Exhortation Station

Luke 6:38 — “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

These words of Yahshua got me thinking about the topic of giving unto Yahweh.  Let’s look at an example of giving found in 1 Samuel chapter 30.  In the passage I’m about to share, we see David’s attitude regarding the spoils of war after being given (by Yahweh) a resounding victory over the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 30:21-23 — “So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle which the people drove ahead of the other livestock, and they said, ‘This is David’s spoil.’ ¶ When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. ²² Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.’ ²³ Then David said, ‘You must not do so, my brothers, with what YHWH has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us.'”

Notice the people were saying, “This is David’s spoil.”  It would have been easy for David to keep the spoil for himself, or at least to withhold it from those who had not followed him into battle.  Instead, David acknowledged that the spoil was a gift from YHWH (v. 23), and if you continue reading, you’ll see that David proceeded to give generously of the spoil to those living in many of the surrounding cities.

Proverbs 11:24 says, “There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.”  2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”  Luke 6:35 says, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High…”

When we freely give unto Yahweh, He will see to it that we are rewarded.  Moreover, when Yahweh rewards (going back to Luke 6:38), He doesn’t just give a “trickle” — He ensures we are given a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

Let’s conclude with a passage from Malachi.

Malachi 3:10 — “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says YHWH of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.'”

I love this verse because it demonstrates Yah’s heart of longing to pour out blessing on those who freely give of themselves to Him.  Our giving is limited.  Yahweh’s giving, on the other hand, has no limits — He can take our simple obedience and transform it into and abundance for His purposes.  Many times the rewards of this obedience will not be immediately apparent, but Yahweh will make certain that we are indeed rewarded.  Even if we never see the reward in this life, we can rest assured that a good measure is waiting for us in eternity with Him.

2 Corinthians 9:7,8 — “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for Elohim loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And Elohim is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

(All Bible passages NASB; emphasis and Hebrew transl. added.)