Giving first what belongs to God

Exodus 23:19 (NKJV)

The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.

Proverbs 3:9 (NASB)

Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce.

Did you know that according to Scripture, if you do not tithe, you are not only robbing God of what is rightfully His, but you also are robbing yourself and your family of all that God wants to give you?  Robert Morris, senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, TX, authored a 2002 book entitled, The Blessed Life (Regal Books) that became a national bestseller because of its claim that  understanding and applying the principles of giving according to God’s Word will bring you not only guaranteed financial results, but also change every area of your life including your marriage, family, health, and relationships (sorry for the long sentence!). 

I heard pastor Morris preach recently at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, AZ.  He basically preached from his book’s chapter 2 “God Must Be First”.  I must admit that I have never been so moved about the meaning and importance of the tithe as I was after hearing this sermon. 

Exodus chapters preceding chapter 23 describe the sufferings of Israel in Egypt, the rise of Moses to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery, the actual escape and journey from the Red Sea to Sinai, the Ten Commandments and other laws of God.  God through Moses gave the Israelites their freedom and then in chapters 19-24 provided His instructions on how they must conduct their lives as freed people.   Pastor Morris in his sermon said that there were two main reasons for all the laws written in the Old Testament.  First, laws were given by God to keep people from hurting one another.  Second, laws were established so that mankind would be convinced of their need for Jesus as no one other than Jesus could be perfect as God’s laws required. 

As to tithing, Exodus 23:19 says that you shall bring the first of the firstfruits of your land into the house of your God.  Several words need to be more clearly defined/understood

·     Firstfruits—Firstfruits are the first portion of a harvest that is given to God. God provided the harvest in the first place so the first portion belonged to Him.  This is a commandment of God to the entire nation of Israel that they honor God first before they use any other part of the harvest.  It is interesting that God spoke of this requirement before the Israelites had the land (Promised Land) from which to harvest their crops.  In the New Testament, Paul referred to Jesus as the firstfruit of the dead (I Cor 15:20).  God gave to us His firstfruits, His only begotten Son.

·     First--What belongs to God is the first of the firstfruits.  Where this applies to us today is that the first of the firstfruits that you make belongs to God.  It does not belong to you.  By not bringing to God what belongs to Him, you are robbing Him (Malachi 3:8)

·     Land—In Old Testament times, land was the source of crops and, thus, was the source of crops, food, and wealth for the Israelites.  Land can still mean that today, but for most people, land today is whatever job or source you have that generates wealth for you.  Land represents the source of your income. 

·     Bring—You do not give the first of your firstfruits to God, but you bring to Him what already belongs to Him.

·     House—Wherever you worship, this is the house of the Lord you God.  Basically, you tithe to your church, and then you give what’s left to other charities and organizations. 

 

We must tithe because everything we have comes from the Lord and the first 10% belongs to Him.  We do not give this amount, we bring this amount before Him at our place of worship.  Tithing is not only honoring the Lord (Prov 3:9), but it is also declaring your thanksgiving that He delivered you from being a slave to sin (Romans 6).  Tithing is like other Old Testament laws like not committing adultery or murder that are still applicable in life even through we are now under the grace of God through Christ.  Plus, according to pastor Morris, all tithers give testimonies that they are blessed as a result of their tithing.  Tithing demonstrates your faith and opens opportunities for God to bless you and your loved ones because you put Him first in your life. 

As I wrote initially, I am very challenged and inspired by Pastor Morris’ message on the principles of and blessings from tithing and I have rededicated my life to practice tithing.  How about you?