S) "30 Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. 32 For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. 33 He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed."
Leviticus 27:30-33 (NASB)
O) Tithing is the principle of giving a tenth of every part received, back to the LORD. Throughout Scripture, God made it clear that He does not need our tithes and offerings. Tithing is more about the people, than it is about God Himself. First and foremost, it is about the giver having the correct heart, then it is also about the receiver being blessed and accommodated. Priests did not have traditional trades, so the tithes were their only livelihood. But, over and over, God addresses the person who is giving the tithe, because it is an act of worship that should be affecting the heart of the giver. That is why here, we see that God put an emphasis on the concerns of the giver, commanding them not to worry whether the tenth sheep, or bundle, or whatever, was a good selection to God. As soon as the person commits it to God in his heart, it belongs to God. It can't be taken back. In fact, God specifies that if the person attempted to exchange their tithe, if they attempted to take it back even if they were replacing it with something better, that it fails at the core, and both become God's.
A) Tithing is not explicitly commanded in the New Testament. Jesus does command to give to God what belongs to God (and to Caesar what is Caesar's), but that was regarding temple taxes, which I do not pay. However, tithing also predates the Law of Moses, as Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. What the above passage is really highlighting, is that everything we commit to God immediately belongs to Him. When we give, it should be joyfully and with our complete conviction. God does not want people who's hearts are only half way in it. The principle of tithing has certainly changed my view on money. When my wife and I made the commitment to start tithing years ago, everything about our hearts changed, relative to money. I don't bring home cash everyday from work, and I certainly don't produce any livestock or harvest, but the commitment to give to God, regardless of any other circumstances, ensures that money is not becoming an idol in my heart. By choosing to give to God first, before paying any bills on payday, we are declaring that He is our Provider, He is sufficient, and we will look to no one else, and nothing else, to relieve our stresses and give us hope.
P) Father, I was convicted as I read this passage today. I never want to find myself in a place to second-guess the commitment we have made to tithing. I can acknowledge that there were not explicit commands to tithe in the New Testament, and I also know that there is no secret, magic formula that makes tithing a silver bullet to my financial woes. However, I know that tithing keeps me humble. I know that pride messes up everything in my life. So, thank You for the convictions of Your words, Lord. Thank You for reminding me to commit to You with complete conviction. I will hold to the commitment I have made, to make a declarative statement about money, that it is and always will be, a tool to be used and not a god to be served. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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