Wednesday February 14
Honest Tithe: Holy to the Lord
We often talk about giving God tithe. But how do we give to God what He already owns?
Read Leviticus 27:30.
And all the tithe of the land, [whether] of the seed of the land, [or] of the fruit of the tree, [is] the LORD'S: [it is] holy unto the LORD.
What two important points are found in this text in regard to tithe?
The tithe is God's, so is all of the seed and all of the fruit. But, the tithe is holy. It is set aside for a holy purpose. What is that holy purpose? And, is that purpose being fulfilled? If we are going to be transparent, if we are going to teach the truth, then we need to go beyond what is comfortable to the real issues. If Israel was teaching a false gospel, then they would have been guilty of using a holy tithe for an unholy purpose.
That is easy to see. They slaughtered millions of lambs, but they did so in a meritorious manner. That was not a holy use of the lamb that was tithed into the church. So, can we honestly look at the present situation where we all understand there are many "gospels" coming forth from minsters who are being paid by the tithe, the holy tithe. The Bible says "accursed" be the man that brings "another" gospel into the church. We cannot call the tithe holy and not call the minister accursed who takes the holy tithe and perverts the gospel message and leads many to perdition.
When we can acknowledge this, then we can honestly call the tithe holy and expect that there will be a teaching that makes clear the responsibility of the minister to teach the Word of God, not the traditions and wisdom of faulty man. We need faithful teachers in our schools that rightly educate our young people, including the seminaries that educate our pastors and administrators.
“Tithe belongs to the Lord and therefore is holy. It does not become holy through a vow or a consecration act. It is simply holy by its very nature; it belongs to the Lord. No one except God has a right to it. No one can consecrate it to the Lord, because tithe is never part of a person’s property.” - Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, Stewardship Roots (Silver Spring, Md.: Stewardship Ministries Department, 1994), p. 52.
Well...the tithe in fact goes to the ones teaching the truth. If we will teach the truth as it is in Jesus, we will better be able to explain why we tithe into a Laodicean church. And, we will also explain that a backslidden church that misuses the tithe to teach error will be responsible to God, not the one who paid tithe after attempting to correct the problem in the church. That is to say, we may pay tithe into the church even though the tithe is not being used properly, if we have attempted to correct the problem. Those who misuse the tithe will be responsible to God for the misuse of the holy tithe.
It also helps to understand that those who stand on vantage ground, the church leaders, will be held to a much higher standard than those not in leadership positions in the church. In other words, it will more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for unfaithful ministers who are responsible for misusing the holy tithe. Conference officers who allow false shepherds into the ministry and leave them there, while paying them with the holy tithe will one day be judged for doing so. We do not believe in hell fire that burns for eternity. But, we do believe the Bible teaches that hell fire will burn unrepentant sinners until justice has been satisfied. That judgment will begin with the leadership of the church (See Ezekiel 9).
We do not make tithe holy; God does so by designation. He has that right. As stewards, we return to Him what is His. Tithe is dedicated to God for a specific task. Holding it for any other designation is dishonest. The practice of returning a holy tithe is never to be broken.
Amen. And the use of that holy tithe is never to be perverted. The tithe is dedicated for a specific task. That task is the preaching of the gospel message, that message which was rejected by much of the leadership in 1888, and has been rejected to a great degree ever since. And, what do we hear about it? Nothing. Let the Sabbath School be honest in its teaching. Let our people look to Scripture not to man. A half truth is a lie. Let the holy tithe be holy. Let the holy tithe we used for it intended task. And, when a Laodicean church perverts the truth and misuses the holy tithe to teach "another gospel," then let the church leaders repent in sack cloth and ashes. The practice of using the holy tithe for teaching the gospel is never to be broken. But, it has been broken and the lesson is silent. Why?
Read Hebrews 7:2-10.
7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
7:4 Now consider how great this man [was], unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
7:10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
How does Paul’s discussion of Abraham’s tithing to Melchizedek reveal a deeper significance of tithing? To whom was Abraham really tithing?
Thus, as the Sabbath is holy, so the tithe is holy. The word “holy” means “set apart for sacred use.” The Sabbath and the tithe are connected in this way. We set apart the seventh-day Sabbath as sacred, as holy; and we set apart the tithe as God’s sacred possession, as that which is holy.
Amen! And what is that holy use? What is that "sacred" use? It is not for the preaching of "another gospel."
“God has sanctified the seventh day. That specified portion of time, set apart by God Himself for religious worship, continues as sacred today as when first hallowed by our Creator.
“In like manner a tithe of our income is ‘holy unto the Lord.’ The New Testament does not reenact the law of the tithe, as it does not that of the Sabbath; for the validity of both is assumed, and their deep spiritual import explained. . . . While we as a people are seeking faithfully to give to God the time which He has reserved as His own, shall we not also render to Him that portion of our means which He claims?” - Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, p. 66.
What can you do to help keep the realization alive in your heart and mind that your tithe is, indeed, “holy”?
We must go to the church leadership and express our sorrow and concern that the holy tithe is being misused. It is going to support those who preach "another gospel." Sadly, many in leadership positions are not bothered by the multitude of false gospels being proclaimed in God's church. None can argue that this is not the case. One may argue that one is correct and others are false, but that is not the primary issue that is seen by all. That there are many "gospels" being preached is a fact. And, that nothing is done about the use of the holy tithe to support false gospels is also apparent to all who have eyes to see.
If one continues to pay tithe into the church and says nothing about the misuse of the holy tithe, then he is guilty of that misuse of the holy tithe he has paid into the church.
Earlier in this week's lesson, I asked what are the weightier matters that Jesus spoke of? This is one of them. That the gospel would be perverted by ministers in God's church is a very serious matter. What did Jesus say? "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."
So, we ought to pay tithe, but ministers and others pass over the gospel message of judgment and love. Notice that Jesus did not separate judgment and love. Satan does that and so do those who do his work. In the church today, we see this often in our pulpits and coming forth from our presses. Judgment is separated from love. There are two forks in the road, not just one. Satan has made provision for all who do not seek after the truth. It has been Satan's position all along to charge God with being unfair. If He forgives the sinner, then He is not just. Or, if He does not forgive the sinner, then He is not merciful. But, Christ does both. At the cross, justice met mercy, both were satisfied.
Let none say man cannot keep the law, in Christ he is empowered to keep the law. Let none say they can keep the law without giving the whole heart to Christ, for man is sinful by nature and can do no good thing until He is filled with the Holy Spirit at conversion. Thus, the gospel message is seen in its beauty and truth.
Those who pass over the gospel truth and pay tithe are like unto the Pharisees in Christ's day. If we pay tithe, and say nothing about the unholy use of it, we like they are guilty.