Sermon Tone Analysis

Tithing: A Measure of Trust

(The Role of Tithing in Post-Captivity Jerusalem and Its Modern Application)

- “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.