You Say You Will Lay Down Your Life for the Lord?

There are people who consider themselves as believers, always speak like a righteous person, and publicly avow to dedicate their lives for the Lord, and yet feel displeased when we start talking about offerings. These people get angry when it comes to tithes, and not only do they refuse to tithe, they even try to dissuade others who are tithing from doing so. How can such people lay down their lives for the Lord? How can it be true faith when they only delight in receiving material blessings and despise giving them in offerings? Or for some, they cannot accept the fact that tithes and offerings belong to God so that even though they tithe, they cannot break out of their victim mentality and feel confused.

Such people do not think about how much effort was made by the Old Testament believers to prepare the way for Jesus Christ to come, as well as that of the forerunners of faith in the New Testament to pass on to us the faith that we have today. The Old Testament believers responded with a sincere heart to the calling of God who seeks those who have faith. They were unwavering in their life of faith by giving tithe as a fundamental aspect of their faith. They diligently prepared the way for Jesus Christ to come through such dedication of theirs. However the people who have most benefited from their dedication in fact have no consideration for their efforts.

Some people who begrudge giving tithe criticize the true faith by saying that it isn’t right to take a command under the Law and turn it into a faith practice. This is because they have forgotten the wretched state of condition they were in before they came to believe in Jesus. However we are not in a position to make such criticisms. We still need the forgiveness of sins; we need life; and we need to be rescued to the Kingdom of Heaven. We have only just been redeemed and escaped Hell, only just become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and only just tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. Until the day of the Lord’s return, we must be on guard and preserve our own spirit.

Man’s Return Journey to God

We were children of hell who used to live without God, but now we are able to go to Heaven. What we must never forget is the fact that it took a very difficult process for this grace to be given us.

Initially man lived a spiritual life in the Garden of Eden, walking with God. However the first spiritual man sinned against God and was banished from the garden. As a result of the curse he received then, man lost his spiritual sense and could only live by the flesh; only through labor and sweat could he just sustain a living. Even that is not an easy task because there are all kinds of affliction and drawbacks lurking in his life. Man has to return to Eden. However he cannot go back even if he tries, for God has placed a cherubim and a flaming sword that turns every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Man became completely trapped within the carnal world.

Thus was the beginning of man’s difficult journey back to the tree of life. Even though Adam’s son, Abel was murdered by his older brother, he gave his offering to God in true faith and opened up the possibility for man’s return journey to God. All his life, Noah dedicated his wealth, time and energy to build the ark and provided the prospect of salvation to man who was on the brink of destruction. Finally, Abraham was acknowledged by God concerning his faith and consequently obtained the promise of returning to God.

Before this happened, Abraham gave a tithe of his plunder to the priest Melchizedek who blessed him on his way back from defeating many tribes in battle. The Bible says that when he was giving tithe to Melchizedek, it was also for his descendants who were still in his loins (Heb 7:9-10). Considering that this was before Abraham was circumcised, he not only represented the descendants of his flesh and blood, but also all the descendants of faith to come. Hence, Abraham’s tithing is a model of faith for the New Testament church that has received the grace of Jesus Christ.

Later when Jacob was fleeing from his brother to his uncle’s place, he made a vow to God saying, “If God will keep me so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You” (Gen 28:20-22). He was unknowingly saying, ‘we will return to Eden. We will return to God’ and prophesying of the salvation which the New Testament church would later receive, as well as indicating the goal for the New Testament believers.

Through Jacob, God made it a decree to give tithes so that whoever is a descendant of Jacob must tithe. By this, tithing became a unique characteristic of God’s people, and an external condition that set them apart from every other nation. From then on, the people of God strictly kept from cheating on tithes so as not to be separated from God. For them, the fact that they could tithe was a testimony of their status which they prided in. As the Israelites had always been in the face of extreme political danger, separation from God was for them a calamity. In fact, this is not all that different to the spiritual reality we are facing today.

When Israel had lost its nation to the Gentiles and barely preserving its name, the prophet Malachi emerged. In times when everyone couldn’t help but believe that the glory of God’s kingdom was fading away, people’s faith were diminishing and tithes and offerings were being given properly. Then God spoke through the prophet Malachi, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation” (Mal 3:8-9). Unlike stealing, which is secretly taking the property of another, to rob someone means to forcefully take something from them. The people of God could not break free from the cruse because they had been robbing God of what belonged to Him.

God thus speaks to a dying nation: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Mal 3:10). With these last words, the Israelites entered the dark ages. The Old Testament had come to end with the words, ‘try if I will not pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it!’ Even so, this was not the end of the blessings for the Jews.

After the four hundred or so years of the dark ages had passed, Jesus appeared. He is the word which was with God that came to earth as salvation; He is God who is for us. What is His stance on tithes? He not only approved it but even reinforced it saying, “For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matt 23:23). Justice means to attain holiness through obedience to God’s holy commands; mercy means we must not neglect the love for God; and faith means to be assured of the reward God has promised. Even though the Lord had emphasized justice, mercy and faith, He made it clear that tithing is imperative even without them.

What Jesus said about tithes was some time before He died and redeemed mankind. It is difficult to say exactly when but it could have been several months or several days before. If tithe was to be abolished by the death and resurrection of Jesus, what reason would there be for Him to particularly emphasize tithe before His death? Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, considered to be representatives of the Old Testament believers, and confirmed that tithe must be observed by the New Testament believers as a practice of faith.

Our Duty as Beneficiaries of the Tithes and Offerings Given By the Old Testament Believers

From the beginning the Israelites gave tithes and offerings and built the tabernacle, and they all gave tremendous offerings even beyond their ability in the construction of the temple thereafter. Their dedication did not stop just because the temple was constructed. Through continuous dedication they supplied what was needed for the maintenance and repairs of the temple. Thus they served the name of God, which was the process of waiting for Jesus Christ who would save the world and become the head of the church.

Of the 12 tribes of Israel, the Levites were in charge of serving God in the temple. For the Levites who made up about a tenth of the people, the rest of the people supplied good grains and meat from their own produce. The reason the people had so enthusiastically dedicated was they hoped for the Levites to thoroughly and diligently do their duty in offering sacrifices for their atonement, so that God’s wrath would not fall upon them.

When God took pity on the ignorant mankind and drew near them, the Old Testament believers did not ignore His inspiration and responded with a sacred heart. Consequently, it was possible for the way for Jesus Christ to come to the world to be prepared. Ultimately, the tithes and offering given by the Old Testament believers, who zealously served God with the temple as their centre, came to be used in our salvation today. We should be grateful to them. Now it is our turn to show our true faith and thus live up to the true faith which they have passed onto us.

The Old Testament believers served God’s name in the temple, but we have received and serve God’s name each in our own spirit. The people of the past died without even receiving the promise of salvation, whereas we have succeeded in advancing into the Kingdom of Heaven by virtue of their hard work and dedication. The church of Christ has been commissioned with a great duty by the Lord. And that is to save the souls who are bound and suffering at the hands of the enemy. In order to achieve this, the church needs funding financially. However, if the members of the church are guarded against giving offering, how will the church fulfill this supreme duty of saving souls?

Even now the Lord is speaking to all the churches, ‘bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house.’ Many of the antecedent churches including the Early Church have observed this practice of faith according to the Lord’s word, ‘teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you’ (Matt 28:20), and now we must follow. This is the pattern of faith life that the Christian church has maintained for thousands of years and firmly established. There is no justification to say all of a sudden that this is now inappropriate.

The Old Testament believers had dedicated a great deal in order that we may receive salvation. And yet they themselves could not be saved but only heard the news that salvation was coming. On the other hand, we have been saved through grace without having made any efforts or suffering. We should rightfully feel sorry for them. We must not become conceited towards them in any case. God did not spare the natural branches of the true olive tree but cut them off. If we, who have been grafted in to the true olive tree and are sustained by its sap, do not stand by faith, God will not spare us either (Rom 11:17-21).

Tithe is Not Mine

God created all things. Thus all things belong to the Lord. Everything that we have is actually not ours; we have only used God’s land, received the sunlight and rain that He sends and produced what we have. If anyone works in someone else’s farm as a tenant farmer, most of the produce goes to the land owner. There is very little that we can claim as our own since we work by the things we receive from God – the land, sunlight and rain, our home and even food. As we can see in the parable of the talents Jesus spoke of, if anyone has made profit with the master’s given property, the principle is to return the original property as well as the profit back to the master (Matt 25:14-30). If anything is given to the good servant in return, it is that he will be allowed to borrow much more from his master later on.

There is something we must understand. God made the Israelites journey through the wilderness for 40 years. Why was that? Deuteronomy 8:12-18 says, “lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God and then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” It is a direct opposition to God for a person to think that what he has gained through his efforts are all his.

The roots of a tree are essential for its existence. It is truly amazing to find just how large the roots are when a tree is dug up to be replanted. For a tree to grow well and healthy, the size of the branches and the size of the root system have to be roughly the same. During the replanting process, if the branches are heavily cut down just to reduce the volume, the whole tree would die. The roots are often ignored because they are not visible above ground, but the roots are what sustain the tree. Tithe is much like the roots that support the remaining nine-tenth of one’s income. We have to remember that God surely demands what belongs to Him. If we do not set apart one-tenth of our income as holy, we do not know when the remaining nine-tenth will also wither and disappear. Just as the roots must be healthy and sturdy for the rest of the tree to survive, only when tithe is properly observed will the other nine-tenth be protected as rightfully ours.

In the past, our country had what is called the barley hump. Around the fourth month in the lunar calendar, before the barley crop is ripe, many poor people had to starve because they had no food. People used to eat wild plants or anything that was not poisonous just to fill their hunger. In such circumstances, they still did not eat the crop seed like as if it was a law. If they ate the seed, they had nothing left to sow, which meant they could not grow any crops the next year no matter how big their land might be. So even if someone in the family were to collapse from malnutrition, they did not touch the seed. One-tenth (tithe) of the income is like the seed. It must be guarded strictly no matter how difficult the circumstances become. There will be a future to be built together with God for a person who does so.

If a person takes the tithe for himself, he would have that much more in his possession at that instant. However, when God demands the tithes he has cheated over many years all at once, the ten-tenths he worked so hard for so long to save up will instantly disappear. Moreover, the problems he is facing will not be resolved.

Demonstrate the Grounds for You to Receive Blessings

The Bible frequently mentions the fruit that is cast off the tree before it is ripened. It is a fearful curse for the tree to cast its fruit. For almost a whole year, farmers dedicate themselves in labor and sweat for their crops, putting up with little sleep, patiently waiting, and looking after it like their own children. Finally the time comes for them to reap an abundant harvest. But all can be ruined overnight because of a storm, a swarm of pests, frost, or wild animals. Everyone has plans and dreams, for which they persevere and strive. They think, ‘I’m going to succeed because I work hard!’ However it still happens that the fruit is cast off the tree before it is ripened.

There is something more fearful than this and that is the spiritual fruit being cast before its time. It is a disaster if the conditions of people’s faith life turn bad all of a sudden, or their hearts become calloused and their eyes and ears shut so that they Holy Spirit no longer works in them. Every single day is very precious in terms of preparing for our eternal life, and no storm clouds should overcast this precious time we have. The prophet Malachi continues to say, ‘”I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts; “and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts’ (Mal 3:11-12).

Since Adam’s fall, the way to the tree of life is blocked, meaning the spiritual riches which we should enjoy are actually being limited. What Jacob sought for at the Jabbok River was not material riches. He needed to protect his life from his own brother and yet he prayed, ‘bless me!’ and asked for the spiritual right. This was him crying out, ‘please open the way! Open the way that the cherubim are guarding and let me commune with You! Let me see Your glory! Bless me!’

God commanded us to tithe in order that we may have the grounds on which He can bless us. He is trying to bless us through tithes. Even though people seek blessings, they follow their own thoughts and ways and disobey the command to tithe. They are in conflict with God. And God cannot find any grounds on which He can bless such people. It is God’s will to give His blessing to people, even if it is by making it a command to tithe so that people would have to obey it.

Worship means to come before God and see His face. How precious is the time when we put all the worldly matters behind us and worship to meet God? It is the same with giving tithes. Tithing is a mark which shows that those who were banished from the Garden of Eden are returning to God. Thus God says, “Return to Me, and I will return to you” (Mal 3:7). This does not mean that God will receive us only when we give tithes; it means that God will receive us when we return to the faith that demonstrates our sincerity and truthfulness. Tithes and offerings are the means through which we can demonstrate our true faith.

Jesus says likewise, ‘do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Why don’t you believe that Your Heavenly Father will care for you? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ (Matt 6:19-34).

While we are on the earth, our flesh also needs to be well and successful with God’s provisions. For that, we need to have spiritual authority (right), that is, blessings. Whoever mishandles what belongs to God cannot expect to receive such blessings. Tithing is a privilege that only the people of God have. Whoever is not called righteous by God cannot give tithes. Therefore, those who tithe must take pride in the fact they are a people of God.

We should not feel displeased at the thought of tithing but instead be thankful by acknowledging that blessings are in tithes. Even if we have nothing, we need to have God find true faith from within us. When He sees that true faith, He will reward us in spirit and flesh, and bless us to a thousand generations.

We must always pray. ‘God, tithes (one-tenth) are Yours. Grant me the nine-tenth! Grant me the right to possess, the right to have an abundance that there will not be room enough to store it!’ We must clearly distinguish what belongs to God, who commands blessings, from what is ours; we should not confuse them. ‘Tithe belongs to You. Grant me the right to possess the rest! Grant me the right!’ We should not think to be poor while we are on the earth but boldly pray and ask, ‘God, acknowledge that nine-tenth surely belongs to me!’ We must obtain the spiritual authority from God.