Philippians 4:10-23
2 Corinthians 9
1 Kings 17
What is our greatest need? Christ, of course! When do we want Him the most? When things are rosy and comfortable? Or do we long for Him and cry out for Him and learn to lean on Him when our lives are a struggle and things just aren’t going so well for us? Why should we think hardship means that God is against us? The Cross of Christ tells us a much different story. It is in our comfort we tend to forget our Father who actually bestows gifts of grace. In either plenty or want, we must remember we need His help to survive spiritually.
What of Paul’s words in v. 19 that our God will supply every need according to His riches in glory? Oh, how these words have been misrepresented over the years that if we give our money, He will repay us with more money, or “you can never out give God.” How many times have I heard that? Don’t get me wrong, I have been the recipient of untold miraculous monetary surprises at the eleventh hour, and know first hand about God’s timing and his supply of every physical need. But to think that God would repay us for giving! Scandalous!
Who confronted Me, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to Me. [Job 41:11]*
For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?
Or who has ever first given to Him,
and has to be repaid? [Romans 11:34-35]*
“According to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” absolutely has to mean more than monetary or physical needs. Every spiritual gift in Christ Jesus, including the ability to be sustained in plenty (as in those generous souls in Philippi able to give) and in want (as in Paul who spent quite a bit of time in prison) must be the focus of the passage rather than the physical needs. Paul clearly states that he didn’t need their gift, although he was brimming over with emotion from receiving it. Why? There were probably several reasons.
Paul mentioned that the gift was a long time coming (“now you have renewed [or revived] your care for me”) v.10. Only one commentator that I read, John Gill, indicated that the Philippian church may have neglected Paul and that he was giving them an “out” by saying that they had “no opportunity” to send a gift. All the other commentators take Paul at face value that they really didn’t have the opportunity to send anything. I’ll leave that up to your individual study. I certainly found it an interesting idea, considering the state of our contemporary economy today and the fact that so many of us as individuals, and our churches, have to make tough decisions about giving to our missionaries.
Here’s what I think—I think they had been saving up all along to give to Paul and really lacked the opportunity. This is why I think so. I think Paul was overcome by emotion and overwhelmed by the amount of the gift and the fact that they sent one of their most valued leaders at a time when there was conflict in the church. All of this was an act of pure faith on their part, that God would supply what they needed. In turn, Paul is encouraging them that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by what they have done, and he can hardly express his emotion, “but I seek the fruit that is increasing to your account. But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied.” Paul received a huge blessing, the knowledge of the fact that the saints in Philippi were growing in the fruit of the Spirit of God, even in his absence.
I cannot end this lesson without making a comparison of the 1 Kings 17 passage with Luke 7:11-16. In both passages we read of a widow with nothing left in life but her only son, dead. In both instances the God of compassion, once through the prophet Elijah and once through His only begotten Son, raised the son of a devoted widow to life, supplying all her need. I’m not sure in just reading these passages we understand the life of a woman in biblical times without a man’s protection, but it was grim. Not only was she dependent on other family for the rest of her life (if she had any) but she had no name of her own, and the family line would be extinguished from that point if there were no other heirs. She would have nothing else to do if there were no children to raise. We don’t know just how much our God rescued these women from by raising their sons, but I can imagine that they would have wanted to enter the grave with them rather than live the life they were left with without them.
Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness, as you are enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God. Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others. And in their prayers for you they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God on you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. [2 Corinthians 9:10-15]*
*HCSB
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