The Foundations of the Faith

Studies in Genesis 1-11

Sermon Number Twenty-four: The Doctrine of Sacrifice (part 4)

Jim Bordwine, Th.D.

Introduction

REVIEW

After studying the basic principle behind the obligation to honor God, which is found in Gen. 4, we have begun examining the ways in which this teaching is seen in the rest of Scripture. I mentioned that there are four avenues of development. Each one has at its core, the basic doctrine of acknowledging God because He alone is God. The first line of development, which we have examined, has to do with thanksgiving. In the last sermon, we explored the subject of thanksgiving. I started with an incident which occurs at the end of the story of Noah and the flood. In Gen. 8:20, we read: “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” This statement comes after God commanded Noah to exit the ark. Given the context of this incident, I noted that it is reasonable to assume that Noah was expressing gratitude to the LORD in this act. I suggested that such an offering simply could not have been made except with an attitude of thanksgiving. Along with whatever redemptive elements we might see in the offering of Noah’s sacrifices, we can certainly discern, as well, the element of gratefulness.

We then turned to two examples in the Psalms which show a refining of the doctrine of thanksgiving so that the thanksgiving itself becomes the sacrifice, thus doing away with the need for a literal animal offering and taking us closer to the heart of this duty which is required of us. The theology of giving thanks in the Psalms takes us from the example of Noah, who expressed gratefulness through a symbol, namely, the animal offerings, to the purest form of thanksgiving, that being the human heart which swells up with praise to God for His goodness. In Psa. 50, for example, God is extolled as the Judge of both the righteous and the wicked. The writer specifies: “14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High...” I pointed out that the Hebrew says: “Sacrifice to God thanksgiving,” which makes the meaning clear. In this Psalm, God is speaking of the one thing which He desires, which is not an empty show of religion like Cain, but a genuine expression of gratitude; and He figuratively calls it a sacrifice as if a worshiper’s feelings of thanksgiving could somehow be given tangible form and then raised up to the LORD in praise.

Another example was seen in Psa. 116. In this Psalm, the writer expresses appreciation for God’s love and attention. As he continues contemplating what God had done for him, the author asks an important question: “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?” (v. 12) The writer answers: “To Thee I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the LORD.” (v. 17) Here, again, the giving of thanks is shown to be one of the duties of those who know the LORD and have benefited from His kindness and attention. This is what moved Abel to bring an offering to the LORD; this is what made Cain’s offering a hypocrisy; and this is what prompted Noah to make an offering after the flood.

The second line of development has to do with tithing. This is the issue we want to consider today.

02. The Development of the Doctrine (continued)

The Bible does have something to say about the way in which we manage the material blessings that we receive from God. Scripture teaches that there is no part of our lives that is “off limits” when it comes to the instruction and inspection of God’s Word. If the Bible has something to say about how we should handle the resources that God gives us, then we are obliged to listen and comply. This means that I am responsible to obey the teaching of the Bible where my bank account is concerned just as surely as I am bound to obey the teaching of the Bible in every other area of life.

As I begin this study on tithing, let me say that this doctrine has to do with God’s creatures returning to God a portion of what He sees fit to give us. The word “tithe” refers to ten percent of some possession. The basic concept behind the practice of tithing is that of recognizing the worth of the One receiving the tithe, a principle, of course, which originates in Gen. 4. Like the duty of giving thanks to God, the practice of tithing is related to the most fundamental aspects of our relationship with God because of what it reflects and what it teaches.

I want to stress that one of the biggest misunderstandings concerning tithing is the belief that it is a “Jewish” doctrine which has no application in the Church today. It takes only a little bit of study, however, to discover that the concept of tithing is “pre-Mosaic”; that is, as a doctrine and practice, tithing existed long before there was a nation of Israel and, therefore, long before the specific tithing legislation that we find in the Law of Moses. Specifically, we find the principle for tithing in Gen. 4. This chapter, as we have seen, illustrates the principle of honoring the Creator with what the Creator provides. We have covered the story of Cain and Abel in depth and now we are ready to move to another passage which shows that the fundamental notion found in Gen. 4 forms the foundation for the doctrine of tithing.

In Gen. 14, we read of Abraham’s rescue of Lot from certain enemies who had taken him captive during a raid on Sodom. As Abraham was returning to his home following the battle, he was met by the king of Sodom and someone named Melchizedek:

13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people. 17 Then after his return from the defeat of Che-dor-la-omer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tenth of all.

Notice that Melchizedek is designated as a priest of God Most High; he is a representative of God, one who stands between God and men as a mediator. And in that capacity he blesses Abraham and declares that Abraham’s recent victory is a result of God’s blessing. Abraham had experienced a wonderful triumph over his enemies and had returned with an abundance of spoils. Melchizedek indicates that Abraham’s conquest, which was evidenced in the possessions he now controlled, was a result of God’s favor; the spoils of battle were testimony to God’s goodness and provision. It is from that bounty that Abraham pays a tenth, or tithe, to Melchizedek. Abraham paid a tithe to this priest of God from the increase which God had supplied providentially.

This passage, coupled with Gen. 4, implies that it is part of human nature to honor the Creator in this fashion; it is a natural act for the creature, man, to express his beliefs in and about God by giving to God a token portion of his possessions. Long before God gave any specific legislation concerning tithing, people were tithing and they were tithing from the very beginning of time. This is particularly evident from the account of Cain and Abel. The first generation to descend from Adam and Eve obviously were in the habit of bringing a portion of their increase to the Lord as a way of honoring Him.

The tithe gives expression to a fundamental need of the human soul which is to recognize the existence of the Creator. This is why we find the practice of tithing in existence so early in human history and it is why we find the practice of tithing before God gave any specific law regarding tithing. Paying tribute to God is an act which arises from the inherent awareness of the soul; to be alive is to know the obligation of honoring God. If this is true, then it should be stated further that the tithe belongs to God; it is something which is due to Him because it reflects the Creator-creature relationship in such a basic manner.

In Abraham’s case, we see the patriarch responding to the Creator’s blessing by taking a small portion of what he had received from God and returning it to God through a mediator. Abraham’s giving of a tithe to Melchizedek testified that Abraham was inferior to the greater Melchizedek, or, to be more precise, Abraham’s tithe to God’s representative showed his recognition of the Creator-creature relationship. Abraham honored God with the giving of the tithe and the reason he did this was because God was responsible, as Melchizedek declared, for Abraham’s recent victory. Abraham’s gift to Melchizedek was the same as a declaration on Abraham’s part that God enabled him to be victorious and God was responsible for the bounty he now possessed and, in fact, God owned the bounty he possessed. Abraham was obligated to honor Melchizedek because Melchizedek stood for God and received what Abraham offered on God’s behalf.

If these interpretations are correct, then we see that the earliest record of human history contains this basic and indispensable element that defines the Creator-creature relationship. The creature shows that he knows he is a creature and that whatever he has, he has received from God, by taking a small bit of those material favors and offering them to God. This act, which becomes more refined as God’s revelation unfolds, is glorious in its implications; it is a simple act which is packed with meaning. The Creator, because He is the Creator, is worthy of being recognized and honored for His status and the best way and the simplest way to do that is by returning to Him a portion of what He gives to us. The portion that is returned, consequently, testifies that we understand that all that we have received comes from God and belongs to God.

I’ve mentioned that the doctrine of tithing was most fully explained in the Law given to Moses. A better way to say this is that the Mosaic legislation codified a universally recognized practice. As we’ve seen, the principle of tithing was understood and practiced long before it was made a part of the covenant Law. To show the connection between what we find early in Genesis and what comes later, I’ll briefly summarize the Law regarding tithing.

There were three types of tithes in Mosaic Law. First, there was the Lord’s tithe, which was given to the Levites and priests so that they had a means of support in return for the service that they rendered unto God (Num. 18:21 ff.). Second, there was the festival tithe, which was used by the worshiper to rejoice before the Lord at three annual religious celebrations in remembrance of all of God’s blessings (Deut. 12:6, 7). Third, there was the poor tithe, which was due every third year and was to be shared locally with Levites, strangers, the fatherless, widows and others who could not provide for themselves (Deut. 14:27-29). When these passages are studied, several facts can be stated which help us see how the principle of tithing developed in Israel and how our study of that development might greatly benefit us today.

Here are the facts to be observed: First, these passages teach us that the obligation to tithe was clearly understood. The general duty to honor the Lord by returning to Him a portion of what He had given, which we saw illustrated in Gen. 4 and 14, is emphasized unmistakably in the Mosaic legislation. All three tithes which were required by God stemmed from His previous abundant blessing. The principle of honoring the Creator by returning to Him a symbolic portion of what He had provided is the foundation for the law of the tithe in Israel.

Second, it also is obvious that the tithe was used for the support of the institutionalized version of the nation’s religious life, that is, the priesthood and its associated functions. The tithe provided for the material needs of the Levites and priests who made up the religious order of the day; they were able to give undivided service to God, according to their callings, without worrying about their basic sustenance. And, third, related to this is the fact that the tithe enabled the religious order to minister to the truly needed in the land. This meant that basic social functions were overseen by the Levites, not the state and thus the tithe maintained the proper balance between the strictly religious and civil aspects of Israel’s existence.

Fourth, the tithe was proportionate to a man’s wealth. Percentage-wise, the tithe of the poor man was the same as the tithe of the wealthy man. This system allowed all men to honor God as was indicated by the fact that they were His creatures; but it also meant that each man honored God according to God’s blessings, not according to some arbitrary standard which might have favored some while bringing hardship to others.

All of this brings me to one last concern, which is the benefits of tithing. Here, I want to state three presuppositions which I believe result from this study. First, I am presupposing that there is a universal duty to tithe to God and, since this duty is universal, it certainly applies to us. So, as far as I’m concerned, Christians should be tithing if they desire to obey God. We should be tithing eagerly and generously; we should not be seeking to tithe the very least amount possible. If anything more is to be said, it is that we need to re-examine the Mosaic Law to see if our single, general-purpose tithe is enough. I’m not saying that we are bound by the Mosaic Law, but I am saying that the Mosaic Law is instructive in this matter.

Second, I am presupposing that the Church, as the institutionalized version of Biblical religion today, has the duty and privilege to collect the tithe. This means that local churches should strongly encourage their members to tithe and the matter should not be avoided as if the Church has no business getting into this area. As I said in the beginning, since the Bible speaks about this area of our lives, it cannot be considered “off limits” when it comes to the instruction and oversight of the Church.

Third, I am presupposing that the Church has the responsibility to use the tithe according to the patterns revealed in God’s Word. The tithe which the Church receives should provide for Her support and for the accomplishment of the task assigned to Her by Jesus Christ. This, of course, means that the Church must exercise caution in the use of the tithe. The money the Church receives in the tithe is, in a most significant way, God’s money and must be treated as such.

So, given what we’ve learned and my three presuppositions, what are the benefits of tithing? I’ll answer this question from two perspectives, that of the worshiper and that of the Church. As far as the worshiper is concerned, foremost among the benefits of tithing is the reinforcement of the Creator-creature relationship and its implications. Understanding who we are in relation to God and what are the implications of who we are in relation to God is vital to our spiritual well-being. The tithe helps establish and maintain in our minds and in our deeds that most basic of relationships.

And, in the process of establishing and maintaining that relationship, tithing removes us from subjection to God’s discipline, at least in this one particular area. I’m saying, of course, that failing to tithe is sin. This is taught clearly, by the way, in Mal. 3 where the Lord accuses the Jews of robbing Him by withholding the tithe. He admonishes the people to pay the tithe as they are obligated and, in return, He promises to “open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing until it overflows.” (v. 10) I say once again, that tithing is a basic and key element in a peaceful, happy and prosperous relationship with God.

What are the benefits of tithing from the Church’s perspective? Most obviously, tithing eliminates the need for the local church to “pester” people to give so that the local church can pay its bills and be about the work assigned to her by the Savior. Many believers, and certainly many more unbelievers, view the institutional Church as “money-hungry” these days. This is the impression given because, generally speaking, God’s people don’t tithe and so local churches have to spend a lot of time trying to persuade Christians to give money. It’s interesting to note this irony. Those who don’t tithe expect the local congregation to hire a pastor, buy an organ or piano, put up a building, supply books for studies, give money to missionaries, etc., etc., but they are offended when the church talks about needing funds. To those folks, I say: Get over it. God says that He owns your increase, whatever it is and you owe him the tithe.

Another benefit of tithing for the Church is that when the purpose of the tithe is understood, this greatly aids the Church in determining how She will use what She receives. If the tithe belongs to God, as it surely does, and if He has given us some specific guidelines as to how that tithe is to be used, as He has, then the local congregation need not spend a great deal of time deciding how she is going to make us of God’s tithe. She can use it for her own support and she can use it to help accomplish the task assigned to Her in the Great Commission. This means, of course, that some of the programs and individuals who are receiving God’s tithe money are not entitled to it. The Church has no obligation to fund a ministry or program just because it bears the name Christian.

But we have a problem. Non-tithing Christians have forced the Church to ask for support and this puts the Church in the regrettable position of having to be sensitive to the wants of those giving the money. When Christians do give money to the Church, too often it is viewed by them as a gift instead of what already belongs to God (I’m speaking here strictly of tithe money). So we have a lot of designated giving in the modern Church; we have a lot of examples where what is, in essence, tithe money, is being giving with “strings attached.” Tithe money should come to the Church not as a gift, but as the fulfillment of a duty. Tithe money already has been designated, if we want to use that term, by God. It is designated for the support and work of the Church. This doesn’t rule out additional giving which the worshiper can control; but tithe money, that is, the first ten percent of our increase, belongs to God and we have one duty and that is to give it to Him.

03. The Application of the Doctrine

Most of what I’ve just said could be considered application, of course; however, there is one more thought which I would like to offer. It has to do with what I’ll call the “difficulty” of tithing. Perhaps it is what tithing symbolizes which makes it so very difficult for believers to accept. When we tithe, we are saying that we own nothing; the tithe which is returned to God is representative of all that we have in our possession so that in returning that portion to Him, we are declaring that He is, in a sense, just “loaning” us whatever money and material goods we accumulate and use in life. We are saying that whatever we have, whatever we have gathered, whatever constitutes our material well-being, no matter how great or how small, has been given to us by a kind and gracious God. When we tithe, we are saying that we did not gather what we have by our own doing, so we hardly can brag about it; we are saying it belongs to God and that, of course, has some pretty sobering implications for how we dispose of what we have.

Perhaps this is why the doctrine of tithing is so little regarded in the Church. When it is practiced, it reduces us to creatures who are dependent upon God for everything; and try as we might to ignore or dismiss it, we don’t like hearing such things. We don’t like hearing that we are not self-sufficient; we don’t like hearing that our well-being really depends, not on what we can accomplish, but on what God determines to give us. Our culture preaches an entirely different message to us. But just imagine what a kind Father we have! He keeps providing for our needs even when we are slow to acknowledge Him by tithing, even when we are hesitant to admit these truths. He patiently informs us and chastises us to bring us into line because tithing is for our benefit and God knows that. It’s not that God needs our tithe; it’s that we need to tithe because of what it teaches us about our relationship with God.

If you are uncomfortable when a minister talks about tithing, ask yourself: “Why?” There are only two explanations. Either the matter of our finances is personal and “off limits” and is not subject to Biblical instruction, in which case the minister who is charged with explaining the Word has no business getting into that subject; or the flesh is rebelling against such a direct assault upon its sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency. Which is it? As we consider the Biblical evidence, which explanation are we going to accept?

Christians have a way of responding when the issue of tithing is raised. Have you noticed? If a local church dares to present tithing as a Biblical obligation, as a necessary duty for the good of the church, then some Christians react by saying, “Well, all they ever talk about at that church is money; that’s all they care about.” I want you to understand something. The issue here is not money; the issue is your relationship with God. The issue is whether you understand that you are a creature who is loved, protected and provider for by a kind heavenly Father. The issue is whether you understand that as such a creature, you are obligated to honor your heavenly Father.

Whether a Christian tithes or not can be a significant indicator of his spiritual health. For example, if you practice tithing, then you probably have a good understanding of the nature of your existence. And if you understand the nature of your existence, that being a creature living in a world made and managed by a Creator, then you will have less trouble walking rightly in other areas of life. Tithing establishes that basic and necessary perspective for us as creatures of God and once that perspective is established, we are better able to follow God’s revealed will in all things.

On the other hand, if you don’t tithe, then you don’t understand the nature of your existence and you probably have a distorted view of who you are and what your place is in this world. If you don’t tithe, then you are going to have trouble walking rightly before God in other areas of your life; this is because tithing touches the heart of our relationship with God, as I’ve said so many times, and if we have a wrong perspective there, it will be manifested elsewhere.

I can put this in the form of a question: If you don’t surrender your material possessions, what makes you think you can surrender your heart? Be honest; take a look at your life. If you are not tithing, I’d be willing to say that there are other aspects of your Christian life that are in need of correction. This doesn’t mean that the tithing Christian is free from sin; but it does mean that the tithing Christian has taken a giant step toward living in harmony with God. That is how fundamental the principle of tithing is to a well-ordered life.

Conclusion