tithing
A Question to Consider
There are a lot of people with problems and a first question would be, “Do you tithe?”
People don’t want to tithe, but the Bible plainly says without it a person/nation can be under a curse. Tithing is not Old Testament. It was before the law. It’s of the order of Melchisedek and Jesus is of the Order of Melchisedek.
It is foundational.
While personally I don’t like the way certain special offerings are taken, the fact is, if there is a request for a large amount, such as $1000, if a person hasn’t been tithing for years that probably would not be out of line.
From an accounting standpoint, $1000 may not be too far off on back tithes.
Leviticus 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.
31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.
In Malachi, it is stated plainly that a way to return to God is through tithes and offerings. And it is plain that the United States is cursed because overall we are not a nation of tithers.
Look, I’m very political and often post on political topics. I’m not pretending that people and policies don’t cause trouble. But the fact is, the only reason we have bad politicians and policies is due, in part, to a lack of tithing, as well as a lack of Christians voting.
Those people and policies would not have the ascendary, they would not be permitted, if enough people tithed. God removes his hand of blessing when there is disobedience.
Now individuals can prosper while overall curses are going on around them. God is capable of blessing and protecting one while another has a problem. Why is that? Does God favor one person over another? Definitely not. God is no respecter of persons. That’s worth repeating. Definitely not. God is no respecter of persons. But it is possible that one person or household or nation walks in a greater obedience to tithing and other things the Lord wants than another and that becomes an umbrella of protection.
In today’s Christian world, obedience is understated. It is extremely important.
People don’t like to hear this because they hope that God is a combination of a slot machine, sugar daddy, Santa Claus, and welfare office. But God is none of those things. God is the Father of all spirits and wants children in his likeness, obedient, responsible and with God’s character. And like any parent, if things are otherwise “whom the Lord loves, he chastens”.
Sin has always brought death. The wages of sin is death. Death can be literal death or simply bad circumstances, problems, things that could have been avoided.
If you take care of your car with regular maintenance, it will run better. If you never change the oil, or maintain the tire pressure, or do any other number of things that are required, in other words, if you do not obey the laws of taking care of the car, then at some point there will be a problem with the car. It’s a matter of time.
We try to spiritualize God and figure out some gimmick instead of simply praying and reading the Bible and finding out if there is something we should either do or that we are not doing and correct that.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Yes, it’s possible that simply because we live in a fallen world that “bad stuff happens”. But that should not turn into a fatalist “what will be will be” and think that there is nothing that we can do about it. Thinking that there is nothing we can do about “the bad stuff happening” should not be the default position. Usually there is something, however small, that can be a seed to start change in a situation rather than sitting back, throwing up our hands, and saying that there is nothing that can be done.
Yes, we live in a fallen world and, as the saying goes, “bad things happen to good people”. Actually, that saying is a misnomer because when someone came to Jesus and called him good, the answer was this.
Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
But we understand what people are trying to say. They are saying, why, when I am trying to do the right thing, and don’t [fill in the blank] in order to try to do good, why is this bad thing happening to me?
That’s when it is good to see if there are sins of omission or commission. And, it is a good time to check up on tithing.
Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
The thing is, don’t treat the tithe as a gimmick. Every paycheck or however money comes, pay the tithe first. Do it consistently and regularly without fail.
Like going to the gym, a one-time trip does not bring results. It is the consistent application of anything that brings results.
God is faithful to keep his word if we are faithful to obey consistently, not like a slot machine, but consistently week after week, month after month, year after year.
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False Hope
There might be other considerations regarding false hope, and another writer or article might come at this topic from a different angle, but for purposes of this post, false hope is the expectation that it is possible to break rules and have the same result as those who follow rules.
In today’s woke society, there is the thought, often put forth by politicians, that if you perceive a thing a certain way, that makes it true. That actually is not true. Perception does not equate to fact.
You cannot perceive a woman to be a man or a man to be a woman. You cannot perceive a man as giving birth to a baby. Perception does not establish fact.
When it comes to the Bible, it is necessary to become thoroughly acquainted with its contents and to take things in context. Otherwise, there is the danger of pulling out one statement and establishing that as fact. That one statement without fullness of understanding and obedience can lead to false hope.
While there are multiple topics and directions a post could take with the above introduction, and they may be covered at a later time, today the focus will be on finances. It is necessary to take the whole counsel of God, not just one scripture.
I’m speaking from experience that if the following verses are are foundational scriptures in life and finances, that God is faithful.
Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
Tithing existed before the law. There are those who say that tithing was part of the law and was abolished but tithing existed before the law. Abraham preceded Moses and Abraham tithed. So did Jacob. Abraham tithed to Melchisedek. Jesus is of the order of Melchisedek. So we tithe to the Lord under the New Covenant.
There are those who simply quote “my God shall supply all my need” which he will. But there are some requirements. That was spoken to people who were givers. It wasn’t spoken to just anyone. And Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you”.
False hope is taking one promise and not seeing or ignoring if there are any requirements we have to fulfill. The New Testament is the new covenant and in a covenant there are responsibilities on the side of both parties. A lot of times preaching focuses on what God will do, but we actually have responsibilities on our part to fulfill.
If finances are tight, study the promises in Malachi. Study tithing. Tithe.
The blessings of tithing can come back in many ways: opportunities to earn more income, sales, discounts, fewer breakdowns and problems that cost money, greater wisdom in financial affairs, favor that leads to increase, etc.. God is unlimited in how he fulfills his promises and the way God works can be totally different each time. God can tailor his supply to your need provided you don’t put him in a box and insist it come a certain way.
One blessing that I have found is that desires can change. If you are compelled to buy the biggest and best and newest, you might find that that is no longer important and that alone will save a lot of shopping trips to the mall or Amazon. Or you may be inspired to study and increase your skill level to get a new and better job. Or other changes can be facilitated. When we take care of God’s house, God takes care of ours.
False hope is just believing that God will supply your needs without finding out from the Word of God and also the leading of the Lord what God requires as part of the covenant relationship in order for that promise to come to pass.
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All Scripture
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The Apostle Paul spoke of the importance of learning, including from the Old Testament
II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
I Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
The Bible covers all topics that concern mankind. If the answers have been given, and they have, “the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.
Some like to say that the law no longer applies. What Jesus brought is a higher application of the law, but basics are still in effect. In other words, if you love your neighbor, you will not steal from him, lie about him, or commit adultery with his wife (all of those being part of the Ten Commandments). Jesus did not die for people to keep on in sin and lifestyles contrary to the scriptures.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
One of the areas in the Old Testament where it is important to “take heed” or pay attention is that of tithing. Perhaps it was because Paul ministered primarily to Gentiles, who had no history or background in the tithes and offering system of the Jews, that he talked about “giving” instead of “tithing” in order to make himself culturally relevant. Maybe that is true, maybe it is not. In any case, he did say to go back to the Old Testament to learn things. Tithing is in the Old Testament.
Abraham tithed to Melchisedek. They both lived before Moses (through whom came the law). So those who say that tithing is a part of the law are actually not correct; tithing precedes the law.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
The reason I mention this topic is because I saw a post with a reprint of something nearly 100 years. In it, Philippians 4:19 was mentioned.
In my opinion, Philippians 4:19 needs to be mentioned in context. Paul wrote that to a giving church.
Again, IMO, I think that unless a person is tithing and giving offerings according to the will of the Lord, that person may not see the fullness of Philippians 4:19. I personally don’t think that you can separate Philippians 4:19 from the commands to tithe and give.
We live in an entitlement world where there is an expectation in the world to get benefits out without putting anything that is constructive in to create those blessings. God is not a welfare office or a lottery or a slot machine where one can throw in a little or even nothing and expect the blessings to flow.
In my opinion, I believe God blesses as much as he is able in any situation, but there are many things that can block blessings or open someone to the curse because the wages of sin is (still) death. Overall, there is a tendency to over-emphasize God’s responsibility while under-rating personal responsiibility. Personal responsibility may in some way as part of an answer, even if that responsibility is simply to pray and ask. But personal responsibility can involve other things as well.
James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
For more posts: https://biblequestionsblog.com/
This link goes to list of a number of Christian resources, click here for links to various Christian ministries.
Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, and more.