Tithing - A Measure of Trust (The Role of Tithing in Post-Captivity Jerusalem)

- “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God” ( ESV).

The book of Nehemiah consist of memoirs of the events surrounding the Jews return Jerusalem and the rebuilding the city walls. Commentators have assumed that Nehemiah is the author, but Ezra or one of their scribes are good candidates as potential authors, and the audience is future inhabitants of Jerusalem and Jews throughout the diaspora. The primary message to the Jewish people was that God’s promises hold true, despite their disobedience and unfaithfulness, and God is not finished with them yet.

Key Verse: The key verse is found at the end of the chapter: “We will not neglect the house of God” (10:39).

Main Point: The amount of faith you possess is often a measure of the amount of offering you give, so greater giving is a path to greater faith.

Tithing played an important role in the reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple in post-captivity Jerusalem. Tithe is an Old English word that means "ten percent." The Jews during Nehemiah's work used little monetary currency, so their tithes consisted primarily of gifts of livestock or harvests to the Temple or the city’s coffers. The restoration progress would have ground to a halt over the longterm without significant financial support from the Jewish people that assumed the form of tithes and offerings. It can be argued that tithing, keeping the Sabbath, and observing the Deuteronomic Law made up the foundation of the spiritual revival among the Jews that returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabal, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Tithe is an Old English word that means "ten percent." The Jews during Nehemiah's work used little monetary currency, so their tithes consisted primarily of gifts of livestock or harvests to the Temple or the city’s coffers.

The book of Nehemiah are personal memoirs of events surrounding the Jews return Jerusalem and the rebuilding the city walls. Commentators have assumed that Nehemiah is the author, but Ezra or one of their scribes are good candidates as potential authors, and the audience is future inhabitants of Jerusalem and Jews throughout the diaspora. The primary message to the Jewish people was that God’s promises hold true, despite their disobedience and unfaithfulness, and God is not finished with them yet.

The book of Nehemiah references tithes (ma-aser), offerings (terumah), and first-fruits (raysheth) [10:37-40; 12:44; and 13:5, 12]. Chapter 10, however, outlines the primary role that that tithes and offerings played in Jerusalem and the Temple’s reconstruction. This chapter records the people’s pledge that they will obey God’s law, keep the Sabbath, and financially support the reconstruction and ongoing ministrations of the House of the LORD. Nehemiah provides a list of the religious leaders, their oath, the people’s response, and the a summary pronouncement that”they will not neglect the house of God.” Obedience, tithing, commitment to the House of God are the foundation upon which the inhabitants renewed their commitment to God.

Operating the Temple was costly. Tithes and financial support were essential for a number of reasons. First, the Levites operated the Temple and they had to take care of their families and had to be compensated for their work. The Jewish Temple had fallen into disrepair over the last 70 years and the repairs were costly. Olive oil had to be purified and sanctified to burn in the lamps. Temple bakers had to prepare and display fresh showbread in the holy place. The priests performed sacrifices daily. These sacrifices require special tools as well as gold and silver vessels. Two objects or elements are of primary importance to this passage: the Temple (House of God) and the First-fruits (bikkurim), which most often refers to a literal portion of the agricultural harvest that was gleaned first.

A search of cross-references among the Old Testament indicates that financial support of the Temple and the priests was a high priority for God and the Jewish people of the Old Testament. One of the most important parallel passages is Malachi 4:7-8. Sadly, by the time of Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea had forsaken their promise and neglected the House of the LORD by withholding their tithe. In response, the prophet accuses the people. "You are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and offerings" (Malachi 4:8). Malachi makes it clear, to withhold the tithes and offerings is to neglect the House of the Lord and is paramount to robbing God.

Sadly,

Main Questions: Two questions arises from a study this passage. First, how do these principles of obedience, tithing, and faithfulness to the House of God apply to modern Christians? Second, and more specifically, Is tithing a principle that modern New Testament Christians need to practice today?”

Transition: Five truths from chapter 10 will help provide an answer to these two questions.

I. First, Giving to God is biblical. “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God” (10:32).

According to Nehemiah, tithing played a significant role in the reconstruction of the Temple in post-captivity Jerusalem. Tithe is the Old English word for "ten percent." The Jews used little monetary currency during this time, so often their tithes consisted of livestock, lumber, or grain harvests. The restoration would have ground to a halt without significant donations from the general population people in the form of tithes and offerings. In reality, therefore, tithing, observing the Sabbath, and obeying Deuteronomic Law made up the backbone of the spiritual revival under Zerubbabal, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

The events describe in chapter 10 occurred somewhere around 445-444 BC. This was a millennium after the Exodus and the conquest of the Canaan, so the practice of tithing was well established. The first references, however, to tithing in the Old Testament appear in , when Abram tithed from his spoils of war to Melchizedek, the High Priest of God and King of Salem. The next reference is , when Jacob promised a tithe to God at Bethel, where he built an altar after having the dreaming of the angels ascending and descending from heaven. These passages and other passages in Genesis indicate that God had established the tithe during the patriarchal period long before Moses receive the Law on Mt. Sinai. Consequently, it is not valid to argue that a Christian is free from the obligation to tithe because we are under a new covenant, because tithing extended under multiple covenants and was not simply an obligation under Mosaic Law. Tithing in the New Testament does not receive the emphasis it received in the Old Testament only because Jesus stressed the condition of the heart over outward obedience, and he did not want his followers to stress the lesser while neglecting the greater. Suffice it to say that Jesus taught that the righteousness obedience of New Testament Christians should exceed the actions and righteousness of the Old Testament saints.

II. Second, Giving to God is vital. “…and for all the work of the house of our God (10:33).

Operating the Temple was costly. Tithes and financial support were vital for a number of reasons. First, Levites operated the Temple. These Levites needed an income to take care of their families, so they had to be compensated for their work. The Jewish Temple had fallen into disrepair over the previous 70 years and repairs were costly. Olive oil was expensive and had to be sanctified to burn in the Temple lamps. Temple bakers prepared and displayed fresh showbread in the Temple daily. The priests performed sacrifices. These Temple practices required special tools and gold and silver vessels. Chapter 10 indicates that “First-fruits” (bikkurim), which most often refers to a literal portion of the agricultural harvest that was gleaned first.

III. Third, Giving to God starts with first-fruits. “We obligate ourselves to bring the first-fruits of our ground …to the house of the LORD” (10:35).

IV. Fourth, God’s ministers must handle people’s gifts wisely. “And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes…” (10:38).

In verse 1, Nehemiah is the first to set his name on the seal. Throughout the book, Nehemiah serves as example for his people; he asks his people to do only that which he is willing to do himself. Consequently, in the second verse the entire community joins together in binding themselves to this agreement to obey the Mosaic law, keep the Sabbath, and tithe consistently. Even the Levites are not exempt from this commitment. The priests and the Levites tithe on what they have received from the tithes of people.

Second, in verse 2, all the people joined in binding themselves with the agreement to obey God's commandments, which includes tithing and keeping the Sabbath holy. In addition to withholding tithes, and person can neglect the House of God by not attending.

Third, even the Levites tithed. Religious leaders are not exempt from giving to the LORD.

Fourth, the mixed marriages were wrong not because they were foreigners, but because they did not worship Yahweh (Jehovah) God.

V. Finally, Neglecting to give is a sin. “We will not neglect the house of our God” ().

Challenge: What does your giving reveal about your faith in Christ? Do you need to increase your giving to stretch your faith?

Through Christ we find forgiveness and restoration. But this forgiveness and new freedom in Christ does not mean that we can neglect worship or His bride, the Church. Unfortunately, for many of us, forgiveness and restoration has not been translated into our walk with Christ. We need recommitment and restoration. Christ’s sacrifice for us should encourage us to follow His teaching, meet for worship with other Christians every Sunday, and financial support the ministries of the Church; but this is not happening.

Modern day Christians have a great deal in common with the Jews of Nehemiah’s day. Their families are broken, God’s moral laws are spurned, attendance at church is spotty at best, and only 3% of Christians tithe.

Words are cheap, but action is costly. This passage shows genuine repentance and rededication requires action and sacrifice; words are not enough. The Jewish people renewed their commitment and promised that they would prove their commitment was genuine by obeying God’s commands, observing the Sabbath, and tithing to God’s House.

We must make a decision today that we are going to observe the Lord’s Day every weekend, and we are goin to no longer neglect the House of God by withholding our tithes and offerings.

Specifically, Chapter 10 records the Jewish leaders pledging on behalf of the people that they will obey God’s commandments, observe the Sabbath, and financially support the rebuilding of the House of God. Chapter 10 contains a list of leaders, their oaths, God’s promises, the people actions, and finally a pronouncement of the Jews commitment. Obedience, tithing, commitment to the House of God are three important themes.

Two primary questions arises from a cursory reading of this passage. "How do the principles of obedience, tithing , and faithfulness to God’s house apply to modern Christians?" “Is tithing something that is applicable to Christians today?”

The key verse is found at the end of the chapter: “We will not neglect the house of God” (10:39).

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