A Freewill Offering

Ezra 2:68-69

68 When they arrived at the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site, 69 and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins (~1,100 lbs), 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

I was reading this and thinking about how much the offerings here would calculate in today's market. These offerings were voluntary and were what the people returning to Jerusalem offered out of their own pockets.

In today's prices the value of the gold coins would be $927,300.00, $68,750.00 of silver and around $20,000.00 for the robes. The total given would be worth $1,016,050.00 in today's measure. There were 42,360 people who returned. This means the average person gave around $24.00 for their offerings. This from people who came back from being in captivity. They didn't have much but they offered what they had. These offerings did not include the money that they got from their captors to build the temple. This was their own money. When they were considered second class citizens and didn't have much to start with, this was a great offering to bring to the Lord!

As we have seen from the words of Jesus Himself, it is not the amount of offering that is brought that matters. Here are His words:

Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

God is more concerned with the attitude of our heart when we are giving than the amount that we give. When we bring our tithes and offerings to Him we are to bring them with a glad and a cheerful heart. I would guess that the people returning to their native land after a period of time in exile would have glad and cheerful for their return. This is why the offerings they brought were worth so much more than a dollar amount assigned to them.

Heavenly Father, I come to you today and thank You for all that You have given to me. I pray that my heart is right when I bring my tithes and offerings to you. I pray that I bring you what is pleasing and acceptable and that it will be multiplied for Your glory. I praise You and honor You today with my time, talent and finances. May You be glorified through me today. MORE OF YOU and less of me. Amen.

Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved