Word of Salvation – September 2024
Money Matters (4) – Faithfulness
Sermon by Rev. Peter Smit B.D. – 4 of 5 on Stewardship
Readings: Leviticus 27:30-32; 1Tim.5:3-8;
Matthew 23:23; 1 Cor.9:13-14; Romans 13:1-7.
When it comes to your financial commitments, God calls you and I to be faithful.
God has wonderfully laid out our monetary priorities when it comes to faithfulness.
- Faithful in hard work. (2Thess 3:10-13; 1Thess 4:11-12)
- Faithful in Giving to immediate family and to be faithful in giving to the needy (1Tim 5:3-8)
- Faithful to the Lord’s church – providing for those who serve in full time gospel ministry (1Cor 9:14)
- Faithful to government – paying the taxes that you owe. (Rom 13:6-7)
In each of these areas, the key attitude is the same,
be faithful in meeting your God given financial responsibilities.
But how much should we give?
When it comes to our immediate families, and the government we can work out, how much is required, what bills and taxes need to be paid.
But how much should we give to the Lord our God?
Throughout church history, faithful believers have had differing views on how much God calls us to give for his kingdom work.
Some affirm that God requires us to give a tithe.
A tithe is literally giving “10% of our income” for God’s work.
Others believe that this is a requirement under the Old Testament covenant and is no longer in force in the New Testament.
So does the principle of tithing in the Old Testament still apply to Christians today?
I want to make a case that the principle of the tithe is still relevant as a starting point for giving. Let’s take a quick overview of tithing in the Bible.
1) Tithing in the Old Testament.
Tithing was practiced by the OT people of God before the giving of the Mosaic Law.
a) Abraham
After winning a battle, Abram gave 10% of the spoils of his victory to a King called Melchizedek, who was described as a “priest of God Most High” (Gen 14:18).
Melchizedek blessed Abram.
Genesis 14:19–20
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Abram responded with joy and thanksgiving to God and gave Melchizedek “a tenth of everything” Genesis 14:20.
Abram’s “tithe” was an act of gratitude and worship, acknowledging God as the Creator and owner of heaven and earth. Abram understood that everything belongs to God.
So Abram’s gift started with ten percent of what he had. Abram became the father of all believers and modelled a life of faith and trust. (Gal 3:6-9)
b) Jacob,
Abraham’s descendant, also gave one tenth of his income to God. Jacob received God’s promise (first given to Abraham) that all people on earth would be blessed through Jacob and his family tree. In response to God’s promise Jacob pledged to God that he would give a tenth of his income back to God. (Gen 28:20-22).
Genesis 28:20–22
20 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 21 so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God 22 and 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.”
In OT tithing wasn’t just a legalistic requirement of God’s law under Moses, it was practiced from the beginning as a joyful act of worship and celebration for God’s goodness, faithfulness and provision.
c) Moses
During the time of Moses, God designated the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, to be responsible for the tabernacle and later the temple. The Levites were solely dedicated to guard and protect the Tabernacle. This was their full-time work. They did not inherit or possess any land, so God instructed the other 11 tribes of Israel to set aside one tenth of the crops and produce as an offering to God for the work of the Levites.
Leviticus 27:30, 32
30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord… 32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord.
The tithe was to support the Levites in their full-time work in God’s tabernacle.
When the Levites received the tithe from God’s people, they also tithed what they received from God, in order to give to Aaron the Priest, to provide for him (Numbers 18:28).
From Abraham through to Moses, giving one tenth of your income as an offering to God, was the starting point of giving.
The Jewish historian, Josephus says, there were additional tithes to the standard tithe; the festival tithe and the charity tithe were also given. Taking this into account, scholars have estimated that the people of Israel gave on average 20% yearly.
They didn’t give God the leftovers. They were called to tithe their first fruits.
First fruits were first born animals, first ripened fruits, or the choicest of these things.
They gave the first and best for God’s kingdom work.
This was an expression of joy, thanksgiving and worship for Gods’ provision.
Over time God’s people neglected tithe. Dispensed with giving one tenth of their income back to God.
d) Malachi
God raised up a prophet called Malachi. Israel was facing tough times.
They were ruled by a foreign power, harvests were poor, locusts devoured crops.
God’s people were violating his commands regarding marriage, sacrifices, tithes and offerings.
Malachi told God’s people they were stealing from God.
Listen to what God said… through his prophet.
Malachi 3:9–10
9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
God was withholding his covenant blessings of rain, crops, food, provision, because his people neglected his commands including the command to give their tithes.
God mercifully said to them, “just test me”.
See if I don’t provide for you when you give your tithe.
I will open the flood gates and provide for you.
We shouldn’t think that God’s provision always comes as money.
The N.T. reminds us that today God supplies us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
This is far greater than money and earthly wealth.
But what we do see in OT is that the starting point of giving was a tithe.
God’s people gave with deep gratitude and thanksgiving.
It was given to support God’s Kingdom work.
So, did tithing stop in the NT?
2) Tithing in the New Testament.
a) Jesus
The clearest reference to tithing we have in the NT is from Jesus is in Matthew 23.
Matthew 23:23
23 “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 latter, without neglecting the former.
The legalistic Pharisees had tithed everything, including the herbs in their gardens.
Jesus confronted the Jews not for their tithing but for neglecting the more important matters of God’s law things like Justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Jesus said they needed to do both.
Practice justice, mercy and faithfulness and don’t neglect to tithe.
Jesus affirmed the principle of the tithe.
The rest of the New Testament is largely silent when it comes to “tithing”.
Those who believe God doesn’t call us to tithe often refer to 2Corinthians 9:7,
Where Paul teaches that each person should give what he has decided in his heart, not under compulsion.
When you look at the context of this passage – it is not addressing giving to support the local church ministry. Paul was taking up a special offering.
The church in Jerusalem were facing poverty in the middle of a famine.
Paul was taking up a special offering for them. All the gentile churches gave generously and sacrificially to bless the poverty-stricken brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.
This was a special offering for a special need.
What about you? What will be the starting point of your giving to God?
3) Tithing today.
Whether you’ve always tithed, or never tithed.
Reflect on God’s word, Ask God to guide your thinking,
And do the following three things…
a) Check your motive.
Give joyfully because Jesus gave himself for you.
Jesus didn’t give 10% of himself to save you.
He gave his entire life as a living sacrifice for you.
He gave his all to die and rise again so you could live eternally forgiven.
God calls you to give your entire life, as a living sacrificed of service to him.
This includes being faithful with your giving.
Don’t be motivated by duty but by joyful gratitude.
If OT believers joyfully gave a tithe as an expression of thanks and gratitude to God for his blessing,
How much more should we be willing to give in thanks to God
for his gracious provision for us through Jesus Christ.
b) Remember the tithe principle.
If God’s people in the Old Testament practiced giving one tenth of their wealth to God,
if Jesus affirmed this principle in the New Testament,
then shouldn’t it be a good starting point for your giving?
I know my own heart… If I am left to decide what I will give to God’s work, I could become stingy and give much less than a tithe. The fact that many believers in churches today only give 3% of their income, shows I’m not alone.
c) Be faithful and generous.
Being faithful means being consistent.
God called his people Israel to give the first fruits – their offering to God came first.
This is a great illustration of faithfulness.
So plan and budget for giving to God’s work as a first priority.
If you love Jesus Christ, you have every reason to be generous in your giving.
We’ll look at generosity in more detail next week,
Remember the story of the poor widow who gave her last two coins.
She had faith in God’s promise and demonstrated faithful generosity.
God delights when his people are generous, for that is his heart to you.
Luke 6:38
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
There may well be exceptional circumstances that prevent you from giving a tithe.
Ask God to show you how you can be generous with your, time, talents, treasure
– for it is such a joy and blessing to give.
We must remember that all our money belongs to God.
Be prudent, be wise in your spending, give to the Lord first.
Strive to be honest, diligent, content with what you have
and give to the needy.
Don’t doubt that the Lord will supply all you need.
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.