Giving In Worship Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
As you all know we have been examining the theme “Fundamentals” this year with the express desire to “grow into salvation” through the pure spiritual milk of God’s word.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
We have been studying specifically through the acts of worship lately.
We have examined prayer, singing, and the memorial feast, now today we turn our attention to “Giving In Worship.”
However, we are not going to start this lesson in the New Testament but rather from God’s perspective from the Old Testament.
With that in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
So first of all, concerning this topic…
Why Study The Old Testament?
Why Study The Old Testament?
This Is Not A New Question.
This Is Not A New Question.
As we will clearly see in today’s lesson, we are not under the Patriarchal Law or the Law of Moses so why would we go to the O.T. to make points relating to the N.T.?
Why would God tell us to go to the O.T. and learn from it if we aren’t under it?
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
Our lesson today is the perfect case study for this.
A Christian simply cannot understand “worship in giving” fully today without first understanding giving in the past and God’s “mind” on the subject throughout time.
Yes, we are given instruction about giving today, but the instructions in the New Testament “assume” you have studied the Old Testament on the subject and know it.
Summary
Summary
Understanding this vital point let’s now dive right into our next point…
Tithing In The Old Testament
Tithing In The Old Testament
Tithing Under The Patriarchal Law.
Tithing Under The Patriarchal Law.
The first mention of tithing is in Genesis 14:18-20 where we find Abram giving a tithe to Melchizedek.
In the N.T. the Hebrew writer would use this to point out that tithing represented the concept of “lesser to greater.”
6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
The second mention of tithing is found after Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:12-22) wherein we see Jacob creating an altar for worship to God and dedicated a “tithe” or “tenth” of all God gave him back to God.
This is the first time we find tithing and worship to God connected and it is after a dream meant to reinforce the “promise to Abraham and his decedents.”
So, we have tithing connected to the promise of Christ.
What about the more common concept of…
Tithing Under The Mosaic Law.
Tithing Under The Mosaic Law.
There are so many “principles of giving to God” that we find in this great law.
In the book of Numbers, we find two concepts.
We find the concept of using tithes as a way of supporting God’s workers.
21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
We also find the concept of “those supported by tithes” giving a tithe back.
26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.
In the book of Leviticus, we find important information.
We learn that tithing was not limited to “the best” but the first.
33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
We also learn that tithing was based on the physical blessings of God that could be “gained from” i.e. broken down into tithes.
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord.
In the book of Deuteronomy, we discover these four facts.
God determined when and where the tithe was to be offered.
11 then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.
Tithes were to be used to help the less fortunate.
28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
The tithe’s purpose was to make the one tithing reflect upon God’s mercy and rejoice.
10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.
The tithe was meant to please God that he may give more abundantly to those that gave according to his word.
14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Summary
Summary
As you can see there are many great things we are expected to learn and thus know about God concerning “giving” from the Old Laws and it’s these principles that help us better understand giving under the Law of Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Though our giving is based on the authority found in the Law of Christ, that authority is based on an understanding of the principles that foreshadowed the New Law.
Next week when we examine the authority for giving so let us not forget the beautiful principles of this lesson.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.