And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household, and the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: and the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. | ||
| Deuteronomy 14:26–29 | ||
| When the children of Israel brought their tithe, it was to be with rejoicing. “For God loveth a cheerful giver,” Paul would write to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Greek word translated “cheerful” is hilaros - from which we get the word “hilarious.” God loves a person who gives hilariously, cheerfully, or gladly. Therefore, I think it’s a mistake to feel obligated to give. It’s a privilege to be able to say, “Lord, I’m honoring You in the way You’ve asked me.” If it’s not a privilege for you, don’t do it. You’ll find, however, that things don’t work for you in your budgeting and your own financial situation. Over and over I’ve watched people miss out on blessings all because of a failure to understand that they couldn’t possibly out-give God. Every third year, a second tithe was taken to take care of people who were poor - the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger. And that money was to be used for their well-being and welfare. If you add together the tithes of Deuteronomy 14, Deuteronomy 16, and Numbers 18, they come to an average of 23 percent annually. While it may be that even in our godless society we are contributing a portion of this through taxes, this we do know for certain: God’s ways are right. His heart is for us. Therefore, when He asks us to give to Him, it’s not only for His glory, but also for our good. Pastor Jon Courson . | ||
