The Holy Tithe

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Scripture

‘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.
(Leviticus 27:30 NASB)
‘For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.
(Leviticus 27:32 NASB)

Observation

The concept of tithing is brought to us directly from God. Here we find the law given to Moses regarding the tithe. The people of Israel were never to consider that everything they owned was theirs, but rather, that one tenth of it all belonged to God. It wasn't a gift back to God, but rather, it was his. It was a tenth of everything, including all their property, and everything that it produced. One tenth of everything was considered holy to the Lord, and it was to be his!

Application

We live in a day and age where the attitude toward tithing has changed and seems to continue to change. There is no perception that it is something that already belongs to God, but rather, that it is something that I, out of my generosity, decide, when convenient, to give to God. How is it that we have gotten this so very wrong? As God's holy people, we are to understand that one tenth of all we have is holy to God. It is already his.

Sadly, we take God's holy tenth and what are we doing with it? We don't even manage it properly because for many, the reason they don't tithe is because they say they can't afford to. It means that we are using God's percentage to fund the things that we want to do. Instead of showing self-discipline in all areas of our lives, including our spending habits, we choose to spend God's holy tenth as well. What types of life-style choices do we make. I think of the line at Starbuck's every morning. If you haven't noticed, drinking coffee is pretty expensive. Really, there's nothing wrong with enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the morning, but is it being enjoyed at God's expense? God had a plan that if all of his children would have followed, they would have changed the world. However, God's children have been unfaithful, spending his holy portion on their own needs and desires.

Why is it that most people who say that when they start tithing the rest of their finances seem to fall into place? Is it because suddenly God begins to pour out money on them? Hardly, but rather, I believe there is a spiritual and self-discipline which changes the heart of the person and by way of a generous heart, the manner in which money is spent changes. God really does know what is best for us, both singularly and collectively. The holy tithe belongs to God and our relationship with money really does affect our relationship with him. Allow God's holy tenth to touch and change the world.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to have an attitude and spirit of generosity which comes from knowing you and your heart. Amen.

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