How do we transform our lives in the area of prayer and spiritual awakening? Well, the answer is found from a thorough study of revival in the Bible. When you do this study, you will find a connection between spiritual awaking of God’s people and giving.
I want to point to examples in the Bible that show a connection between giving and revival. The first example is found relating to the tabernacle in the wilderness. The tabernacle was the portable house of worship built after the Exodus in the wilderness.
The Tabernacle
They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. (Exodus 36:3-7)
Here is an example where God’s people were giving so abundantly to build the tabernacle that there was already more than enough, and they still kept giving. Moses had to order the people to stop giving.
But look what happened. The Lord filled the tabernacle with his glory. A glory cloud covered the tabernacle.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34-35)
The tabernacle becomes exhibit A. The people gave generously, and God pours out his glory on the place.
Solomon’s Temple
Just forget about the price tag of Solomon’s temple. This temple was more magnificent than the Taj Mahal and much more costly. David wanted to build the temple, but God had better plans. Instead of David building God’s house, God would build David’s house. The house of David would live in eternity through lineage of Jesus Christ. It would be Solomon who would build the temple. David and the people gave generously.
Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. (1 Chronicles 29:6)
The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chronicles 29:9)
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. (1 Chronicles 29:14)
I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. (1 Chronicles 29:17)
Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the LORD your God.” So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the LORD and the king. (1 Chronicles 29:20)
And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. (1 Kings 8:11)
The priests could not perform their service because the glory of the Lord filled his temple.
The Second Temple
When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments. (Ezra 2:68-69)
They gave a freewill offering. There were setbacks and there were obstacles.
For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. (Ezra 6:22)
They celebrated the Passover with joy like never before. This is an exciting concept, generous giving being the key to spiritual awakening for an individual, a church or a people.
Tithing in Malachi
Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 3:7)
Where tithing brings revival. Generous giving is exciting. It comes in response to our awareness of the grace of God. Generous giving beyond the tithe super-abounds in bringing revival. We are challenged in Malachi to see if our generous giving does not open the floodgates of heaven and spiritual revival be poured out on us.
Generous giving is exciting because of where we find the ultimate expression of generous giving! It is found in God giving his son. It is found in Christ. He gave his life.
Jesus is the ultimate giving model. The cross represents the ultimate in giving.
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)
The cross is God’s generous gift of salvation for us.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! (Romans 5:15)
You cannot out give God. You will never be able to match his matchless giving. But we can respond to his perfect gift of salvation in Jesus Christ by generous giving. Not only giving obediently with your tithe but giving beyond the tithe.
The Freewill Offering.
We have already looked at the verses where God’s people in the Old Testament gave generously in regard to giving for building the temple, but also, they gave a freewill offering.
Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. (Deuteronomy 16:10)
The freewill offering was to be given in proportion to the blessing the Lord has given you. In the Old Testament God’s people established generous giving. Generous giving honors God. In the Old Testament as well as today it meant sacrifice to give generously. But it is generous giving that most honors God. It is generous giving that takes us to a new closeness in our walk with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Not surprising the practice is not limited to God’s people in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament we are called in to be rich toward God by generous giving.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
God loves a cheerful giver; therefore, God loved the early church we find in the New Testament because the people were giving generously. In a sense generous giving in the New Testament preceded the birth of the church at Pentecost.
It was a group of generous givers that supported Jesus and his disciples who had left their jobs to follow Jesus.
After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another. He spread the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him. 2 Also, some women were with him. They had been cured from evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, whose husband Chusa was Herod’s administrator; Susanna; and many other women. They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples. (Luke 8:1-3)
There were after Pentecost great acts of generosity.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. (Acts 2: 44-45)
A specific example was when Barnabas sold property to give.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4: 36-37)
The early church was rich in generosity out of extreme poverty. They gave beyond their ability.
In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. (2 Corinthians 8:2)
They even urgently pleaded for the privilege to give generously. They understood the privilege it is to give generously. They understood the connection between generous giving and spiritual revival. They understood that it is better to give than receive.
They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. (2 Corinthians 8:4)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
If you give generously, you reap generously. I like to use this verse in connection to evangelism, but the context of sowing and reaping is financial giving. The way we give in cheerfully. God is able to make all grace abound to you. Give what you have decided. The amount of generous giving is left to you.
The words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35).
It is for you to decide what you will give. You determine that before God in your heart through prayer. May you know the privilege of giving generously. May you experience the connection between generous giving and revival.
