Biblical Giving 2
Biblical Giving • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 4 viewsA look at the Laws of giving tithes in the Old Testament. Part 2 in the Biblical Giving Series
Notes
Transcript
20 And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.
21 As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.
24 because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the Lord. This will be the Levites’ share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites.”
22 “You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.
23 Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.
24 “Now when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe.
25 If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the Lord your God has chosen.
26 When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your household.
27 And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will receive no allotment of land among you.
28 “At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town.
29 Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
True or False...
True or False...
The Old Testament commands we give a tithe?
FALSE (but it’s a trick question…)
There is the tithe law, yes
30 “One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.
This is probably what was given to the Levites...
But, God also commands offerings!
I have heard people say that God commanded the tithe and then offerings were over and above that. That, however, is NOT true. God repeatedly commands offerings to go along with the tithe.
Now, some offerings were voluntary in that they were only required on certain occasions
Burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings
As I have been reading through Exodus, it is seen that people would offer these offerings DAILY...
42 “These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. Offer them in the Lord’s presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you.
On top of that, God does not require 1 tithe - HE REQUIRES 3 TITHES!
3 Tithes In the Law
3 Tithes In the Law
1- Priests/Levites
20 And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. 21 As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.
24 because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the Lord. This will be the Levites’ share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites.”
2- Festival Tithe
24 “Now when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe. 25 If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the Lord your God has chosen. 26 When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your household. 27 And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will receive no allotment of land among you.
16 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him. 17 All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.
3- Tithe for Poor
28 “At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town. 29 Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
3 Tithes (actually more than that) or 1 tithe that would be divided 3 ways…?
3 Tithes (actually more than that) or 1 tithe that would be divided 3 ways…?
The festival tithe would be eaten
They worshipped 3 times a year (does this mean they give 1/10 of their increase every time - making that tithe a total of 30% - or does it mean they gave of the increase every time between that time and the time before, thus totalling 10%
The tithe for Levites would be for them
The tithe for the poor was every 3rd year (1/3 every year)
Some view this as 1 total tithe that can be split in those 3 ways
However, history has shown a couple of different ideas...
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 8: The Polity Settled by Moses; and How He Disappeared from among Mankind
(240) Besides those two tithes, which I have already said you are to pay every year, the one for the Levites, the other for the festivals, you are to bring every third year a third tithe to be distributed to those that want; to women also that are widows, and to children that are orphans.
In the Apocryphal Book of Tobias we get a little more background as to how this was viewed, at least by Tobias, during the intertestamental period
6 But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the festivals, as it is prescribed for all Israel by an everlasting decree. I would hurry off to Jerusalem with the first fruits of the crops and the firstlings of the flock, the tithes of the cattle, and the first shearings of the sheep. 7 I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar; likewise the tenth of the grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and the rest of the fruits to the sons of Levi who ministered at Jerusalem. Also for six years I would save up a second tenth in money and go and distribute it in Jerusalem. 8 A third tenth I would give to the orphans and widows and to the converts who had attached themselves to Israel. I would bring it and give it to them in the third year, and we would eat it according to the ordinance decreed concerning it in the law of Moses and according to the instructions of Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel, for my father had died and left me an orphan.
Why would Tithes be Mandated?
Why would Tithes be Mandated?
Taxes ?
Our Hard Hearts… Hard hearts have to be shaped and molded...
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.
Reprogramming the mind after slavery...
Everything they have comes from God
14 “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. 15 Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. 16 Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn. 17 “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.
We get a hint in the Sabbath Law...
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. 15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
They have redeemed so now they do not HAVE to observe these ordinances, they GET TO!
They do not HAVE to give… They are now in a position where they GET to GIVE!!!!
Accepted Deviations from the Law
Accepted Deviations from the Law
During a time of scarcity and religious apostacy, when the people and leaders were turning to Canaanite God - specifically Baal - some STILL remained faithful, but they deviated from the REQUIRED LAW in order to do so...
42 One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, “Give it to the people so they can eat.” 43 “What?” his servant exclaimed. “Feed a hundred people with only this?” But Elisha repeated, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!” 44 And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the Lord had promised.
Thoughts from Dora R. Mbuwayesango
There is an irony in how the man who brought the food to Elisha is identified as “a man from Baal-Shalishah”. Remember, the general setting of the stories of Elijah and Elisha is competition for the religious souls of the Israelite people. The name of the place is attached to Baal, which might reflect that this place was or had become the center for the worship of Baal in the region of Ephraim. Shalishah is mentioned as one of the countries in the hills of Ephraim (1 Samuel 9:4). What I find interesting is that a man from this place “brought food from the first fruits to the man of God.” This signals that there were still a few faithful people who were focused on the true worship of their God. According to Leviticus 23:10-14 this offering was given to the priest at the sanctuary. Here this man is giving them to a person who is clearly not a priest. Does this reflect lack of priestly leadership at this time? Elisha was a leader of a prophetic guild that lived at the margins of society.
Designated Gifts?
Designated Gifts?
Many look to the Law to answer the questions about biblical giving
Many look to the Law to answer the questions about biblical giving
Although that COULD be a great place to start, we who are under Christ’s grace must remember a few things about the Law and its purpose
Consider the PURPOSE for the Law...
Consider the PURPOSE for the Law...
It is to bring us to the point where we recognize our deep need for God’s grace...
Yes, there was grace bestowed every year through the Law, but the Law itself didn’t bestow that grace - God did - and it was through the STRICT adherence to the Law that one would be made right with God.
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. 7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”
Those who accept 1 part of the law, MUST accept ALL parts of the Law...
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
Pointing Towards a New Heart
Pointing Towards a New Heart
Following the Law gets us to a point where we cry out fro grace.
Paul reminds us in the New Testament that the purpose of the law was to highlight our sin and draw us to God’s grace.
All of this points to the day when this will all be fulfilled. Where our hearts will not be COMMANDED to give, but when God’s desires will be programmed deep within our hearts… Where we can worship God, for ALL that God has done unhindered and unrestrained.
31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
But, there are promises along the way. IF our heart is right and we are drawn to give to God, and IF we do that then God will continue to bless us… THE COMMANDS OF GOD ARE HIDDEN PROMISES!!!
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
God promises blessing to those who remember to put God 1st in their lives. OFTEN, this view of God is seen in our personal finances!
And this all leads us to Christ
And this all leads us to Christ
Christ, the greatest blessing of God who freed us and redeemed us...
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Through Christ, we have been set free.
Through Christ, God writes HIS law on our hearts.
Through Christ we are TRANSFORMED.
Through Christ WE GET TO RESPOND IN WORSHIP!
COMMUNION
COMMUNION
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION
17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.