Deuteronomy 14:22 – 29 “You must be sure to set aside a tenth of all the produce brought forth each year from your fields. And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
But if the distance is too great for you to carry that with which the LORD your God has blessed you, because the place where the LORD your God will choose to put His Name is too far away, then exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household. And do not neglect the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of all your produce for that year and lay it up within your gates. Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands.”
There are two different forms of tithe mentioned here. The first tithe is the ten per cent of all produce that is to be set aside and then taken to the central place of worship and eaten “in the presence of the Lord.” God even allows for those living at a great distance to sell that ten per cent, converting it to money, and then carrying the money to the place of worship where they may buy provisions for the feasts.
God actually is commanding His people to feast and celebrate! And in other parts of Scripture, God lays out the pattern of feasts that are to be celebrated. But God wants to make sure that the Levites who are serving Him in the temple are not left out and forgotten. Remember that the Levites do not have a large inheritance of land because of their special calling to serve the Lord in the temple.
The second tithe is to be offered every three years. Ten per cent of that year’s produce is to be kept for the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that nobody will starve. God promises His people that if they will be faithful to obey, He will bless them abundantly.
APPLICATION: “Don’t let any resource stick to your fingers!” If we have one piece of advice on practical holiness, that statement would certainly qualify. There is always a tendency to become anxious and afraid. What if our sources of supply fail? What if we lose our jobs? What if we fall sick and cannot work? What if we are injured? The list of horrible possibilities is endless.
Either you’re going to trust God or you won’t trust Him. When my husband Bob was a brand new Christian, he was struggling with paying his bills. Car payments, things for children, rent – all these bills were mounting up. Finally, one Sunday Bob heard a sermon on tithing, giving ten per cent of his income to God. Bob shrugged his shoulders; what could it hurt? From that day forward, things began to happen. Even though Bob’s salary didn’t get any bigger, his money went further and covered his needs.
$2.37! That’s what I had left in my checking account the night God asked me to empty it. I was a single surgical resident when God called me to become a pediatric surgeon. Traveling to all those interviews consumed a great deal of money. That Wednesday night I was in church when I felt God asking me to write a check that would drain my bank account completely. While I deliberated, God asked me,”How much good will $2.37 do?” Chuckling to myself, I wrote out a check and dropped it in the collection plate. I lived across the street from the hospital where I worked, and I got many of my meals from the hospital while I was on call. But I was unprepared for what God did next.
Suddenly, neighbors began leaving vegetables on my doorstep. Two different couples invited me to share meals with them. And someone else donated food left over from a potluck. For the rest of that month, God took care of all my needs without a single penny entering my checking account. After that, I never lacked again. I had learned a valuable lesson: when God asks you to give, do it!
During our years as missionaries, we have had large sums of money that have passed through our hands to others. We can testify that as long as we are faithful to keep passing that money on, God will keep providing for us and helping us bless more people.
Why not try tithing? Give God ten per cent of your income and see what He can do with it. You will be blessed beyond all measure.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to trust You, knowing that You will give back far more than we ever gave in the first place. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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