2 Chronicles 31:1-6: a reflection

1Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. 2Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the LORD’s camp. 3He also appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the LORD’s law. 4Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the LORD’s law. 5As soon as the commandment went out, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly. 6The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.

After a great renewal of worship, the people bring their gifts to God so generously and abundantly that the firstfruits and tithes are heaped up in great piles. As soon as the commandment went out, the account says, the children of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly, and laid them in heaps. Stirred by the renewal of true worship, the people did not give grudgingly or minimally; they gave in abundance, bringing the firstfruits and tithes of all their increase so generously that the gifts piled up in heaps. Their giving overflowed, glad and generous, out of what God had provided. This shows generous, abundant giving to God, out of what he has provided. Give to God generously and abundantly, out of what he has provided. Let your giving overflow, glad and generous, not grudging or minimal. The people's gifts piled up in heaps; give gladly, not sparingly. Generous giving flows from a heart stirred toward God.

Notice the abundance and gladness of the people's giving. Stirred by a great renewal of true worship, when the call went out to bring their gifts, the people responded not grudgingly or with the bare minimum, but in abundance. They brought the firstfruits of all their increase, grain, wine, oil, honey, and the tithe of all things, and they brought so much that the gifts piled up in heaps. Their giving overflowed; it was glad, generous, abundant, out of the increase God had given them. This holds a picture of giving worth learning from. Our giving to God, of our resources and of ourselves, can be grudging, minimal, calculated to give as little as we can, held back. But the people here show a better way: giving generously and abundantly, gladly, out of what God has provided, letting their giving overflow rather than stinting. And this generosity flowed from a heart stirred toward God by the renewal of worship; generous giving is the natural overflow of a heart warmed toward God. When our hearts are stirred toward God, our giving tends to be generous, not grudging; and God loves such generous, glad giving out of what he has provided. We do well to give to God generously and abundantly, gladly and not grudgingly, out of what he has provided, letting our giving overflow. Give to God generously and abundantly, gladly and not grudgingly, out of what he has provided. Let your giving overflow, not calculated to give as little as possible. Generous giving flows from a heart stirred and warmed toward God. The people's gifts heaped up; give gladly, out of God's provision to you.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are to give to God generously and abundantly, out of what he has provided, as the people's gifts piled up in heaps. We can give grudgingly and minimally; but the people, stirred toward God, gave in abundance until the gifts heaped up. Give generously. Do not give to God grudgingly or minimally; give generously and abundantly, gladly, out of what he has provided, letting your giving overflow. Give to God generously and abundantly, gladly and not grudgingly, out of what he has provided, letting your giving overflow rather than stinting, as after a great renewal of worship the people brought their gifts so generously that the firstfruits and tithes were heaped up in great piles, giving in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and all their increase, and bringing the tithe of all things abundantly and laying them in heaps; for stirred by the renewal of true worship the people did not give grudgingly or minimally but gave in abundance, bringing the firstfruits and tithes of all their increase so generously that the gifts piled up in heaps, their giving overflowing glad and generous out of what God had provided, which holds a picture of giving worth learning from, since our giving to God of our resources and ourselves can be grudging, minimal, calculated to give as little as we can, and held back, but the people show a better way, giving generously and abundantly and gladly out of what God has provided and letting their giving overflow rather than stinting, this generosity flowing from a heart stirred toward God by the renewal of worship, since generous giving is the natural overflow of a heart warmed toward God, so that when our hearts are stirred toward God our giving tends to be generous and not grudging, and God loves such generous, glad giving, so that we do well to give to God generously and abundantly out of what he has provided.

Lord, after a great renewal of worship, the people bring their gifts to you so generously and abundantly that the firstfruits and tithes are heaped up in great piles. As soon as the commandment went out, the account says, the children of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly, and laid them in heaps. Stirred by the renewal of true worship, the people did not give grudgingly or minimally; they gave in abundance, bringing the firstfruits and tithes of all their increase so generously that the gifts piled up in heaps. Their giving overflowed, glad and generous, out of what you had provided. Show me the abundance and gladness of the people's giving. Stirred by a great renewal of true worship, when the call went out to bring their gifts, the people responded not grudgingly or with the bare minimum, but in abundance. They brought the firstfruits of all their increase, and the tithe of all things, and they brought so much that the gifts piled up in heaps. Their giving overflowed; it was glad, generous, abundant, out of the increase you had given them. This holds a picture of giving worth learning from. My giving to you, of my resources and of myself, can be grudging, minimal, calculated to give as little as I can, held back. But the people here show a better way: giving generously and abundantly, gladly, out of what you have provided, letting their giving overflow rather than stinting. And this generosity flowed from a heart stirred toward you by the renewal of worship; generous giving is the natural overflow of a heart warmed toward you. Take that to my heart. Keep me from giving to you grudgingly or minimally, calculated to give as little as possible; help me give generously and abundantly, Lord, gladly and not grudgingly, out of what you have provided, letting my giving overflow, and stir and warm my heart toward you, that generous giving may flow from it.