Offering, a Bribe?

(Proverbs 29:4 KJV)  The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

When I first went through Proverbs, our nation has just allowed congress to bail out the large banks of the country.  If you follow the money you can see easily that this is a clear case of “bribes” (8641) given to corrupt politicians, representing the “king” (4428), and corrupt business leaders.  All they can see is the short term increase in their wealth and power.  If they see the damage they are doing to the country and liberty, they don’t care.  They think their position will shield them from the consequences.  They are probably right.

We are not politicians, or at least I assume none of us are.  None of us in one swoop can damage the entire country by one action.  Yet, this is a Biblical truth and applies to us.  How?  Any time we allow personal gain to harm others we are part of this problem.  It comes down to the word “bribes”  (8641), KJV has “gifts.”  I assumed this was the word that is used interchangeably with “gifts”.  I could not have been more wrong.  This is actually the word for offerings.  In the definition it specifically says “for sacred uses.”  Let me quote a familiar verse:

(Malachi 3:8 KJV) Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Our word here is “offerings.”  This is saying to us that any time we misuse what we should be giving to God, we are damaging the “stability of the land.”

We contribute in our own little ways.  Each decision effects us and a few others.  When enough people compromise then you have what the nuclear scientists would call “critical mass.”  In physics you have an explosion.  In society you have genuine harm.  If the critical mass reaches the right level you have God moving to chastise a nation.

So?  Are you faithful in your giving to God?  Some people freak-out at the concept of tithing.  In the Bible, the tithe is the beginning platform, not the ultimate goal.  What about your spiritual gifts?  Are you using them for the glory of God?  For many of us the issue is bigger than money.  Think, pray, meditate, act.