Are You Tithing? - 2 Chronicles 31-33
Insight Into Scripture
Today, we read further about the good king Hezekiah. Chapter 31 tells of how GOD blessed king Hezekiah and HIS people when they started tithing.Chapter 32 tells of how king Hezekiah got wind of the Assyrians planned attack, king Hezekiah planned for the Assyrian's attack and encouraged his people not to be afraid. GOD rescued king Hezekiah and HIS people.Chapter 33 tells of 2 more kings; Manasseh, and Amon. They both did evil in the sight of the LORD.
King Hezekiah's water supply tunnel was quite impressive. It ran 1750 feet through bedrock which they carved! (32:3)
Bringing the Bible Alive
This is a picture of the water tunnel that king Hezekiah had built, it would bring water into Jerusalem. This is considered to be one of the greatest works of water engineering technology in the pre-Classical period.
You can tell that king Hezekiah was a thinker, to plan the counter attack of the assyrians, the king blocked the water supply. You can see more pictues of the tunnel by clicking in the picure. These pictures are taken from Bibleplaces.com
Scripture Verse
4 And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps. 7 In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. 9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, "Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left." - 2 Chronicles 31:4-10 ESV
Thought For the Day
This is a subject that GOD has laid dear to my heart. It is very hard to let GOD control our money. Money means security here on earth, but not in heaven. It is a false sense of security.
Do you tithe 10%? Really have you figured out how much you take in, and give GOD 10% of that? When you do that, it is a pretty large amount, especially when you do not have that much for the month. This is something that I have tested GOD on. Do You know that GOD challenges us to test HIM on this? See Malachi 3:10, it is the last book in the Old Testament.
Money has always been hard for me; for me it is a sense of security. But, when I became very sick and lost my job, I made a commitment to tithe 10%. It was very hard at times, but, I stuck with it. I have to tell you, it has been amazing. There have been months that I can't tell you how we have had enough money to make it. There have been some months where money just showed up in the form of a check.
Our family should be in major debt, as we racked up over $500,000 in medical bills. But, GOD ALWAYS came through. In fact GOD has blessed our socks off, HE has given us a new house in only a place that I dreamed of living.
I am on a quest to see where the tithing ends. We are now tithing 20%, yes it is very SCARY! But, I have been amazed by how GOD provides. Tithing does not have to be boring; for us, we love to help families in need, or support missionaries, or buy little gifts for people in the body that are hurting. Anything that advances or supports HIS kingdom we love to do.
You will find neat things happen just as Hezekiah found out when his people stepped up and started giving. I would challenge you to challenge GOD. If your tithing is not where you know in your heart it should be, step up and challenge GOD. Make it fun as our family has, but, go into it with the right attitude. If you are expecting something in return, that is not how GOD works, it is trust on your part. Can you imagine if everyone stepped up and really started tithing, we would move mountains!
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus
Thank You Father for this challenge, this challenge to trust You in a whole other part of our lives. Father I pray that I continue to have the right heart and I pray that You continue to give me great ideas of how to help Your people. Father I thank you for this time with You and I pray for all of the readers, please bless them.
I love You and I pray in Your great Name,
Amen.
6 comments:
------TITHING TESTAMONY-------
Luke 6:38:
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. I am sure that there have been more than three times in my life where the WORD OF GOD liberated me / set me free here are 3: First, SALVATION, freed me from sin and taught me about GRACE, Second, BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, allowed me to experience God in greater FULLNESS and POWER within me, Third, TITHING, never shown Malachi 3:10 until several years ago.
I had always been TAUGHT to tithe but my purse strings stayed closed for many reason. I want to try to share one way I was being deceived. We would tithe for a few weeks and then something financially would come up that the only way we could see to handle was the use of the money that should be going to tithe, this happened repeatly. A second thing started to be used against me and this was were Malachi liberated. My Christian commentment took a big leap back in the 70's. It also was a time of teaching that you can still hear today but it was rampant to the excess and destroyed many a Christian walk. This was what many now and then called the "name it and claim it", The T.V. minister were all teaching give to their ministry and you will be blessed, financially especially. I do have to thank God for his descernment as I felt that there was much about this teaching that was not God supportive but Man supportive.
Now, I have always had a giving heart and never expected anythng in return. With the teaching I was hearing when we TITHED I felt really guilty like I was only doing it to recieve and I did not want to be giving to God with a MOTIVE behind it. It felt like I was saying if You give to me I will give to You. Not knowing that I was close to a biblical principle. It was not for 25 years that I would hear a sermon from Malachi that let me know that I could say to God PROVE ME, even when times were hard or if I felt the money could be used elsewhere if only, lets say one week and did not and I TITHED! This has become as natural to us now as giving thanks to God for all things.
The words in:
Malachi 3:10:
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and.....PROVE ME (2 key words) now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
If only the CHRISTIANS did what Malachi says there would be know need for social security, medicare, medicade or any government assistants.
From the day I heard this my purse strings came open. They came open with the 10% that the Word says to bring to the storehouse, which is my place of worship and teaching, and then above the offerings to many other areas where God can be served.
In closing I can say years later this is NOT BECUASE I could prove God but knowing that I had the WORD to use against the devil, he could no longer whisper lies to me.
OUR LIBERATION is truly in the WORD!
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
Bible Trivia:
What two disciples let their anger get the best of them by suggesting that a Samaritan village that had snubbed Jesus be destroyed by fire from heaven?
ANSWER: James and John
Luke 9:50-54:
54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
IN CHRIST
Ecc. 3
Donna
"If only the CHRISTIANS did what Malachi says there would be know need for social security, medicare, medicade or any government assistants." ---
AMEN to that!!!
One thing that I admire about the Mormon religion.... they do REQUIRE their people to give 10% (I do not admire that they REQUIRE) but they are a great family, and help all those in need that are in their body. The support is wonderful. We need to grasp that, then extend that spirit to our body and reach out to the lost!! That is one area that the Mormons fail. You have to be in their circle to receive help. WE need to reach out!!!
I love this passage in Trivia {Luke 9:50-54). You know how I love to show meaning and symbolism found in the Bible as with numbers in scripture and the origing, meaning and descriptive characteristic fits a name.
If you know or don't the sur name of James and John, Luke 9:50-54 is attributed with them receiving their sur name.
They are referred to as "THE SONS OF THUNDER"
It was a very usual thing among the Jews to give surnames, which signified some particular quality
It was, their desire to bring fire down from heaven, i.e. a storm of thunder and lightning, to overturn and consume a certain Samaritan village. The inhabitants of which would not receive Jesus.
SONS OF THUNDER / JAMES AND JOHN continued to have just such zeal and power in preaching the Gospel.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
P.S.
To the reaching out that is a BIG BIG BIG amem. I noticed I did not complete my thought, but YOU DID IT SO WELL.
There are so many relegions/organizations that set forth rules/legalities that must be followed to the letter to be a part of their body / community. Yes these things being strictly enforced allows them to do the things you mentioned WITHIN.
This is one of the BIGGIES that sets Christianity a part from all these other relegions. That we are afforded the right to serve in all areas by our will, this is we get to experience Gods GRACE. Those that have caught sight of the priciple of tithing God so stretches, like the loaves and fishes. Only one child had but ALL had was given and look what it feed and was taken home.
There is a lot more to be said about FAITH over LEGALISM.
Using rules or legalism to obtain obedience of someone most often will lead to that person depending upon works for their entrance in Heaven and we all know what the scriptures say about that:
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 3:27
27. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
I'm not sure of the leading to post these scriptures but I since that I am to include:
Matthew 19:24:
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Found also in: Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25
Matthew 7:13-14
13. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Let me suggest the reading of the entire chapter of Matthew 7
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
"Only one child had but ALL had was given and look what it feed and was taken home."----
Very GOOD example of how giving!!!
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