Deuteronomy 14:22 (ESV)
“You shall tithe all
the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.
Few people eagerly pay their tax bills. Some fight the
government's right to collect them. After all, the reasoning goes, it's our
money, so we should decide what to do with it.
Moses had a different point of view. Tithing-giving a tenth
of what Israel received from the land-was not a matter of giving the Lord a
part of what Israel owned so they could do with the rest as they pleased. All
of Israel's income belonged to the Lord, the land's owner. Whatever Israel
received was God's gift to them.
The yearly tithe acknowledged this gift and the
responsibility of helping people who could not give: non-citizens, the
fatherless, widows, and the Levites. This way everyone could share in the
Lord's bounty.
Tithing, or giving money to the church for its ministry, is
not a tax to be paid to keep your membership. In the Old Testament, gifts for
the tabernacle were voluntary (Exodus 35:20-21; 36:6-7), and the same was true
for the church in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Yes, you can go to church for free, because God's
forgiveness cannot be bought. But the question is, What is God's grace worth to
you? If you believe God has provided you with nothing, live accordingly. But if
you know that everything you have comes from God's hand, then give as you have
received.
Dear Lord, we have received so much from You, help us to
give cheerfully in return. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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