LESSON FOURTEEN
THE OFFERING OF MATERIAL RICHES

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you in return.

From the time that man developed a problem with God because of the fall and left the position where he took God as everything, material riches have become a critical matter in the life of fallen man. God’s enemy, Satan the Devil, exploited the fallen condition of men to come in and deceive men to worship idols. For this reason, the Lord Jesus told us that, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24b).

GOD’S GIVING

“Nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6:17). This word expresses Satan’s plot to delude men, showing us that all the material things and enjoyment in our living apparently come from the uncertain riches, but they actually come from God’s giving. They are supplied to us from God’s rich giving. Hence, we must not set our hope on deceitful and uncertain material riches, but on the very God who gives us all things for our enjoyment.

THE LORD’S CHARGE

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19-20). We need to look at this word of the Lord from the viewpoint of laying up material riches. To lay up material riches is to save what is left of a man’s gain after the needs of his living have been met. Here, the Lord charges us not to lay up these surplus riches on the earth, but to lay them up in heaven, that is, to spend them on the heavenly Father, doing such things as helping those in need, thus making friends with them and advancing His gospel.

THE LORD’S PROMISE

“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will give into your bosom” (Luke 6:38). This is a promise spoken from the Lord’s own mouth. If we are willing to distribute our material wealth to the needy for God’s sake, He will surely give into our bosom that which is rich and plenteous, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. He will not give into our hands that which is scanty and limited. What a profitable deal this is!

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “He who sows sparingly, sparingly also shall reap; and he who sows with blessing, with blessings also shall reap”. In man’s eyes, the offering of material riches is to give away their riches. However, in God’s eyes, such offering is a kind of sowing which will result in reaping. He who offers little shall reap little, and he who offers much shall reap much. We ought to believe in the Lord’s promise in this law.

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10). The “tithes” are the legal amount of offering which God required from the harvest of the Israelites in the Old Testament. This word superabundantly displays the infinitely rich promise of God. Although it was spoken to the Israelites in the Old Testament, in principle it applies also to the New Testament believers. If we will fully offer to God what belongs to Him that the church may be richly supplied, God will open the windows of heaven for us and pour out a blessing to us, which there will not be enough room to contain. This is a solemn promise of the Lord of hosts. We can offer to Him according to His promise to prove Him.

THE WAY

“But you, when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall repay you” (Matt. 6:3-4). For whatever use we offer our material riches, we must not do it intentionally for others to see in order that we may be glorified and rewarded by men; otherwise, we will not be rewarded by the Father, who is in the heavens. (Life Lessons, Vol. 2, ch. 24)

THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF THE OFFERING OF MATERIAL RICHES

We should see the importance and value of such offering. By being offered to God for God’s use by us who are of God, what was considered by God as “mammon of unrighteousness” (Luke 16:9), that is, as deceitful riches (Matt. 13:22) and uncertain riches (1 Tim. 6:17) which will “fail” (Luke 16:9), can actually become our “fellowship” with the saints, our “righteousness” toward men before God, an acceptable “sacrifice” to God, and a well-pleasing “fragrant odor” to Him. Riches that deceive men, corrupt men, and destroy men can actually become such transcendent blessings that we have before God! This is all a result of our offering of material riches. (Life Lessons, Vol. 2, lsn. 24)

References: Life Lessons, Vol. 2, lsn. 24.