The Grand Display of God’s Giving in Genesis 1 Is Foundational for the Christian’s Giving
The Bible makes it clear that it is a more blessed act when one gives than when one receives. Nevertheless, the Christian may find it hard to get behind such a profound truth. The Bible is certainly counterintuitive, as it runs contrary to man’s fallen nature. The Bible starts out with a grand display of God’s giving.
First, God creates the heavens and the earth. Then God creates (in no specific order) light, animals, fish, birds, the moon, the stars, water, etc. God literally gives these things to man to enjoy and so that man could get to know God better.
The book of Genesis tells us in Genesis 1:29 and 1:30 that God gave man the plants to eat. God also gave man a day of rest and a garden. God gave so much to man at the outset of Scripture, and His creation, that it would take nothing less than the fall of man to cause man to forget the foundation that God has laid. Giving is absolutely foundational. It is seen at the outset of Scripture and rooted in the nature of God.
When man sinned against his Creator, giving turned into receiving. Living for others ceased, and living for self began to be the focus of the human race. It is of great necessity that man return to the Bible in an attempt to be realigned with the truth of Scripture.
Look at the following verses and see God’s heart toward giving to the poor:
• “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee” (Lev. 25:35) – In the Old Testament, God was very concerned with the way that His people cared for one another. When God declares someone a brother in this verse, He would have been referring to a fellow Israelite. God told the Israelites that if a fellow Israelite should come across hard times and be left without money to sustain himself, it is the responsibility of his fellow Israelites to help him.
God goes on to extend this duty to that of providing help to the outsider when He says, “stranger, or a sojourner.” God’s heart is that His people would be generous toward those around them. God is also concerned that His people keep a close watch on the poor who have fallen into difficult times.
This command, which was given to the nation of Israel, can be modernized for the church of God. Believers must see God’s heart behind commands such these and act accordingly. God desires that His people, even today, would extend their hand to help the poor.
• “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land” (Deut. 15:11). – God has made it clear in Deuteronomy 15:11 that there will always be poor people on earth. Jesus also declared this to be so in the Gospels. We will always have poor people around us in some form or fashion.
It can be common to close the fist, close the heart, and close the door to the poor in the land. But God would desire something radically different. He says, “Thou shalt open…” The Christian is to be opened to the poor, not closed off. The Christian must open his fist, open his heart, and open his door.
To top it off, God does not want the Christian to simply “open thine hand” to the poor, but to open it wide. This declares the love of God toward the poor quite loudly. It is sad that, so often, Christians are like the people who turned a blind eye to the beaten man in the story of the Good Samaritan.
• “He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth forever; his horn shall be exalted with honor” (Ps. 112:9) – In this verse, we can see a glimpse of what God does, rather than what He has commanded man to do. Verses like these are important to take note of. If one simply looks at the commands of God, without taking note of the character of God, there will be little to no power behind the commands themselves.
Doctrine is the foundation for proper application. This can be seen in Paul’s epistles. Romans 1-11 consists of mainly doctrine, while the rest of Romans is mainly application. Ephesians 1-3 is mainly doctrine, while the rest of the epistle is mainly application. These are not the only examples of this practice.
When someone comes to know God, it affects his behavior and conduct. Paul roots the Christian’s humility in the humility of Christ in Philippians 2. The love that a Christian should show others is rooted in the love that Christ has shown. God is foundational for the Christian’s conduct, not the commands themselves.
With that being said, Psalm 112:9 tells us that God is a Giver to the poor. As a result, so must the Christian be as well. God is a gracious, generous, and merciful Giver. Do the poor deserve God’s generosity? No. Do the poor deserve to have God’s blessing in their lives? Absolutely not. The poor have sinned against God just like everyone else. Nevertheless, God loves the poor and desires that they would be cared for because He is a compassionate God. So must the Christian be compassionate toward the poor in the land.
• “Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh” (Is. 58:7) – This verse is rather interesting. It comes in the midst of God talking about fasting and telling of the type of fast that is pleasing in His sight. When taken plainly, the verse would appear to be saying that one of the reasons why someone should fast is actually to be able to give the food that he would have eaten to the poor.
In a number of different ways, God makes it clear that His people are to be providing for the poor. Providing for their basic needs is what God has in mind in this verse. Food, shelter, and clothing are all mentioned.
It is interesting to note that in Matthew 6:25-34, some of these basic needs are also addressed. However, in these verses, it is also said that it is God Who does the providing. How do we reconcile what appears to be a contradiction? It is rather simple, really; God uses the Christian, and even places it on the heart of the Christian, to provide for the poor. Thus, it can be said that God provides for the poor, but He chooses to use the Christian as an avenue for blessing.
• “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Matt. 5:42) – This verse can be rather difficult to understand. It does not mean that if someone asks someone for money, then he should always give it. It does not mean that if we see a beggar on the road, we should always give. Giving is something that also requires wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word. Elsewhere, the Bible says that if someone does not work, he should not eat.
Rather, the Bible first speaks to the heart and attitude of the believer. He should have a disposition about himself to give to those in need. This verse is also found in a portion that speaks of returning evil with good. With these matters in mind, the Christian can approach giving with wisdom and should, in fact, give to those that ask.
Application
Giving is hard. This is especially true when someone loves his money. Guard your heart against the love of money. Seek the Lord, and pray over what He may have you do on this matter. The poor will always be in the land. Maybe there is someone who needs your help today.
Final prayer
Father, lead me in the right direction. Show me how I ought to live. Show me how I ought to give. You are a generous Giver. Please help me to be more like You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.