Deuteronomy 14:22-29 Tithing Principles
“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.
The Israelites are to bring their tithes to the temple and celebrate the feasts there. But God realizes such journeys might be difficult, so He allows His people to sell their tithes and carry the money to Jerusalem where they can celebrate the feast by purchasing anything they need.
28-29 “At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” Every third year, the tithe of the produce for that year will be stored up to care for Levites, for strangers and widows and orphans. God wants His people to understand that He is not simply giving them produce for them to enjoy themselves but so that they can care for the vulnerable.
Why is the verse about not boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk included in this section? God is compassionate. Boiling a kid in its mother’s milk is perverted and evil. Once more, God wants His people to care for the vulnerable, even in something as seemingly insignificant as this.
Why should we tithe today? God blesses the generous. The New Living Translation tells us in Luke 6:38 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” When we care for those God sends to us, He blesses us so that we can help more people.
Since 1987 my husband and I have spent most of our time on the mission field, depending largely on charitable donations for our support. Currently, we are helping indigent students and supporting poor patients with medicine, blood, and even money for food. There have been times when we have wondered if the money would be there, but somehow God has always supplied. Years ago, when financial transfers were very difficult, we reached Accra to find that all four tires on the hospital Land Cruiser needed replacing. Blessedly, two months earlier, someone had donated sufficient funds for this need and somehow we were able to get our mission to wire the money to us. We can testify that God has always supplied our needs.
May God help us so that we will honor Him with our finances and our produce!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You and be generous even when we are fearful. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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