by Rehema Jonathan | 20 December 2020 08:46 pm12
A raised offering is a special type of offering that holds greater honor than other offerings. It is a way to express deep gratitude, reverence, and dedication to God for His blessings. A raised offering is more significant because it involves sacrifice, and it is given with a higher level of intentionality and purpose.
For example, a person might give a regular offering, which is common and done out of obedience, but a raised offering is one that stands out in honor of God’s greatness, reflecting something more costly and valuable. This offering is specifically set aside for God, often with a particular request or as an expression of thanksgiving for a significant blessing.
In Numbers 15:18-19 (NIV), God instructs the Israelites:
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the Lord.’”
This passage shows that the raised offering is tied to the land God gave to His people, symbolizing their gratitude for His provision. It was a significant offering meant to honor God in response to His faithfulness.
A raised offering is not something spontaneous or small. It involves intentional preparation, sacrifice, and thoughtfulness. It’s more than just a regular offering, which may be given out of routine or obligation. For instance, offerings like Zakah (obligatory charity in Islam) or First Fruits (offering the first part of the harvest to God) are not considered raised offerings because they are compulsory rather than voluntary and are not meant to convey the same level of honor.
In the Bible, we see that God desires the best of what we have. Malachi 1:6-8 speaks about offering blemished sacrifices:
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? … When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” (Malachi 1:6-8, NIV)
This passage emphasizes that God expects our offerings to reflect our honor and respect for Him, and He rejects offerings that are made with little value or consideration.
The raised offering must be significantly different from others in that it represents the highest form of honor we can offer. That is why it is called a “raised” offering it is “lifted up” above others in terms of its value, both in terms of sacrifice and heart attitude.
Offering something that costs us little or is less than what God deserves is considered dishonorable. 2 Samuel 24:24 records David’s words when he was offering a sacrifice:
“But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.”
David understood that an offering that costs him nothing is not worthy of God. Similarly, a raised offering should reflect the magnitude of God’s blessing, as in the example of David, where he was willing to pay a price to honor God.
It is considered dishonoring and even sinful to offer a poor or insufficient offering, especially when God has blessed us abundantly. This is similar to promising someone a grand gift and then giving them something cheap, which would likely offend them. Haggai 1:7-9 speaks about the Israelites who were offering poor sacrifices:
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough… You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.'”
This passage reflects that God cares about the quality of our offerings and sacrifices, especially when we’re blessed. If we fail to honor God with our best, we risk not receiving His blessings in return.
When God has done something great in our lives, our response should match the magnitude of His blessing. A significant offering, given in response to a great miracle or blessing, carries much more weight than a small, routine offering. In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus commended the poor widow who gave two small coins, saying:
“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Even though the widow’s offering seemed small in monetary value, it was a raised offering because it cost her everything. Her heart of sacrifice and devotion to God made her offering far more powerful than others.
A raised offering is a gift that is meant to honor God in the highest way possible, often given in response to His greatness or after receiving a significant blessing. It requires sacrifice and must be of substantial value. God desires offerings that come from a sincere and devoted heart, not offerings that are given just out of obligation or convenience.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul teaches:
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
May we offer God our best in all that we do, knowing that He honors those who give with sincerity, devotion, and sacrifice.
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