The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Vol. 3Newton, Richard
Religion
The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Vol. 3
Newton, Richard
Jesus Christ -- Art; Jesus Christ -- Biography -- Juvenile literature
We have another proof that "giving is God's rule for getting," in
Prov. iii: 9, 10. Here Solomon says--"Honor the Lord with thy
substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: So shall
thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with
new wine."
When the Jewish farmers gathered in their harvests they were required
to make an offering to God, of what had been gathered, before they
used any part of it for themselves; and the offerings thus made were
called "the first-fruits." God considered himself honored by his
people when they did this, because they were keeping his commandments
and doing what he wished them to do. And the meaning of this command,
when we apply it to ourselves, is that we should give something to
the cause of God from all the money, or property we have, and from
all the gain, or increase that we make to the same. This is the Bible
rule--the will or command of God for all his people. And then, in
the other part of this passage we have the promise of God to all who
do this. "So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses
shall burst out with new wine."
This means that they shall be rich and prosperous. And so we see that
this passage from the book of Proverbs, teaches the same lesson of
liberality that our Saviour taught when he said--"_Give and it shall
be given unto you_." It proves that "giving is God's rule for
getting."
And Solomon teaches the same, again, when he says, "The liberal soul
shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also
himself." Prov. xi: 25.
A "liberal soul" means a person who is in the habit of giving; and to
be "made fat" means to be prospered and happy. If you undertake to
water a garden, you are _giving_ to the thirsty plants that which
they need to make them grow and thrive; and when it is promised that
the person who does this shall "be watered also himself," the meaning
is that he shall have given to him all that is most important to
supply his wants, and make him happy. And this, we see, is only
teaching what our Saviour taught when he said, "Give, and it shall be
given unto you." It furnishes us with another proof that "giving is
God's rule for getting."
In the nineteenth chapter of Proverbs and seventeenth verse we have a
very clear proof of the lesson we are now considering. Here we find
it said: "_He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord;
and that which he hath given will he pay him again_." Having pity on
the poor, as here spoken of, means giving them such things as they
need. Whatever we use in this way God looks upon as so much money
lent unto him; and we have his solemn promise that when we lend
anything to him, in this way, "He will pay us again." And when he
pays again what has been lent to him, it is always with interest. He
pays back four, or five, or ten times as much as was lent: to him.
This proves that "giving is God's rule for getting."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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