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Remember that a tenth of the firstfruits belongs to God, whether you give
it to Him or not. I strongly suggest you tithe before you do anything else.
Set aside some cash for yourself…for emergencies and the unexpected.
That’s Godly wisdom. Pay your bills. If you’ll recall, it’s the wicked that
don’t repay loans.

“…Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto
God the things that are God’s.” (Matt. 22:21)

Out of what you have left, give generously, but wisely. Check out who
you’re giving it to. You don’t wanna be buying 100 gallons of Kool Aid
for another Jim Jones cult! It’s usually not too hard to tell the organizations
that work for God and those that don’t.

“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who
wants to borrow from you.” (Matt. 5:42)

This does not mean you have to be a sucker. God gave you a mind for a
reason.  

If the same person hits you up for twenty bucks every week and never pays
you back, then maybe you need to consider giving generously to someone
else…because THAT person is just taking advantage of you…unless it’s
someone who is going through hard times and simply CAN’T pay you back!
If that’s the case, you are sowing seeds!

A good rule of thumb is this: if you don’t have it to GIVE away, don’t lend it.
By doing so, you are not expecting it back. Therefore, if it is returned to you,
you are blessed. If it is not returned, there are no hard feelings toward anyone.
If you do end up lending money, be sure to check out Exodus 22:25 before you
do so!

Another good rule of thumb: Giving generously may not always mean giving
money. There are ways to be generous without forking over money to someone.
There’s no way for you to know how someone is going to spend your money
once it leaves your hand. Once you’ve given it away, it’s really none of your
business anyway.

The thing is, a homeless person might benefit more from a good meal or an
inexpensive hotel room for the night. Someone traveling through your neck
of the woods that runs out of gas, might benefit more from the gas than from
money. It’s a part of wisdom. I’m not trying to imply that these folks would
try to take advantage of you, because there are real people with real needs
just like these, that we all come into contact with every day. I’m just saying
be wise. Be shrewd.

Somebody that really needs your help will accept it kindly and thankfully.
Someone that just wants your money will, most likely, cut you a dirty look
and tell you. “No thanks. I’d rather have the money!”  I’ve seen “homeless”
people drive up in cars, talking on cell phones…get out of their car in their
scruffy clothes, grab a backpack out of the back seat, walk to the street
corner, sit down and hold up a sign asking for money. I’m telling you that I
haven’t HEARD about it, like many folks have…I’ve SEEN it happen! More
than once!

Be generous, but be wise. If you don’t have money to give, cut back a little
on something else…not every week, but maybe just this week. And give that
little bit of change where it’s needed. Give your time to someone. Give your
knowledge. Give your talents and skills. Give your shoulder to someone that
needs to cry a little. It really doesn’t matter so much WHAT you give…
just GIVE….

Now, then…let’s see what God says about giving generously!

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with
the poor.” (Prov. 22:9)

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be
refreshed.” (Prov. 11:25)

“Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who
conduct their affairs with justice.” (Ps. 112:5)

“They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a
blessing.” (Ps. 37:6)

“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give
generously…” (Ps. 37:21)

Wanna be blessed? Be generous. Wanna be prosperous? Be
generous. Want good to come to you? Be generous. Want your
children to be a blessing? Be generous. Want to be righteous?
Be generous…

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will
also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the
harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way
so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your
generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you
perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also
overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (2 Cor. 9:10-12)

He will supply and increase your store of seed and enlarge the harvest
of your righteouwness. Wow! You will be enriched in EVERY way
so you can be generous on EVERY occasion…and because of you
and your generousity, people will praise God and offer Him thanks.
Wow!

Remember in the last post, the Macedonian church gave BEYOND
their means? How could they possibly do that? Because they gave out
of their poverty and God gave them increase…then they gave that away,
too!

How about this? When you’re generous with God’s money…when you
sow seeds for Him with your assets, regardless of how much or how
little…do you realize what happens to and for YOU?

“And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a
sower went forth to sow…” (Matt. 13:3)

“…But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an
hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” (Vs.

Wow…what an increase!!  

“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.” (Luke 6:37-39)

Let’s look at the tail end of that one again! For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you. Now THAT might be the whole problem in
a nutshell for a good many of us!

Remember 2 Cor. 9:6?

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously.”

We may have just solved a lot of our financial problems with these two
passages! Praise the Lord!!! 

How cool is that??

Now before you go running down the street throwing your money in the
air to whoever will catch it, wait for the next post…keep in mind, we’re to
be wise with God’s money! Shrewd as snakes! Don’t go handing it out to
anybody and everbody just yet!  

Principle # 6…contrary to what most of us are taught by the world in
which we live, give generously! Now that may sound a little bit hard to
swallow, given the fact that we often think we, ourselves, are lacking.
But the problem isn’t with God’s expectations of us…it’s with the way
we look at our own circumstances.

If you are reading this post, you are not lacking. You have managed to
scrape up the funding for internet service, or a cellphone plan or
SOMETHING in order to get here. If you had breakfast this morning
or if you have something to eat for dinner tonite, you are not lacking.
If you have somewhere to sleep, then as tough as it may be to believe,
you are not lacking. Are you wearing clothes? Do you drive a car or
have bus fare?

Times are tough for all of us. We may not have all we want or all we
think we need. Some of us may truly be lacking in some ways. But, no
matter who you are, and what you have or don’t have, I can assure you
that there are those in the world today who have far less. People that
would go to great extremes to eat the crust of bread you threw away.

Now, I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anybody, I’m just saying that
there’s lacking…and then there’s LACKING. And that even those of us
that are “lacking” have something to offer to somebody somewhere.

“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God
has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their
overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the
privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” (2 Cor. 8:1-4)

Out of their “extreme poverty” they displayed “rich generosity”…not
only giving “as much as they were able”, but “even beyond their ability”.
Wow! THAT’S giving!!!

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Cor. 9:7)

How about the verse right before that one? Verse 6:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

Maybe part of the problem lies with our sowing?

The world convinces us to do one of two things. Either to hoard it all
for the future, or to throw it all to the world. What we fail to realize, is
that when we hoard it for tomorrow, it’s not so much for OUR use. It’s
so the world can get it from you then, too! You don’t really believe they’re
trying to get you to save money for YOUR sake, do ya?

Again, there is wisdom in saving money…but it’s foolishness to try to
store up all you can and be stingy toward God. Let’s take a college
fund, for instance. There is wisdom in saving for your child’s education.
Don’t BORROW money to send them to college, SAVE for it.  Keep in
mind, though that when the time comes, WHO IS GETTING THAT
MONEY?

Not you. The college gets it. The world gets it.

And if you DID get to keep it, what would you do with it? You’d spend
it. How? By giving it to the world. Buying food, buying shelter, traveling.
Doesn’t matter. The world is getting it.

The only way to keep the world from getting it, is to give it to God….

Remember, the assets you have in your possession belong to God. Use
them wisely. This is #5, by the way. I know people that will spend $100
on a shirt at one store, when they could get the same exact shirt at another
store for twenty bucks. And there’s nothing wrong with that, exactly,
assuming it’s not causing a financial hardship or putting someone in debt…
it just seems a little wasteful to me.

That’s not to say we, as Christians can’t have nice things. But, really…
if it’s the SAME shirt?  

Without going too much into all of that, use a little wisdom with God’s
money. Keep in mind, that He won’t trust you with a lot, until He can
trust you with a little. I don’t think God intends for us to be stingy or
so tight with money that we squeak when we walk down the street…
but I do believe He expects us to be responsible with what He gives
us.

Humans are a fallen people that live in a fallen world. Many of us have
been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. That doesn’t mean we’re always
responsible stewards. It doesn’t mean we’re suddenly perfect. It means
we’ve been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. From time to time we’re
still going to be wasteful or foolish with our assets…sometimes, down
right selfish. But we’re to TRY to be responsible MOST of the time.

Nice things are ok to have. Jesus had a seamless robe, for goodness
sakes (John 19:23)! Gee, you can’t get a seamless robe TODAY! It’s
ok to have nice things! When we all get home, I’m totally convinced that
Heaven is going to be filled with nothing BUT nice things…far better than
you or I can possibly imagine!

But use wisdom. If you want a new television and you have the money
to buy one, then by all means, buy one. But if you DON’T have the money,
don’t get it. Wait a while til you DO have the money. Or if you have the
money, but the car needs tires…get the tires. You can pick up a “new”
television at the thrift store for $25! You don’t need me to tell you HOW
to be wise…you just need to know to use wisdom with God’s money.

You also need to know that sometimes you won’t do that. While you may
suffer for it a little, don’t be too hard on yourself. It just means you’re human.
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try to be a little wiser next time…

““I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd
as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16)

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that we are like sheep among wolves, in
the world we live in. Don’t be a sucker. Be shrewd as a snake. When it
comes to your money, I can assure you the world wants it just as much as
you do. And the world is not above stooping to trickery and deception to
get it! Be shrewd.

If something sounds too good to be true, that doesn’t mean it’s a trap. Holy
cow, we all get suckered by things that DON’T sound so good! The thing
is, whether it sounds good or not, be shrewd. Check it out a little. Pray
about it a little. See what God says and use the wisdom He gives you. Some
things sound good just because they ARE good. Some of the things that
don’t sound so good can end up being alright. Then again, they can both
go the other way, too! That’s why we need to be shrewd and use a little
wisdom….  

Remember…it’s HIS money we’re spending! Spend wisely!

So far we have three Biblical principles to consider on this matter of
debt….

1. You can’t spend more than you make.
2. You really should tithe, if you don’t already.
3. Save a little money for yourself!

In this post, we’ll just add a little footnote to #3. You need to save a
little for those unexpected things in life, as we discussed. Once you
have a little fund going, you need to KEEP it going. Start using CASH
to pay for things so you don’t have to charge them. Why? Principle #4,
of course!

Don’t borrow money! At some point, you’ll have to pay it back. And
when you pay it back, we all know that you’ll be paying back more
than you borrowed! I don’t mean to bring up tithing again, but just had
a little food for thought that’s related to Principle #4. There are people
in this world that don’t blink an eye at paying 20% or more in interest
to the credit card or loan companies…but they can’t afford to give God
the 10% that’s already His! Hmmmmm….

Back to #4, if you don’t borrow it, ya won’t have to pay it back! 

“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
(Prov. 22:7)

“Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts;
if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under
you.”  (Prov. 22:26,27)

A good many of us know firsthand how true it is to be under the power
of a lender. We also know, there is little mercy involved when they come
looking for what’s owed them. They are quick to lend you money with
high interest rates, but if you fall upon hard times and need them to work
with you a little on getting caught up, you’ll find stone walls at a good many
of them. Nobody wants to hear your sob story…especially when it concerns
them getting their money back….

What’s interesting is how the same company that was sucking up to you
and had their totally awesome customer service people falling all over
themselves to get your loan out to you…is the same company that will
do it’s best to degrade you and intimidate you when the chips are down.
They would follow you to hell and back, if they could, nipping at your
heels all the way.

In a way, you can’t really blame them, I suppose. After all, it IS their
money and you did agree to pay it back. At the same time, I also believe
that in many cases, a little patience and understanding would go a long way
for some of these guys! As Christians, I would prefer to think that most
of us borrow money with the best of intentions. After all….

“The wicked borrow and do not repay…” (Ps. 37:21)

But again…sometimes things happen. The company we work for goes out
of business. Not our fault, but the responsibility to pay back that loan is
still ours. The car dies. We have to have transportation to and from work.
The problem is, we’ve already borrowed so much, that something is going
to have to go on the back burner while we get our transportation straight.
Some one gets sick…

Debt sucks us in. While you might be wading in the surf today, it only takes
one big wave to crash down over your head and suck you out to sea….

Do yourself a big favor. If you owe money, pay it off and don’t borrow any
more. Ever! If you don’t owe money, don’t start to borrow. Ever! It’s
nothing but a snare of the enemy…

There you have the covenant…IF you bring the whole tithe to the STOREHOUSE,
THEN He will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that
you will not have room enough for it. You see, it’s not something you HAVE to do.
It doesn’t say WHEN you bring your tithe…but IF…

Enough on tithing! You can’t spend more than you make, and, while the choice
is yours, you really should tithe if you’d like to get out of debt. Get out from
under that curse! Just for the sake of saying it, studies have shown that people
who tithe or give generously (Christian and non-Christian) don’t normally spend
anything close to what other folks do in the areas of medical, home repairs, car
repairs, etc.

It’s interesting that God honors His covenant of blessing with anyone who enters
it…not just with His own kids, but with those who don’t even realize they have
entered the covenant! In essence, your tithe will be required from you and taken
from you, whether you give it willingly, or whether it’s sucked away by the curse
you’re living under…the thing is, it’s usually going to cost you a lot more than just
ten percent if you’re having it taken by the curse!

In any case, principle #3…a very important one…save a little for yourself. Set
aside some money for those emergencies that might pop up…for the unexpected.
One of the reasons many of us end up in debt is because we don’t have anything
saved up for the blown tires, the doctor visits, the fridge dying on a hot summer
day…so we go out and charge all this stuff, adding to an already strained budget.

You may feel that you don’t have any to save…but you’ve got to make a little
room somewhere. Even if it’s just a tiny little bit. Doesn’t have to be a lot, as
long as you’re consistent with it. It may take a little time, but it will grow.

““Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures
of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer…” (Prov. 30:24)

Ants are wise because they store up for hard times. Now, when your fridge
goes out, it may be totally unexpected to you. What SHOULDN’T be
unexpected, though, is hard times. EVERYBODY HAS THEM. The
“unexpected” shouldn’t be “unexpected” because LIFE HAPPENS!

Sometimes the kids get sick! Sometimes the tires go flat! Sometimes the fridge
stops cooling! We ALL know it happens! You may not know WHAT will
happen or WHEN it will happen…but you should know by now, that it WILL
happen. And you need a little something stored up for it so you don’t have to
pull out your Visa or Mastercard. (Just a little footnote here…these things,
oddly enough, seem to happen less frequently to those who tithe!) 

Now we’re not talking about hoarding everything you can get your hands on.
We’re simply talking about saving up a little money to help cover the “unexpected”.

Another wise word…

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;
a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good
crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones,
and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have
plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.
Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich
toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21)

There’s a difference between storing up with wisdom and hoarding out of greed.
As you can see, it’s pretty important to know the difference. We can look at both
the ant and the rich man and see them both storing up. One is wise, the other a fool.
There’s nothing wrong with storing up. The problem is with greed. In light of the fact
we’ve been talking about tithing, that last verse kinda pops out a little, doesn’t it?

“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich
toward God…”

There’s a story about William Colgate, founder of the Colgate empire. Toothpaste
and soap, for those who may not be aware…

It’s been said that Mr. Colgate, in the early years of his life, was faithful in giving
away ten percent of his earnings. By the end of his days in the mid 1800’s, he was
KEEPING ten percent and giving away the other ninety!

Now, I’m not going to pretend that I know a lot about Mr. Colgate, because in
truth, I know very little about him. I can’t tell you whether or not he was a Christian,
even. But what I CAN tell you is this: whether by design or accident, he lived
his life following Biblical financial principles…and by the doing so, when his time
came to leave this world, he left a great inheritance to his remaining family.

Far more importantly, assuming that Mr. Colgate was indeed a Christian, because
of the way he used his finances here on earth, I think it would be fairly safe to say
that he probably had an abundance of wealth waiting upon his arrival home, as well.
Not because he had been a rich man in this life…but because he used his earthly
wealth generously…and in doing so, stored up for himself treasures in heaven!

As for the covenant between God and Abram, we know that a tithe,
or a tenth, of everything belongs to the Lord (Lev. 27:30). The Israelites
were instructed to set aside a tenth of all that their fields produced, and
to eat it (along with the firstborn of the herds and flocks) in the presence
of the Lord (Deut. 14:22).

In Numbers 18:21, God gave the tithe…remember, it’s HIS and He can
do with it as He pleases…to the Levites to sustain them in their daily
lives, while they conducted the Lord’s work. It’s interesting to note that
even the Levites were to tithe on the tithes they received…giving back
to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe that He had given to them.

Now, here’s where we get to the heart of the covenant…the tithe! 

Malachi, chapter 3…”I the Lord do not change.” (Vs 6).

The covenant hasn’t changed, folks. The LAW has been fulfilled by
Jesus, but the COVENANT is still in place! You are free to enter into
it and you are free to remain outside it. The choice is yours. Just as
you are free to accept the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross on
your behalf, or you are free to face your own judgement for your sins.
It’s YOUR choice. You don’t HAVE to accept Jesus as your Savior.
Nor do you HAVE to tithe…you never did…

While there are no consequences recorded for “not tithing”, such as
the penalties found in the Old Testament books for breaking the Law,
there are consequences, all the same. Basically, this is how the covenant
breaks down:

A tenth belongs to the Lord. If you choose to enter into this covenant,
He will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that
you will not have room for it (Mal. 3:10). If you choose NOT to, which is
your perogative, then you are under a curse (Mal. 3:9) for robbing God.

Why would you be under a curse? Because He said so…it’s ALL His, as
are we…and He’s free to do with it (and us) as He pleases. I can offer a
little insight, though, on His reasons behind it…  

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house.” (Mal. 3:10).

Bring the tithe to the storehouse, so there will be food in His house. How
about this? “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

The storehouse is where the sheep food is stored. It’s where we go to
get fed, whether it’s through a church, a television or radio ministry…it’s
where you and I eat our meals. That’s where we’re supposed to take our
tithes…so that once we’ve eaten our fill, someone else can come along
and eat a little, too!

Bibles cost money. Air time costs money. Churches cost money. Pastors
and missionaries have to eat…the list goes on. Where does it all come from?
The storehouse…

It’s our job to feed the sheep. How can we feed the sheep when the
cupboard is bare? If we can’t feed the sheep already in the flock, where
are we going to find food for the ones yet to come?

““Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.”

Now, here’s the question…

If someone broke into YOUR house…and if they stole the food from the
mouths of YOUR children…how would YOU feel? You’d prob’ly want
to put them under a curse, too…

“I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees
and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord
Almighty.
“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
“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. 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. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops,
and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then
all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the
Lord Almighty.”

Back to Abram and the tithe he gave to Melchezidik…

This was the first recorded tithe in the Bible…long before the
Law was established. The next chapter of Genesis (15) starts
off like this…

“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision…”

“After this”…after Abram met with Melchezidik…the word of
the Lord came to Abram in a vision. The Lord then revealed
to Abram that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars
in heaven, and told him about the land he would come to possess.
Verse 18 says that, “On that day the Lord made a covenant with
Abram…”

Chapter 16 of Genesis tells of Abram’s decision to “help” God
fulfill His promise of children…and Ishmael was born to Abram.
Chapter 17…God tells Abram (again) that his own son will be
the fulfillment of the promise…his son born to him by his wife,
Sarah.

From chapter 14 on through chapter 17, we have these promises
from God to Abram. God, then sums it up in verse 13 of chapter
17:  “My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.”
An EVERLASTING covenant…this includes the act of tithing. It’s
not a part of the Law…it’s a part of the covenant between God and
Abram.

If you would take a few minutes to browse through the books of
the Bible that contain the Law, you’ll find that there are consequences
for breaking the Law. For instance, in Lev. 6:1-7, it’s stated that
if a man deceives his neighbor in a financial matter, that he not only
has to repay (in full) the amount of money entrusted to him, but that
he also has to add another fifth of the original value to it. Then, he
has to go and make a sacrifice to the Lord.

Exodus 22:1: “If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell
it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.”
The rest of the chapter is full of similar examples.

There are no such consquences for failing to tithe…at least not in
the same manner of speaking. That’s because the tithe is not under
the Law, but rather it’s a part of the covenant God made with
Abram. We’ll look a little more at that in the next post…

With that said, when Jesus came, he came as the fulfillment of the
Law. The Law has been totally and completely fulfilled by the work
of Jesus on the cross. The COVENANT, however, being an EVER-
LASTING covenant, is still in effect for those who choose to enter it.
As tithing is a part of that covenant, it too, is still in effect for those
who choose to enter into it. The tithe was not affected by the birth,
death and resurrection of Jesus because it was not a part of the Law…

Anyway, God wants your FIRSTFRUITS. Not your left-overs.
Moving along, later on down the road we read of Abram offering
Melchizedek a tenth of everything (Gen. 14). I would have given
the specific verse, but you really need to read the whole story! 

It’s important to note, that this offering of the tithe was before the
Law of Moses was given. It’s also of immense importance to read
where Melchizedek blessed Abram and THEN Abram gave him
the tenth of everything. It wasn’t required…it was offered! Why is
it so important that Melchizedek blessed Abram first?

To be honest, it has nothing to do with debt or tithing. It’s about
you. And it’s about Jesus.

“He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
(Heb. 6:20)

It’s mentioned several other times in the Bible. Jesus was a high
priest in the order of Melchizedek. (If you’ve ever wondered
why he was a high priest in the order of Melchizedek rather
than in the order of Aaron, I have the answer for you…but it’s
for another time and place)! Jesus was in the order of Melchizedek.

Now, how about this? Melchizedek blessed Abram first. Then in
response, then, Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
Sounds a little bit like Jesus, doesn’t it?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

Didn’t Jesus die for us before we ever even thought about doing
anything for him? And in response, we try, in our feeble little ways,
to offer him ourselves…not that it’s REQUIRED…but it’s OFFERED.
The only REQUIREMENT is to accept the sacrifice he made on the
cross for us…to acknowledge the fact that we are sinners, and that
he (who had no sin) bore our sins, so that we could stand before
the Father in garments of righteousness…

It’s also interesting to note something else that’s really neat. Go back
and read the story of the encounter between Abram and Melchizedek
one more time. Did you catch it? How about this?

The “forerunner” of Jesus…the high priest by the name of Melchizedek…
the priest of grace…shared the same meal with Abram that Jesus, the Priest
of Grace, would share a few centuries later with his disciples just before
his crucifixion! We often call it, “the Lord’s Supper”! Melchizedek could
have killed the fatted calf, as was often done in those days. He could have
“supped” with Abram, or “brake bread” with him. He could have offered
Abram cheese and wine, or milk and cookies or most anything else…
but it leaves me speechless and a little misty-eyed to know that he didn’t
do any of those things.

The priest of grace gave Abram bread and wine…

Ahhhhh….the Priest of Grace…Jesus!!!  

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord
Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this
in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup,
saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you
drink it, in remembrance of me.”
(1 Cor. 11:23-25)

How’s that for “coincidence”?

Alrighty, then. Let’s take a look at Cain and Abel for a moment.
The Bible doesn’t state that this is the first tithe, or even a tithe at
all. It simply says:

“Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course
of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to
the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn
of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” (Gen 4:2-5)

Maybe it was a tenth, and maybe it wasn’t. For this post, it really
makes no difference. What matters for THIS post, is the fact that
God looked with favor upon Abel’s offering and not upon Cain’s.
How come?

There are those who believe it was because of the content of the
offerings. Abel offered living creatures, while Cain offered fruits
and veggies. After all, according to Heb. 9:22, there can be no
forgiveness without the shedding of blood. So, that COULD be
it. At the same time, though, God allowed grain offerings later on,
sooooo…

I have my doubts about this being the reason for God’s disapproval
of Cain’s offering. First of all, the Law hadn’t been given at that
point in time. Secondly, I believe the answer lies within the passage.

Abel brought fat portions from some of the FIRSTBORN of his
flock. Cain brought SOME OF THE FRUITS…in other words,
Cain offered God his left-overs. He wanted to be sure that he
had enough for himself, before he offered any to God.

The thing is, God isn’t a “left-overs” kind of God. It’s not that He’s
greedy. The whole issue of tithing really has nothing to do with
money. Everything is already His. Do you really think God NEEDS
our twenty bucks? Or our fifty bucks? Or our hundred bucks?
If you believe that, my friend, you have some issues with pride!
It’s not about our money…it’s about our trust.

Do we trust God? We SAY we do…but when we’re talking
about money…well, that’s different. That’s MONEY! If we give
Him ten percent (of our firstfruits, no less!) we may not have
enough for ourselves and our families. So we offer Him our
left-overs, if anything at all. After all, everything is already His.
He really DOESN’T need our money.

The problem is, WE think WE need it….when what we really
need is God.

It’s a funny thing. I’m no different from you. I trust God with my
entire eternal future. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that
when this ol carcass hits the ground, the part of me that was
formerly in it will be gazing into the face of my Savior. Jesus.

I trust him with my salvation. I trust him with my room in the
mansion. I trust him to make me blameless by his blood and
that I’ll walk through those pearly gates, where there’s no
sickness, no sorrow, no more good-byes. I TRUST HIM
WITH THESE THINGS!!

But it’s so hard, sometimes, to trust him with TODAY….