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Friday, October 01, 2004
I don't believe that the New Testament teaching tithing.
There.
I said it. I feel better.
Yes, I know that many of my brothers and sisters feel markedly different about this subject, and I know that people smarter than me have a different perception and interpretation. I don't mean to be divisive at all...I simply want to each person who reads Nehemiah today to see the act of worship through giving as a gracious and joyous motivation to give freely to the Lord.
I hear the word "tithing" thrown around in my circles as if it's normative behavior. No one really thinks about it much, but the mere fact is that if you know what that word means shows how much it pervades Christian thought...which, by extension, pervades Christian action.
And that's sad, because I think tithing ultimately limits our thought processes on the amount of money we give. I won't try to explain. It would take too long and this isn't the forum for a lengthy discourse...it's supposed to be a devotional on the nature of worship.
Now, I do believe that giving financially is an act of worship. Whether you believe the New Testament teaches tithing or you don't. Giving financially is an act of worship.
And, if you check out Nehemiah 10, you'll see giving as an act of worship, too.
See, at that time, Jerusalem had some practical economic needs. The Israelites just come back from dispersion and now they had maintenance costs all across the board. So, in verse 32, they CHOSE to place themselves under obligation to maintain the worship in the Temple. They gave a simple financial gift each year for this purpose.
Then, in verse 35, we see that they gave of their resources. These were significant gifts, too. The first fruit of every tree of every house, the first born calves, the first born sheep. The first dough. Wine. Oil. And even more money for the Levites.
Obviously, we need to see that giving is an act of worship. It should be more than having some uber-talented person sing a great song and passing around a brass plate with maroon carpet on the bottom and dropping folded checks in it. Maybe that's what it has to look like on the outside in our culture with our specific needs, but the heart of the giver should be deep in worship as an offering to the Most High God for His provision for us.
God has been abundantly gracious to us. He has given us more than we need.
And it should be a pleasure and a joy to give back to Him, and I love the resolve of the writer in verse 39: "We will not neglect the house of our God." Between the lines, you can almost read, "We did that once and wound up being oblivious to Him for over 300 years. Never again. Not on my watch. Walking with God in the center of our lives is well worth whatever we can give to ensure that the ordinances and statutes are carried out."
And the wrap up is pretty easy today: Are you financially (and/or with resources)giving to the work of the Lord joyfully? What does that look like for you?
Brent 4:02 AM
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