The tithe is one of the most important things we can do to grow and steward our wealth. Yet most people unaccustomed to this practice or new to faith are horrified by the idea. They feel that they don’t have enough to be giving much away; or that if they did, there would be nothing left to invest. Some just think that their Pastor/Preacher/Priest is just trying to get money out of them.
This is just worldly thinking that shows no understanding of the ways of God.
As Paul said, “For God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…” (1 Cor 1:27-29) It may not seem logical, but tithing and offering is essential if you as a Believer want to amass wealth. We’ll show you how and why in the next few posts, in part, by looking at some history as a guide.
We’ll look at:
- Cain & Abel
- Abraham – Melchizedek
- Mosaic Law
- Malachi’s promise to us
- The tithe that God paid to us
This principle shows up early and leads to the first murder. This early on it was not yet called a tithe (which means tenth in Hebrew). The brothers simply brought some of the fruits of the soil and firstborn of the flock. Cain did not give as sacrificially to the Lord as Abel did.
Because Abel gave of his best, the Lord looked at him with favor and we can see that he would have received great blessings in the future. It does not say that God was going to curse Cain from bringing a lesser offering, but he didn’t receive the favor that God showed Abel. If we want to steward great wealth for the Lord, we must seek out the Lord’s favor and blessing on our work. Tithes and offerings are a simply way to ensure this as we’ll see.
The first recorded tithe in the Bible is when Abram (Abraham) conquered the northern kings and rescued Lot gaining possession of great wealth. He gave a tenth of everything to the King of Salem (later Jerusalem) and Priest of God, Melchizedek. This is important because Abraham is the Father of Faith through whom we were first given the promise. (Gal 3:18 & Rom 4:9-16) And Jesus was the first Priest in the Order of Melchizedek through whom we receive the promise and in whose priesthood we are called to enter. And at the center of this exchange was a tithe to God. Do you think that could be important? This is how Abraham proved his faithfulness to God!
We’ll discuss some more detailed examples starting tomorrow. So come back, and share this post with someone who should join us.