His Story/our Story: THOU SHALL TITHE! (AN EXCERPT From God's Story) Part 2

THOU SHALL TITHE! (AN EXCERPT From God's Story) Part 2

0 Comments

In chapter 2 of this book under the “The Three dynamics ways of reading the Bible”. There is sub-heading title “Context”. It is very important to understand the context of the story you are reading before you jump into a conclusion. Precept must be upon precept, line upon line, a little here and a little there. If we do not understand that, we will have difficulties in articulating whatever God may be showing to us.

This bring us to the book of Malachi. The word Malachi means Message or My Messenger. This is the last message the Lord gave to the children of Israel before the 400 years of silence. Many issues were addressed and the future were foretold concerning the Messenger, John the Baptist and the coming of the Messiah.

Since we are talking about tithing, it is important that we read from chapter 1 of Malachi for context sake.

The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. (Mal 1:1)

The opening of the letter started with the “burden” of the word of the Lord to Israel. There are things I can put in paper for my kids as instruction or correction telling each one of them what they ought to do or how they ought to behave. What I say to Michael may not be applicable to Judah, yet they are both my sons.

Here we see God stating out who the word was meant for from the opening of the letter. Malachi or the message is for Israel not for the nation of the world or gentiles. First, they are the one that had covenant with God, they are the one that the law and the ceremonies were given to.

God began to narrow it down in chapter 2 of Malachi by saying

“And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you” (Mal 2:1)

The large portion of what is said in Malachi 2 and 3 are directed to the priest, the Levites. This commandment is for you, O you priests should be a starting point of asking what has happened over the course of their ministry and how the nation of Israel has been responding to the word of the Lord.

It is important to know this that as with the shepherd so it is with the sheep, as with the employee so it is with the employer. We cannot separate a nation from how or who her leader is. The priests were guilty so also the people.

The priest has set their hearts in not honoring the Lord.

If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.( Mal 2:2)

The curse did not start with the people rather with the priest. The Lord said they are even cursed already, why? Because, they had refused to give glory to His name.

It is very important to understanding the gravity of what God is saying here concerning “giving glory to His name”.

As much as prayers, worship and singing songs is part of the way by which God is honored, it is important to emphasis that the tithe the Lord commanded His people is also one of the ways to honour Him.

When a people begin to use what they ought to give to the strangers, the fatherless, the widows and the poor for their own selfish-interests. They are not honouring the Lord. They may offer prayers, sing songs and burn incenses to God, but as far as God is concerning, He is not honoured.

In the previous chapters, where we were dealing with the rich young ruler that came to Jesus and seeking a way to God’s kingdom. We saw that this man has been keeping the Law.

He was a law keeper, yet he failed in honouring the Lord with his wealth. Christ commanded him to do what the Law asked him to do to the poor, but he could not part way with his wealth. He could not allow the poor to become partaker of his wealth.

The same thing were being done in this book of Malachi. The priests were not doing what the Lord commanded them to be doing, the people were not supporting the priests. The poor, the widows, the fatherless and strangers were neglected, because they were all seeking their own and this brought about curse upon them.

Our gifts and offerings are ways of expressing to God that “we own nothing”, everything we have is as a result of God’s generosity not because we merit it. As we have said earlier, the main objective of tithing is to learn the fear and generosity of God. The law was put in place for that to be enforced but, the children of Israel could not keep up with the Law. The priests, the Levites and the people find it hard to obey.

Here is an interesting thing in this chapter 3 of Malachi. It is like the Lord was saying,

“O ye priest keep the law I have given you through Moses until the Messenger of Peace arrives. He is going to purge you, priests and Levites. He will refine you from inside out, difference from what the law has been doing for many years and by this, you will be able to offer unto the Lord worthy sacrifices and offerings. But, before that, keep the law and obey everything written there for your benefit "

What about Jesus’ statement about tithing? Did not Jesus say we should tithe when he was speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees?

"Woe to you, teachers (Sadducees) of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matt 23:23-24)

There are few things to understand from these verses. While the context of this chapter had to do with ways and manners of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The resultant effects of their evil deeds were what our Lord was pronouncing on them. The context of this chapter was not to establish tithes rather to show how this Pharisaical spirit exploits, oppresses, and brings people to bondage.

The tithing that Christ was referring to here has nothing to do with the commanded that was given to them through the hands of Moses. This shows how through the traditions of the elders the word of God has been made void and non-effect.

What brought the woes to the people that God was addressing in the book of Malachi, were also the same thing being repeated here. The weightier matters of the Law are: Judgment, Mercy and Faith.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were not practicing that, they were not defending the Poor, the Widows, the fatherless and the strangers, yet, they were giving tithe of what was never required of them. They were so concerned with their spices, looking saintly than attending to the needy, oppress and the strangers in the society.

When Christ was speaking to them about the tithe they were observing, he was not endorsing their tithe rather refuting their futility and wickedness to their faces.

If Christ was endorsing tithing, this would not be the best place to talk about it. After-all, nothing of the tithe was ever mentioned again after this chapter.

The Epistles say nothing of tithe except the book Hebrews that was comparing the Priesthood of Christ, which is higher and greater than that of Aaron that is fading away.

To use the verse either in Matthew 23:23 or in Luke 11:42 to preach tithing is nothing but a robbery both on God and humanity.

The verse 24 of that Matthew 23 is worth pondering on.

You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel

The gnat was the smallest of unclean animals, whereas the camel was also unclean and one of the largest of unclean animals to be precise. It’s like watering your house plants while your house is on fire. Which one is more important?

In wrapping up this chapter, we will like to end it with these verses in the book of Act of the Apostles...

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. (Acts 15:19-20)

These were the words of our early brothers to the Gentiles, nothing of tithe was mentioned to them not even circumcision. We commend the rest of that passage to you.

***In the latter Chapters, we addressed the Giving Of The Saints. Looking forward to share that with you***

Thanks for reading, hope you are blessed by this.. Watch-out for the book coming soon to the stores near you.

God's Story, Our Story.