Be Different
Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 9-11, 19-23; 15:7-11
One of my most vivid memories of childhood is seeing my mom and dad at the kitchen table on Sunday mornings preparing their tithe before we left for church. Through good times and bad, the picture never changed. They did it together, but each gave. There was no discussion about whether or not they could afford to give. That matter had been settled long before I arrived on the scene.
One Sunday as the offering plate headed our way, I said to my dad, “I don’t have an envelope. They won’t know who gave it.” He said, “God knows.” With those two words, he cut through all of the theological arguments. The tithe belongs to God. You don’t give it so that others will know nor do you give it to the church. You give it to God. Since that day, I have heard and read many sermons on tithing. There are books on the topic, but none speak with the clarity with which my dad spoke.
Tithing is recognizing that everything we have comes from God. The tithe belongs to God. It is not ours; therefore, we do not get to decide how it is used. We are not to regard it as a weapon in our churches. Does my church sometimes make financial decisions that I would not make? Of course, it does. Whenever human beings are in charge, there will be differences of opinion and even poor judgments. Those are different issues. My responsibility is to give back to God a portion of what has been given to me.
The God who created mankind also created us with a need to give. Giving allows us to have a part in the Great Commission. It teaches discipline in ordering our priorities. Tithing does not release us of our obligations to help those who are in need. The text makes it clear that we are to be generous, open-hearted and open-handed toward those among us who are in need of help. Helping those who need our assistance is a part of our relationship with God.
The laws given to the children of Israel served multiple purposes. Some were to emphasize their distinctiveness as the chosen people of God. Others were to promote both physical and spiritual health. The laws about what they could or could not eat were directed to both their physical and spiritual well-being. Today we know that some foods promote our good health and other foods do not. Many of the food laws for the children of Israel served ceremonial purposes, just as food does in our culture today. Thomas McKibbens, pastor of the First Baptist Church Of Worcester, Mass., says if you show him the menu of a church dinner, he can tell you not only the section of the country but the denomination of the congregation. Throughout history, food has served both a ceremonial and hospitality function.
Today we are free from the laws that served the children of Israel well, but we are under the same commandment to love and serve God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength.
Carnell– Lessons in the ETB series for the winter quarter are being written by Mitch Carnell, member of First Baptist Church, Charleston.