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?

The House of the Lord

Psa 23:6 HNV
(6) Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD's house forever.

Dwelling in the Lord's house... has such a great ring to it, doesn't it? When does this happen? After all, we've spent thousands of years now seeing the opposite happen - God with 'us'. Jesus was Emanuel - God with us. That seemed a complete restoration - of sorts - to what we had in Eden.

However, the Jewish people as well as many evangelicals celebrate the High Holy Feast of Succot, or Booths/Tabernacles. The premise of this feast is God sheltering man in the desert of life, just as He did Israel in the desert. God shelters us. We dwell - in Him.

Surely we are heading towards another age - one where He not only dwells within us, but where we dwell in Him. That will be the prophetic fulfillment of Succot - the final, Sabbath millennium. John has a brief description of this:

Rev 21:22 HNV
(22) I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.

We will no longer enter into a temple of stone and mortar, but into God Himself - our Temple. And those who are His shall surely dwell in the House of the Lord (The House - which is the Lord) forever. Amen!