Lesson 27

 

Be ZEALOUS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - Part K

Righteousness in our Personal Life - 8
Honoring God with our Tithes & Offerings - II
 

                                                                                            

 


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KEY SCRIPTURES:

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house."
                                                                                         (Malachi 3:8-10)

A. Righteousness in our personal life (Lesson 20)

B. Area of personal righteousness (Lesson 20)

7. Honoring God with your tithes & offerings (Lesson 26)

(a) What is the tithe?

(b) To whom does the tithe belongs?

(c) What is the tithe to be used for?

(i) Support for the Levites and their families
(ii) To help the needy who need food, including the aliens, fatherless and widows.
(iii) To be used for celebration in the house of the LORD.

(d) Is the giving of tithes to be practiced by believers today?

Many Christians wrongly declare that tithing was practiced only by the Israelites under the Law of Moses.
They declare that believers of Jesus are now under the New Covenant, and are no longer bound by the Law of Moses.
Therefore, they declare that Christians do not have to pay tithes today.

Such a reasoning is wrong for various reasons.
These are as follows:

Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses, not abolish it.

Ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ and their rituals were replaced by the Lord Himself as the reality behind these rituals; however, their moral components still remain binding for us today.

Moral laws under Law of Moses were not abolished, and tithing is a moral law.

Tithing was practiced by God's servant, even before the Law of Moses was giving

Tithing was mentioned by Jesus as being an obligation to the Jews.

Paul used the Levitical system of financial support as the basis for the support of workers of the Gospel.

The New Testament declares that Jesus still receives tithes today.
(i) Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses, not abolish it.

Jesus never abolish of the laws of God.
God's laws specify for us God's way of righteousness for our life for all time.
When Jesus was on earth, He fulfilled both the ceremonial laws and moral laws in the Law of Moses.

Morals laws are commands given by God which expressed God's will for man concerning a man's relationship with God and with other men.
These laws are applicable to all men on this earth for all times.
Ceremonial laws are moral laws that had rituals attached, i.e. these laws have a moral component and a ritual component.

Jesus fulfilled both these type of laws completely.
However, he abolished none of these laws, in spite of what many Christians say.
In fact, Jesus had to repeat the fact that HE DID NOT COME TO ABOLISH ANY LAWS OF GOD, neither ceremonial laws nor moral laws (Matthew 5:17-19).

Do not think that I have come to ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS; I have NOT COME TO ABOLISH THEM but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and dearth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of the pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.                            (Matthew 5:17-19)
(ii) Ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ and their rituals were replaced by the Lord Himself as the reality behind these rituals; however, their moral components still remain binding for us today

As indicated above, ceremonial laws are laws with two components: the ritual component and the moral component.
When the ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ, the ritual components were replaced by Christ as the reality behind these rituals.

The rituals of these ceremonial laws had all pointed to Christ.
Now that Christ Himself had come, the rituals were no longer necessary.
Nevertheless, the moral components behind these ceremonial laws are still binding on all believers, even for New Testament believers today.
Thus we see that the ceremonial laws were never abolished; only the rituals were fulfilled and done away with in Christ.

E.g. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to celebrate the Passover festival every year (Exodus 12:24-28, 43-49).
This was to remember the time when a lamb without blemish or spot was slain for every household, and its blood applied to the doorpost and lintels of the homes of the Israelites to protect them from the angel of death in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-30).
This was a ceremonial law.

However, when Jesus came to earth, He became the sinless sacrificial Passover Lamb of God, whose blood redeems us and keeps us safe from the evil one (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Therefore Christ Himself has fulfilled the requirements of the Passover celebration through His own sacrifice on the cross.

Thus under the New Covenant, we no longer turn to the sacrifice of lambs for our salvation.
Instead, we now turn to Jesus - the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Thus Jesus - the Lamb of God - is the substance and fulfillment behind every lamb that had been sacrificed under the Law of Moses, the lambs being only a shadow of Jesus, who was the reality.
In other words, the ceremonial laws were only a shadow of Jesus, who was the substance and reality (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1).

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or what regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a SHADOW of the things that were to come; the REALITY, however, is found in Christ.                                                              (Colossians 2:16-17)

The law is only a SHADOW of the good things that are coming - not the REALITIES themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
                                                                                     (Hebrews 10:1)

Thus, assuming that the paying of tithes is a ceremonial law, and assuming that its rituals were fulfilled in Christ, its moral component would STILL apply to us.
In that case, even in the New Covenant, we would still be morally obliged to pay tithes, except that the ritual involved, if any, would have be abrogated.
(iii) Moral laws under the Law of Moses were not done away with, and tithing is a moral law.

Unlike ceremonial laws, moral laws do not involve ceremonies or rituals.
The command to pay tithes is not a ceremonial law but a moral law.
There are no rituals attached to this command.

Moral laws include those found in the Ten Commandments, such as ,

"You shall have no other gods before the LORD God."
"Honor your father and mother."
"You shall not murder."
"You shall not commit adultery."
"You shall not steal."
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:1-17).

These laws are still valid for all men at all time, even for children of God under the New Covenant today.
Even though Jesus fulfilled all moral laws, he did not abolish any of these laws

And the law on tithing is a moral law, because it commands a man to give to God that which belongs to God, i.e.., ten percent of his income.
This is a command that is obligatory for all God's people, as long as we are working an earning an income on this earth, whether in the Old or New Testament.

Withholding our tithes is robbing God, a violation of the law of God which command us not to steal (Malachi 3:8-10; Exodus 20:15).
If the command not to steal is a moral law, then tithing, the reverse of stealing, is also a moral law.

"I the LORD do not change.
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings.
"You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me.
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house."                                            (Malachi 3:6, 8-10)

"You shall not steal."                                             (Malachi 20:15)
(iv) Tithing was practiced by God's servants, even before the Law of Moses was given.

Tithing was a rule of life that God's people practiced even before God gave His laws to Israel on Mount Sinai through Moses.
If the law on tithing was valid before the Law of Moses, it is equally valid for all men after the law of Moses, i.e., valid for us even today.
In the word of God, we see tithing practiced by both Abraham and his grandson, Jacob, many hundred of years before the Law of Moses was given.

Tithing was mentioned in Scripture as an act practiced by Abraham, the father of faith, some 500 years before the Law of Moses was given (Genesis 14:12-17).
Here, in Genesis, it was recorded that Abraham, after having won a great battle over his enemies, met a priest of God, called Melchizedek.
As an act of worship, Abraham presented to Melchizedek a tenth of everything he gained through his victory.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.
He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,
     "Blessed be Abram by God Most high,
          Creator of Heaven and earth.
     And blessed be God Most High,
          who delivered your enemies into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 
                                                                              (Genesis 14:18-20)

Please note first of all that Abraham has been called the father of faith in the New Testament.
He is also presented as an example of faith for us to follow (Romans 4:11-12).
In other words, we are to follow his example of faith in all areas of life, including the area of tithing.
In order to walk in the faith of Abraham, we must also handle our money in the same way that he did.

And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that the had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.
So then, he is the FATHER OF ALL WHO BELIEVE but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also WALK IN THE STEPS OF THE FAITH that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.                                                        (Romans 4:11-12)

Secondly, please note that Abraham paid his tithe to a person who was both a priest of God and a king.
This man's name was Melchizedek, which means "King of Righteousness."
This man was also the "king of Salem", which means "King of Peace," because Salem means "peace."

We thus see that this priest-king Melchizedek is a shadow of Jesus Christ.
In fact, the word of God later identifies Jesus as a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:1-22).

In other words, when Abraham was paying tithes to Melchizedek, he was paying tithes to one who was a type or shadow of Jesus Christ.
If Abraham did that in the Old Testament, how much more should we in the New Testament pay our tithes to Jesus Christ Himself, who has now come to fulfill priesthood represented by the person of Melchizedek.
For Melchizedek was only the shadow, while Jesus is the substance and reality.

Similarly, Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, also practiced tithing, long before the Law of Moses was given.
Jacob was at one point of his life running away from his brother, Esau, because Jacob had tricked Esau (Genesis 27:41-28:9).
He had left his home in Canaan without any possessions except his staff.

However, God appeared to him at Bethel and promised to bless him.
In response, Jacob vowed to pay tithes to God (Genesis 28:20-22).
In so doing, Jacob was declaring that God is indeed his God and his provider.
By giving God ten percent of his income, Jacob is telling God that it is God who will provide for all his wealth in the future.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God.
This stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.  
                                                                              (Genesis 28:20-22)
(v) Tithing was affirmed by Jesus as being an obligation to the Jews of His time

When our Lord was on this earth, he specifically mentioned that the people of God ought to tithe, although it was not as important as showing mercy to others.
Although He reprimanded the Jewish religious leaders for not showing mercy to their fellow Jews, he nevertheless did not condemn them for tithing (Matthew 23:23).
Neither did Jesus look down on tithing nor abolish it.
(How many Christians today wished that He did!!!)

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the later, WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE FORMER.                                                (Matthew 23:23)

In other words, Jesus is saying that love for our fellow men should be the motivating force behind all that we say and do.
Acts of love should be that deeds that we should always do first.
However, wee should also practice others acts of righteousness also, including tithing.

For children of God, it is not a matter of choosing between tithing and acts of love.
It is doing both that pleases God.
However, tithing to the very detail, without walking in mercy, is abhorrent to God.
God hates such a person.
(iv) Paul used the Levitical system of financial support as the pattern for the support for worker of the Gospel.

The law of tithing was used by God to supply the needs of the Levites under the Law of Moses.
The Levites were members of the tribe of Levi, and all Levites were commanded by God to serve Him full-time in the work of looking after the Tabernacle.
God also told the Levites that the tithes from the other eleven tribes in Israel belonged to them, as their wages. (Numbers 18:25-31).

Likewise, in the New Testament today, God has called out memory who spend all their time serving Him in looking after the people of God.
And our Lord has commanded that believers in the New Testament who preach the Gospel should receive their living from the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).
In other words, their support system should come from the tithes of the people in the church today, as was the pattern of the people of God under the Old Covenant.

In fact, Paul referred to the financial support system of the Levites in the Old Covenant as the pattern for the support for all those who preach the Gospel in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).
As this support system was based on tithing in the Old Covenant, so tithing should be the basis of the support system of church workers in the New Covenant.

Don't you know that those who work in the temple [i.e. the Levities] get their food from the temple, and those who sere at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the Gospel should receive their living from the Gospel. 
                                                                                           (1 Corinthians 9:13-14)
(vii) The New Testament declares that Jesus still receives tithes today

The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ, our risen Lord has become our High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek.
And the priesthood of Melchizedek is an eternal priesthood (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:17).
As our High Priest, He lives to intercede for us today (Hebrews 7:25).

As our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, Jesus also receives our tithes today, just as Melchizedek himself received tithes from Abraham (Hebrews 7:4-8).

For it is declared:
    "You (Jesus) are a priest forever,
     in the order of Melchizedek."                                              (Hebrews 7:17)

Just think how great he (Melchizedek) was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendents of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people - that is, their brothers - even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.
In one case, the tenth is collected by men who die [Levi and the priests]; but in the other case, by him [Melchizedek, a type of Jesus] who is declared to be living.                                                             (Hebrews 7:4-5,8)

Melchizedek was declared to live forever and not die, but live to collect tithes (Hebrews 7:3,8).
He was a shadow and type of Jesus.
And Jesus, the fulfillment of the figure of Melchizedek, therefore still collects tithes today.

Your thought

  1. What is the difference between a moral law and ceremonial law?

  2. Separate the rituals from the moral components in the ceremonial laws below.
    How the rituals have been fulfilled in Christ and are done away with in Christ.
    Show how the moral components remain binding for us today.

    1. The Passover celebration (Exodus 12:24-28, 43-49; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 12:11).

    2. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-25; Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 7:23-28; 9:11-14; 10:11-22).

  3. Is the law on tithing abolished for New Covenant believers?
    If not, why do you say so?

 

                                                                                             



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