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Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
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Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
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The greatest surprise of Mary’s life was receiving a shiny gold dollar on her fourth birthday. She carried it about continually and sat on the stairs admiring it. “What are you going to do with your dollar?” her mother asked. “Take it to Sunday school,” said Mary, promptly. “To show your teacher?” Mary shook her head: “No, I’m going to give it to God. He’ll be as surprised as I am to get something besides silver!”
And there’s truth in that. Christian market researcher George Barna reports that in the USA just 6 per cent of so-called “born again” households gave a tithe last year, down 62 per cent on the previous year (The Barna Update: 19, May 26, 2003).
1 What does the Bible say God owns?
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
God’s ownership of all things is a most fundamental doctrine of the Bible, a fact of our existence. It is the foundation of all divine claims and promises and of all human duties.
2 What is God’s plan for financing the dissemination of the gospel?
1 Corinthians 9:13, 14 “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve 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.”
God’s method is through the giving of gifts—tithes and offerings—by those who receive and accept the gospel. God said, “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do” (Numbers 18: 21).
Tithe is a tenth of profits (Genesis 28:22), given for the carrying out of God’s work on earth (Leviticus 27:30-32). Abraham, the father of both the Jewish and Arab nations and spiritual father of those who believe in Jesus, paid a tithe to Melchizedek, a priest (Genesis 14:18-20).
3 While disapproving of the legalism of the Pharisees, how did Jesus approve the paying of tithes?
Matthew 23:23 “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 practised the latter, without neglecting the former.”
They were careful to pay tithe on the smallest of herbs, but neglected to show mercy and justice. In some respects the Old Testament law is superseded in that Jesus gave His all, so now, a tenth is only a bare minimum guide to giving.
4 After their return from captivity in Babylon, the Jews who returned to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem failed to honour God. What promise did He make to those who place Him first in their finances?
Malachi 3:8-10 “‘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’” (v 10).
God doesn’t ask us to pay tithes and offerings because He needs the money (see Haggai 2:8; Psalm 50:10). Rather, He wants us to recognise His ownership and to learn to be unselfish givers. While tithe paying is not a magic wand to financial wealth and God is not Santa Claus, God nevertheless has promised to supply our needs.
5 What kind of giver does Christ love?
2 Corinthians 9:6, 7 “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Jesus’ commendation of the widow who gave two small coins (Luke 21:1-4) indicates that God is more interested in our motive and attitude rather than how much we give. Someone once said: “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
God in the equation
6 What does Paul say about God that should encourage us to give faithfully?
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
On the cross of Calvary, Jesus paid the infinite price of redemption for our lost world (John 3:16). What God wants from us is our complete commitment to Him—a response of gratitude and reciprocated love.
Following a large, stirring revival meeting of Christian youth, amid the offering that was being counted, someone found a picture of a teenage girl.
The counters all made the same assumption: Someone had taken a picture of the girl from their wallet and thrown it into the offering basket as a practical joke—the kind of thing teenagers do. Until someone turned the picture over and read what was written on the back, that is: “I have nothing to give, but I give myself,” it said (Robert C Shannon, 1000 Windows). And, ultimately, that’s the attitude God seeks in each of us.
Articles of interest:
Extract from Signs of the Times, August 2003.
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