfully claim our inheritance in Christ (Eph. 2:10), and do the work God set for us to do.

When it comes to the offering, when you fail to bring in your târumah because you don’t want it to go to your pastor, instead of keeping your wealth, you would lose it. It’s because you lose the blessing and the chance to step into your promised land because you willfully dishonored God and His appointed leaders.

The younger generation can only enjoy the blessings of entering the Promised Land if they obeyed God. It’s the same standard for them, as it was with their parents. Moses gave them four special instructions that the believers today would benefit from if they obeyed them.

First, please the Lord (Num. 15:1-21). When they do enter the Promised Land, they were to offer to the Lord. The offerings were designed to please the Lord. The sacrifices discussed in these verses were spontaneous expressions of love and gratitude to the Lord. Along with these sacrifices, the worshipper was instructed to offer two quarts of fine flour with about a quart of oil, a portion of which was given on the altar, while the rest are given to the priest.

The younger generation must heed this command to make an offering and give it to the priest in order to please the Lord.

When larger animals were sacrificed, the amounts of the meal, oil, and wine were increased proportionately. The offering to the priest was dependent on the tithe that was initially given to the altar.

Take note of this interesting point. The Jews would not become agricultural people unless they settled in the promised land, and cultivated vineyards, olive trees, and fields of grain. The Lord was already assuring them of the provision for the offering they would make. The Israelites have not even stepped into the Promised Land yet, the Lord already gave instructions for the offering. It means He is also assuring that they would be provided for in the land. God would not ask you to offer anything He has not given you.

The Israelites have not even stepped into the Promised Land yet, the Lord already gave instructions for the offering. It means He is also assuring that they would be provided for in the land.

 

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SACRIFICE

SACRIFICE

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SACRIFICE: 

Restitution or reformation does not cancel out sin. It is only a substation sacrifice that can atone for our sins for us to be reconciled to God. Our submission to the Lord in confession and restitution must flow from the acceptability of the sacrifice. At the end of the day, Jesus was our substitute.

Our response to His sacrifice must be complete obedience.

The sinner must render acceptable obedience which is the evidence of a saving relationship with the Lord. Authentic faith is backed up by action. People who do not bring in their tithes and offering cannot back up their faith that God is the Source of everything, because they are not generous with whatever material wealth they have.

6 Suppose we say that we share life with God  but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living out the truth. 

7 But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin. (1 John 6-7)

 

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PROTECTION

EVIDENCE OF GOD’S PROTECTION

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EVIDENCE OF GOD’S PROTECTION: 

King Hezekiah began his independent reign when he broke the treaty which his father Ahaz made with the Assyrians (2 Kgs. 16:7), probably during the reign of Sargon II (722-705 B.C.). Sargon’s successor Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.) decided to bring Judah into line, and he led a campaign against Hezekiah in the king’s 14th year (2 Kgs. 18:13). Hoping to prevent Jerusalem’s capture, Hezekiah hid the city by concealing the outside water supplies (2 Chron. 32:3-4).

He also repaired any weak spots in the wall and built towers around it (1 Kgs. 9:24), and added to the weapon supply. He also mobilized the people under army officers. He encouraged them not to feat, but to trust the Lord — a power far superior to a nation like Assyria. Hezekiah assured the people that the Lord was with them to help them.

What was Hezekiah doing in the previous chapter? (Protection)

He was securing the tithes of the people and also making sure the priests are provided for and encouraging people to be consistent about their giving.

He took care of the priests — God’s workers. As a result, God protected Hezekiah’s reign and gave him victory.

In 2 Chronicles 32:9-15, Sennacherib boasted that no other god had been able to protect his people from the Assyrians. He was mocking the God of the Israelites, saying He was just another God. After his taunting through letters and addresses through his messengers, he would send delegates to speak in Hebrew on the wall to demoralize the people about their God.

Hezekiah took care of the provision for the priest. In return, the Lord protected him and his kingdom.

Hezekiah turned to the Lord with the Prophet Isaiah. With the help of the prophet, they prayed for divine deliverance. God gave the king assurance through the prophet (2 Kgs. 19:20-34). God sent an angel to destroy the Assyrian host forcing Sennacherib to retreat in humility (2 Chron. 32:20-21a). Hezekiah took care of the provision for the priest. In return, the Lord protected him and his kingdom. He upheld Hezekiah’s throne against the Assyrian army. This protection only comes from God.

 

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PROTECTION

PLAGUE

THE PLAGUE

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THE PLAGUE:  “Require each of the men to pay money to me in order to keep him safe from danger while you are doing this [counting].”

In Exodus 30, if a person does not give a ransom for himself to the Lord, thus declaring himself to be separate from God and putting oneself outside God’s protective care, this person becomes stricken by a plague. There will be no plague among them who would give an offering. The word plague means “blow” or “affliction.”

In any case, this word implies a disaster in the Today’s English Version (TEV), and danger in the Contemporary English Version (CEV) that God would bring upon people who do not bring in an offering. It is also possible to combine the final two sentences of the passage to get a better context of it. Doing so, we can read it like this.

“Require each of the men to pay money to me in order to keep him safe from danger while you are doing this [counting].

Are you experiencing disasters or turbulence in your life right now? May I ask how are you handling your finances? Are you bringing in your tithe? If so, maybe it’s because you are not bringing in your târumah. When you are failing to do any of these things, in your actions you are saying you do not belong to God, therefore His hedge of protection cannot be around you. God is a gentle God. He basically lets you be when you reject Him, along with that His protection and favor can also be withheld.

The money offering received served as a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord. In the Bible, there are different kinds of memorials. When the people gave as they were numbered, the children are a witness to this act. As the Israelites obeyed, they are also teaching their children to obey. The parents’ act of obedience also serves as a blessing and inheritance to the next generation.  The next generation would know that they also belong to the Almighty God.

The parents’ act of obedience also serves as a blessing and inheritance to the next generation. 

 

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PLAGUE

RECEIVING THE PROPHETIC MANTLE

THE RESPONSE FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS (EXODUS 35:21–29)

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THE RESPONSE FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS (EXODUS 35:21–29):

The response was excellent. The people immediately began bringing their contributions to Moses. Exodus 35 shows us that their hearts were stirred up, they were willing-hearted (Exo. 35:21-22, 26, 29). There were no gimmicks required. The instructions of God moved their hearts.

Târumah is given from nothing. God already provides what we are to give.

Like the Israelites, we are to give as we are enabled. Târumah is not given anything. God already provides what we are to give. God gives us the ability to give. You do not need to give anything that you do not already possess.

23-26  They came, both men and women, all the willing spirits among them, offering brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces—anything made of gold—offering up their gold jewelry to God.

Anyone who had blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned leather; and dolphin skins brought them.

Everyone who wanted to offer up silver or bronze as a gift to God brought it. Everyone who had acacia wood that could be used in the work brought it. All the women skilled at weaving brought their weavings of blue and purple and scarlet fabrics and they’re fine linens. And all the women who were gifted in spinning spun the goats’ hair. (Exodus 35: 23-26)

They already have these objects in their possession. God prepared them for the act of giving.

If you notice the verse above, they already had what they offered. They did not take the time to gather or save up for it first and did not have to go on an expedition to get these things. They already have these objects in their possession. God prepared them for the act of giving. They offered what God supplied.

 

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Giving-is-an-act-of-worship

Giving is an act of worship

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The offering is collected as part of the worship service because giving is an act of worship.

The church member is not paying the price of admission or paying our dues. We are offering something to God as an expression of our adoration and praise We are dedicating our wealth to God by giving back the portion God commands to be given back. Psalm 96:8 says, “Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him. Bring an offering and come into the courtyards of his temple.”

Bringing an offering is one of the best ways to express our devotion to God. It is something you do, not just something you say. It’s the walk that backs up your walk. When we bring in our offering, God is not only glorified but we are also blessed in the process. It’s already a blessing to participate in God’s work, but to actually receive material blessings because of our giving is truly out of God’s abundant love for us.

If you think about it, everything we have belongs to God already, and He would be well within his rights to take it back. Instead, God allows us to offer it to him as an act of worship. Imagine a father who gives his children money to buy him a birthday present. The kids are delighted to do this for this father because they love him.

When he opens the gift, he is getting back his own money’s worth. But the giving of the gift is significant for the father-child bond. It’s like that with God. and not about the money or where it came from—it’s about the love that the children express for their father.

It’s not about the money or where it came from—it’s about the love that the children express for their father.

God is the same with us. If He wanted to, God could have performed a miracle and simply built the tabernacle before the people’s eyes. Why did He have to instruct them through the processing of collecting an offering, and building? God wanted to build a relationship with His children. He wanted to go through this messy, teaching process so that the children can know their Father’s heart.

God gave the Israelites an opportunity to contribute to its construction. Throughout the bible and human history, this is how God usually works: He gives people an opportunity to participate. Although people can never repay Him, believers can offer themselves for His service.

All of the things that the Israelites brought were things that they already received from God. They brought gold, silver, and precious gems from the plunder that God provided from the Egyptians. It was God’s grace that the Egyptians even agreed to give them these treasures.

Worship:

35 They did just as Moses had directed them. They asked the Egyptians for things made out of silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes. 

36 The Lord had caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. So the Egyptians gave them what they asked for. The Israelites took many expensive things that belonged to the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:35-36, emphasis added by author)

Aside from this, the Israelites brought wood from trees that God caused to grow from the land. They brought cloth that came from animals God put in their flocks. There was nothing Israelites could bring that did not come from God, to begin with.  God is the Ultimate Cause, and they were brought in everything that God caused to exist.

The Israelites are a nation of slaves, a people without money or power. Like us, unless God gave them something to bring, they would have nothing to offer. They would be incapable of bringing in an offering.  But out of the riches of his grace, he provided something for them to give. Some people withhold the offering that God already gave them the capacity to bring in. God has given us the resources to respond to His grace. Whenever we bring an offering, we are simply giving back a portion of what He has already given to us.

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TARUMAH

TÂRUMAH AS A SACRIFICE

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The heave-offering or the târumah offering is found in the Old Testament. Practicing the giving of the târumah is a spiritual exercise that trains our hearts and minds to keep an altar for the Lord. We are to set apart the târumah offering and to give it generously. The Lord is a holy God and this practice is our declaration of our obedience and trust in the Lord.

Numbers 5:9

According to Numbers 5:9, “All the sacred gifts the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.”  Exodus 23:19 tells us, “The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God.” The heave-offering belongs to the priest.

In Numbers 5:9, the term “gifts” here is directly translated as the târumah.

Gifts are made “sacred,” not because one brings them to the priest. Instead, the gift is sacred because the giver sets it apart from his income.

Gifts are made “sacred,” not because one brings them to the priest. Instead, the gift is sacred because the giver sets it apart from his income. The first fruits of the income are set apart as tithes and offerings, as well as târumah or heave offering. The act of separating the first fruits makes the entire income holy because the giver is declaring that God is the source of the entire provision. Even when the giver is sacrificing only a portion of the income, the Lord can bless the whole lot, depending on the attitude of the giver’s heart.

Deuteronomy 12:6: In the passage below, we see that the târumah or the “special gifts” is different from the tithe.

The passage said bring your special gifts and a tenth of everything you produce. If it were the same, it would have said special gifts or a tenth of everything you produce. Thus, they are different offerings that are commanded of the people.

6 Take your burnt offerings and sacrifices to that place. Bring your special gifts and a tenth of everything you produce. Take with you what you have promised to give. Bring any other offerings you choose to give. And bring the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. (Deuteronomy 12:6, emphasis added)

Where you are right now, if you have peace in your heart about the local church you belong to, then this is the place God chose you to worship, and you must bring the offering here.

Different kinds of offerings are brought to God’s chosen place of worship. The Lord specifically guides the believers as to where they are to bring the offering. Where you are right now, if you have peace in your heart about the local church you belong to, then this is the place God chose you to worship, and you must bring the offering here. The people are called to sacrifice and to offer it unto the Lord as worship.

Deuteronomy 12:6 is followed by verse 7, which is a verse that speaks of joy:

7 You and your families will eat at the place the Lord your God will choose. He will be with you there. You will find joy in everything you have done. That’s because he has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7)

Giving results in joy, not in sorrow, in the Christian life.

Out of the people’s obedience, there is a joy as a result of blessings. Joy is underlined by the fact that it appeared twice in the chapter accompanying sacrifices and offerings (Dt. 12:12; 18). Giving results in joy, not in sorrow, in the Christian life. We go back to how Paul related generosity with an attitude of cheerfulness:

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

As a people, may we find joy in giving? Our offering to the Lord is not another bill to pay. It is an opportunity to express our true devotion to the Lord. It is a declaration that we treasure our relationship with God more than we treasure our earthly wealth. Moreover, it is an opportunity to experience the blessings and faithfulness of the Lord, as a direct outcome of our obedience.

There is joy when you experience the communal nature of worship life with a local church. It is important to rediscover the joy of community worship, making offerings to the Lord as God’s people. It’s one thing to be called to give individually, but to live together as a church is a whole different experience of communal worship. The early church love feasts. It is after they give their offerings as a community that they also have celebrations as a community.

It’s one thing to be called to give individually, but to live together as a church is a whole different experience of communal worship.

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TARUMAH

GIVERS

THE THREE KINDS OF GIVERS

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THE THREE KINDS OF GIVERS:  In the Rabbinic tradition, the proportion by which a person gives reveals the person’s heart. The generous man — the man with a good eye — gives 1/40 of his income to the priest. In other words, he gives 2.5% to the priest, on top of the 10% he gives as his tithe.

If the income of this generous man is $10,000, then $1000 is given back as his tithe, and $250 is given to the priest as a heave-offering.

The fair man gives back 1/50 or 2% portion of his income outside of the tithe. Whoever gives 1/60 or below above the tithe is referred to as a stingy man or the miserly. In other words, someone who gives 1.6% or less of his income, outside of the tithe is considered tightfisted.

The generous man — the man with a good eye — gives 1/40 of his income to the priest.

The Târumah Offering Principle No. 11

A         [This is] the [required] measure of heave offering:

B         [If a man is] generous, [he separates] one-fortieth [of his produce].

C         The House of Shammai say, “One-thirtieth.”

D         And [if he is] average, [he separates] one-fiftieth [of his produce].

E         And [if he is] miserly, [he separates] one-sixtieth [of his produce]

A blessing is declared upon the entire increase by separating the târumah from the rest of the income.

The Târumah is producing that is separated from the harvest and given to the priest as a gift, and it is a personal thing for the giver. A blessing is declared upon the entire increase by separating the târumah from the rest of the income. Ideally, the person reciting the blessing must be able to hear himself say it.

Once it is separated the târumah is consumed by the priest and their families alone, and this food could not revert to the status of Hullin, or the food that is consumed by non-ministers.

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GIVERS

heart

God gives you the heart to be generous

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God gives you the heart to be generous, and the means to be generous. God covers all grounds. When you limit your giving based on your current circumstance and the money in your bank account or your wallet, then you would be paralyzed. You are unable to part with your material wealth because you are relying on your own ability.

However, when you fix your eyes on the power and love of the Lord, then this opens your perspective to see the bigger picture. You are not the source of your generosity. Paul reveals the secret to generosity is simply stepping out in faith and giving.

Decide in your heart to be a cheerful giver.

God is the One who will bestow gracious abundance on those who give generously as it is that He will bless the generous with resources to give generously.

Paul defines the blessing of grace as having all sufficiency in all things. The term “Sufficiency”, which came from the Greek word autarkeia, is the state of possessing all that one needs so that he is able to manage without any help or support from others. Philippians 4:11 distinguishes the idea of “contentment” (as in Phil. 4:11).

However, it is an indirect result. The idea implies that the generous man curtails his own wants that he may be able to give to others, thus not being in want any longer.

A generous man is motivated by God’s own spirit of blessing.

The truth involved is probably close to that of Philippians 4:19, which is also expressed in the context of the Philippians’ generosity. Said in another way, a generous man is motivated by God’s own spirit of blessing. This man does not fear that God will leave him penniless. The God who puts it into a man’s heart to be generous with his material wealth will also ensure that his needs are supplied so that this man abounds in every good work. In other words, he is always able to contribute to the good work God intended for the church to do on earth

How to Give Your Heave Offering

Is the tithe the same as the heave-offering? The short answer is no. The heave-offering is often given in conjunction with the tithes (Lev. 7;14, 34) as a provision for the Levites. The Levites are the priestly tribe the Lord assigned to be ministers. They have no land of their own, and could not grow their own food.

Their life’s calling and vocation are to serve the Lord. They depended on the Lord’s provision through tithes and heave offerings (Num. 18:24, 29).

The heave-offering, like the tithe, is given from the person’s first fruits, that is, out of the first portion of the produce harvested each year (Num.15:21).

The heave-offering is designed and permitted to be consumed only by the priests.  According to Jewish traditions, only the proprietor was allowed to set apart the târumah. In other words, it is the giver who intentionally gives the târumah set apart for its purpose as a heave offering.

In ancient Israel, there was a sacred character to the târumah.

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God

THE KIND OF GIVING GOD COMMENDS

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THE KIND OF GIVING GOD COMMENTS: Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about the generosity that pleases the Lord. Generosity is a heart issue, not a money issue. A person’s generosity is measured against his willingness to give, and not in the amount that he is giving. A person can give a million dollars with a reluctant heart, and the Lord would be displeased and dishonored by it. Compare it with a person who gives a hundred dollars for his tithe, which is double what is required of him, because of his willingness to give to the Lord and his desire to please God. The Lord would be pleased with the $100, and displeased with the $1,000,000.

Paul wrote, “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

In the passage, it is clear that Paul addresses this letter to “each of you”, suggesting that the amount given will be different from one individual to another. The amount does not determine the attitude of the heart when it comes to giving the offering.

The amount does not determine the attitude of the heart when it comes to giving the offering.

Paul notes three important things about the giver. First, he should give according to as he purposes in his heart. We see a parallel to this in Exodus 25:1-2.  The giving must be free and deliberate, not under compulsion. It is not on a mechanical scale that one gives. It must be absolutely voluntary, and it must be the man’s worship to his God.

Another thing Paul listed here is that the give must not give grudgingly or out of necessity. The giver must not be grieved by his sacrifice. A person’s grief is based on his perspective. If he feels he is losing money — period — then he would be sorrowful. If he knows that God is faithful to reward those who are faithful and obedient to His word, then this would be a joyful process.

Finally, the giver must be cheerful in the process.

The word “cheerful” (Greek hilaros) implies that one is quick to act because he finds joy in the action. Paul further reveals how our generous God also loves a cheerful giver. He approves and chooses this kind of giver. How come? Because this giver reflects the nature and identity of the Lord. God is cheerful when He blesses us. He absolutely enjoys it. When we have the same attitude in giving, He loves seeing His image in His children.

God is cheerful when He blesses us. He absolutely enjoys it. When we have the same attitude in giving, He loves seeing His image in His children.

The Source of What We Give

Giving is a faith issue and not a supply issue. The giving is not dependent on what you currently. Instead, it is based on your heart to believe in God. What did Paul write, “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). Every word of the first part of the verse alone speaks a lot about how the ability to give comes from God:

God is able to provide

God is able to provide you

God is able to provide you with every

God is able to provide you with every blessing

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.

The second part of the verse reveals God’s purpose. First, so that you can always have enough of everything. Second, so you may share abundantly in every good work. The purpose of the blessing is to bless you and to enable you to contribute — to give your offering.

The purpose of the blessing is to bless you and to enable you to contribute — to give your offering.

 

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God

The Distinction of the Tărūmāh: What is a Heave Offering?

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“When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes industrious, trustworthy and prosperous. Now, if that man when he gets all he can and saves all he can does not give all he can, I have more hope for Judas Iscariot than for that man!”

John Wesley

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.

Luke 11:42 NRSV

Have you ever heard about the heave offering?

You can find the term “heave offering” several times in the Old Testament specifically. It’s a way of presenting one’s offering to the Lord. It usually appears together with burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the offering of the firstborn flocks. The Mosaic Law requires the people of God to give the heave-offering.

Heaving is an action. It pertains to an upward movement. An offering is distinguished as a heave offering because there is a generic movement of lifting or heaving the sacrifice toward the altar. It is also referred to as separating a portion of the sacrifice from the rest. The “heaved” up portion was set apart for the consumption of the priests (Lev. 7:34) because God takes care of His ministers. Here’s a picture of how the process of the heave offering is done:

 27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:

28 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the Lord. (Exodus 29:27-28, King James Version)

The distinction of târumah

Târumah is a heave offering; it is a contribution of the believer to the ministry of God.

The Hebrew term “Târumah” (תְּרוּמָה [târuwmah or târumah), pronounced as ter·oo·maw is translated as “offering” appears 51 times,  “oblation” 19 times, “heave” four times, “gifts” once, and “offered” once. There is an interesting correlation between how this single word is translated into different Scripture and it gives us a hint as to how important this concept is to the Lord. Târumah is a heave offering; it is a contribution of the believer to the ministry of God.

Târumah serves as a call for the Israelites to bring to God what we understand as “gifts”.  In Scripture, we read: “The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me” (Exodus 25:1-2). In The Torah: A Modern Commentary, it reads like this: “you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved”. God uses His people to bless His ministers. It is because of God’s grace and will that the members of the Body of Christ bless His front liners in the ministry. It’s not because of the church member’s own generosity and wealth.

It is because God touches one’s heart to be generous and provides for him that he is able to give the Târumah offering.

A member of the church cannot say, “I am so generous to my pastor, which is why I am giving him my Târumah offering, on top of my tithes.” It is because God touches one’s heart to be generous and provides for him that he is able to give the Târumah offering. Otherwise, they cannot exhibit this generosity. This generosity comes from the Lordship the believer places himself under, in order to obey the commands of the Lord.

In the passage, after God enumerated the precious metals, stones, and materials that would constitute such gifts, God reveals the purpose of this command.[i] God said, “And have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them” (Exo. 25:8). Do you want the Lord to truly dwell among you in your church? Then, you need to obey and bring in the Târumah offering.

People need symbols. They cannot fully grasp the concept of God because He is intangible and invisible. As human beings, we are used to understanding concrete things more effectively than abstract concepts. As a quest to make this human-divine partnership more tangible, the Bible presents the idea of making a sanctuary for God. The idea of gift-giving or donating to God is rendered so that human beings understand how they can express their worship and loyalty to the Lord.

The idea of gift-giving or donating to God is rendered so that human beings understand how they can express their worship and loyalty to the Lord.

Notice the words the author used in the passage from Exodus 25. The Scripture used “to take” instead of “to bring” in “Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering.”

Hold that thought for a second, and look at it from another angle. If we linguistically study this word, the verb meaning of “Târumah” is “to elevate.” Does this root meaning add anything more to our understanding of what’s going on here? Have you ever seen something elevate? If you’ve ridden an elevator before, it goes from the first floor to the second floor. It leaves the first floor and arrives on the second floor. An elevator that works cannot be both on the first floor and the second floor at the same time.

Going back, why did the verse say, “To take for me” The Bible talks about taking an offering, but why did it not directly say to bring your donations to God? A linguistic investigation shows us insights into human ways of thinking. There is a “Take and give” concept here.[i] In order to give something, it must be taken from ourselves. Said in another way, true gift-giving is about giving something up.

True gift-giving is about giving something up.

The Târumah is a heart offering (see Exo 25:2) that can be elevated.

The elevation here refers to the spiritual expansion because of the elevated nature of the gift. Throughout the Pentateuch, Moses is described as “going up” to commune with God. This suggests that through the gifts that the people of God give to the ministers, then all Israelites are able to ascend toward the Divine. They need to let go of something to get somewhere. As in the elevator illustration, they need to let go of being in the first floor in order to reach higher floors. In the context of the heave offering, it is letting go of a tangible object, in order to experience an intangible God.

 

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