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Deuteronomy 14:22-24
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away),
New International Version (NIV)
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If you see an offering plate, get in it! What would we give to God if there were no rules and requirements? We’ve been studying what the scripture teaches about giving at Tallowood. In the Old Testament we find Abraham tithing on one occasion to Melchizedek, but we have no other reference to him doing that on a regular basis. Jacob promised God a tithe, too. In Leviticus and Numbers we learn that the people must give a tenth of their crops and flocks to the Levites. Deuteronomy explains the tithe as something the worshiper takes up to the tabernacle to eat with the Levite. But every third year, the Israelites gave it to be eaten by the Levites, the poor, the widows and the strangers. There were also tithes after festivals. After the return from exile, Malachi makes it clear that the people had stopped giving the tithe. He called the people to return to God by bringing the whole tithe up to the Temple. God promised blessing to those who do.
In the New Testament, the tithe is only mentioned a few times. Jesus chastises the tithing Pharisees who gave ten percent of even their spices and condiments but missed the point. As Paul and the Apostles applied the Old Testament laws to the new Gentile believers (who had no history of tithing), they did not mention these laws (Acts 15). Instead we see the early believers, filled with the Spirit, seeking the Lord and giving as he led them to give (Acts 5-6). In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul reminded the Corinthians that the Macedonians had combined gratitude with their poverty and given generously. They gave themselves first to God and then gave their offering. Paul tells the church in Rome that we cannot give to God so that he owes us anything. Instead, in view of his mercy, we offer him our whole lives in true and proper worship (Romans 11:33-12:2).
I have heard of different religious groups who ask their new members for 1040’s from recent years so that they can bill them for the tithe. Is that what giving is? Is it a rule to be obeyed, a tradition to be followed, a bill to be paid? When Paul teaches the Gentile and Jewish believers about giving, he doesn’t even mention the Old Testament tradition (Abraham and Jacob) or the Old Testament Law. Instead, he points to the gospel. New Testament believers are not finally bound by traditions but by the good news that God was in Christ reconciling us to himself. In gratitude for God’s amazing grace, we give generously to God’s work, blessing others and God as well. So taught by the scriptures (1 Corinthians 16:1-2, 2 Corinthians 8-9) we give regularly, proportionately, voluntarily, cheerfully and sacrificially. As one of my friends put it, “Now that I know what God has done for me, I can’t stop giving. I love to give because God has given his Son for me.” What would we give to God in gratitude for his grace? Let’s ask him. Then let us do as he says. C. S. Lewis said, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”
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Pray with me: Father, how we thank you for your indescribable gift of your Son. Living in full view of your mercy, we could never repay you for your grace in a million years. Help us to put our whole lives in the offering plate. Move us beyond giving grudgingly or under compulsion. Show us the amazing joy that comes from giving. Let our gratitude for your grace overflow in generosity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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| This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane
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