TITHING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 23, 2021.

SUBJECT : TITHING!

Memory verse: "Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them, ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe." (Numbers 18 vs 26.)

READ: Leviticus 27 vs 30 - 32:

27:30: And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's. It is holy to the LORD.

27:31: If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one fifth to it.

27:32: And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.

INTIMATION:

Tithing is giving a tenth of your earnings (or produce, harvest, etc.) back to a leader or a god. God commanded the children of Israel to tithe of their crops, fruit, and herds. The tithe was received by the Levites to support them. The Levites, in turn, gave “a tithe of the tithe” to support the priests. No one was exempt from returning to God a portion what was received. The tithe can be converted to money equivalent. God promises blessings for those who faithfully tithe, and He says that refusing to tithe is like robbing Him. However, tithing without love for or obedience to God, amounts to nothing more than a meaningless ritual. (Luke 11 bs 42.)

The Bible makes the purpose of tithing very clear—to teach us to fear the Lord and put Him first in our lives. We are to give God the first and best of what we earn. For example, what we do first with our money shows what we value most. Giving the first part of our paycheck to God immediately focuses our attention on Him. It also reminds us that all we have belongs to Him. A habit of regular tithing can keep God at the top of our priority list and give us a proper perspective on everything else we have.

The tithing principle is still relevant. God expects all His followers to supply the material needs of those who devote themselves to meeting the spiritual needs of the community of faith. We are to give in proportion to what God has given us. God does not expect us to give more than we can, but we will be blessed when we give cheerfully. For some, 10 percent may be a burden. For most of us, that would be far too little. Ask God to direct you about what you should give and to help you give generously.

It is always tempting to shortchange God because we think we won’t get caught. But our giving shows our real priorities. When we give God the leftovers, it is obvious that He isn’t at the center of our lives. Give God the honor of having first claim on your money, time, and talents. Since God doesn’t send payment overdue notices, it is easy to take care of other financial responsibilities while letting our gifts to Him slide. Giving to God first out of what He has allowed you to have demonstrates that He has first priority in your life.

The Lord says in the Bible, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of Hosts, "If I will not open the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3 vs 10.) As far as I know, this is the only instance in Scripture where the Lord says "Try Me." Basically, He's saying, "Try it, and see if it doesn't work!" Nearly everything else He said is a command: ‘You shall do this, or you shall not do that.’ But when it comes to tithing, He said "Try Me." In my considered opinion, He said it this way because He knows it is scary for people to take a portion of what they need to survive and give it away. 

When you are dependent upon money to pay bills and buy food, it's hard to move your trust over to a God you can't see. God knows that about us, so He said, "Try Me." Then why not you try Him, and see if He will not do what He says He will do. Please note this, “God is not a man, that He should lie. Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23 vs 19.)

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of delightsome obedience to You in all things, and give me the grace to put You first in my life, especially in my giving, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!