Giving-a Sweet Smelling Sacrifice

                  

A little babbling brook springs forth from an ancient hill side, flows down the hill liberally supplying everything on its path with pure cool water. Supplying the water as it flows down does not empty it for the deep fountain inside the belly of the hill continues unceasingly to replenish it. The little brook flows down the hill, deepening and swelling. It then pours all its water into a river, withholding not a drop.

The river flows towards the ocean, pouring itself out continuously.  The tributaries which come streaming from the hills keep the river constantly brimming. The ocean perpetually sends up its vapor to the sky, which falls as rain on the hill. The ocean is not emptied, for the rivers are constantly flowing in. The heaven and earth see to it that the little brook shall never fail to sing its joyous song, “Men may come and go, but I go on forever.”

In Philippians 4:18-20 Paul wrote “I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul calls the Philippians gift “a fragrant aroma” Fragrant aroma is an image that moves us from the business world of accounting (v.17) to the religious world of the priest. He uses a beautiful picture to explain how God views our giving for his work. It is like “a fragrant aroma”. The phrase “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God” is borrowed from Old Testament. The Old Testament sacrifices were expected to emit an aroma pleasing to the Lord (Ex. 29:18, Lev.1:9; Num 15:3). 

After the flood, Noah offered burnt offerings to the Lord. The Lord smelt the soothing aroma and said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man (Gen. 8:21). A sacrifice was acceptable to God because what was sacrificed as well as the heart of the one doing the sacrificing was pleasing to him.  It was not just the smell of burnt flesh that pleased God; it was the obedience (Gen. 4:2-6, Heb. 11:4).

Sacrificing continued in the New Testament; to this day God requires sacrifice only now the sacrifice required is not an animal sacrifice. Peter says  we “like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Peter 2:5). In Romans 12:1 we are told “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is an act of spiritual worship.” 

In Hebrew 13:15-16 we are told “let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased”. Christian sacrifices today must be fragrant, acceptable and pleasing to God. Paul was joyful (v.10) because the Philippians had given such a sacrifice.

The Philippians gave faithfully to the Lord’s work of furthering the gospel. Their sacrificial giving was “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God”.  The sacrifice was fragrant as it moved upward to mingle with the adoration of Heaven. Because of their gift there was an overflowing expression of thanks from Paul to his God. Also souls would be saved causing joy in Heaven (Luke 15:7).

And because of their faithful giving to the Lord’s work, Paul promises them something: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil.4:19). Paul was in prison; he could never repay the Philippians but he knew someone who would. God would meet the Philippians’ need with the unsearchable riches of heaven, which are in Christ Jesus.

In Luke 14 Jesus was invited to a home of a prominent Pharisee. After observing the people who had been invited, he had a word for his host. He said “when you give dinner do not invite your friends, relatives or rich neighbors, if you do they may invite you back and you will be repaid.  But invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14).

God does not remain in debt to anyone. In Luke 6:38 Jesus says, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" in  2 Corinthians 9 Paul wrote "he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (v.6).

As it is written: ‘As it is written "they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor their righteousness endures forever.”(v.9). You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion (v.10).  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else (13).

Proverbs 19:17 says “Whoever is gives to the poor lends to the Lord and he will repay him for his deed”. This is a constant law of God's world. Small acts on our part are recompensed with vast returns. Lend your boat for an afternoon to Jesus and he will return it to you laden with fish (Luke 5:1-10). Give his servant a small loaf of bread and your supply will not be used up as long as the drought remains (1 Kings 17:11-16).

Faithful givers can count on the faithful God’s faithful supply according to His riches in glory. The one who promises this is none other than the God who spoke the universe into existence. This God knows you so well that he knows the number of hairs on your head which nobody else knows or  even cares to know (Luke 12:7). He knows what you need before you ever ask (Matt. 6:8).

If we meet the condition-give faithfully, God will fulfill His part-supply all our needs. God will certainly, in ways that we may not be able to define, supply all our need. He will provide and multiply our seed for sowing (that is, your resources) and increase the harvest of our righteousness (2 Cor. 9:10). Our greatest need is not material but righteousness without which we shall not enter heaven.

The best gift from God to us in this life is contentment, joy and peace. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy (Rom. 14:17). This is a promise for believers only; it is only “In Christ Jesus” that these riches can be accessed. The riches of his glory are “in Christ Jesus”.  If you have no relationship with him this promise is not for you.

No reward is promised however if the gifts are not rendered for the glory of God. If you give for some lower motives like self-advertisement or to be seen by men, you will receive your reward fully from men (Matt 6:1-4). Their recognition and applause will be your only reward. In this present life we place so much emphasis upon temporal things. Yet, within a few short years at best, each one of us shall stand naked before God.

Solomon wrote “Naked a man comes from his mother's womb and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand” (Ec. 5:15). Everything will be left behind at death and all material things that we value so much today (wealth, titles, influence) will suddenly be worth absolutely nothing.

Let us faithfully use our resources for the extension of God’s kingdom on earth. Let us remember that everything we have is a gift from him in the first place. He is the one who provides “seed for the sower and bread for food “(2 Cor. 9:10).Let us make our money work now so as to have eternal results. Jesus taught that If we are faithful in how we use our money to advance His kingdom, the Lord will then entrust “true riches” to us (Luke 16:11)

What does the Bible teach us about giving to the Lord’s work?  One, we are to give what we have decided in our hearts to give. Giving should not be done out of coercion; it should not be done grudging or of necessity. We should give joyfully because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). Two, giving is to be consistent; when you have the means and the opportunity, you are to give (Gal. 6:10).

In Proverbs 11:24-25,28 we are told “there is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich and he who waters will also be watered himself. He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf”. In Proverbs 3:9-10 we are told “honor the Lord with your wealth… so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine”

Have you ever pondered that your giving to the work of God produces a soothing aroma before His throne in heaven? Does this precious word picture not cause you to desire to be given more opportunities to give to Him and His people and His Kingdom work? Giving to those who are in the Lord’s service is an offerings that is truly pleasing and "pleasantly aromatic" to Him,