Pro 3:9-10 | KingComments | STEP | The fifth advice concerns the son’s honoring the LORD with his wealth ( ). It does not say that he should give something to the LORD, but that he should honor Him. Nor is it about something of his possession; it is about that he does it with his possession. So it refers to all his “wealth”, his entire capital, everything he has received by earning it or inheriting it. The “produce” is what he has obtained by working for it, the produce of labor. Giving “from the first” of a harvest implies the acknowledgment that all the harvest is the LORD’s ( ; ; ). The son is told that in determining the first fruits, he must base his determination on “all” his produce. He must not forget anything or leave anything out of the calculation. God asks that we include everything in our assessment of what is His. The ‘first’ refers particularly to Christ, the “first fruits of those who are asleep” ( ). He has fully given Himself for those who are His. If we bring the first fruits, God is reminded of Him. We understand a truth only if we have learned to see it in connection with Christ. This also makes the heart willing to respond to the desires of God. Giving does not stand alone. Giving as such means nothing. Giving has value only if it is done to glorify God through it. We can give to feel good through it; we glorify ourselves through it. This is how the Pharisees gave. We can also give in order to be better off. Then we ‘invest’ in God, He becomes an ‘investment object’. However, it is not about us, but about Him. We received our possessions from Him in order to worship Him with them. Even of our earthly possessions, it is “from Him and through Him and to Him” ( ). We honor God if we give with joy for His work. We do so when we say to Him from our heart: ‘You are the Source of all that I have. Without You I could have earned nothing and had nothing to honor You with. By giving the first fruits, the best, of it to You, I acknowledge that everything is Yours’ ( ). We show this by giving Him a portion of everything we receive first, even before we have used any of it for ourselves. From honoring with the first, the son does not get poorer. On the contrary, he becomes richer because of it. He will be blessed with an abundance that fills barns and makes press barrels overflow ( ; cf. ). This is what God promises when He is acknowledged in His rights over all things of life. Here certainly what was noted at the introduction to this chapter applies, that we must remember that these are promises that are sure to be fulfilled, but not always during life on earth. In any case, they will be fulfilled in the future. We misapply this verse when we say that when we give money, we get back much more money than we gave. For example, some television preachers do misuse this verse. They urge their audience to give money with the promise that they will get back much more than they gave. They say: ‘Send me $100,00 for my service and I guarantee that God will bless your gift with a gift of $1000,00!’ Such an appeal is nothing but manipulation. The point of this verse is also not for people to go and examine themselves to see if there are sins in their life that prevent the blessing if they give money for God’s work and are not blessed abundantly with money. Nor do they have to try again to see if it works then. When giving is done from the right mind of heart, God gives more than we have given Him. This involves a blessing greater than that of money or earthly goods. We see this in of this chapter. If we give up everything to follow the Lord, it does not mean that we will then become rich in earthly goods. What we get in return is abundant fellowship with Him with the joy that comes with it. That transcends all earthly possessions. Earthly possessions we can lose. What we possess in Him, we can never lose. It can only become more, that is, the enjoyment of it. What we gain by giving is always much more than what we give (cf. ).

‏ Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the LORD

The fifth advice concerns the son’s honoring the LORD with his wealth (Pro 3:9). It does not say that he should give something to the LORD, but that he should honor Him. Nor is it about something of his possession; it is about that he does it with his possession. So it refers to all his “wealth”, his entire capital, everything he has received by earning it or inheriting it. The “produce” is what he has obtained by working for it, the produce of labor.

Giving “from the first” of a harvest implies the acknowledgment that all the harvest is the LORD’s (Exo 23:19; Num 28:26-27; Deu 18:4 ; Deu 26:1-2). The son is told that in determining the first fruits, he must base his determination on “all” his produce. He must not forget anything or leave anything out of the calculation. God asks that we include everything in our assessment of what is His.

The ‘first’ refers particularly to Christ, the “first fruits of those who are asleep” (1Cor 15:20). He has fully given Himself for those who are His. If we bring the first fruits, God is reminded of Him. We understand a truth only if we have learned to see it in connection with Christ. This also makes the heart willing to respond to the desires of God.

Giving does not stand alone. Giving as such means nothing. Giving has value only if it is done to glorify God through it. We can give to feel good through it; we glorify ourselves through it. This is how the Pharisees gave. We can also give in order to be better off. Then we ‘invest’ in God, He becomes an ‘investment object’. However, it is not about us, but about Him. We received our possessions from Him in order to worship Him with them. Even of our earthly possessions, it is “from Him and through Him and to Him” (Rom 11:36).

We honor God if we give with joy for His work. We do so when we say to Him from our heart: ‘You are the Source of all that I have. Without You I could have earned nothing and had nothing to honor You with. By giving the first fruits, the best, of it to You, I acknowledge that everything is Yours’ (1Chr 29:14b). We show this by giving Him a portion of everything we receive first, even before we have used any of it for ourselves.

From honoring with the first, the son does not get poorer. On the contrary, he becomes richer because of it. He will be blessed with an abundance that fills barns and makes press barrels overflow (Pro 3:10; cf. Mal 3:10). This is what God promises when He is acknowledged in His rights over all things of life. Here certainly what was noted at the introduction to this chapter applies, that we must remember that these are promises that are sure to be fulfilled, but not always during life on earth. In any case, they will be fulfilled in the future.

We misapply this verse when we say that when we give money, we get back much more money than we gave. For example, some television preachers do misuse this verse. They urge their audience to give money with the promise that they will get back much more than they gave. They say: ‘Send me $100,00 for my service and I guarantee that God will bless your gift with a gift of $1000,00!’ Such an appeal is nothing but manipulation.

The point of this verse is also not for people to go and examine themselves to see if there are sins in their life that prevent the blessing if they give money for God’s work and are not blessed abundantly with money. Nor do they have to try again to see if it works then.

When giving is done from the right mind of heart, God gives more than we have given Him. This involves a blessing greater than that of money or earthly goods. We see this in Pro 3:13-18 of this chapter. If we give up everything to follow the Lord, it does not mean that we will then become rich in earthly goods. What we get in return is abundant fellowship with Him with the joy that comes with it. That transcends all earthly possessions. Earthly possessions we can lose. What we possess in Him, we can never lose. It can only become more, that is, the enjoyment of it. What we gain by giving is always much more than what we give (cf. Mk 10:28-30).