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The Spiritual Means, book by H. H. Pope Shenouda III

36- God’s sharing in your possessions

  

St-Takla.org Image: The offerings of Abel and Cain: "Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering" (Genesis 4:4). صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: تقدمة قايين وهابيل: "وقدم هابيل أيضا من أبكار غنمه ومن سمانها. فنظر الرب إلى هابيل وقربانه" (تكوين 4:4).

God shares in your possessions to bless them, not to take from them, as He is the source of all riches. He shares in your possessions to make you share in the good deeds that He is capable of doing on His own, as we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other sections. But, because of His humility, He loves to see good deeds being done by you.

The most ancient sharing of God in what He gave man was the sacrifices and burnt offerings.

It is a very old matter, older than the written law. It is even since the creation of man. The Bible tells us about the offering of the Righteous Abel and says: “Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering” (Gen 4:4). Maybe Abel took the idea of bringing sacrifices and burnt offerings from his father, Adam, who took it from God Himself. We see here how the tradition of bringing sacrifices and burnt offerings to God started, with the symbolism that they contained.

And so the idea of sacrifices and burnt-offerings continued in the human race.

We hear about the burnt offerings offered by our Father Noah on an altar, after he got out of the ark. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma (Gen 8:20-21). And we hear about the burnt offerings of our Father Abraham (Gen 12), and the burnt offerings of the Righteous Job (Job 1:5).. And the sacrifices and burnt offerings were organized in the written law, in the Book of Leviticus at the time of the Prophet Moses, and it contained much symbolism.