Tithing, Part 1

Does God need your money? After all, He created the universe. Did He not? He created billions of galaxies. Within each one of those galaxies are billions of stars. Just look at the earth. God created the earth that you and I live on. Look at all the beauty that God has created in the earth. Look at all the wealth that God has created here. Men still go out and dig up gold. They still go out and dig up silver. I've been in a diamond mine in South Africa. They still go find diamonds. Is there anything that God doesn't have that you and I can give to Him? Is there something He just so desperately wants from us that He just requires us to give it to Him?

Is this the reason that God asks us to tithe to Him or to give offerings? Is God like a potentate or like a king who is obsessed with collecting wealth and having money? You'll find a lot of times in some of the poorer nations of the earth there's a coup d'etat. And when one government is overthrown, perhaps a military leader comes in and takes over. And you'll find that after a few years He's toppled and He has to flee.

But many times when that happens, you'll find they flee and they got hundreds of millions of dollars stored away somewhere in a Swiss bank account. Is that what God's after that He's concerned about having enough money? If God wanted gold or silver, He could create billions of tons of it. He could create the whole surface of this earth covered in gold or silver. If God wanted diamonds, He could create mountains of diamonds. Literally, He could have something as tall as the Himalayan mountains. Just piles of diamonds. So why is God concerned about a few dollars that you and I have?

Why would God get upset if perchance you don't tithe? Or if you don't give Him an offering? Is God just concerned about our few pennies? After all, you work hard for your paycheck. You go out here in labor. And sometimes people reason there just isn't enough left over I can't tithe. Perhaps you're on a limited income. Or, you know, you may think 10% is too much. Maybe 5%. I'll tithe 5%. Now, of course, that's a contradiction. Or sometimes people say, I'll tithe 2%.

There is a school of thought today in the Church of God community, the greater Church of God community, that tithing is not required under the New Covenant. I can remember back in 1974 when the associated churches started.

And some of you will remember that. One of their central themes was, you don't have to tithe. And yet, after about three months of not receiving tithes, they started teaching tithing again. Their church split again over the subject or the issue of tithing. Those who thought they should, those who thought they should not. Sometimes these people believe that all God requires is an offering. As long as we give an offering, it shows that our hearts in the work.

Tithing, to them, is supposed to be an Old Testament principle, and not for us today. Okay, with that in mind, what does the Bible have to say about tithing? Does it tell us to tithe? Is it only an Old Testament practice? Are we required to only give an offering? Why would God want our money anyway?

Because He already has everything. Isn't He the creator of all things and heads, the owner of everything? So why would He want us to give Him money? God owns everything. And obviously, anything that He doesn't have, if He wanted it, He could create it. There isn't anything you think of you could design, you could create, you could manufacture, that if God didn't want to do it, He could create it and do it so much more beautifully that you and I could.

He doesn't need anything from us. He doesn't need our tithes. We are only returning to God what already belongs to Him. Well, let's notice in 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 12. 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 12. David here is praising God and thanking God, and this is where they collected money and goods for the building of the temple.

And in verse 12, let's notice, Both riches and honor come from you. You reign over all. In your hand is power and might. In your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, David said, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You.

So I want you to notice, everything comes from God. And of Your own, we have given You. So since everything comes from God, and if we give an offering or we tithe, then all we're doing, as He says here, of Your own, we have given You. We're just returning back to God what He has given to us. For we are aliens in pilgrims before You, as were our fathers. And our days on earth are as a shadow and without hope. So you find that all riches, all wealth, comes from God.

We give back. Excuse me. All we're doing is giving back to God what He's already given to us. But let's notice verse 17. David said, I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure and uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I have willingly offered these things.

So notice God tests the heart. He's looking at our heart, at our mind, at our attitude. The commandment to tithe is more a benefit for us than it is even for God. The main thing God gets out of it is He knows our attitude. He knows our heart. His goal is to bring every one of us into His kingdom. And He wants to share eternal life with us. So how does God test us? How does God know that we will put Him first? I think you're going to see several things as we proceed through this sermon. One, God has the right to tell us how to prioritize our wealth, and He does.

Secondly, tithing honors God. Tithing helps honor God. Thirdly, the tithe is holy to God. It is something that is set apart to God. Fourthly, it's part of our obedient worship of God. You realize that when you tithe, you give an offering, that you're actually worshipping God by doing so. Five, it shows God that we put Him first in place of the God of Mammon.

Too many people today worship in front of the altar of Mammon. Another purpose is our tithing. Tithing helps to pay His laborers, whoever He has, His servants. And finally, tithing helps us to further the work of God on earth today. So let's ask ourselves a question. This is a fundamental question that too often is not addressed. What method does God reveal for the support of His work? And has that method changed over the years? Has God had a method? And if so, has that changed? Well, let's start back at the very beginning. The book of Genesis is a book that records beginnings.

Back in Genesis 14, verse 18, we find the example of Abraham and Melchizedek. We're all familiar with this. This is the first mention in the Bible of tithing. Does this mean that none of the servants of God ever tithed before this? No, it doesn't mean that at all. It just means this is the first place it's mentioned. Now, let's notice some of the things that we can learn, some of the key points that we can observe from this section, verse 18 through 20.

Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him a tithe of all.

So Abraham gave to Melchizedek a tithe of all. Okay, let's notice several points. Number one, who was the recipient of the tithe? Who got the tithe? Well, God's representative on earth at that time, Melchizedek. He represented God. He was the one who would come and speak to mankind, to the servants of God. Secondarily, what was the reason for tithing? Well, it was an acknowledgment of God's greatness, and that God was the ultimate giver.

And thirdly, what was the computation for tithing? Well, it was on, as we find here. He gave tithes of all. Now all of what? Well, from the spoils of war. He'd gone out, he'd defeated these kings. And so all of the spoils that he had, normally when you would defeat another army or a king, you would keep the spoils. So out of those spoils, Abraham gave a tenth. Now let me clarify something. Can you give a tithe to God by only giving five percent, or two percent? What does the word tithe mean? It means ten percent.

So the very fact that somebody would say, well, I'll tithe five percent to God is a total contradiction. Because a tithe is ten percent. Now I want you to notice this is very important, because there are people who will tell you that tithing should only be on agricultural products. They will say the only thing that Israel tithed on were the agricultural products. I want you to notice that Abraham tithed on the spoils of war.

They were not limited to the increase from agricultural production. They were the spoils of war. You tithe from that, we can learn a lesson that you tithe from a person's increase from whatever source it might come from. Now, in the New Testament we learn that Abraham is the father of the faithful. Abraham is set as an example of one who will be in God's kingdom. So he set us an example. Now, go on over to chapter 28. Notice the example here of Jacob in chapter 28 and verse 20.

We'll analyze this, because this is a scripture that's quite often made to say something that doesn't say. In verse 20, He was not just talking about agricultural produce here, but I want you to notice how did he know that he should give one-tenth to God? Some critics will argue that he only tithed because God would bless him and protect him. The reasoning goes, well, if God didn't protect him, as he said here, or bless him, then Abraham, or Jacob, excuse me, would not have tithed. But the critical point that's overlooked is he knew what tithing was. He understood that tithing was 10%. He understood that one-tenth should go to God, whether he vowed it or didn't vow it. Not one-fifth, not one-fourth, not one-sixteenth, not one-twentieth, one-tenth belonged to God. He said, I will give a tithe, or a tenth, to God. And he did. Now, hundreds of years later, the descendants of Jacob went down to Egypt, grew into a great nation of people, and God established what we call the Old Covenant with them, the Sinaitic Covenant. The pre-existing laws of tithing, because they existed prior to Mount Sinai, were included as part of that covenant between God and Israel. Now, when God established Israel, the twelve tribes as his nation, he did not change the method of support for doing his work and his servants. We now find that God still commended tithing, and that a tithe, or a first tithe, be given to the Levites. The principle of tithing did not change, but the recipient can change before it was given to Melchizedek. Now, why not to Levi at that time? Everybody here can answer that. There was no Levi at that time, and been born yet. So how could Abraham have paid tithe to him? Now, you'll find that God chose the tribe of Levi to do the religious service, the service at the temple, tabernacle, and ancient Israel, and no longer just Melchizedek. And since God was dealing with a whole nation, millions of people, he had Moses and his servants after that to write down in detail about tithing. Otherwise, people would get mixed up. Again, God could have thundered from Mount Sinai, thou shall tithe. And people would say, okay, I remember God saying the tithe. Others would say, did he say tithe, or did he say 8% or 5%? And then you'd get into these big arguments. How many of you have ever heard of the tithe?

Now, many of you may not know what tithing is. Many people who've never heard the word tithe pronounced look at it. Now, I've visited new people before, and they will ask, what is this the Bible talks about tithing? And I remember the first time I heard that, I scratched my head and said, well, can you show me in the Bible where it talks about tithing? And then they took me back to tithing, and then it registered. So every time I hear the word tithing, I have to think of tithing. And let's go over to Leviticus 27, and we'll see some of the oral or excuse me, some of the written instructions. Leviticus chapter 27 will begin in verse 30. And all the tithe of the land, whether the seed of the land that's agriculture produced or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord, it is holy to the Lord. Now, I want you to notice it's holy to God. That means it's been set apart and dedicated to God. Now, if a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add one-fifth to it. Now, why would a person want to redeem his tithe? Well, if you were a farmer and you had a great crop, maybe it's a corn crop, and the crop was abundant, and you decided, well, I want to keep all of that and use the seed and plant again next year. Well, you could pay the amount that it was worth and add a fifth to it, and you could redeem it, and you could keep it. Now, concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, or whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. Now, apparently, the way they tithed the flock was this. They'd take all the new calves, except the firstlings. The firstborn, the firstlings, were second tithed. But, otherwise, they would take all the new calves, maybe there were 20 calves, put them in a pen, put the mamas outside, and the idea was, you know, if the calves began to ball, or the calves began to ball for their mother, they would make a shoot and have them run through the shoot only one at a time to get through. And every tenth one was marked. That was the tithe. And it didn't matter if it was the biggest, healthiest, the nicest, or a scrawny one. Whichever one came through was the tithe. Now, you find that they could not redeem the herd. It goes on to say, He shall not inquire whether it's good or bad, because the tendency would be, well, boy, this is a good one. I'll keep it, have it as a bull, and I'll use it for breeding purposes. No, you couldn't choose which one you were going to give to God. It had to come through randomly, and you'd mark it. Nor shall He exchange it, for if He exchanges it, then both it and one exchanged for it shall be holy, shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. So while they were still at Sinai, He commanded this.

Now, I want you to notice something here. The entire tithe belonged to God. As verse 30 says, it was holy to God. It was not to be used or consumed by the tithe-payer. The person paying the tithe could not consume it or use it. Now, why is that important? I know of many people today who do not, quote-unquote, tithe to an organized church. They save their tithe, and they decide how they're going to spend it. They might give it to a charity work. They might give it to the poor. I've heard of people saying, well, somebody's house burned down over here. I'm going to give them my tithe. And they decide how they're going to use that tithe. That is not how you find God told them to do it.

What we discover is that under the Old Covenant, God gave the tithe to Levi. It was God's, but He gave it to the priests and to the Levites in order for them to do the work of the tabernacle. Numbers 18. Numbers 18, verse 21. Verse 21, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance. So this was their inheritance, as an inheritance in return for the work which they performed, and the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

Hereafter, the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting. Let's say bear sin and die. You remember before the Levitical priesthood was established, people would establish or make an altar, and they'd offer a sacrifice. Abraham did, Isaac did, Jacob did. But now only the Levites could approach to the altar. And the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity.

There shall be a statue forever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. So when the land was divided up, the tribe of Levi did not receive an inheritance. Why? Verse 24. For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up, as a heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance.

So that was their inheritance. They were not given any land inheritance. In verse 25, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them, When you take from the children of Israel the tithe, which I have given you, from them as your inheritance, and you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe. So the Levites paid a tenth of their tithe, what we would call a tithe, of the tithe to the priests.

Verse 28. Thus shall you also offer up a heave offering to the Lord from all of your tithes, which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the Lord's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest. So this was then given to the priest. So what you find, tithing in the Old Testament provided for the religious instruction of the people, and also provided for the organized worship of God as a nation, for the nation of Israel.

Now, if you read the history of Israel, you know that they rarely were obedient to God. They were constantly backsliding, sinning, disobeying, rebelling against God. And this they did over a long period of time, and occasionally a religious leader or a king would rise up, institute reforms, and bring the people back to God's way.

Let's notice one such reform back in 2 Chronicles 29 this time. This is Hezekiah. Hezekiah led a reform. 2 Chronicles 29, beginning in verse 1. Hezekiah became king when he was 25 years old, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. Verse 2, he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

Chapter 31. You'll notice the heading here, Chapter 31, the reforms of Hezekiah. So Hezekiah brought the people back to obeying God. In Chapter 31, verse 20, summary statement, thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, as he did, what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. Now, in verse 11 of this chapter, 2 Chronicles 31, Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them.

And they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things. So Hezekiah re-instituted tithing in Judah at this time. Now, in Chapter 30, as a result of this, you find they also returned to observing the Holy Days. And verse 22, Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord. You see, prior to this, the Levites were out earning a living, didn't have time to do the service of the tabernacle. He re-instituted that, and now they were able to teach the people about the knowledge of God. So we find, again, another purpose of the tithe.

We're all familiar with the fact that the house of Israel and the house of Judah eventually went into captivity. Both went into captivity for their rebellion and their sins against God. The house of Judah, seventy years later, God permitted a repentant remnant to come back to Palestine.

And they were all fervent to obey God, to re-establish the temple worship. But after a period of time, they grew lax, and they grew selfish, and they grew rebellious again. Back in the book of Nehemiah, you find that once more Nehemiah re-instituted a reform among the Jews. Those of the house of Judah who had come back. Chapter 13 of the book of Nehemiah. Verse 9. Nehemiah 13, verse 9. You find, then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms, and they brought back into them the articles of the house of God, and the great offering in the frankincense.

And I also realized that the portion of the Levites had not been given them. So what was due to the Levites, the tithes had not been given to them. And so he was going to correct this. So I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place. And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, of the new wine and the oil to the storehouses.

And there they were able to give it to the Levites. And then Nehemiah, in his prayer to God, says, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds. So whenever there was a reform and people got back to worshipping God, you find that tithing was a part of that reform in the worship of God. Now, in the book of Malachi, Malachi chapter 3, we'll go there, God clearly states that not tithing breaks one of His commandments.

Malachi chapter 3, verse 8, the question is asked, Will a man rob God? Now, what is one of the Ten Commandments? Thou shall not rob, or otherwise known thou shall not seal. You're not to take something that belongs to somebody else. What belongs to God? Our tithes. So He says, Will a man rob God? Yet you've robbed me, but you say, In what way have we robbed you? And God says, In tithes and offerings. For you're cursed with a curse, and you have robbed me even this whole nation.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove me. And God says here, You see, if I won't open up the windows of heaven, and bless you.

So there is a penalty for not tithing. The Bible says there's a curse. Now, did the law of tithing continue under the terms of the New Covenant?

We have the establishment of the New Covenant with the New Testament Church. Is tithing something that continues? In Matthew chapter 5, let's notice an interesting warning that Jesus Christ gave.

Jesus Christ warned us. When He gives us a warning, the antenna better go up, and we better be alert. In Matthew 5 verse 17, notice the warning.

Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law, till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ warns against assuming that God's laws were abrogated by His coming to this earth, that they were going to be done away. Now, what did Jesus Christ specifically teach about typing? Matthew 23, 23. Matthew 23 verse 23.

We're all aware that Christ constantly was on the religious leaders of His day for their hypocrisy, their self-righteousness, their wrong example in all. And in verse 23, He corrects them again. It says, Woe to you, scribes, and you Pharisees, you hypocrites!

For you pay tithes of men, anis, and common, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith.

These ought, He says, these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

So any way you want to interpret what that means, it means that you should be tithing. He didn't correct them for tithing, He corrected them for overlooking the weightier matters of the law. And He said, you know, these are things that you ought to do. Now, was Jesus Christ's teachings superseded by Paul, or by any other New Testament author? Well, you'll find that there are many who think that Paul came along, and he did away with tithing. Well, let's notice something. Jesus Christ came to start His church, and He stated that He would be with that church from the end of the ages, until the time that He set up His kingdom on this earth. In Galatians 6, 16, I won't turn there, but you can read it, Galatians chapter 6 and verse 16, the New Testament church is referred to as the Israel of God.

Today, we are the spiritual Israel of God. It doesn't matter what your nationality is, whether you're Russian, German, Italian, Swahili, Indian, you know, it doesn't matter your nationality. We become spiritual Israelites, descendants of Abraham, Galatians 3, 29.

Now, the reason why that's, I think, important is that the need for tithing that God addressed with ancient Israel, all of those needs still remain today, are still with us today. And they still have to be fulfilled today, just like they were in the Old Testament, by the New Testament church. Now, what do I mean? The same needs. One, God's way of life must be taught to the whole world. So how's that going to be accomplished? Well, it takes money to do that. It takes money to print booklets, articles, to a broadcast, to do a work. Number two, the membership must still be nurtured and cared for. There is a coming together for God's people to be able to worship together. Thirdly, members are to continue to assemble together on the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days. You know, God commands us to do that. And fourthly, the poor and the widows should not be neglected. We have an obligation to look after the poor and the needy.

Now, with that in mind, in Hebrews 9, verse 8, Hebrews 9, verse 8, we do find that something changed. Something became obsolete. Hebrews 9, verse 8. First part of this, he describes... well, let me read verse 1. Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service in the earthly sanctuary. And he describes in the next few verses the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, and the Holy Place, and all of the instruments, and everything involved with that. Verse 8, the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holy of Holies was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to conscience. So, offering up an animal's sacrifice, doing washing, this type of thing, does not forgive the sins in the mind, doesn't make one perfect. Notice, these were only concerned with foods and drinks and various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed under the time of Reformation.

Now, what we find here is that the temple-based physical liturgy, while we're talking about the way of going about approaching God in the Old Testament through the temple, first the tabernacle, then the temple, has now been rendered obsolete. But that does not mean that the remainder of God's law, like the Ten Commandments, and including tithing, have been done away. The fleshly ordinances of the sciatic covenant, which were identified with the temple, that included things like animal sacrifices, washings, food and drink offerings, or obsolete. Why? There is no more temple. There's no more tabernacle. Those were destroyed. There is no more Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priesthood has been superseded by the New Testament priesthood. So all of those physical things that they did, like killing animals and offering up sacrifices, washings, and all of the physical things, the fleshly ordinances, no longer are required. What you find today is that we are the tabernacle. We are the temple. We are to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. The removal of the fleshly ordinances was imposed in the time of Reformation. Reformation in what? And how we worship God. Always remember John 4, 24. Christ said, The time is coming in which those who worship God will worship Him in spirit and in truth. So you and I have the Spirit of God to aid us, to assist us in worshiping God. So it did not abrogate the Ten Commandments, and it did not abrogate the law of tithing. It did, there was something that happened. It did, however, necessitate a change in who was supposed to receive the tithes. Who got the tithes? Well, it's no longer the Levites, but the New Testament ministry. Remember, as I showed you to begin with, that the law, the method, has remained constant. But to whom it's paid can change. When we first discovered tithing the Old Testament, to whom was it paid? Melchizedek. Then, secondly, it was paid to the Levites. Now it has reverted to the priesthood of Melchizedek, which will be the ministers of Jesus Christ. Back up to chapter 7 of the book of Hebrews. It explains all of this very clearly.

Because Hebrews 7 shows that the priesthood has been changed. Beginning in chapter 7, verse 1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth, part of all. First being translated king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace. He was without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, and remains a priest continually.

Now what we find, this is talking about the one who became Jesus Christ in his pre-existence as Christ's state. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed, those who are of the sons of Levi who received the priesthood, have a commandment to receive the tithes. Now we read that back in the book of Numbers. Even though the tithe was God's, it was given to the Levites, from the people according to the law. So the law clearly stated that. That it, or to...according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they had come out of the loins of Abraham. But he whose genealogy is not derived from them, received tithes from Abraham. So Melchizedek's genealogy is not counted from Abraham, is it? It's not counted from the Levites. So verse 6 says, He whose genealogy is not derived from them, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he received them of whom it is witness that he lives. Even Levi who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Now, verse 11, the nitty-gritty of what we want to look at. Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood... So notice, we're talking about how is a person perfected spiritually? Well, it wasn't through the Levitical priesthood and offering up sacrifices, because that could not forgive your sins. That's Christ's sacrifice to them. Now it says, we're under it, the people received the law. What further need was there that another priest should arise according to the order of Melchizedek, not be called according to the order of Aaron?

So now, in the New Testament, there's a new priesthood. It is not the ironic priesthood. Aaron and his sons, but it's a different priesthood. For the priesthood being changed. So notice, now there is a change in the priesthood. The tithes are no longer to be paid to the Levites. There's been a change. Of necessity, there's also a change of the law. What change? Well, of the law that says that it's got to be paid to the Levites. See, I can go back and read to you in the Old Testament, as I did earlier, in Numbers, where it says the Levites are to get it. So, if we follow that, you and I would have to go find a Levite somewhere and give them the tithes. But there has been a change in the law. Which law? The law concerning tithing, into whom the tithes are paid. Not that the Ten Commandments have been done away, and all we have to do is, somehow, spiritually, keep them in our hearts and our minds. And don't have to keep them in the letter. That's not what this is talking about. In order for somebody to come up with that, they've got to read a whole lot that's not in here. Context says the priesthood being changed. Of necessity, there's also a change of the law. Why? For he of whom these things are spoken, that's Christ, belongs to another tribe. Christ was of the tribe of Judah. Not of the tribe of Levi. Christ could not be a high priest, according to what the Old Testament says. But, with the change, he could be. He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah.

He was a Jew. Of which tribe? Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. And it is yet far more evident, if in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arise another priest, who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For he testified, You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. For on the one hand, there's an annulling of the former commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitiveness, for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope.

So, brethren, what you find, the law of who can now be a priest, and who would thereafter receive the tithes, had to be altered and had to be changed. Now, the work of God today is done by the ministry of the church, overall. The Melchizedek order of Jesus Christ has replaced the Levitical order of the priesthood in the administration under the new covenant.

The Levites lived off of the tithe from the people. They carried out the work of the ministry in the Old Testament, actually in three basic ways. And you find those three basic ways are duplicated today. In temple service and worship, the temple service today are you. We're the temple of God. And God's ministers serve the temple. Secondly, in teaching the law of God, you find the Levites and the priests were the ones who had the responsibility of expounding and clarifying and teaching the law. And thirdly, they were judges in Israel. And you'll find that in all of these responsibilities, the ministry does the same today.

Now, in 1 Corinthians 9, 1 Corinthians 9, you find that the same principle that applied in the Old Testament where the Levites lived off the tithes, that same principle applies in the New Testament. Same principle, but to whom it's given differs. In verse 4, chapter 9, 1 Corinthians 9, verse 4, My defense to those who examine me is this. Do we not have the right or the power to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? So they were married, Paul says, you know, you know, Camp Barnabas and I, and you have a wife also.

Or is it only Barnabas and I? We have no right to refrain from working. Now, they worked with their hands. Now, he said, are we the only ones who have no right to refrain from working? He doesn't mean from preaching or that type of thing. He means from tent making, working with his hands. Whoever goes to war at his own expense, who plants a vineyard, does not eat it, the fruit?

Or who tends a flock and does not drink the milk of the flock? All of the answers are very self-evident in what he's saying. Do I say these things as a mere man, or does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.

So as the ox was going around, it would eat the grain, some of the grain that fell on the ground. We're the ox today, and so we eat of the grain.

You know, that is out there. Or does he say it altogether? For our sakes, for our sakes, no doubt. This is written that he who plows should plow in hope, who who threshes in hope should be partakers of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing that we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless, we've not used that right, but endured all things, lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.

You see, why Paul and Barnabas did, because many accused them of being in it for the money, is they allowed the local ministers to keep the tithes, wherever they went. And they didn't partake of it in many cases, so that no one could accuse them.

Well, the only reason Paul's going around from one church area to the other, he's trying to get rich. He's trying to get all the money, all the tithes. Now, Paul actually worked with his own hands and went without, in many cases, so that he would take all accusations away from him. Now, he clearly says, we have the right, we didn't exercise the right. We let others exercise this right. Verse 13, do you not know that those who minister the holy things, talking about the priests in the Old Testament, eat of the things of the tabernacle?

Some of the offerings they would eat of, and those who serve at the altar, partake of the offerings of the altar, even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. That's very clear. Those who preach it should live from it.

So God has not changed his way of doing things. Do you realize that there is no doctrinal discussion ever in the New Testament about changing the law of tithing to a method of voluntary giving? Those who don't want to tithe will say, well, all the Bible in the New Testament talks about is just simply giving. And yet, you don't find anywhere in the New Testament where it discusses that tithing no longer should be done only giving.

But what you find is that Christ said and gave a warning, beware, don't listen to anyone who comes along and says, I've come to do away with the law. Part of that way. You find that Christ condemned the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the rulers of his day, because they omitted the weightier things of the law. And yet, you find, he said, you know, they ought to do these things, not leave the other undone. As I said, even the way you want to interpret that, it still says that you should tithe.

He did not in any way condemn them for tithing. And then you find in the book of Hebrews, it clearly shows that there has been a change. And the change has to do with the law being changed so that another priesthood could receive the tithes instead of the Levites. And I tried to read through most of chapter 7 so that we could clearly see that the change had to do with the priesthood and to which priesthood that would be paid. Jesus Christ, again, is after the order of Melchizedek. And the tithes are paid to God, again, but you find that God gives it to whom He wills. And God has given it to His church today to be able to carry out the work of God.

Now, brethren, we have not touched on second tithe. We've not touched on third tithe. We've not touched on free will offerings. That's for another sermon. And we need to cover those because those particular subjects today you find, I think, are misunderstood by many within the greater Church of God community. And we need to be very clear about what God teaches. So let's simply remember that God still commands us today to tithe.