The Law of Love for Man and God

Thank you very much, Kayleen. I'm sharing your gifts and talents, praising God and preaching a sermon and a song. No better place to be, the palm of God's hand. In the last couple of weeks, I have written in the Sabbath email announcements about, oh, some of the Thanksgiving proclamations that some of the past presidents of the United States had given over the years. And I think it was noteworthy the proclamation of our first president, George Washington. You may have read it in the email announcements, but just in case you didn't, he goes on to say this. He says, whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God. Boy, that's pretty direct, isn't it? You know, sometimes we hear about the separation of church and state. Well, they were embracing here God in this particular proclamation. Whereas the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor. And whereas both houses of Congress, by their joint committee, have requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.

Especially by affording them an opportunity, peaceably, to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th of November, next, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of that great and glorious being who is the beneficent author of all good that was, that is, or that will be.

And that we may then all unite in rendering to Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of this country previous to their becoming a nation. He goes on, For the signal and manifold mercies in favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war, and also that we may then unite in most humbly, offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and ruler of nations.

And beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions.

You know, you don't hear much about that so much today. We know there's a trend that's going on.

But over the years, many of our presidents have wrote similar heartfelt proclamations, including John Adams, including Abraham Lincoln, and others. But it was President Grover Cleveland that added something to the proclamation that was not there before. Oh, he mentioned some of the same thoughts, including the call for prayers and songs of praise that would render to God the appreciation of the American people for His mercy and for the abundant harvests and rich rewards that He has bestowed upon the nation. But then he goes on and he adds this. He says, And let us by no means forget that why we give thanks and enjoy the comforts which have crowned our lives, that truly grateful hearts are inclined to gifts of charity, or to deeds of charity.

I want to read that again. That truly grateful hearts are inclined to deeds of charity.

In other words, helping other people, giving to other people, having received blessings, being willing to give and to share. He says that truly grateful hearts are inclined to deeds of charity and will double the pleasures of our condition and render our praise and thanksgiving more acceptable in the sight of the Lord. That's interesting. He was the first president to add that to the proclamation. You know, God's Word has a lot to say to us about thanksgiving and giving. It's what God wants us to do and it's what He wants us to be. Interesting, thankful, and generous givers. You know, God is a giver. However, we'll come to see that He also wants His children, you and I, to be givers as well. Let's talk about the way of give for just a moment here. We know, have been taught over the years, that God's way is a way of give. God Himself is the greatest giver in the universe. Even Jesus Christ said when He was here as a human being, that it's more blessed to give than to receive. He lived that life as well. The Father lived that life as well. And from the very creation of man, God has been steadily giving all along the way.

You know, it really began right at the beginning, didn't it? With the first man, Adam, He gave Adam a wife. It was something that was lacking. It was something that helped Him in enjoying life.

And we've seen that God, in a sense, gave the first family dominion over all of the earth.

And actually, He placed Him in a very special place, a fabulous, beautifully landscaped garden in which to live. God also gave Adam and Eve laws to help them to have abundant life, to know which way works, which way doesn't work. And over time, of course, He's through principles of the scriptures. He's trying to give us a way to live that no matter what we come across in life, that we'll be able to address it in a positive way, in a way that God would, in a way that His sons and daughters in His family would. You know, we know that God continues to support life.

The earth and the way it spins, the sun, in the sense of what it does, the life support system, you know, the sun rises every day, warms the earth, it enables the plants to draw the nutrients from the soil and all those things. And David, King David, had this to say about some of these things that God provides. He said this, He said, you caused the grass to grow for the cattle. He says, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food and wine to gladden the heart of man.

And he says, and oil to make his face to shine and bread to strengthen his heart.

You know, that's in Psalm chapter 104 verse 14 and verse 15. David saw some of these things that God had done on a daily basis. You know, there's the scripture that says, this is the day that the Lord God has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it, an appreciation and a gratitude that God has given to us as he continues to give gifts every day. Now, of course, the most precious gift, I think, that we could all agree to is life itself. And even more than that, the fact that God is offering to us life everlasting as a gift that we cannot earn of ourselves. So since humanity is to inherit a gift, in a sense, eternal life, everlasting life in his kingdom, God expects his sons and daughters also to learn how to give now, to learn how to give and to begin to give now in this life. Let's go over to 2 Corinthians chapter 9. It's a section of scripture that has a lot to do with generosity, with giving, with the way God thinks about it. 2 Corinthians chapter 9, and we'll begin here in verse 6. There's a generosity of spirit and attitude. I think that's a foundational basic of God's give way of life. God is a generous giver, and he hopes that you and I, as his sons and daughters, as his children, will also begin to take on that characteristic as well, even though we are sometimes limited in our means of being able to give, but we begin to reflect that generosity. I think he inspired Paul to say and make this point pretty clear here. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 6. Paul says, But this I say, that he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

It's amazing how God uses a simple agricultural concept to help us to understand, you know, you've got a handful of seeds and you sow them, you're going to get a lot more than what you had in your hand. And of course, but he goes on to say, if we just sow just a little bit, well, we're going to reap more than what we sow, but it won't be that much. But if we sow bountifully, we'll reap bountifully. So he says in verse 7, he says, So let each one, so it comes down to an individual level, doesn't it, for each of us, let each one give as he purposes in his or her heart.

So we see that the heart is involved when it comes to being a giver. Let each one give as he purposes in his or her heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver, because that's what he is. He's a cheerful giver. As we heard in the first message, to have that attitude or to have that approach, it makes you happier. It's what makes you whole.

It's a godly thing. And so he says, for God loves a cheerful giver, and I imagine he's thinking in his mind, that's my son. That's my girl. That's my boy. Way to go. God loves a cheerful giver. Verse number 8, God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that you always, having sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance. God says, you know what, I am the giver of every good gift. I own the earth, he talks about in Scripture. He says, the silver and the gold is mine in Haggai chapter 2, verse 8. He says, he owns the earth, all the earth is here. He says, I have the ability to have all grace abound towards you, and that you then will have all sufficiency, everything that you need, and multiply the seed that you've sown. I have the ability to do that. And notice and to increase the fruits of your righteousness. If we do the right thing. God says, I have the ability to help there to be fruit that's born from that. Verse 11, while you are enriched in everything, why? God says, I'm going to bless you, I'm going to enrich you in everything, why? As he says, as he goes on, for you and I to have all liberality, so that we can give more. It's amazing the way God's way works. And then this all causes thanksgiving through us to God. So God utilizes us as a conduit then. He gives to us, he expects us to give, and then that brings fruit. And then he gives us more so that we can do more is the way that it works. I'll just refer for time's sake to Proverbs chapter 11 and verse 24. But there's a lot of verses that we can go to that talk about this giving principle elsewhere in Scripture. And this is one that I'll refer to Proverbs 11 verse 24 and verse 25. You can turn there if you'd like or put it down in your notes. But it says, there's one who scatters, and yet it increases more. And he says, there's one who withholds more than what they should, who withholds more than what is right. They're trying to hold on to what they've got, in other words. And he says, but it leads to poverty. Now, I didn't write this. I wouldn't think this way, but this is what God says is the way that it works. And he wants us to believe him. He wants us to have faith in him because this is against the grain of how you and I would normally think.

But God says, put me to the test. Put me to the test and see. He goes on to verse 25. He says, the generous soul, God says, I'm going to make rich. They're going to be made rich. Somehow, some way, they're going to be made rich. And he who waters will also be watered himself.

So God, the way that he is, he's a giver. In fact, there are scriptures that say, every good and perfect gift comes from God. Everything has come from him. And so, we know in this congregation, and I have witnessed in this congregation, I know you have too, that there are many here that are givers. They give of their time. They give of their resources. They give of their money. They help the brethren here locally. They've helped the brethren overseas. You know, we have seen that.

We've seen firsthand the generosity. And I know that this pleases God.

Pretty good. It's based on what he says. And I know that he's going to bless those that have been giving in that way. Jesus talks about in Matthew 25, we don't have time to turn there, but he talks about the way that you serve the least of my brethren, the way you did it to them, you did it to me. You know, Christ was trying to get us to understand that this is the way that it works in the family of God. And he says, the way you've done it to them, you've done it to me. And then he warns us, you know, that if we don't do it or help, when we have the means to do so, that we haven't done it to him. You remember that, don't you? In Matthew chapter 25. And he's talking about that.

You know, if we see our brothers sick, and we see that they're hungry, or they see that they don't have clothing, and then we help them, he said, you've done it to me. But if we don't, it's just the opposite. If we don't help them, we have the means, then you did not do it to me. So God commands that we, as his children, give. Not only to others, but also to him. That we give to him.

We give back to him. He owns everything. And everything that we have, he has given to us.

And then he says, I want you to give back 10% to me. Brother, when we were in India, you know, I met with several Sabbath-keeping pastors that were there, and many of them served, and many of them ministered to some of the villages where they were very poor. They didn't have a lot of financial wherewithal. And they often asked a question that we would often get when we went to some of these different places. We'd hear this question. How can we, as pastors in India, how can we preach the gospel to the world? How can we support our families when we can't seem to generate enough offerings to be able to support the ministry that we're doing?

We heard this as we were there. One pastor came to me in tears, and he said, my father started something 40 years ago. He's been keeping the Sabbath for about 40 years. And he said, and now he's not doing very well health-wise, so he's not able to serve in that way. But he said, how can I go on? Sometimes it's so difficult. He says, I feel like I want to quit.

I feel like I don't want to go on. But he says, I know I should, because I remember the apostle Paul talking about that necessity is laid upon me to preach the gospel and woe to me if I don't preach the gospel. So he's still got that gnawing in the back of his mind. This is something that God's called me that I need to do. What does God's word say is the method that we should use to finance the preaching of the gospel, to finance the work of God? What does it say? You know, we believe that God commands us to tithe. In fact, it's one of the fundamental beliefs of the church of God is to tithe. Of all the things listed, that is one of the fundamental beliefs. And when I discuss tithing with these ministers, I talk to them, I ask them a question. I say, well, do you teach tithing? You know, do you teach tithing to the brethren that you're serving?

You know, does the congregation tithe? Are the members tithing? And you know often what I hear?

I hear this. I hear, well, you know, they really don't have a lot. Or, no, I haven't been teaching it. And so, what I've done, what I've begun to do now, I've begun to address a few things with them. I've had to, because they don't understand that really, and they've never been taught, that unknowingly they've been robbing themselves of blessings. They've been robbing the members of blessings. They've been robbing the church, in a sense, as a whole, of blessings, of being able to be blessed because of the promises that God makes. And so, in a sense, and in a sense, that they've also unknowingly, they've been robbing God. Knowingly or unknowingly, they've been robbing God.

So, since these discussions, and we'll talk about some of these scriptures here momentarily, but since these discussions that I've had with them, I've begun now with an overseas educational program. I've begun to talk about tithing. It's a three-part series. I've already sent two parts out. There's going to be a third part that's coming up. But I thought maybe it'd be helpful for us also to review tithing today, here, among the local church as well. So, that's what we're going to do today. We're going to talk about tithing. And the title, if you like titles, which I think is helpful, is the title is, Tithing, a Law of Love for God and Man.

Tithing, a Law of Love for God and Man. And hopefully, as we go along, we'll see how this all ties together. So, we're going to talk about tithing, the time that we've got left. And again, it is a frontal mental belief that we have in the church. And there'll be some sub points that we'll be covering, too. We'll see that tithing honors God. It honors God. It's an act of worshiping God.

Tithing is a way that works. It's a way of giving. It's a way of loving God and a way of loving our neighbor. Before we dive into some of the biblical background, let me ask you a question.

If God personally called you to preach the gospel to the world, what source would you go to for guidance on how to finance that work? What would you do? Would you rely strictly on your own thoughts, your own ideas, your own reasonings? Or would you look to the Scriptures? I think God would have us look here because it begins to help us to understand what the mind of God is on any particular topic. To try to take a look at what God has to say. What are his thoughts on the topic? We've been told over the years that the Bible is the Maker's instruction book. It's a record of God's personal feelings, his personal thoughts, his personal thoughts on the dealings with his creation, his humankind that he's made. You know, Paul said in Philippians chapter 2, verse 5, he said, let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ. So I think it's important for us to understand what the mind of God is on any particular topic. And, of course, Jesus Christ said himself, you know, we need to live by every word of God. And, of course, when he said that, the Old Testament hadn't even yet been written. But let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15.

Take a look at this. And this is some of the foundational things that I've had to establish with some of these people overseas because we're sending this information to members over in Sri Lanka, in India, and pastors and good news readers, and in Bangladesh, and in Burma, to many different countries. Let's take a look at what it says here, 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15, to see what God's mind is, his will, and some of these things, because it is revealed throughout the entirety of the Bible. We can't just look at one place and feel that is an isolated section that tells us everything we need to know. We need to look at the entire scope of the scriptures to see what God's thinking is on a topic. And that's what we do as part of the body of Christ. It says in 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15, and that from childhood, so Paul is writing to Timothy and says, Timothy, from childhood, you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. And that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God so we know where it came from. He breathed it. He inspired it. These are his words. It's inspired by God and it's profitable for many things. And one of the first things that's listed there, it says it's profitable for doctrine. So we utilize his word to establish doctrine and for reproof and for correction and for instruction and what's the right thing?

Instruction and righteousness. So Paul referred especially here to Timothy, telling him that the scripture is able to do all these things. And of course, again, most of the New Testament wasn't written at this time. And we know the New Testament is founded upon the Old and of course, the mind of God is reflected throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Well, the Church of God is a New Testament church living in accordance with the New Covenant, as we talked in the past about the church, that it's built on the foundation of the prophets and of the apostles and of Jesus Christ, all of those things. So the church has always been, and since it's been established in Pentecost, in a sense, back in Acts 1 and 2 talks about when the New Testament church was founded, that it's the responsibility, of course, to follow scripture and of course, to preach the message that Jesus Christ talked about, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Let's turn over to Matthew 28 and verse 19. Matthew 28 and verse number 19.

We see that this ecclesia, this assembly of God's people in the New Testament, known as the church, that they have a continuing responsibility. Let's see what that is. Matthew chapter 28 and verse 19. It says, "...go therefore and make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe the things that I have commanded you." So that was the job. That was the responsibility. Pretty big one. To go to all the world, to teach them what Christ had taught them. And then he says, "...and lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age." So we know he's not just talking about the original 12 because they weren't going to live till the end of the age. So we know they were talking about the disciples that would come later as well. So this great commission that God has given goes to all the ages. And Christ didn't start the church in the first century just so it would die out in the second century. And yet, His Word, or the words that they spoke about what Jesus Christ said was going to live on in the Scriptures. And there was going to be a need for teachers. And there was going to be a need, in a sense, to preach the gospel that was found in the Scripture. Let's turn over to John 17 and verse 18.

John 17 and verse 18. God the Father sent Jesus Christ to the world with a message of hope, a message of salvation. Let everyone know exactly what was going to happen and the care that He had and the love that He had for them. He gave that message to these 12 disciples who then began to teach others the gospel message and the teachings that Christ had taught them. Let's see how Jesus prayed for those who would succeed the original disciples. John 17 and verse 18. He says, As you sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. So He's praying to the Father and He's saying, I am sending them into the world. But He's saying, But I'm not praying just for them alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their Word. So this baton was going to be handed from generation to generation. Jesus prayed for those who would succeed the 12 disciples.

He knew that the gates of the grave would not prevail against the church. And the church is still very much alive today. And God continues to add to the church those that should be saved.

Let's turn over to Matthew chapter 5 and verse 14. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 14. If the gospel wasn't being preached, I don't think there'd be a church of God.

If the gospel was first not preached, there would be no church of God. In a sense, the church is the fruit of that message, of the gospel message. And then that church is supposed to go forth as a body of believers to be a light to the world. In fact, it's really the only true light wherever it exists.

And it must be known. Let's take a look at what Jesus himself taught. Matthew chapter 5, verse 14. He says, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket. But they don't put it under a basket, they put it on a lampstand, or it'll be seen. It'll be seen, and it gives light to all that are in the house. So Jesus Christ gives us this instruction about being a light that is put on a lampstand and not under a bushel, not covered up. But it's like a light on a hill that you can see.

And then he goes on to say this in verse number 16. Let your light, again, it comes into individual level as well as a collective level here. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works. And then, therefore, what will happen? They'll glorify God, the Father, when they see your and my good works. So they see the good works of the church.

Jesus Christ wanted the church to be visible. It's just as plain and clear as can be.

And after the original 12 had been commissioned, God began to call others to do the work. You remember Barnabas and Saul? And the Holy Spirit said, separate Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have called them to do. There are so many different scriptures that talk about the work. We don't use that phrase very much today. We used to. Years ago, remember, we talked about the work, the work of God. That's something that had to go forth, had to go out. I don't have time to go through all those scriptures, but that is a very biblical concept. Let me just give you a few scriptures to write down so you can look that up later on. There are many times that the preaching of the gospel, whether it be to the Jews, the Israelites, the Gentiles, it was talking about the work, the work of God, the work of Christ. Let's take a look at that. I'll just write, I'll just give these to you for you to write them down. Acts 5, verse 38, talks about that.

It talks about that in Acts chapter 13 and verse 2.

It talks about that in Acts chapter 15 and verse 38.

Romans chapter 14 and verse 20 and Philippians chapter 2 and verse 30. All references to the work of God.

Again, talking about the work, something that had to be done.

So that worked down through the centuries as a result in the belief of many, many have turned to God.

Many have turned to their elder brother Jesus Christ because of the preaching of the gospel and the work of the church, the work of God, through the church, being a light to the world.

Let's notice 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 11.

1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 11. I think it's clear from Scripture that the church of God has an ongoing responsibility before God to continue to preach about the plan of God, about the gospel of the kingdom, and to try to turn more people to God in anticipation of the return of Christ.

Here's what Paul said.

1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 11.

We'll pick it up. Let's jump to verse 16, then we'll come back to verse 11. We've covered verse 16, but let's address it here in this context, and then we'll go back to verse 11.

Paul said, If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, because for necessity is laid upon me, woe to me if I don't preach the gospel.

But how did Paul envision the accomplishment of that important responsibility?

Let's go back to verse number 11.

In this context here, Paul is, in a sense, defending his apostleship.

He asserts his right, in a sense, to be supported, as some of these others had been supported. Let's take a look at it. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 11.

He says, If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

Nevertheless, we have not used this right.

So Paul is saying, God has given us this right, in other words, to be able to take up these material things to serve others in a spiritual way.

But he says, nevertheless, we have not used this right, but we endure all things, lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.

He says something interesting in verse 13, which I hope will tie in a little bit later with the Old Testament Levitical priesthood.

He says, Don't you know that those who minister the holy things, eat of the things of the temple?

So he's referring back to the way God worked with his theocracy in Israel, the nation of Israel, that God gave the tithes to the Levitical priesthood so they could utilize that to serve. And they were also, this was their inheritance, they didn't get any land like the other 11 tribes. This was their inheritance, and they were to use it to serve.

They were to utilize it to have enough for their own personal living.

He says, Don't you know that those who minister the holy things, eat of the things of the temple? And those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?

In verse 14, he says, Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. Brethren, even Jesus Christ, referred to as the Lord here, has commanded. This is a command here.

That those who proclaim the gospel were to gain their livelihood through it. Verse 14.

Now, granted, Paul was willing to work with his own hands at certain times. He was a tentmaker, right? And sometimes he did not ask for support, you know, for various reasons.

Maybe just because no one was either going to give him any help, or for some reason, he just thought they weren't ready for this truth, this command of God.

But he does emphasize the fact that it's Jesus' command, the support for the ministry, was a New Testament command from Jesus Christ himself.

Brethren, just as then, the church today still has a commission, doesn't it?

It must be financed. It takes money to train ministers. It takes money to have facilities. It takes money to be able to have congregations and facilities here, and to be able to teach what Jesus Christ has taught.

So historically, the church of God has used the tithing system.

And the word tithe means archaic English. It means tenth.

It's like you could say, tenthing instead of tithing. It means the same.

Brethren, in the scriptures, tithing is definitely a biblical concept. There is no Bible scholar that will argue with that at all. They will not deny that that is in the scripture.

You know, we talk about the fact that God accepted the tithes of Abraham. He accepted the tithes of Jacob. We'll cover those scriptural references in a moment. That God implemented a tithing system when He began His own nation, His ecclesia of the Old Covenant, of the Old Testament, His people, the nation of Israel. He implemented the tithing system among them. The tithing continued sporadically among God's people. At certain times, it rose and it waned. But at times when God inspired the nation, in a sense, we'll cover this in a moment, they came out of a captivity and they began to rebuild, and they began to be excited again. And God's Spirit began to work powerfully with them again.

The tithing was reinstituted when it had waxed and waned. And Jesus Himself speaks of tithing in the New Testament. We'll cover those scriptures and the Apostle Paul talks about in the Book of Hebrews. We'll talk about some of that. So clearly, tithing is a biblical concept. So I think it'd be helpful. It's been a while since we've had a sermon on this particular topic.

I think it'd be helpful to explain why this proportionate system of financing that God speaks about in Scripture is utilized by the Church of God today. Let's go to our first reference. Genesis. It's actually mentioned in Genesis 14, but I want to lay some groundwork first. I'd like you to go back one chapter to Genesis 13. And we'll pick it up in verse number one. Genesis chapter 13 and verse number one. It talks about Abram. His name had not yet been changed to Abraham.

It says, Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot, his nephew, went with him to the south, and Abram was very rich. He was very rich. He had livestock. He had silver. He had gold. He had a lot of things. And he went on his journey from the south as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and I, and to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. So he went back to a place that he'd already been, to an altar that he had already built to honor the one and only true God.

And it says, And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Abram said, You're my God. You're the one that I'm going to worship. You're the one that I'm going to honor. You're the one that I'm going to obey. You're the one that I'm going to be faithful to, that I believe in. Let's go on. And Lot also went with Abram. So Lot, his nephew, went with him. And Lot had flocks, and he had herds, and he had tents. And now the land was not able to support them, and that they might dwell together.

Why? Because their possessions were so great. God had blessed them abundantly. Not only Abraham, but Abram as his name was at that time, but also Lot. They were blessed. In verse 7, there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. And the Canaanites and parasites then dwelt in the land. So Abraham said to Lot, you know, look, we don't need to have this strife. Look, there's a lot of land here. You look one way, you look east, you look west, and you decide what you want to pick.

And you know, Lot looked and cast his eyes, you know, to the east. He saw these beautiful green plains. You know, it must have looked better than what the west did, but he saw these beautiful plains, some of the beauty of the plains that they had seen in Egypt, you know, some of the areas of the Nile River Valley and all of that.

And he said, that's the way that I want to go. And Abram said, no problem. I'll go to the other area, which was the area of Canaan. So verse 11, Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated from each other. Let's jump to verse number 14. And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, he said, I want you to lift up your eyes now, and I want you to look from the place where you are, look northward, look southward, look eastward, look westward, for all the land which you see, I am going to give to you and to your descendants forever.

And I'm going to make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants could be numbered. Now I want you to rise, verse 17. I want you to walk through this land, through the length of it, through the breadth of it, the length, the width, for I will give it to you.

Well, let's jump to verse chapter 14. Let's jump to verse number 12. After Lot left, he went to the area around Sodom, Gomorrah, some of those areas, and then all of a sudden there was a battle between various kings. There's various kings in the verse part of chapter 14 and armies that took place, and you know what? There was a battle and they took Lot. They took Abraham's nephew Lot, and they took some of the spoils, some of the some of the booty that he had, and Lot was taken captive. And so Abram set out to rescue. He heard about it. A servant came to him that escaped from Lot. He came to Abraham and said, look, they've taken your nephew away, and he's gone, and they've taken all of the wealth along with them. There was a large booty, amount of booty, that was there. So Abraham took a small group of people, less than 400 of his servants, and he went to battle, and it says that he was successful in the battle, and he was able to free all the people that had been taken captive, including his nephew, and also to bring back a large amount of booty. Verse number 16 talks about that. So he brought back all the goods, verse 16, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. And so then the king of Sodom went out to meet him, referring to Abram at the valley of Shavah, that is the king's valley, after his return from the defeat of Kedar-Lalamer and the kings who were with him. And notice verse 18, then Melchizedek, who was king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he said this in verse 19, he said, and he blessed him, referring to Abram, and he said, blessed be Abram of the Most High God, who is possessor of heaven and earth.

And, verse 20, blessed be the God Most High, who has delivered your enemies of Abram into your hand.

And he, referring to Abram, gave him tithes of all. Wow! You know, what's going on here? There's a lot that's going on here. We know that this is talking about not just agricultural products, but even non-agricultural products, that there was a tithe of all the spoils. I'll refer to Hebrews, chapter 7 and verse 4. It talks about that Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. So all of this wealth here wasn't just agricultural products, but non-agricultural products as well. What was Abram doing? Why was he doing this? You know, why was he giving the priest of the Most High God, whose name was Melchizedek, why was he giving him tithes of all? Was he doing this to fulfill some law that he knew about? An ancient law? And tithing to Melchizedek, who was a representative of God as a high priest? Was this merely a one-time event? Had he never done this before? Would he ever do it again? Well, brethren, there are several factors in this account, I think, that are highly significant in answering some of those questions. Let's take a look at some of them. There's a lot here in this particular account. We're informed here that Abram was of the Most High God. We already read that it said that, you know, he was going to claim this God as his God. He built an altar. He was of the Most High God. And we're told that this Most High God is possessor of everything. Heavens and earth.

Brethren, tithing in this context apparently is a direct acknowledgement of God's sovereignty and lordship over the entire earth. It's an acknowledgement of God's sovereignty and lordship over the entire earth. You know, I've already touched on the scripture, Haggai 2, verse 8, that God says, all the silver and gold is mine. We already read about the fact that Abraham had a lot of silver and gold and livestock, but he knew where it had come from. He knew who the possessor was. He knew the scriptures. You know, giving God back a tenth of what is entirely his anyway was a way of acknowledging God's ownership of everything, of every kind of wealth.

And you know, the account indicates here that Abraham gave this tenth of these spoils prior to making a distribution of any of the other spoils.

Let's take a look at that here in this context. We saw on the latter part of verse 20, it says, and he gave tithes of all. Verse 21, now the king of Sodom said to Abram, give me the persons and take the goods for yourself.

Now, Abram had already given the tithe, and now the king of Sodom says, thank you for rescuing us. Okay. And you know what? If we can just have our wives back, if we can just have our children back, you take the spoils, you take it for yourself. Well, he'd already tithed here.

Verse 22, but Abram said to the king of Sodom, no, I have raised my hand to the Lord most high, the possessor of heaven and earth. So he's now, in a sense, evangelizing of who this God is that he serves, the God that owns everything, possessor of heaven and earth. And he says, verse 23, I'm not going to take anything from a thread to a sandal strap. I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say sometime in the future that I have made Abram rich. So Abram gave the 10% first to God, acknowledging he's the sovereign, he's the one that delivered him, he's the one that delivered them all.

And he gave the 10% of the spoils, and then he said, and either way, I'm not going to take anything else that's yours, I'm going to give it back to you, unless you think that you've made me rich, except, as it goes on to say, for just a few amount of food and items for some of the people that fought the battle. And so we see here that God received the tithes from Abram before any other distribution was made. Let's turn over to Isaiah chapter 51 and verse 1. Isaiah chapter 51 and verse 1.

You know, Abram has been called, or Abraham as his name was changed to, has been called the father of the faithful. We find that in Romans chapter 4. And I think God calls him that because his life was, in a sense, exemplary, in a sense, of kind of a prototype of all believers and of all Christians throughout time, of those that believe and have their faith in God. And that Abram's act of tithing, in a sense, was to provide us with an example of the life of this righteous man.

But let's notice Isaiah chapter 51 and verse 1 here. Isaiah chapter 51 and verse 1. God speaking through Isaiah says, Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the Lord, look to the rock from which you were hewn. So we know where we came from were his sons and his daughters, and the whole of the pit from which you were dug. But further, we're told this in verse number 2, but look to Abraham also, your father, and Sarah, who bore you, for I called him alone, and I blessed him, and I increased him.

And of course, his descendants were going to be blessed as well. But it all started with this, in a sense, this man, Abraham. And certainly tithing in the perspective of imitating or following the example of Abraham would be a good practice of a man or a woman of God. I'll just refer for time to Galatians chapter 3 verse 29. Galatians chapter 3 verse 29, which I think is also a central scripture on this theme, that if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

So we see some of these things here in Scripture of what God has revealed to us through some of the patriarchs, the examples for you and me. Let's notice a second example over in Genesis chapter 28. So we were in Genesis, well, I guess we were in Isaiah. But let's go back to Genesis chapter 28.

We'll see that God has provided us with one more mention of the practice of tithing prior to the time of Moses and the setting up of his nation, his people, his assembly, the children of Israel. And this is an account of Jacob here in Genesis chapter 28 and verse number 20. God, in a sense, has been dealing with Jacob, and then Jacob makes a vow here. You know, Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, so he knew his grandfather.

He knew his father, of course. He knew how God had blessed Abraham and the family. Genesis chapter 28 verse 20. Then Jacob made a vow, and he said this, if God is going to be with me and keep me in this way that I'm going and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then this God is going to be my God.

So in a sense, it's kind of a backhanded way, in a sense, a little bit. He's saying, if God is going to do this for me, this God that I'm talking to, that I'm making a vow is going to do this for me, that I'm going to be, he's going to be my God. I'm going to obey him. Verse 21, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone, which I have set as a pillar, shall be God's house.

And of all that you give to me, I will surely give a tenth to you.

You know, again, tithing here in this example was an act, in a sense, or an expression of worship. We see that here in this instance. It's plainly connected with setting up an altar or a pillar, which was to be God's house, as it says in verse number 22. And so we see here that he was going to honor this God, that he was going to worship this God. And this was one of the ways that he was going to do that. That of all that this God was going to give to him, he was going to give a tenth back to him. Well, let's go on in history. Let's turn over to Hebrews 7 and verse 5. Actually, I'm going to a New Testament scripture to refer to something that's in the Old Testament, but it condenses it down into a few words very well, I think. So we're going to take a look at it. So we've got beyond now the example of Abraham. We've gotten beyond the example of Jacob, and now we get into the Mosaic period where God begins to work with his people. And he brings Moses as a prophet to bring his people out of slavery and to lead them to the Promised Land.

Because tithing, in a sense, is not discussed again in the first five books of the Bible until the time of Moses with the establishment of the priesthood in Israel. Well, let's see what they can share with us here, what Paul shares with us here in Hebrews 7 and verse 5. Hebrews 7 and verse number 5. It says, the sons of Levi, Paul is saying, this is centuries later, have a commandment to take tithes of the people. I think some translations say have a commandment to receive tithes of the people according to the law. So the Levites received the tithes, or the Levites took the tithes, but were the tithes the Levites? You know, we might think so. God gave it to them, in a sense. But let's see that that's not according to Scripture. Let's go back now to Leviticus chapter 27. This is an important verse. Leviticus chapter 27, in verse number 30.

Because the Levites took the tithe, they received the tithe, but was it their tithe? No, we're going to see that it was not theirs. The tithe belonged to God. Let's take a look at that. Moses here writes God's words in Leviticus chapter 27 in verse 30. This is talking about the first tithe in this context. It says, "...in all the tithe of the land, whether it be the seed of the land, whether it be the fruits of the trees, it is the Lord's." It belongs to him. And notice he goes on to say, "...and it is holy to the Lord." There is a lot here in this short verse here. There's two important points here. A lot here in verse number 30. Number one, the tithe belongs to God.

It says, "...it is the Lord's." And it goes on to say, just like the Sabbath day, that it was holy and that, in a sense, it's sanctified for God's use and purpose. Just like the Sabbath is. It's holy. It's sanctified for God's use and purpose. God was simply defining how this tithe was going to be used. He decided he was going to give it to the Levites and Levitical priesthood, his decision.

So at that time, God designated the tithe for the Levites and the priests for the function of the tabernacle. Let's turn over to Numbers, the book right after Leviticus. Numbers chapter 18 and verse number 21. Numbers chapter 18 verse 21. We'll see how God wanted his tithe to be used.

Numbers chapter 18 and verse 21.

God said, "...and behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation." So we see that the tithe represented in a sense that this is an inheritance. This is the reward in a sense their wages, if you will, for the services that they were going to provide for the tabernacle and for the services they provide in the temple. So here God is defining this, and he's defining it as a part of the Mosaic law, how his holy tithe was going to be used during the period of the nation of Israel. What about after Moses? We go on in history. What about after the time of Moses, after his death? We go on to Joshua, we go on to the time of Judges, we go on to the time of the Kings. We go to the time when we begin to see that the nation of Israel, God's people, began to, the ebb and flow of their history, where they began to slide away.

Corruption begins to enter in, decay begins to enter in, and God begins to warn them that, look, this needs to change, or there's going to be consequences, and they don't change, and eventually there's consequences. The nation is split into two nations, the northern ten tribes of the house of Israel, the southern tribes of the house of Judah. They each go into captivity. Now, at the same time, the ten tribes eventually go into captivity into Assyria. They never come back home.

They never come back home, scattered. And then the house of Judah eventually goes into captivity into Babylon, and they're there for 70 years, and then God says it's time to bring them back.

He prophesied through Jeremiah that they would come back. So let's go over to Nehemiah chapter 10, and verse number 37. There are about 50,000 that came back to the area, back to Palestine, back to Jerusalem. Of all the people that were there, only about 50,000 came back. They came back under the leadership of some pretty inspiring leaders, in a sense, some pretty strong leaders that God had said in motion. There was Zerubbabel, there was Ezra, there was Nehemiah. God decided it was time to rebuild his nation. The city of Jerusalem was going to be restored, and the Levitical priesthood was going to be reinstated. As God begins to restore all this here through these leaders, we see that the temple services resume, and we see that the tithing system is revived, and Nehemiah, as the governor, begins to establish the various Levitical offerings. Let's read. Nehemiah chapter 10 and verse 37, it was at that time that God inspired that it was time to bring the first fruits of our dough, of our offerings, the fruit from all the kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God, to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all of our agricultural communities.

In verse 38, and the priests, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites, when the Levites receive the tithes, and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God to the rooms of the storehouse. So the Levites were to receive the tithe, the 10% of the increase of the brethren, that's what's there in here, they were to utilize it, and then they were to give 10% of that 10% to the Aaronic priesthood, as it says in verse number 38. And as long as everyone diligently obey God, things flourished. Things flourished. That the responsibility was done, the services, the temple services flourished, and it was a time of excitement. It was a time of restoration. It was a time that the blessings began. Let's turn over to Malachi chapter 3 and verse 8. Malachi chapter 3 and verse number 8. As we continue on past this restoration and into the future, their future, in a sense still our past, but we can learn from their examples, we see yet again that the people of God began to lose sight of God's love for them, and things began to deteriorate again. God appealed to the nation to return to him. We'll see that in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 7.

He said, come back to me. Return to me. Come back to me with your whole heart.

Come back to me with obedience. You've been disobeying some of the ordinances, some of the commands. He says, return to me. Then it's interesting. They asked the question in the latter part of verse number 7. They asked the question, well, how? How shall we come back to you?

How shall we return? The first thing that God says in verse number 8 here of Malachi chapter 3, he says, will a man rob God? He's talking about, you know, returning to me. He says, will a man rob God? And yet you have robbed me. And then you say, well, what way have we robbed you?

And God responds, you've robbed me in tithes and in offerings. It's kind of a serious offense when we think about it. Now, he didn't say, you've robbed the Levites, did he? He didn't say that. He didn't say, will a man rob the Levites? Because after all, they were the ones that God had designated the tithes to. He didn't say that. God still claims the tithe is his. For him to use however he deems, he still claims title to the tithe.

The tithe was something bigger than the Levites. It was something bigger than the administration. It was always God's. And he was deciding how it was to be used.

Verse number nine, and by not paying the Levites, they were robbing God. It was his. He says, and you're cursed with a curse. You have robbed me, even this whole nation.

This is part of what I'm trying to reach some of these people overseas with, that they don't understand. They've never been taught, probably most likely. If they have, then they need to be thinking deeply about what they're doing. But God says, if we don't give the tithe to him, that we're robbing him. And then it talks about that there's a curse that goes along with that. He says in verse nine, and you're cursed. You're not going to be blessed. You're going to be cursed for you have robbed me, even this whole generation. In verse number 10, he says, bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. And now he says, I want you to put me to the test. I want you to try me. He says this, try me now in this, says the Lord. If you bring the tithes into the storehouse and you try me now in this, if I will not open for you windows of heaven and pour out for you individually and collectively such a blessing that you will not have room to receive it. Wow.

Brethren, I know it takes faith. I know when those ministers tell me these people don't have the they can't afford to tithe. I know that they probably most of them sincerely believe that.

It takes faith, doesn't it? When you only earned a dollar a month to put 10 cents away, it takes faith to do that. But we've got the possessor of heaven and earth that says that if you obey me in this, then I'm going to open up a blessing from heaven so we know where it comes from. It's going to come from God Himself. He's going to watch over. He's going to see.

God challenges them to put him to the test that if they would repent, fulfill the tithing laws, that God would once again pour out a blessing to them is what he's saying. Verse 11, God goes on to say, and I'm going to rebuke the devourer for your sakes. I'm going to stop whatever it is that's been devouring you from having the blessings that you would have normally have. I'm going to rebuke the devourer for your sakes so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground. He will not destroy the vine shall not fail to bear its fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of Hosts. And then He goes on to say something else. And all nations are going to call you blessed. They're going to see what happens when you begin to obey Me. They're going to see and they're going to call you blessed for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of Hosts. So I don't know what the devourer is. I don't know if it was insects that were taking away some of their crops or devouring some of the fruit from the vineyards. I don't know what the devourer was, but whatever it was, God says it stops here. And you're going to receive more than you had before. The 90% is going to be more than what the 100% was. Trust me. Have faith in me. I'm the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and I can do this. But many of the people, and I still do this today, claim, as it says in verse 14, it's vain. It's vain to serve God. It's worthless. It's vain to serve God. It says in verse 14, you've said it's useless to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept as ordinance and that we've walked as mourners before the Lord of Hosts? Well, fortunately, at this time in their history, some did listen because it talks about here in verse number 16, they responded to God's warning. It says, those who feared the Lord spoke one to another, and the Lord listened, and he heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared God, who meditated on his name. And God says, they're going to be mine. The Lord of Hosts says, and on that day that I make them, on that day that I make them my jewels, I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. God says, my sons do these types of things, and I'm going to spare them. They listen to me. They hearken to me. I'm going to bless them. I'm going to spare them. In verse number 18, and then you know you're going to be able to discern between the righteous and the unrighteous, the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. So tithing, in a sense, has a lot to do with serving God, honoring God, an act of worshiping God, as we've seen from the examples. It seems repeatedly it's an act of worship. It's a symbol, symbolic of honoring God's divine sovereignty over everything. And, brethren, I think it shows love to God.

Don't you? He gives us everything. And he says, if you give me 10 percent back, I'm going to give you some more. And by the way, I'm going to use that 10 percent that you give to help others.

So indirectly, we're not only loving God, we're loving our neighbor, aren't we?

So that the very word that somebody tithed on so that we could receive the things that we know and have been taught and have heard, and it has changed our lives, they have the opportunity for the same transformation as you and me.

God says, failure to tithe to me is robbery. It's an affront to me.

Put me to the test. You're thinking not like a godly son or daughter, you're thinking like a human being. Put me to the test and see.

Somehow, over time, God's people, see the example of the children of Israel that's there for you and me, somewhere over time, they forgot. They forgot that everything comes from God. All things come from God. All the earth is mine, as it says in Exodus 9, verse 29. All the silver and gold is mine. All the earth is mine. They forgot. They'd forgotten that all things belong to God, but He gives us things freely, and of everything that He gives us, He says, you can keep 90% of it.

But I want you to give 10% back to me, because I've got something in mind, something that's good that I'm going to use it for.

He reminded us people back then, and I guess to us today, if we've fallen short in this, to repent.

of not tithing, and that they would eventually begin to give the tenth or the tithe to Him, so that He could pour out a blessing that they wouldn't have room enough to receive. Brethren, the same is true today. It hasn't changed. Next time, we're going to cover what Jesus taught. We're going to cover what the Apostle Paul instructed about tithing. We'll also discuss the festival, and also known as the second tithe. And we'll examine the scriptures very, very carefully, so that we too may faithfully worship and honor God, and although we may obey this command to love Him, and to love our neighbor and receive the richness of the blessings that He promises.