Fighting The Tithe

I'm still amazed at how many times I hear people complain about tithing. In one breath, they will say they despise religion (that is... the legalistic ideals that are tired and powerless) and in the next they will say that tithing is a requirement of the Law (done away with, I suppose). As one scholar put it... the tithe was to be brought to the temple storehouse. As we have no temple today, this rule is null and void.

This fuels the fire for all those who hate the "rules", unless of course one of them apparently works in favor of their wallet. The real problem with this is that the precept is based in ignorance. It also reveals a stronghold within.

Tithing was initiated before the "Law" was ever given. We're never told that God instructed Abraham to tithe... but he did it. Abraham honored God. All who live by faith are children of Abraham, therefore our honor is due as well. Yes, but we're not under the Law! No, we're under grace, and grace requires MUCH more than the Law ever required. You aren't making a payment on lay-away salvation any more. You're honoring Salvation delivered! Salvation has been delivered to you! Man up! Quit complaining about how preachers only want your money and start putting your money somewhere that Congress isn't going to waste it!

Mal 3:10-11 MKJV
(10) Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. And test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, to see if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you, and pour out a blessing for you, until there is not enough room.
(11) And I will rebuke your devourer, and he shall not decay the fruit of your ground against you; nor shall your vine miscarry against you in the field, says Jehovah of Hosts.

No... we don't have a literal temple. No... we don't have a literal storehouse. But there is STILL a literal devourer. What exactly is your plan to thwart him?

God's Treasure

Malachai wrote:

Then those fearing Jehovah spoke together, each man to his neighbor. And Jehovah listened and heard. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Jehovah, and for those esteeming His name. And they shall be Mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, for the day that I will make up My treasure. And I will pity them as a man has pity on his son who serves him. Then you shall again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God, and him who does not serve Him.

For behold, the day is coming, burning like a fire pot; and all the proud, and every doer of wickedness, shall be chaff. And the coming day will set them ablaze, says Jehovah of Hosts, which will not leave root or branches to them. But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and healing will be on His wings. And you shall go out and frisk like calves of the stall. And you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day which I am preparing, says Jehovah of Hosts. Remember the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and judgments. Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with utter destruction.

This passage is seldom realized as a rapture reference, but it is. It is important to see God's plan for this age - how things culminate.

H5459

segu^lla^h

seg-ool-law'

Feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to shut up; wealth (as closely shut up): - jewel, peculiar (treasure), proper good, special.

The word above, segullah, is the Hebrew word from which we obtain the phrase "My treasure", or "jewels", or best yet "peculiar treasure".

The beauty of E-sword is that you can take a Strong's number - H5459 - and do a search on it in the KJV+ translation. This reveals every instance this word is used in the Hebrew. Let's examine some of these instances:

Exo 19:5 MKJV

(5) And now if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to Me above all the nations; for all the earth is Mine.

Deu 7:6 MKJV

(6) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Deu 14:2 MKJV

(2) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God, and Jehovah has chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all the nations that are on the earth.

Deu 26:18 MKJV

(18) And Jehovah has taken you today to be His peculiar people, as He has promised you, and to keep all His commandments,

Psa 135:4 MKJV

(4) For Jehovah has chosen Jacob to Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure.

Okay, now lets shift to the Greek of the New Testament.

G4047

περιποίησις

peripoiēsis

per-ee-poy'-ay-sis

From G4046; acquisition (the act or the thing); by extension preservation: - obtain (-ing), peculiar, purchased, possession, saving.

The word is 'periousios', and the meaning is the same.

Tit 2:14 MKJV

(14) who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to Himself a special people, zealous of good works.

1Pe 2:9 KJV

(9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

To summarize what I take away from this passage:

God always intended to have a people all to Himself – a people He chose. It started out being Adam and Eve. One might think they failed Him and He went to plan B, but from the beginning plan B was the only plan. God desired to tabernacle with Adam and Eve and their family, but they created an atmosphere He couldn’t live in (nor could they). God expanded His plan. Exodus has Him tabernacling with a new people – yet another chosen people – Israel. Again, this was a people, not unlike us, who didn’t know exactly how to live with Him in their midst. So God expanded His plan again. Titus and Peter write of this same peculiar nation – a nation with God’s heart. Yet these are those who allow Him to tabernacle within them. These are a purchased people – a praising people – a people of light. All who call upon the name of the Lord can be a citizen of this nation. They make up His ‘treasure’.

Notice the redemptive intent of our Creator. Even though we continually ruined the environment of communion, He never disqualified anyone from again coming to Him. He expanded the invitation each time. Yes the road is narrow, but open to all.

A nation who possesses the heart of God… will be gathered up (asah) before a time that burns like a firepot. This holy nation will be spared as a father spares his son in order to show the world the difference between the righteous and the wicked. We know that during this time, Elijah will be sent to again foster a love in people – a love of restoration and redemption.

Herod the Scare-ed

If you will recall the story of John the Baptist and how he angered Herodias because of his 'inconvenient truth' about her infidelity, you might also recall that he was hesitant to kill John on her account. (Matt 14:9) The daughter of Herodias, Salome, had danced in her undies before Herod and his round table of visiting generals and dignitaries. All had heard Herod promise Salome anything she desired. Salome had danced with a mission - to claim the head of John for her mother.

This is where it gets interesting. Herod believed John was a man of power. He knew the masses loved John - and the masses claimed he was Elijah, returned from heaven as scripture promised:

Mal 4:5 ASV
(5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.

Herod believed that maybe it 'was' Elijah, and that perhaps he had killed the mightiest and most powerful of all the prophets. As Herod saw it, if the guy had come back from the dead once... he just might come back from the dead again, only this time with a score to settle. Herod was nervous.

Enter Jesus. Recall again... some thought Jesus was also Elijah (Elias), and He performed miracles that made John seem like a librarian. Herod became much more nervous-er. Can we see the bent against Jesus that the local politicians had? Can we see how superstition works against Love?

God is Good, but...

Really there is no addendum to that statement. God IS good! But…

God is also just. Not 'fair', but just, and just falls under the umbrella of 'good'. If God were not just, He would not be Good.

This looks problematic, and I guess it is, to an unbelieving world. Because God is just, He has to punish sin and that has a nasty look to it, often enough.

In John 12, Jesus said that He did not come to judge the world but to save it. That is indeed why He came, and yet it's possible for us to miss this salvation – to reject Him. Jesus did not condemn the harlot, yet He warned her to stop sinning.

Why?

The writer of Hebrews cautions the brethren against accepting the gift of God while yet continuing to sin, as if to take advantage of grace. Bad idea… read the warnings.

Jesus is the atonement for all who believe upon Him as such. Not accepting Him places us in a precarious position of living in sin without atonement. Judgment can fall upon a culture, but God tends to draw a clear line distinguishing who is His and who is not.

Mal 3:17 ASV
(17) And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

Accept Christ as Lord and Savior because of His substitute. He DID go in our place, because God is Good!