Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the next window of the temple of truth, namely benevolence. This sociable virtue is one of the means by which one manifests one’s favorable dispositions to one’s neighbor. It is sometimes expressed by the terms of: kindness, benignity, or humanity; it is for example the second character of charity in 1 Corinthians 13.4: “benevolent”, “full of goodness”. Benevolence is also attributed to God towards his faithful, as we will see later.
General advice about generosity, as we learn in the Bible:
Lev 25:35 “If your brother becomes poor, and his hand bows down near you, you will support him; you will do the same for him who is a stranger and lives in the land, so that he may live with you.”
15.7 “And if there be any of you among your brethren among you, in one of your gates, in the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not shut up. put your hand in front of your needy brother.”
-Mat 6.1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be seen; otherwise you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
-Mat 19.21 “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, and follow me.”
-Luc 11.41 “Give alms instead of what is in it, and behold, all things are pure for you.”
-Luc 12.33 “Sell what you have, and give it into alms. Make yourself purses that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where the thief does not approach, and where the moth does not destroy.”
Luke 18.22 “And when Jesus heard that, he said to him, One thing is still lacking to you: sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. Then, come, and follow me.”
Luke 19.8 “But Zacchaeus, standing up, said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have wronged anyone in anything, I will repay him four times as much.”
-1 Cor 13.3 “And when I give all my goods for the food of the poor, when I give my body to be burned, and if I have not love, it is of no use to me.”
I. CHARACTERISTICS OF BENEVOLENCE
- donations made according to possibilities
-Lev 14.30 “Then he will offer one of the turtle doves or one of the young pigeons he has been able to procure,”;
-Lev 27.8 “And if he who has made the vow is too poor to pay for your estimate, he shall be presented to the priest, who shall tax him, and the priest shall make an estimate in relation to the resources of this man.” ;
-Deut 16:17 “Everyone will give what he can, according to the blessings that the LORD your God has given him.”
-Esd 2.69 “And they gave to the treasure of the work, according to their means, sixty-one thousand daric gold, five thousand silver mines, and a hundred priestly tunics.” ;
-Neh 5.8 “And I say unto them, We have redeemed according to our power our brethren the Jews sold to the nations; and you would sell your brethren yourself, and they would be sold to us! They were silent, finding nothing to answer.”
-Acts 11.29 “And the disciples determined to send every one according to his means to the brothers who dwelt in Judea.”
-2 Cor 8.12 “Good will, when it exists, is pleasing because of what it can have at its disposal, and not what it does not have.”
- beneficence:
-the duty of beneficence: Deut 15.12-14 “If one of your Hebrew brothers, man or woman, sells to you, he will serve you six years; but in the seventh year you shall send him away from home. 13 And when you send him away from home, you will not send him away empty; 14 And thou shalt make gifts to him from thy flock, and from thine threshing floor, and from thine winepress, and from the blessings of Jehovah thy God.”
-the advice of the wise man: Pro 25:21 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” ; Ecc 11.1 “Cast your bread on the face of the waters, because with time you will find it;”
-The words of the prophet: Isa 58: 7 “Share your bread with the hungry, And bring into your house the poor without shelter. If you see a naked man, cover him, and do not turn away from your fellow man.”
-the commandments of Christ : Mat 5.42 “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” ; Luke 3.11 “And he said unto them, Whosoever hath two tunics, let him share with him that hath none, and he that hath anything to eat, let him do the same thing.” ; Luke 12.33 “Sell what you have, and give it into alms. Make yourself purses that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where the thief does not approach, and where the moth does not destroy.”
-Paul’s exhortation: Acts 20.35 “I showed you in every way that it is in working like this that we must support the weak, and remember the words of the Lord, who said himself: There is more happiness to give than to receive.” ; Rom 12.13 “Provide for the needs of the saints. Exercise hospitality.” ; Gal 6.10 “So, while we have the opportunity, let us practice good to all, and especially to the brethren in faith.” ; 1 Tim 6.18 “Commit them to do good, to be rich in good works, to have liberality, generosity,”; Heb 13.16 “And do not forget beneficence and liberality, for it is with such sacrifices that God takes pleasure.”
- gifts in the form of presents:
-Gen 24.53 “And the servant came out of the silver things, and the jewels, and the garments, which he gave to Rebekah; he also made rich presents to his brother and his mother.”
-Gen45.22 “And he gave them all clothes for a change, and he gave Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver, and five clothes for a change.”
Job 42.11 “The brothers, sisters, and old friends of Job came to visit him, and they ate with him in his house. They pitied him and comforted him with all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him, and each gave him a kesita and a golden ring.”
-Mat 2.11 “And they went into the house, and saw the little child with his mother Mary, and worshiped him, and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures, and offered him gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
- parents’ gifts, expression of love for children:
-A heritage: Gen 24.36 “Sarah, my lord’s wife, gave birth to a son to my lord in his old age; and he gave him everything he has.”
– a beautiful garment: Gen 37.3 “Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he had had it in his old age; and he made her a tunic of many colors.”
Jos 15:19 “And she said, Give me a present, for you have given me a land of the south; give me water sources too. And he gave him the upper springs and the lower springs.”
– a tunic made at home: 1 Sam 2.19 “Her mother made her a little robe every year, and brought it to her, going up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.”
-A picture of the divine abundance: Matt 7.11 “If then, wicked as you are, you know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask them.”
- Biblical rules regarding donations:
According to the revenues Deut 16.17 “Everyone will give what he can, according to the blessings that the LORD your God has given him.” ; Mat 5.42 “Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” ; Mat 6.3 “But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing,”
-without ostentation: Matt 6.3 “But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing;”
-Moreover: Mat 10.8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received for free, give for free.” ;
-with simplicity: Rom 12: 8 “and one who exhorts to exhortation. Let him who gives it do so liberally; let the presiding officer do it with zeal; let him who practices mercy do it with joy.”
- the credit system: borrow
Exo 22.13 “And if the beast is torn, he shall produce it for a testimony, and he shall not be bound to restitution for what was torn.”
-2 Kings 4.3 “And he said, Go and ask for vases from all your neighbors, empty vessels, and ask not a few of them.”
-2 Kings 6.5 “And as one of them fell a beam, the iron fell into the water. He exclaimed: Ah! my lord, he was borrowed!”
-Psa 37.21 “The wicked borrow, and he does not give; The righteous is compassionate, and he gives.”
-Pro 22.7 “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.”
-Mat 5.42 “Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
- the credit system: it is ordered to lend
-Deut 15.8 “But you will open your hand to him, and you will lend him something to provide for his needs.”
-Psa 37.26 “He is always compassionate, and ready; And his seed is blessed.”
-Psa 112.5 “Blessed is the man who exercises mercy and lends. Who settles his actions according to justice.”
-Mat 5.42 “Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
-Luc 6.35 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend without hope. And your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for it is good for the ungrateful and for the wicked.”
– help the needy: Pro 19.17 “He who has mercy on the poor, will lend to the Lord, who will repay him according to his work.”
-to help foreigners: Heb 13.1-2 “Persevere in brotherly love. 2 Do not forget the hospitality; for in exercising it, some have lodged angels without knowing it.”
3 John 5-8 “Beloved, you act faithfully in what you do for the brethren, and even for foreign brethren, 6 who have testified of your love in the presence of the church. You will do well to provide for their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For it is for the name of Jesus Christ that they departed, without receiving anything from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore, we must receive such men, to be workers with them for the truth.”
II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF BENEVOLENCE
- Just as the goodness of God manifests itself in many ways:
-by granting us salvation: Titus 3.4 “But when the goodness of God our Savior and his love for men were manifested,”
-by being faithful to his promises: 1 Kings 3.6 “Solomon answered, “You have treated your servant David, my father, with great kindness, because he walked in your presence in fidelity, in righteousness, and in righteousness of heart. towards you; you have preserved this great benevolence to him, and you have given him a son who sits on his throne, as we see today.”
– looking after us: Job 10.12 “Thou didst grant me your grace with life, Thou hast kept me under thy care, and under your care.”
– showing compassion to us: Isa 54.8 “In a moment of anger I had for a moment stolen my face, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says your Redeemer, the LORD.”
-by providing for our needs: Gen 32.11 “Deliver me, I pray you, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau! for I fear that he will come and strike me with the mother and the children.” ; Ruth 2.10 “And she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, How have I found favor in your sight, that you may be interested in me, who am a stranger?” ; Hos 11.4 “And I drew them with bonds of humanity, with ropes of love; for them I was as he that loosed the yoke by their mouths, and offered them food.” ; Acts 14.17 “though he did not cease to testify of what he is, by doing good, by giving you from heaven the rains and fertile seasons, giving you food abundantly, and filling your hearts with joy.”
-by helping us in various situations: Gen 39.21 “And Jehovah was with Joseph, and spread his goodness upon him. He put it in favor of the head of the prison.” ; Esd 9.9 “For we are slaves, but God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has restored to us the objects of the benevolence of the kings of Persia, to preserve our life so that we may build the house of our God and raise up its ruins, and give us a retreat in Judah and Jerusalem.”
- it’s commanded to be merciful:
-Be full of goodness: Luke 6.36 “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.” ; Rom 12: 8 “and one who exhorts to exhortation. Let him who gives it do so liberally; let the presiding officer do it with zeal; let him who practices mercy do it with joy.” ; Jude 22 “Take back some, those who dispute”;
– mercy is more important than sacrifice: Hos 6.6 “I love piety and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” ; Micah 6.6 “With what shall I present myself before the LORD, to humble myself before the Most High God? Shall I present myself with burnt offerings, with calves of one year?” ; Mat 9.13 “Go, and learn what it means: I take pleasure in mercy, and not in sacrifice. Because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
From the foregoing, the believer, fearing the Lord, must show kindness, goodness, humanity, mercy, and charity. We are asked to remain full of kindness, and that mercy is more important than sacrifice. That is why it is recommended to be merciful. Our prayers support you in your desire to exercise kindness.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows :
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be glad to respond to your questions and comments as necessary, before sharing with you next week on universal love .
May the Almighty God bless you profusely.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord Almighty.