ABUNDANT GIVING. DAVID'S EXAMPLE

1Chronicles29

1 Then King David said to the whole assembly, "My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. Yet, the work is important because this palace is not for a person but for the LORD God. 2 With all my might I gathered [the materials] for the temple of my God: gold for gold objects, silver for silver objects, bronze for bronze objects, iron for iron objects, wood for wooden objects, onyx stones and settings, black stones, stones of different colors, gems, and marble. 3 Moreover, I delight in the temple of my God. I have a personal treasury of gold and silver that I'm giving to my God's temple in addition to everything else I gathered for the holy temple. 4 There are 225,000 pounds of gold from Ophir and 525,000 pounds of refined silver. They are to be used to cover the walls of the buildings, 5 to make gold objects, silver objects, and everything else the craftsmen will make. Who else is willing to make an offering and dedicate himself to the LORD today?" 6 Then the leaders of the families, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of regiments and battalions, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave generously. 7 They gave 375,186 pounds of gold, 750,000 pounds of silver, 135,000 pounds of bronze, and 7,500,000 pounds of iron for the work on God's temple. 8 Whoever happened to have precious stones gave them to Jehiel, Gershon's descendant, for the treasury of the LORD's temple.

David wanted to build a temple for God. But God told him that it wasn’t him that was going to do this but his son Solomon. David therefore decided that he would provide whatever Solomon would need to build the temple. So he gave the largest amount of money anyone had ever given from his own personal account. It was so much money that everyone in Israel was touched by it and decided to give their best. They saw their king’s example and followed it.

Here is a record of how much they gave;

David

Item	Amount(Talents)	Amount(Tons)	Amount(Kgs)	Market price (USD)	Total given (USD)
Gold	3,000	113	113,0000	42,800	4,836,400,000
Silver	7,000	214	214,000	620	132,680,000

Gold. 3,000 talents. This is about 113 tons or 113,000 kilograms. And it was gold from Ophir. This was the best, purest gold around. A kilogram of gold is about USD 42,800 in today’s economy. So David’s gold was worth about USD 4,836,400,000. That is over 4.8 billion dollars’ worth of gold that David gave to the temple construction.

Silver. 7000 talents. This is about 214 tons or 214,000 kilograms. A kilogram of silver in today’s economy is about USD 620. This is about USD 132,680,000.

Total giving by David in today’s economy was about USD 4,836,532,680 or UGX 16,444,211,112,000. That is over 16 billion Uganda Shillings.

Israel

Item	Amount (Talents)	Amount(Tons)	Amount(Kgs)	Market price (USD)	Total given (USD)
Gold	5,000	188	188,000	42,800	8,046,400,000
Silver	10,000	377	377,000	620	233,740,000
Bronze (Copper)	18,000	679	679,000	4.8	3,259,200
Iron	100,000	3,775	3,775,000	1.25	4,718,750

Gold. 5,000 talents. This is about 188 tons or 188,000 kilograms. At a price of $42800

Silver. 10,000 talents. This is about 377 tons or 377,000 kilograms. At a price of $620

Bronze. 18,000 talents. This is about 679 tons or 679,000 kilograms. At a price of $4.8

Iron. 100,000 talents. This is about 3,775 tons or 3,775,000 kilograms. At a price of $1.25

Total giving by Israel in today’s economy was about USD 8,288,117,950 or UGX 28,179,601,030,000. That is over 28 trillion Uganda shillings.

The total amount that was given to the temple construction by David and the people of Israel from their personal accounts was USD 13,124,650,630 or UGX 44,623,812,142,000. That is almost 45 trillion Uganda Shillings. Plus the precious jewels they gave.

To keep this in perspective, Uganda Revenue Authority collects about 10trillion Uganda Shillings in taxes for a whole year. Our national budget is about 24 trillion and the size of our economy is about 25 billion dollars.

9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. 10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. 16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

After giving such an extravagant and abundant gift, the people were so touched by realizing how much God had prospered them that they exploded in praise and worship and thanksgiving to God.

They acknowledged that it was God who had taken Israel from nothing into a mighty nation that was so prosperous that in one day they gave over five billion dollars in gold and silver.

They acknowledged that out of what God had given them, they had given back to Him. That all good things came from Him and that He was their source. All that they had was from Him, all that they gave was from Him.

This is what giving does in our lives. It helps us to trust and realize who our source really is. God Himself.

GOD DOESN'T NEED YOUR MONEY. GIVING BENEFITS YOU.

Psalm 50

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High

GIVING IS GOD'S WAY OF INCREASE

Proverbs11

24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. 27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.