Deuteronomy 16 contains a list of instructions given by Moses that the children of Israel were to put into practice once they were living in the Promised Land. Among the instructions were those mentioned in verses 16 and 17: “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.” There is an inescapable principle: THEY SHALL NOT APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD EMPTY. It refers to an offering which was a sign of individual appreciation for the goodness of God. It is easy to imagine the concern during the time before the feasts they were to attend. Each one would want to have something to offer to God, depending on how much he possessed.
How do we go to the Breaking of Bread? We ought to go with something to offer, and this does not only refer to money. The key is in Hebrews 13:15. “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”
