Importance of Good Offering!

By City Pastor, Charles Oluyori-Ack

Giving is important to every individual and even organization, the more you give, the more you receive. Have you wondered why corporate organizations give to customers and clients at certain period of the year? Because to whom that more is given to, more is expected. Even in the spiritual realm, the more you give to God the more you receive. Come to think of it, why do we find it so difficult giving to God? A lot of people will prefer to spend millions on frivolous things like sex, cars and houses but given ordinary hundreds to the ministry of God is usually a problem that tends to make many to think so much before they give.

Let's take a deeper study of what Solomon did in the books of Chronicles. In the 2 Chronicles 7:4, Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. I am going to be very logical in trying to explain this verse. We know that in the days of the Old Testament, the true people of God, the people dear after God's heart made offerings of their best stocks, so Solomon must have offered the bests of his cattle, sheep and goats.

Assuming  that 1 matured cow in Nigeria costs about N150, 000.00 (One hundred and fifty thousand naira) or about $1000(One thousand USD), then 22,000 cattle would cost about N3, 300,000,000 (3.3 billion naira) or $21,710,526.32, or approximately 22 million dollars.   If a goat or sheep costs N10,000.00 (Ten thousand naira) or  about 70 dollars per sheep or goat, then 120,000 goats and sheep would cost about N1,200,000,000 (1.2 billion naira) or $7,894,736.84 (approximately 8 million USD).

If our figures are correct, then the cost cattle, sheep and goats that Solomon sacrificed to God on that day would be N3,300,000,000 (3.3billion naira) + N1,200,000,000 (N1.2 billion naira) totaling about N4,500,000,000 (4.5 billion naira) or about 30 million USD

Read Malachi 3:10-12

His rewards

Now that we have our analysis clearly, that means on a particular day, I mean just one day, after King Solomon had built the temple of the Lord, apart from the materials, labor and other resources he used in building the Lord's temple, King Solomon spent about 30 million USD in today's amount has offering to God. Tell me why God will not bless such a man!

I told you I am going to be very logical and practical here. Look at Solomon's reward in 2 Chronicles 8:17-18

"Later Solomon went to Ezion-geber in the land of Edom. Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers and manned by experienced crews of sailors. These ships sailed to Ophir with Solomon's men and brought back to Solomon almost seventeen tons of gold.

Practically, in our present day, a ton of gold costs between $40 million USD and $45 million USD. In Nigerian currency that will be approximately N7billion. But Solomon was not given a ton of gold but 17 tons of gold. That will translate to N116,280,000,000 (One hundred and sixteen billion, two hundred and eighty thousand naira). Lets approximate it to N116 billion or $765,000,000 (Seven hundred and sixty five million dollars). Awesome! 

Let's go on! In 2 Chronicles 9:9 "Then she (Sheba) gave the king (Solomon) a gift of 9000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices and precious jewels. Never before had there been spices as fine as those the queen gave to King Solomon".  1 pound of gold today is $18,348.00(Eighteen thousand, three and forty eight thousand); therefore 9000 pounds of gold will be $165,132,000(One hundred and sixty five million, one hundred and thirty two thousand dollars) or N25, 100,064,000 (Twenty five billion, one hundred million, sixty four thousand naira).

So in all after Solomon offered sacrifice worth about N4,500,000,000 (4.5 billion naira) or about 30 million USD to God. He received an immediate blessing from other kings around him worth $765,000,000 +$165,132,000 = $930,132,000 or N141,380,064,000. Subtract $30 million dollars from $930,132,000, it will give you an approximate of $900,000,000. That is million folds return!

It didn't end there, read on; Look at verse 13-15A. "Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of provinces also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 

King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 15 pounds. He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 7.5 pounds".

Verse 20-21: "All of King Solomon's drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the palace of the forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon's day! The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by the sailors sent by Hiram. Once every 3years the ships returned loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks"

If we try calculating what these amounts to today we may not end it at all; ships of gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. That is awesome, just for one man!

In verse 22 of that same chapter: "So Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. Kings from every nation came to consult him and hear the wisdom God had given him". Isn't that great for giving sacrifice unto God?

Verse 24: "Year after year everyone who visited brought gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. Solomon had 4000 stalls for his horses and chariots and he had 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities, and some near him in Jerusalem" verse 27: "The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was common as the sycamore fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and many other countries.

Great! Yes great. For obedience and sacrifice unto the Lord, a man achieved all these. You can imagine how much God can bless you when you sow a good seeds. Blessings of God will shower you from all corners and you will have so much to feed nations.

Don't think this happened to Solomon because he was Solomon- no, Solomon only applied a practical theory for getting and he was the richest man during his time.  Deuteronomy 16:17 "All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given them by the Lord"

Our prayer

1. God should give us the spirit of giving, that God should make us covenant kingdom  sowers and help us to learn to give unconditionally like Solomon
2. That God should make us receive the same way we have sown, in the proportion in which we have sown. Acts 20:35

 

Posted in Daily Inspirational

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