Deuteronomy 30-31 | Mark 15:1-25
“You must present as the LORD’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.” Numbers 18:29
In all things God is to be first. Do we give God our first and our best or is it just an afterthought in our life? When we study the Old Testament Law regarding the firstborn, first fruits and firstling, the Israelites were commanded to return to God what is first. In other words, every firstborn of male child, first fruits of the agricultural year and the firstborn of domesticated clean and unclean animals were dedicated to God.
At church, we often hear the word “tithe” which literally means “one tenth.” The word first appears in Leviticus 27:30: “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD….Every tithe of the herd and flock – every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the LORD.” The tithe was not an optional offering. The Israelites were told that the first of what they had and the best of what they had were to be given to God. Ten percent right off the top of everything that was poured into the Israelites belonged to God; they were simply repaying it. Why? To a nation of slaves that only knew life under Pharaoh, they may be thinking to themselves, “Wow, we get to keep 90%!” They are simply returning to God what He had poured into their lives and, in so doing, recognize His provision.
When God received the tithe, He earmarked it for the Levites who ministered at the Temple. The Levites were instructed to take a tenth of what they received and give it to Aaron and the priesthood. In addition to taking care of the ministers, every third year, the tithe was to be gathered and stored in the towns. Why? “…so that the Levites (who have no land allotted to them or any inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in [their] towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD [their] God may bless [them] in all the work of [their] hands” (Deuteronomy 14:29). God provided for the Israelites, so that the Israelites would tithe and provide for the Levites, and every third year for all the vulnerable among their towns. Thus, the importance of the tithe was woven and repeated throughout the Old Testament because, again, it was not just for the Levites, it was also for those who were in distress in the community.
May we recognize that all we have comes from God. When we give what God has given to us back to Him, we do so as an act of faithfulness and obedience.
PRAYER
Dear God, thank You for blessing me with what I have and for reminding me that everything is from You. May my giving to You be a first thought and not an afterthought.