Generosity...in the wilderness?

In my last reflection on the Israelites, God focuses on the responsibilities of the priests and Levites. In the midst of conflict and uncertainty and fear in the wilderness, He tells Aaron’s family they will be priests, and that the Levites will be caretakers of the community’s place of worship. By offering instructions and clarifying roles, God is providing the Isrealites some structure for their existence.

As part of their new role, God tells the Levites they cannot have an interitance. However, they can receive some of the tithes from the larger community’s offering, and then give God a portion. God explains:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. So you shall also present a contribution to the Lord from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the Lord's contribution to Aaron the priest. Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the Lord; from each its best part is to be dedicated.’” (Numbers 18:25-29)

As part of the many commandments and instructions God gives to Israel while they are in the wilderness, a number of them focus on tithing. He’s telling them when, how, and how much to give. The tithes are a reminder of their special relationship with God, a tribute to all that He has provided, a tangible sacrifice by a people still struggling in a strange land.

It’s not hard to imagine that when you are in your wilderness, the last thing you might consider is what you can give away. For Israel, you’re in the early days of a forty-year banishment. You’re bickering inernerally and at war with the communities around you. You’ve gone through periods of hunger and thirst, with limited food and water.

For modern-day family business members, you’re in the throes of an uncertain economic future, or even worse, a downturn. Your family is a mess. Good help seems impossible to find. Succession planning feels like one step forward and three steps back. You wonder what God has in store. The wilderness is a difficult and unsettling place.

And you are supposed to focus on being generous? On giving up a portion of everything that makes life seem better?

Perhaps God knows that giving is not only fulfilling a commandment, it’s a reminder of your covenantal relationship with Him. Giving is a physical acknowledgement that you have indeed been blessed. Giving takes the focus off of you, and puts it on the recipient. In many ways, and among other benefits, giving helps get you out of the wilderness mindset.

Have you ever given a tithe, gift, or contribution when it seemed difficult to do so — or have you recieved a gift from someone who might have been struggling? What are some of the barriers you’ve overcome in your efforts to remain generous?