An offering is a special contribution to a church in the name of God. Some required and others not.
God was and is still interested in our offering today. That's why he commanded the Israelites to offer five different kinds of offerings in the book of Leviticus.
1. The first offering is the burnt offering, offered to pay for sins in general. It's significance being to show your commitment to God. Leviticus 1
2. Grain offering was also to show honour or respect to God. Showing reverence to him. To acknowledge that everything they own belongs to God, or came from God. The Israelites expressed their gratitude to God this way. Leviticus 2
3. The third offering is the peace offering for God giving you peace and saving you from all kinds of offerings. Leviticus 3
4. The sin offering is to pay for unintentional sin. This brought the Israelites back to God, restored them to God. Leviticus 4
5. Guilt offering also pays for sin against God and other people. Leviticus 5
Offertories must be made as instructed by God and specifically where he requests.
Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.
Deuteronomy 12:13-14 NIV
Your Offertory must not be defective
“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty. “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
Malachi 1:6-10 NIV
God is interested in both the offerer and the offering.
And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:4 NIV
We must offer to God with the right mindset and not out of contempt.
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Hebrews 11:4 NIV
