Are you reading the Bible through with me? Grab your pen and journal, and get ready to write your thoughts as you journey through the Bible.
Today, read Deuteronomy 25-28. This is a continuation of the laws God gave to Moses. A portion of these chapters relate to the tithe.
Tithe is translated as “tenth”. Officially, it is giving back 10% of what God has given you. This is required and due. The tithe is not something we just give. It is something we give back. It belongs to the Lord.
If I let you borrow my lawnmower, and you bring it back to me and say, “I’m giving you this lawnmower as a gift”, that would sound ridiculous. You are simply returning what I allowed you to borrow. It is the same way with God. That is the principle of the tithe.
Tithing is an act of worship that reminds us that God is the source for all that we are and have. It is a principle that continues to pop up throughout the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
But remember, tithing is simply giving back to God what belongs to God as an act of worship. We have not really started giving generously until we exceed the tithe. With all of the blessings we have in this life, we certainly owe Him more than just 10%.
Malachi 3:8-10 says, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord of Hosts. See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.”
Read these verses for a better understanding of God’s requirements and blessings. Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 12:6; Deuteronomy 14:22; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Proverbs 3:9-10.
In your journal, make two columns. In column one, write all the ways that you are a generous giver to God, the church and needy people. In the second column, write all the ways that God has blessed you. Do you measure up to what Adonai requires of you?
PRAY: Jehovah Jireh – Lord our Provider: Requiring 10% of all that You have given seems like such a small amount. Remind me often that all that I have has come from your supply. Remind me often that this tithe is simply giving back what belongs to You as an act of worship. Then, help me to become a generous giver who absolutely trusts You.
