The Gift that Keeps on Giving

The Gift that Keeps on Giving' sales pitch usually deals with diamonds or magazine subscriptions. In many ways, the phrase has become as meaningful as “It's the thought that counts”. No one really believes  it – just try it on your spouse sometime if you do.

Actually, there are gifts that are really nice. A gift is something voluntarily transferred from one person to another without compensation.

In the Old Testament, we find that God had, “given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation” and to make an atonement for the children of Israel (Number 8:19). Then in Numbers 18:6 it says, “And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation”. Interesting that the Levites were considered a gift given by God to Aaron, and a gift from Aaron to God!

The scriptures also indicate that the offerings & the titihes that were offered for the Levites were called gifts (Numbers 18:29; Mt 5:23-24). In 2 Chron. 32:23, following the Lord's great salvation of King Hezekiah from Sennacherib (king of Assyria), many people brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem and presents to Hezekiah.

The wise men from the east came to Bethlehem for to worship the young child Jesus “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Mt. 2:22). It was common in Eastern culture to give such gifts to royalty. In this we see a principle of the lesser giving gifts to the greater. An example of this is when Abraham gave tithes (a tenth part) of all the spoil to Melchisedec (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-2). God is greater than we are, so we should offer to Him what is due. However, Hebrews 7:7 says, “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better”.  This seems to be a contradiction, but it is not.  Melchisedec blessed Abraham – and God is blessing us. Think about how Jesus taught on prayer. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matt 7:7-11).

God is a great gift giver. Sometimes we don't recognize it as such (like the Levites in Numbers 8:19). We are told that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). One such gift “is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). It is a free gift (Rom 5:15, 16), but not a cheap gift! “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). Obedient faith is the contribution that we make to God for this free gift. With David we ask, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psa 116:12). We could start by offering thanks to God “for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor 9:15), the gift that keeps on giving!