So.... if you hear the word "tithe", you think of the tradition where you put in 10% of whatever you earn to the pocket of a church. No. To make it simple, it means "a part of God" and "offering to God," and I will explain it to you very simply.
First of all, the Levites the priests have no inheritance but God himself. (Num 18:20)
God said "I AM YOUR PORTION and inheritance."
And the priests are Christians who serve Christ the GREAT priest.
Do you think the "tenth" is literal 10%? Do you think you just need to give literal 10% of all the money you get?
I'm gonna refute that.
The scripture also reads "ALL THE BEST of the oil, and ALL THE BEST of the wine, and of the corn, the first part of them which they give UNTO THE LORD, to thee have I given them." (Num 18:12)
You can see that a tenth means all the best part, and that that which is given to the Lord, he has given the Levites. In other words, what is given to God is given to the servants.
Moreover, since God himself is their portion, the "tenth", the best part, is technically also God. I think that it basically means "My God will supply all your needs according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Apply common sense here. Every Master should be served first, and not the servants, but a good Master will treat his good servants well. So the logic that the best part "the tenth" should be given to the Lord seems sound.
The scripture also reads "Therefore thou shalt say unto them: When ye set apart the best thereof from it, THEN it shall be counted unto the Levites as the INCREASE of the threshing-floor, and as the INCREASE of the wine-press." (v30)
I think at this point it's clear what you're supposed to do with the tenths, and how it works. You give to God and God gives you back.
Furthermore, there is actually a place where God made an example of how to give a tenth, which is Exodus 16 where Israel receives Manna from heaven.
In this chapter, we read that each person received a homer (gomer) of Manna, and a man of each family gathered a homer for each person. (v16)
And... this is what probably most Christians haven't bothered to know: a homer is a tenth of three measures.
There are two key factors here: "tenth" and "three measures".
But first, we'll look at "tenth."
See, God gave a homer (tenth) of the bread from heaven, which we should all know to be Jesus Christ, to each person of Israel. Nobody had nothing over and nothing less. Everybody had enough for the day. That's already a lesson. "Godliness with contentment is a great gain," right? (1 Timothy 6:6)
If you are happy with a minimum, then you'll be just as happy with an abundance. You'll probably even give away what is unnecessary or excessive. Hence, if you can give away the best part, you can be trusted with that same part, you know?
God also ordained Israel to keep a full homer also to be laid up THROUGHOUT their generations, (v32) and Aaron filled a jar or a golden pot in LXX with Manna, and he put it BEFORE the testimony. (v33-34)
He's telling you that, JUST AS HE gave up his Son and gives you the bread of life BY GRACE AND LOVE, you should also give in grace and love.
So this is how he gave (YOU) a tenth (a homer) of three measures.
Then, what is "three measures" about? I might have an answer for you.
Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of FLOUR until all of it was leavened." (Mat 13:33)
Whatever "three" means, they are flour, and the leaven is the kingdom of heaven, which is God's.
Bread is made of flour, and leaven makes it rise, HENCE Manna is bread of heaven mixed with the kingdom of God, and this bread is Christ.
In Christ who is yet unleavened, you eat that which is sufficient for you, but the kingdom of heaven gives the rise.
So God gives you Jesus Christ; a tenth to each one, and a tenth is the best part, which you should give in loving kindness, for it becomes your profit. Love wins.
If you keep this virtue of contentment, it will profit all your generations greatly.
(Mal 3:10)
First of all, the Levites the priests have no inheritance but God himself. (Num 18:20)
God said "I AM YOUR PORTION and inheritance."
And the priests are Christians who serve Christ the GREAT priest.
Do you think the "tenth" is literal 10%? Do you think you just need to give literal 10% of all the money you get?
I'm gonna refute that.
The scripture also reads "ALL THE BEST of the oil, and ALL THE BEST of the wine, and of the corn, the first part of them which they give UNTO THE LORD, to thee have I given them." (Num 18:12)
You can see that a tenth means all the best part, and that that which is given to the Lord, he has given the Levites. In other words, what is given to God is given to the servants.
Moreover, since God himself is their portion, the "tenth", the best part, is technically also God. I think that it basically means "My God will supply all your needs according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Apply common sense here. Every Master should be served first, and not the servants, but a good Master will treat his good servants well. So the logic that the best part "the tenth" should be given to the Lord seems sound.
The scripture also reads "Therefore thou shalt say unto them: When ye set apart the best thereof from it, THEN it shall be counted unto the Levites as the INCREASE of the threshing-floor, and as the INCREASE of the wine-press." (v30)
I think at this point it's clear what you're supposed to do with the tenths, and how it works. You give to God and God gives you back.
Furthermore, there is actually a place where God made an example of how to give a tenth, which is Exodus 16 where Israel receives Manna from heaven.
In this chapter, we read that each person received a homer (gomer) of Manna, and a man of each family gathered a homer for each person. (v16)
And... this is what probably most Christians haven't bothered to know: a homer is a tenth of three measures.
There are two key factors here: "tenth" and "three measures".
But first, we'll look at "tenth."
See, God gave a homer (tenth) of the bread from heaven, which we should all know to be Jesus Christ, to each person of Israel. Nobody had nothing over and nothing less. Everybody had enough for the day. That's already a lesson. "Godliness with contentment is a great gain," right? (1 Timothy 6:6)
If you are happy with a minimum, then you'll be just as happy with an abundance. You'll probably even give away what is unnecessary or excessive. Hence, if you can give away the best part, you can be trusted with that same part, you know?
God also ordained Israel to keep a full homer also to be laid up THROUGHOUT their generations, (v32) and Aaron filled a jar or a golden pot in LXX with Manna, and he put it BEFORE the testimony. (v33-34)
He's telling you that, JUST AS HE gave up his Son and gives you the bread of life BY GRACE AND LOVE, you should also give in grace and love.
So this is how he gave (YOU) a tenth (a homer) of three measures.
Then, what is "three measures" about? I might have an answer for you.
Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of FLOUR until all of it was leavened." (Mat 13:33)
Whatever "three" means, they are flour, and the leaven is the kingdom of heaven, which is God's.
Bread is made of flour, and leaven makes it rise, HENCE Manna is bread of heaven mixed with the kingdom of God, and this bread is Christ.
In Christ who is yet unleavened, you eat that which is sufficient for you, but the kingdom of heaven gives the rise.
So God gives you Jesus Christ; a tenth to each one, and a tenth is the best part, which you should give in loving kindness, for it becomes your profit. Love wins.
If you keep this virtue of contentment, it will profit all your generations greatly.
(Mal 3:10)
