If a person chose to live by the laws in the Old Testament, they would soon find themselves needing to make heavy financial decisions. Until I read a summary on tithing and sacrificial giving, I had no idea that God’s law requires far more than the standard 10 percent tithe.
First the Israelites were required to give 10 or 2 percent to the priests. Then the standard tithe of 10 percent was paid to the Levites. A second tithe of 10 percent was expected at the three annual festivals in Jerusalem. In the third and sixth years of the seven-year cycle, a third tithe or poor tax, was due. This adds up to about 22-30 percent of income in some years.
There is more. Every seven years they were not supposed to plant the fields. That meant one-seventh of their income was forfeited. The same happened in the Year of Jubilee (every forty-nine years) when all debts also had to be canceled, all land returned to its original owner, and all slaves set free. This was also costly.
Add to this the cost of animal sacrifices made at least three times a year, more if necessary. Also, if a person defrauded someone else, they had to restore the amount plus give 20 percent to the sanctuary. Besides this, add vows and freewill offerings, another expectation.
Farmers were also to leave grain in the corners of the fields for the poor, and everyone was expected to take care of widows and orphans, help the poor, and be generous to foreigners. For instance, Deuteronomy 15:11 says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”
In this socioeconomic system, the entire nation supported the Levites, so these rules of tithes and offerings cannot be transferred to the church which exists in a different economic system. Yet these laws reveal the will and heart of God. He expects generosity and a light hand on our possessions.
Not only that, the New Testament sets a higher standard. In other words, all of my time, talents and material goods belong to the Lord. He gave them to me and can take them back if He wishes. I simply have them on loan and am expected to be a good manager. Doing that means that I must listen to what He wants, be totally dedicated to Him, use all that I have for His glory, and be willing to yield to Him anything that He asks of me. As I said, all of it is His anyway.
What does this boil down to for everyday life? After thirty some years of following Christ, He is finally getting it through my head that I need to discuss my every move, every decision with Him. This includes all the details of each day, where I go, what I do, the money I spend (or not) what I eat (or not!), who I call, what I say. I’m supposed to be totally in tune with Him and His will for me, every minute of every day.
I’m not saying that I am doing it as I should. This is a tall order and I’ve said before that God is good at tall orders. However, I’ve had a taste. I’ve had days where this happened for at least part of the day. I’ve known the blessing of it, and the freedom. Instead of being tossed about with decision making, there is great freedom in listening to the Lord and following His leading.
Some might think that God doesn’t care if I brush my teeth now or make the bed, and maybe the sequence or the doing of some things is not vital, yet He knows what needs to be done and what is arbitrary. He knows the paths I will cross, the times He will ask greater things of me, and that my mind and heart need to be in “obedience” mode. If I listen for the little things, I will hear Him for the bigger things. Further, if I am willing to obey in those little things, I will be more apt to obey when He breaks my routine with a much larger request.
This isn’t about my money only, or about any other rules; it is about trust. Faith in my own self means I will run my own life, go my own way (which is the essence of sin, see Isaiah 53:6) and march to my own drum. Faith in the Lord means I will yield and obey His call on my life, walk in His way, and following the leading of His Spirit. I may not always understand why He leads in certain ways in the small things, but I do know that if I can do that, I’m far more apt to say Yes when something bigger comes along.
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