During David’s reign as the King of Israel, plans had been made to construct a great temple to be dedicated to God. As he prepared for succession by his son, Solomon, he transferred the plans, materials, and treasury that had been accrued. David also made a lavish offering from his own funds, which prompted an outpouring of generosity from the community. This verse highlights their posture – that they gave freely and with joy to build a place of worship.

To the non-believer, it may seem strange that the Israelites were celebrating their own sacrifice of wealth, time, and energy, but it makes perfect sense to those of us who have exercised this type of generosity. When you give towards something bigger than yourself, your name is forever associated with the fruit that is produced by that thing. The Israelites understood this – that their generosity was directly correlated to any blessing Israel would receive through its obedience in worship. Furthermore, they knew that their ability to earn wealth at all was the favor of God on their lives, and they were genuinely excited to use it for his glory!

I pray that you will also rejoice in your giving and that it would give you fresh eyes to see the life change happening all around you. I pray that you are energized by the realization that your generosity is one of the primary vehicles that we use to care for those in need, offer a place of healing for the community, and bring the gospel to people around the world. What thing could possibly be better to build with your giving than God's Church, the hope of the world? Finally, I pray that your obedience to the tithe and your growth in generosity produces blessing in your own life as you walk with the Lord.