WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY
We all love to receive gifts. Few things compare to being given a gift by someone who loves you, especially when the gift is something that they have thoughtfully chosen just for you. God loves gifts also; he loves to give to us, and he loves to receive gifts from us. Our lesson this week is about the gifts we bring to God.
4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings (first born) of his flock and of the fat (the best choice parts) thereof. And the Lord had respect (to turn about, to gain the attention of) unto Abel and his offerings:
5 But unto Cain and to his offerings he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Exodus 23:19
The first of the first fruits of thy and thou shall bring into the house of the Lord thy God.
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the Lord with thy substance (wealth, effort, ability), and with the first fruits of all thine increase.
God is very clear about what he wants from us, our best, not just the first fruits but the first of the first fruits.
Picture if you will, Christmas morning, under the tree is a gift for you. Your mind races with wonderment, what is in the box? You rip off the paper and tear off the lid only to find stale bread, wilted lettuce, and molded cheese. Your gift is someone’s leftovers; they apologize, saying that they didn’t have time to bring you a better gift because they were so busy. How does this make you feel; where do you think you ranked among this persons priorities? We would never do this to someone we love, or would we?
Cain and Abel both brought gifts to the Lord. Abel was sure to bring his finest. I can see him looking through his flock, only the best would do. This would have taken time and careful preparation. He didn’t mind, I’m sure he presented his gift to the Lord with pride; knowing that he had given the Lord his very best. The Bible doesn’t mention the condition of Cain’s gift, only that it didn’t gain respect or the attention of God. God respected Abel’s gift, it was after all, his best.
What are the gifts we bring to God, what is the condition of our gifts? Tithes and offerings are usually the first thing that comes to our mind, but that is not what I’m talking about. The gifts I am referring to are the things we do for God, not just the stuff we give him. Here are a couple examples of some things that are gifts that we bring to the Lord, and the contrast between first fruits and leftovers.
Sunday School Teacher/ Bible Teacher
The first fruits teacher comes to class prepared. They have studied their lesson; they have notes, questions, and a passion to teach the word of God. Whether or not they are the best teacher in the world doesn’t matter to God, that they are doing their best for him does.
The leftover teacher flips through the lesson in the car on the way to church. They apologize to the class for being unprepared because they were so busy with other things this week that they haven’t had time to study. They devoted their time to other things that week and gave God the leftovers.
Cleaning the church
The first fruits cleaner feels that it is an honor to be able to clean the toilets in the Lord’s house. They take pride in their work, vacuuming under every pew, wiping all the angel handprints off the front doors, picking up all the tear soaked Kleenex, only a spic and span job is good enough for their Lord.
The leftover cleaner doesn’t see why they have to clean the church; they have other things that need to be done. Those front doors shouldn’t have to be cleaned again; parents should teach their kids not to put their grimy hands on the glass anyway. They don’t see any reason to vacuum anything but the main isle; it takes too long to get under the pews, no one can see under there. They hurry out because they have other things to do and they give God the leftovers.
Singer/ Musician
The first fruits musicians are such a blessing to the congregation; they are worshipping the Lord with their song and lead others to worship as well. They get up and sing like it is the most important performance of their lives after having spent time in prayer asking God to be with them. They practice and are prepared to bring their offering of song before the Lord. They sing and play from their heart; not to the audience, but to God. They might not be the best musicians, but they always do their best. That is what pleases God.
The leftover musician drags their sad face to the front, usually saying something like, “Ya’ll pray for me.” Then they give a reason for why they might not do a very good job. They have been too busy to practice or pray so they bring God their leftovers.
These were just a few examples, there are too many to list. The important thing is whatever you do for God, do it to the best of your ability. Give God a portion of your time first, not last after everything else is done.
If you aren’t sure what gifts you can give to God, look at the things you are good at, then find a way to do that for God.
Have a great week and give God your best!