Terumah, Free-will Offerings
Shemot (Exodus) 25:1 – 27:19
Melekim Alef (I Kings) 5:12 – 6:13
MattitYahu (Matthew) 5:14-16, 33-37; 27:51; Hebrews 4:16; 8:1-6; 9:1-27 (23-24); 10:1,19-23; 13:10-12; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 8:12; 9:1-15; Ephesians 2:19-22; Revelation 1:12-20; 4:5; 11:19; 21:3
Something so cool about YHWH is how His ways are paradoxical, boggling the mind of the worldly, but clicking right on with the righteous. A paradox is a self-contradictory statement that makes no sense and is impossible on the surface level. Let’s see how YHWH works with the impossible about letting go and giving.
To Give is to Gain - a Paradox
One of the wisest men in history wrote on paradoxical giving – in this proverb:
One gives freely, yet gains even more (a paradox).
Another withholds unjustly and comes to poverty (another paradox). A soul who blesses will prosper, and one who gives water will himself be satisfied. Proverbs 11:24-25
In other words, the wise King Solomon said if we let go and give what we have freely, we’ll gain more than what was given. But to stingily hold on to what we have, means losing our possessions and coming to poverty. Give to gain; hold on and lose it.
Of Immeasurable Worth:
Can you imagine if the ark of the covenant went up for sale – the one that Solomon brought into the temple in all its glory? What would the bid price be? It would smash all records for the most valuable item in its class if a class like that could even exist.
The point is, that no amount of money in the world could buy the Ark of the Covenant. It is priceless, invaluable, and untouchable by man. What could be worth more?
This Torah portion shows the worth that we have as the Body of Messiah, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, for the Tabernacle of Moses is a picture of who we are in Him when we become His Dwelling Place. Each soul is priceless in His eyes!
The Elevation of a Free Will Offering
In the wilderness, Moses took up 100% free-will donations to build the most valuable dwelling place ever constructed by man. There’s no record that he imposed a tax, took out a loan, or hired anyone to go to work building the Tabernacle, according to the pattern that he was given on the Mount. This project wasn’t planned by man but by the very Creator of the Universe Himself – a place where He would dwell with His people.
Nobody could buy a house like this. His Dwelling Place is of immeasurable worth, but you and I can be willing contributors and can be a part of His amazing building project.
When we lift up or elevate an offering to Him by the Spirit, we are lifted up with that same Terumah, the elevation offering. Giving to a brother or sister in need does just that.
Leslie and I find giving to the Body of Messiah, very uplifting and spiritually rewarding. Who we especially love to lift up are those precious people who are downtrodden, the poor, the lowly, the sick, and the weak. Giving to the least of these our brethren out of selfless love, expecting nothing in return, without compulsion (2 Cor 9:7), but by our free will, with no strings attached, is elevating to the receiver and even to the giver. It goes to show what Yeshua said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) By the fruit of the Spirit is how a free-will hand out becomes a hand up, an elevation offering!
With that in mind, let’s willingly give our best towards lifting Yeshua up, lifting each other up, and supporting one another in tune together with the voice of praise unto our Messiah. We have a hope for better things to come, the hope of glory in Messiah Yeshua!
When we willingly offer the best that YHWH has given to His House, to His people, then He uses those contributions to build a dwelling place in which He is pleased to dwell.
Then we won’t be so inclined to build golden calves of idolatry and adultery. We’ll then realize that the Messiah in us is worth far more than anything that money can buy, or that we can make out of the material things of this world. What more beneficial of a project could you or I work on? The rewards and benefits are out of this world!
Let Yeshua be the Judge of the Giver
“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings has one who judges him; the Word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” John 12:47-48
At the end of the day, all that really matters to me is if what I’ve said and done will ultimately pass judgment by the Word of my Elohim, my Messiah Yeshua. I will not stand before any man or woman, not my father or mother, not my wife or daughter, not an IRS Director, nor President of the US nor a church denomination, no earthly judge, no board, no coalition of man, certainly no social media consortium. On that Yom Kippur to come, I will stand before no one else but Melek Yeshua, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lion of Judah and Judge of Heaven and Earth to give an account of what I’ve done with my life, including my money and resources.
Sure, sometimes Yeshua speaks to me through a man or through His elders. But I try to listen to the voice of the Master in the voice of a man or woman speaking to me. The bottom line for me is that what I’m told must be tested and filtered against His written Word. Only then can I know if I should submit and obey whatever is told to me.
Every word must be established out of the mouth of two or three valid witnesses. For those words to be valid must pass muster with the Scriptures. So here are Scriptures that tell us how to give with His motives and for His purposes, as YHWH Elohim says:
Deliverance in the Day of Trouble
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; YHWH will deliver him in a day of trouble. YHWH will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth, and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. YHWH will sustain him upon his sickbed in his illness, You restore him to health. Psalm 41:1-3
Wellness, Righteousness, and Honor belong to the Giver
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever. He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in YHWH. His heart is upheld, he will not fear, until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries. He has given freely to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted in honor. Psalm 112:5-9
YHWH Will Repay the Giver
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to YHWH, and He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17
If done in Yeshua’s Name with the fruit of the Spirit, giving to a poor man who cannot pay back is when the giver lends to YHWH Himself. Unlike human beings, YHWH has all the resources in the universe to pay him back. We have His word on it that He will.
Freely Giving In the Spiritual Realm
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.” Matthew 10:8-10
Every Need Supplied to the Giver
Not that I am looking for a gift, but for fruit that overflows to your credit. But I have received everything and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent – a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. My God will fulfill every need of yours according to the riches of His glory in Messiah Yeshua. To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen. Philippians 4:17-20
If You Give, You Will be Built Up and Will Be a Builder
And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted. Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And YHWH will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones, and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins. You will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called ‘the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell’. Isaiah 58:10-12
The common thread of Terumah is right here! If the children of Israel hadn’t freely given towards the Mishkan building project, the Tabernacle would never have been built. In Yah’s Kingdom, someone has to give first, before there can be any building up of His dwelling place. YHWH Elohim dwells in a house of lively stones (1 Pet 2:5). Yeshua gave His life, His body, and His blood, for a spiritual house of redeemed souls to be a place for the Holy Spirit to dwell. Isaiah prophesied that a people would give to the poor and satisfy the afflicted. They are the ones who rebuild the ancient ruins, the ancient house of Israel. They repair and restore what Moses started so long ago.
More Blessed to Give Than Receive
“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Master Yeshua, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’“ Acts 20:32-35
When did Yeshua ever say those words? It’s not recorded in the Gospels, but something very close can be found with a common thread:
Then Yeshua was also saying to the one who invited Him, “When you host a luncheon or dinner, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise they might invite you in return as your payback. But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; and you will be blessed, since they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:12-14
Who are the ones blessed by the Father that King Yeshua said would inherit the Kingdom prepared for them?
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Matthew 25:34-35
Then the righteous will answer the King with questions like “When did we ever do that?
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:40
Here Yeshua continues with the theme of giving to those who cannot pay back, taking lending up to a fuller, higher concept of giving without expecting repayment, but believing that after the resurrection there is a reward prepared for righteous givers.
Righteousness Involves Giving
Yeshua upheld the Jewish saying (Rom 3:1-2) that righteousness holds the idea of charitable giving. Believers in Yeshua commonly hold the view that we are righteous only by our faith in Yeshua. Ya’aqov (‘James’ in English Bibles) wrote to the twelve tribes of Israel the same concept that to have faith means works of righteousness – look at the practical example of a faith that works he gives:
My brothers, what is the gain if anyone says he has faith but does not have works? Is the faith able to save him? But if a brother or a sister is naked and may be lacking in daily food, and any one of you say to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled’, but does not give them the things the body needs, what gain is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. James 2:14-17
The Motivator - Yeshua’s Example of Giving His All
For you know the grace of our Master Yeshua the Messiah – that even though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through His poverty you might become rich. Now I give my opinion in this matter, that it is a credit to you that a year ago you were the first to start – not only to do but even to be willing. But now finish doing it, so that just as there was eagerness to be willing, so also to finish it, out of what you have. For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he doesn’t have. For it is not relief for others and hardship for you, but as a matter of equality. Your abundance at this present time meets their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need – so that there may be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
Giving Is Like Sowing, So Expect to Reap
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion – for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that by always having enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work.
As it is written, “He scattered widely, He gave to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now the One Who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us brings about thanksgiving to God. For this service of giving is not only supplying the needs of the kedoshim, but is also overflowing with many thanksgivings to God.
2 Corinthians 9:6-12
The Giver’s Bank Account in Heaven
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:19-23
To Enable or Not to Enable?
Interesting! I have heard people say- “thou shall not enable.” Where can I find ‘not enable’ in the Bible? I searched several translations and found only one verse:
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to eat from it – instead, a foreigner will eat it. This is fruitless – an agonizing illness.
Ecclesiastes 6:2 (TLV)
From all the Scriptures I just presented, would a rich man be fruitless with an agonizing illness if he enjoyed terumah – free will elevation offerings that elevate and bless both the receiver and the giver? I think not! I don’t think I’ll be quoting the man-made commandment ‘thou shall not enable’ much again.
Sure, let’s ‘not enable’ the sinner to go on sinning. That’s what governments tend to do. Whatever agency person gives welfare to the poor gives in the name and character of the government source, looking for loyalty and support. That name could be the name of a ruling authority or the affiliated political party.
In Yah’s kingdom, free-will elevation offerings to the poor are done in the Name of Yah saves and delivers – the Name of Yeshua. We should expect paradoxical results!
So to argue against giving to the poor because government welfare doesn’t lift anyone out of poverty is in my mind, an unfair comparison. Free-will elevation giving in the Name of Yeshua according to the Word of His Kingdom can lift a soul out of depression and poverty, but only if given with the fruit of the Spirit. Love lifted me out of my poverty of the soul.
His mercy forgave me and His Gospel delivered me from my sin. I’ve been lifted up by the Savior’s free-will elevation offering, the gift of salvation! No worldly government offers that. Because Yeshua became poor for our sakes, we are now lifted up by His great love and have riches in glory by Messiah Yeshua.
Sharing, A Well-Pleasing Sacrifice
Hebrews 13:16 (TLV) Do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Bring your best – a freewill offering, a terumah, to your local congregation. It could be by bringing a contribution to the oneg. Or maybe someone needs to be uplifted and you have something to offer, spiritually or physically, to build them up in the love of Yeshua. I love our share table at our songs at MVF.
When we cheerfully make free-will offerings man to brother and woman to sister, we’re making silver clasp connections. May giving from our hearts build up a Dwelling Place for our Elohim.
BaShem Yeshua, the Giver of Life,
David Klug