Pastor Jack Bailey · August 14, 2026
The Freewill Offering
The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the LORD, every man and woman whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done. ~Exodus 35:29, LSB
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. ~Amy Carmichael
Pastor Jack Bailey
Senior Pastor, Grace Point Baptist Church
I think there are some things we can learn from the OT freewill offering:
I read a lot of authors that are reform or Presbyterian. J.I. Packer doesn't say much that I disagree with. I like reading John Calvin and I personally am calvinistic but I am not a Calvinist; certainly not a hyper-calvinist who basically believes that God created the majority of humans to fuel hell. I do not believe it is His will for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Reform writers will not use the term free will although it is found repeated in scripture. They usually refer to free will as human responsibility but it is a synonym for free will. The freewill offering is mentioned some 25 times in the O.T. The TABERNACLE for example, came from freewill offerings. The freewill offering was not about duty or fulfilling the law: it was an offering prompted by love, gratitude, devotion, or joy. The Hebrew word carries the idea of a voluntary, spontaneous offering not required by the law or the priest. Neither is the freewill offering the same as a vow. A vow is an offering promised. When you promise the LORD something, there is an obligation to offer that which you promised.
I love the story in Exodus 35 about the fund raising for the Tabernacle. Moses challenged them to give but he never mentioned an amount. The people were moved in their hearts to give and they gave generously. Finally Moses had to ask them to stop giving. NOTE: They did not go back to Egypt {world} for help. They did not borrow a dime. But this is not the whole story — to build a replica of the TABERNACLE today, it would cost 250 million dollars. Wow! Also notice the progression in the Exodus 35 pattern {which we should follow}. Moses gave them the challenge to build, they were moved in their hearts, they gave generously and it all ended with a massive celebration.
Paul mentions the freewill offering in 2 Corinthians 9:7, "Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Notice: Paul wants each believer to decide what to give and not give it reluctantly or out of a sense of obligation; and certainly not under compulsion {pressure}. Why, because God is more concerned about what is in our heart than what is in our hand. Even I, a sinful human being, do not want gifts given to me out of a sense of obligation or under pressure. The heart of the person giving means more to me than the gift. I have refused to receive gifts before because I knew the person giving didn't really want me to have the gift. It was given reluctantly and out of a sense of obligation. I'm not talking about a hundred dollars; I am talking about $15,000. A freewill offering is prompted by love and devotion.
God desires willing worship, not merely compulsory worship.
Love gives beyond obligation or the requirements of the law.
A freewill offering had to be worthy. The Priest had to accept the offering. You could not have brought a pig for example.
True generosity begins in the heart before it reaches the hand.
Giving should produce joy rather than resentment.
Everything we give God originally came from God.
Praise can itself be a freewill offering.
God values the spirit of the giver more than the substance of the gift.
Grace produces generosity.
The greatest offering we can bring God is ourselves.
Watch out for the heat. It can create problems for those of us above 50 {Ha! Ha!}
Don't forget to pray for someone today other than yourself.
Outdoor Church Sunday September 6 @ 8:00.
Sliders, Fries and Dogs — Wednesday night September 16. We have slightly changed the menu. The hamburger will be the size of a Krystal.
October 28 is our Bill Smith Jambalaya Supper and our November Wednesday night meal falls on Veterans Day and we are having a stew and Joe is going to have us a video of our veterans at the round table.
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