THEOLOGICAL GLIMPSE OF TITHING AND OFFERINGS IN SCRIPTURE
TITHING
Tithing is an emotive subject among believers with extremes found from both ends of the spectrum. Some contend that failure to tithe brings a person under a curse and others insist that unless a person tithes he will be condemned to an eternity in hell. Some pastors consider tithing to be one of the prerequisites for becoming a member of their congregation. Others argue that tithing has been taken completely out of context and is not a requirement for New Covenant believers. I personally subscribe to this latter view yet how can not respect anyone who chooses to tithe their income if that is what God has led them to do in this very private matter?
In the broader context, the clear and consistent exhortation in Scripture is to offer up our lives in every area to God wholeheartedly and unreservedly, something that’s easily ignored. So, in this article I will reflect upon several key biblical elements of tithing to help guide and facilitate us in this matter.
SETTING THE STAGE
Let’s begin with a selection of people who approach tithing from various perspectives:
- They are meticulous with tithing his gross income, not one penny more or less, and is secretly pleased when others acknowledge and publicly admire his generosity and faithfulness.
- They are confused about tithing which no-one seems able to help them resolve convincingly. Despite faithfully paying their tithe as taught by their denomination, they experience a lack rather than an abundance in their lives even though they sacrifice the needs of their family for the ‘sake of the gospel’ because their pastor informs them that this is the biblical thing to do.
- This type of person takes life in their stride understanding that the most we can ever give God is the very least He deserves. They apply the principle of tithing as a practical yardstick which they find helpful for organising their life. They have no problem with the theological arguments for or against tithing knowing that everything they have anyway belongs to Him. They simply desire to be a good custodian of the abundance which God has filled their lives with.
- Some people have had their fingers burnt just too many times. From the preaching of the prosperity gospel, to formula oriented schemes, they have had enough of it all and prefer not to engage in conversations in this area.
BACKGROUND
In Scripture, the primary purpose of tithing was to remind people that the things in life that sustained them were a blessing from God. Additionally, it was an annual agricultural offering that supported the Temple’s maintenance, the Levitical priesthood, the poor, needy and widows in distress.
Tithing was practiced amongst the Jewish people until the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD, after which the law could no longer be applied. The priests and Levites instead found new occupations. The practice of tithing in Judaism has been redundant for almost two millennia. Instead synagogues have been maintained through voluntary offerings. In the time of Yeshua, most rabbis supported themselves in full-time ministry through other occupations such as apostle Paul who was a tentmaker and from voluntary offerings. A paid clergy was only established by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. One scholar has written:
“Constantine was a pagan idol worshipper living in a pantheistic society, so his acceptance of Christ into the pantheon was not necessarily a notable act. However, of all the gods in the pantheon he chose to place his allegiance in the God of the Christians, having supposedly seen a vision of the cross of Christ prior to an ensuing battle, from which he emerged victorious. And although most historians suggest that this alleged vision, along with his subsequent conversion were questionable, most likely arising from superstition, the ramifications of his profession of faith were profound.
Immediately he began spending considerable time and resource in the construction of Christian temples and established a hierarchy of Christian leadership. Initially most of the financing came from the empire, but as time passed the financial burden was shifted to the people in the form of a spiritual taxation, or tithe, that was tied to ones individual profession of piety, and eventually to their salvation.”
Since the priests held, as it were, the keys to heaven, the people sought to stay in their favour. What better way to accommodate this symbiosis than to bind people’s heavenly status with their earthly behaviour in the matter of giving. This satisfies the peoples’ need to give an offering to God, and the priests need for money to keep the system working.
The infusion of pagan and heathen influences, coupled with the resilience of Jewish philosophy lead to a reinstitution of many Old Testament practices. Among these, tithing was of great significance due to the amount of money it generated for the new clergy class.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF TITHING
The Account of Melchizedek (Gen.14)
In the Book of Hebrews, Melchizedek is described as being without mother or father, or descent, and without a beginning of days. When we understand this from a Hebrew perspective, it provides us with a very different meaning from that which is popularly accepted. What the writer of the the Book of Hebrews is conveying is that Melchizedek’s lineage was undocumented and unknown. The point is that an Israelite priest was required to have documentation of his lineage to be recognised as a priest. This means that Melchizedek is being presented as a type of Messiah personified in Yeshua who had an eternal priesthood higher than that of the Aaronic priesthood for which Melchizedek did not qualify. This is clearly explained in ch.7:15-17:
“It becomes even clearer if a “different kind of cohen,” one like Malki-Tzedek, arises, one who became a priest not by virtue of a rule in the Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. For it is stated (in Psalm 110 verse 4 that), “You (Yeshua) are a cohen FOREVER, to be compared (or, of the rank) with Malki-Tzedek.”
Abram’s tithe to Melchizedek was a once-off tithe of war after he had delivered him from his enemies.
Jacob’s Encounter
In Gen.28, we are provided with an additional example of tithing with Jacob when he made a covenant with God:
“Ya‘akov took this vow: “If God will be with me and will guard me on this road that I am traveling, giving me bread to eat and clothes to wear, 21 so that I return to my father’s house in peace, then Adonai will be my God; 22 and this stone, which I have set up as a standing-stone, will be God’s house; and of everything you give me, I will faithfully return one-tenth to you.”
Jacob wanted to play things safe. Although God had already promised Jacob protection against Esau, he just wanted to make sure and consequently offered Him a one-off tithe.
Malachi ch. 3 and the Storehouse
Perhaps the most popular passage used in defence of tithing is from the Book of Malachi:
“Since the days of your forefathers you have turned from my laws and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
“But you ask, ‘In respect to what are we supposed to return?’Can a person rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’
In tenths and voluntary contributions. A curse is on you, on your whole nation, because you rob me. Bring the whole tenth into the storehouse, so that there will be food in my house, and put me to the test,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “See if I won’t open for you the floodgates of heaven and pour out for you a blessing far beyond your needs.”
Malachi was a prophet who ministered around the period of Nehemiah and Ezra during the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple. He specifically referred to the problem regarding the failure of the Israelites to pay their Temple tithes which resulted in the priesthood being placed in dire straits.
The Old Testament storehouse, represented by the Temple, symbolises our Heavenly abode, our true storehouse which has limitless storage. The challenge for believers today is to fill our Heavenly storehouse with the fruit of our lives which will be reflected in the Heavenly mansions promised us by Yeshua.
The storehouse was the place where the poor and needy could find their physical needs met. We will see in the next section just how the tithe was distributed. Only 1% was reserved for the priest whilst the remainder was kept in the Levitical cities of refuge: Later, in the Book of Nehemiah, it states:
“We, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the people, will cast lots in connection with the wood offering, so that it will be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers’ clans, at specified times, year by year, and then be burned on the altar of Adonai our God, as prescribed in the Torah.
“Every year we will bring the first-fruits of our land and the first-fruits of all fruit from every kind of tree to the house of Adonai. “We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as prescribed in the Torah, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the cohanim ministering in the house of our God.
“We will bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every kind of tree, wine and olive oil to the cohanim in the storerooms of the house of our God, along with the tenths from our land for the L’vi’im; since they, the L’vi’im, take the tenths in all the cities where we farm. The cohen the descendant of Aharon is to be with the L’vi’im when the L’vi’im take tenths. The L’vi’im will bring the tenth of the tenth to the house of our God, to the storerooms for supplies.”
THE ORDER OF THE TEMPLE TITHE
Three types of tithes were offered at the Temple.
FIRST TITHE – The first tithe was used to support the maintenance of the Temple and personnel, compensating the Levites for their loss of inheritance among the rest of the tribes. It was an annual offering (Ma’aser Rishon) consisting of a tenth of the crops plus the tenth animal that passed through the rod every year. It was presented to those who presided at the Temple in Jerusalem. People who lived a long distance from the Temple could sell the offering rather than transport it, and used the money as an offering. This tithe was distributed in a precise manner. First the heave-offering (terumah) was set aside for the priest that amounted to a fiftieth of the produce. The first tithe from the remainder was then given to the Levite, and he in turn gave one-tenth of it to the priest. The remainder was eaten by the celebrants in the Levitical cities.
SECOND TITHE – In the second, fourth and fifth years of the sabbatical cycle, a second tithe (Ma’aser Sheni) was taken up for those attending one of the three annual pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem. This tithe included a tenth of all the crops plus firstborn animals. Unlike the first one, all the Israelites ate of this tithe together with the Levites and was closely connected with thanksgiving and celebration.
THIRD TITHE – In the third and sixth years of the sabbatical cycle, a third tithe (Ma’aser Ani) was set aside for the poor, that was in place of the first tithe. This would specifically have included the priests and Levites, the orphans and widows, the wretchedly poor and the stranger in the midst; it was to remain in the towns where it had been distributed.
If we were to total the full tithe over a six year cycle, it would amount to 23.3% and over a seven year cycle, 20%.
This was the system of tithing that Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi sought to restore. We should remember that the Israelites did not tithe in the sabbatical year or in the fiftieth year of Jubilee. Therefore, to interpret Mal.3:8-9 as a proof text to make tithing a requirement, is totally out of context. Indeed, were one even to apply it in this way, one would then be obliged to pay 20% of their gross income instead of 10%!
TO TITHE OR NOT TO TITHE?
To reflect upon the question whether we should tithe or not, one could well answer both yes and no. One might argue that even if there is no biblical mandate to tithe, why would it be wrong to do so if the Lord directed someone accordingly? This argument only holds substance when we view tithing as something voluntary rather than a requirement. However, it should be noted that recent statistics in 2023 show that numbers of those who choose to tithe is diminishing due most likely to economic factors.
Some people find that tithing is a useful baseline and starting point in their giving. God loves a generous giver (in every aspect of our lives) and the principle of sowing and reaping (Gal.6:7;2Cor.9:6) is relevant for every believer alongside the leading of the Holy Spirit. The phrase, “sowing and reaping” is a biblical metaphor representing the things we invest in. When we sow into the Kingdom of God we do so at the risk of losing everything the world applauds. Who labels anyone like this as a fool. Yet, Paul declared that, “…whatever things were gain to me, these I have considered as loss for the sake of Yeshua. 8 More than that, I consider all things to be loss in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of Messiah Yeshua my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things; and I consider them garbage in order that I might gain Him” (Phil. 3:7-8)
Our giving is a matter of the heart and reveals where our real treasure lies. Yeshua taught that it is not the amount we give that matters, but our motives; the desire to walk in obedience and humility, love and integrity. Whenever God prompts us to give, we should be encouraged to respond positively and joyfully, without compulsion, manipulation, threat, fear or ulterior motive. By the way, God’s love and appreciation for everything we give Him, whether sacrificially, out of a surplus or merely from the scraps under the table, joyfully or grudgingly, is received by Him with a grace that should almost make us cringe in shame.
Israel was an agricultural nation and Scripture is full of agricultural illustrations and events which people could easily understand and follow. For example, Yeshua taught that what we sow we will reap that will determine our ranking as believers in eternity: Gold, silver and precious jewels or wood, hay and stubble?
Giving God our best is what He most desires. This is illustrated in Yeshua’s Parable of the Sower in Matt13: “Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a man hears the message of the kingdom and does not grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is like the seed sown by the road-side. The seed sown on the stony patches represents the man who hears the message and eagerly accepts it. But it has not taken root in him and does not last long—the moment trouble or persecution arises through the message he gives up his faith at once. The seed sown among the thorns represents the man who hears the message, and then the worries of this life and the illusions of wealth choke it to death and so it produces no ‘crop’ in his life. But the seed sown on good soil is the man who both hears and understands the message. His life shows a good crop, a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Jewish commentary understands this parable differently from the Western mindset where everything is black and white. The Jewish mindset views things instead as black, white and grey. This places a different complexion on how those who Yeshua addressed would have understood things. What does the grey zone represent? It is something that most people have experienced at some stage in their lives. For example, has there never been a moment of time where our focus was more upon the world than on the Lord resulting in our faith being choked by the weeds? Or, how many times as unbelievers did we allow Satan to snatch away the message of the Gospel before we finally embraced it?
The most important question is, How much do we desire to align our lives fully consecrated unto God for nothing less will earn us a place in the good soil? There are many examples in scripture of people who started well but ended badly and those who started badly but ended well.
It is a sad thing for a person to be stuck in the grey zone. Whether one is struggling, hurt, wounded, betrayed, rejected, embittered apathetic or just tired and ready to give up? Such people need our support and love rather than our condemnation so that they can be reinstated into the good soil.
A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF OFFERING IN SCRIPTURE – PART 1
When a person sinned they made restoration by means of a substitutionary sacrifice through the shedding of blood of an animal in the prescribed manner.
The Book of Leviticus presents the laws of korbanot (קָרְבָּנוֹת offerings), including the korban olah (קָרְבַּן עוֹלָה) or burnt offerings. The Hebrew word korbanot comes from the root word karov (קרב), which means to draw close.
The Hebrew noun ‘olah’ means goes up because the priest would burn the offerings on the wood of the altar, the aroma would go up to be accepted by the Lord.
The sacrifices, once accepted by God, restored closeness and intimacy between Him and His people.
God identified for the priests the five types of sacrifice they were required to give on behalf of the nation of Israel. Each one reflects an aspect of our relationship with the Lord.
- the burnt offering,
- the meal offering,
- the peace offering,
- the sin offering,
- the trespass offering.
1Korban Olah (עלה קרבנ Burnt Offerings – voluntary offering, “Let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.” (Lev.1:3)
The Korban Olah was a voluntary offering that was to be completely burnt and not eaten. This speaks to us of the completeness of God’s forgiveness.
A person brought a male animal without blemish to the door of the Tabernacle. A dove or pigeon could be offered if a person could not afford to bring an animal. The Israelite placed his hands upon its head which would pay the price for his sin. After confession and repentance, the animal was slaughtered.
2. Minchah – present or gift (מִנְחָה Meal Offerings)
The Minchah (present or gift) or Meal Offering was where the people of Israel presented grain offerings. During their time in the wilderness, grain was a rare and precious commodity thought to be equal or more valuable even than livestock. The priests burnt a fistful (Kometz) of this offering on the altar and eat the rest.
The choicest flour was mixed with oil and salt to make a cake, but could not contain leaven or honey. Although honey has a pleasant smell when it boils, it smells bitter and unpleasant when it burns. The offering was to be sweet smelling, as was the incense offered with it.
Salt and leaven represent two entirely different things: salt preserves things, while leaven changes them radically. Leaven is associated with sin, pride, hypocrisy, false teaching and worldliness (1Cor.5:6–8, Lk.12:1, Gal.5:9, Mk. 8:15).
It is interesting that Cain offered a Minchah which was rejected but Abel’s offering of a Korban Olah was accepted.
Abel offered a fat portion of the first-fruit of his flock; however, the Bible does not indicate that Cain brought the first-fruit of his produce. It just says that he brought the fruit of the ground, which seems to indicate that the quality of the offering was substandard. We can infer from this that Cain did not offer the Minchah in faith or with a good attitude. In addition, the korban olah was the only means (by the shedding of blood) by which one can be saved. John adds some more information: “12 Please do not act like Cain, who was of the evil one. He brutally murdered his own brother. Why would he do something so despicable? Because his life was devoted to evil and selfishness, and his brother chose to do what is right.” (1Jn. 3:12)
“When God rejected Cain and his offering, he became embittered. God graciously told him that if would do well, he would be accepted. Cain, however, chose not to follow Adonai’s advice, most likely because of unbelief. That’s when he went from bad to worse. He did not repent, choosing instead a path of rebellion that resulted in him killing his brother.” (Messianic Bible)
“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin (or, a sin offering) is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen.4:7)
3 Shelamim (שְׁלָמִים Peace Offering)
The Shelamim (which is related to the word shalom) was a voluntary offering expressing thanksgiving and unity as when Jacob and Laban made a treaty with each other. (Gen.31:54)
This offering was similar to the burnt offering; however, while male or female animals were acceptable birds were not. They were not fully burned unlike burnt offerings, but only specified portions of fat and internal organs (considered to be the choice parts) were placed on the altar. The rest was eaten by the celebrants. The peace offering represents giving God our deepest emotions and richest offering. The picture here is that because we have peace with God, we can enjoy a fellowship meal with Him.
Birds were not accepted because poultry would not offer as much meat from an offering than from the flock or herd.
4 Chatat (חַטָּאת Sin Offering)
Chatat were offered for unintentional sins (Lev.4:1–4), sins due to carelessness or inadvertence. 1Jn.1:8
The status of the offender dictated the class of ‘chatat.’ If the offender was the high priest or the whole community of Israel, it was considered a more serious sin because it would impact the welfare of the entire nation. A young bull was required and it was burned outside the camp.
If the offender was a leader, such as the king, a male goat was offered. If it was an individual, a female sheep or goat was to be brought and the priests ate the sacrifices within the premises of the Tabernacle.
The chatat was also required for three sins of omission:
a) withholding testimony
b) becoming impure due to an interval of forgetfulness
c) violating an oath unintentionally
5 Asham (אָשָׁם Guilt Offering)
Lev,6:5–7 details the guilt offering of a ram for the following:
•unintentionally using sanctuary property for personal use;
•forestalling punishment for one’s sin when one is uncertain one has sinned or for unknown sin;
•lying under oath or defrauding a person in regards to a found article, a deposit, loan, etc.
For an Asham, it does not suffice to simply offer a sacrifice. The offender was responsible to make restitution with an additional fifth of the value added.
The laws of sacrifices that dominate the early chapters of the book of Leviticus, are among the hardest in the Torah to relate to in the present. It has been almost 2000 years since the Temple was destroyed and the sacrificial system came to an end. But Jewish thinkers, especially the more mystical among them, strove to understand the inner significance of the sacrifices and the statement they made about the relationship between ourselves and God.
Among the simplest yet most profound was the comment made by R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Lubavitch. He noticed a grammatical oddity about the second line contained in Lev.1:2:
“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: when one of you offers a sacrifice to the Lord, the sacrifice must be taken from the cattle, sheep or goats.”
However, in Hebrew the word order of the sentence is unusual. We would expect to read: adam mikem ki yakriv, “when one of you offers a sacrifice”. Instead what it says is adam ki yakriv mikem, “when one offers a sacrifice of you”. The essence of sacrifice, is that we offer ourselves. (Rom.12:1-2)
The physical form of sacrifice –an animal offered on the altar – is only an outward manifestation of an inner act. The real sacrifice is mikem, “of you”. We give God something of ourselves. All of the Hebrew prophets warned that offering sacrifices is empty unless we abide in a close relationship with Him.
The Book of Hebrews informs us that, “under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt…” (9:22) This has been a stumbling block for the Jewish people for almost 2000 years.
There are two things of importance here: the Jewish people as a nation rejected Yeshua as their Messiah. Second, with the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, the sacrificial system came to a grinding halt. And so, traditional Judaism was faced with a big problem. Having run out of biblical options – the rejection of Messiah Yeshua the Lamb of God who offered His life as a permanent solution to sin, and with the Temple which had been razed to the ground – so now there existed no further possibility for the remission of sins. Slowly, there emerged within Rabbinic Judaism something that was unbiblical, that is practiced to this day, where prayer, studying Torah and giving charity became an alternative pathway for salvation and the remission of sins.
No good work, deed, or religious act of devotion can ever in itself remove sin. Isaiah lamented that, “all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a filthy garment, and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away, like the wind.…” Yeshua made it abundantly clear in Jn.14:6 stating, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to God but through Me”.
Judaism cannot offer any guarantee beyond a ‘fingers-crossed’ hope that maybe if one can accrue sufficient ‘brownie points’ one may earn a place in Heaven. But, it comes without any assurance or confidence, because there is none. Consequently, salvation and eternal life is considered a taboo subject better left alone.
However, in the NT, Scripture clearly states that Divine atonement has been attained through Yeshua’s death and resurrection and through Him alone is salvation. All other ways lead ultimately to eternal death.
God provides us with the means to enter a right relationship with Him through Yeshua. Though we were yet afar off, just at the right time, God sent His Son to die for us that we might become ‘karov’ (close) to Him in restored fellowship.
This is beautifully illustrated in Lev.1:5 where the priest was commanded to sacrifice a young bull before the LORD; and then Aaron’s sons would offer up the blood and sprinkle it around on the altar at the doorway of the tabernacle. But, the High Priest not only sprinkled the blood around the altar, but dipped his finger in it and sprinkled it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil. (Lev 4:17)
Likewise, the blood of Yeshua, our ‘Great High Priest’ of the New Covenant, was also sprinkled before the Lord seven times on different occasions in the last moments leading to His crucifixion:
1Yeshua sweated drops of blood when He prayed to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Lk.22:44)
2He was struck in the face until it was “marred beyond recognition.” (Isa.52:14)
3His back was scourged with a whip. (Isa.50:6; Matt 27:26)
4The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head. (Jn.19:2)
5They plucked out His beard. (Isa.50:6)
6They pierced His hands and feet. (Ps.22:16; Lk.24:39;Jn. 20:27)
7They pierced His side with a spear and blood and water came out. (Ps 22:14; Isai. 53:5; Jn.19:34)
Judaism, abhors the concept of human sacrifice, as something detestable to God, as it is written: “Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech. If you do, you are dishonouring the name of your God. I am YHVH.” (Lev.18:21) This is why most Jewish people find it so difficult to believe in Yeshua — human sacrifice has always been associated with paganism.
Knowing that God detests human sacrifice, Jewish people naturally assume that God would never allow someone to die a substitutionary death. However, the prophet Isaiah revealed that long ago God planned to lay all of our sins and iniquities upon the Messiah, “Who though in the form of God did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself — taking on the form of a slave, becoming the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself— obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil.2)
Yeshua’s sacrifice provides us with the sole means whereby we can walk in fellowship with Him. As King David wrote prophetically in Ps.51:5-9,
“For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. 6 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. 7 Behold, I was born in iniquity and in sin when my mother conceived me. 8 Surely You desire truth in the inner being. Make me know wisdom inwardly. 9 Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
The blood of Yeshua, the Lamb of God takes away the sins of those who believe and place their full trust in Him and provides us with the means whereby we can live holy lives that bring glory to His name, life in abundance and an eternity dwelling in the fullness of His presence! What manner of love is this so graciously extended to the whosoever?
PART 2
“1.When you have come to the land Adonai your God is giving you as your inheritance, taken possession of it and settled there; 2 you are to take the firstfruits of all the crops the ground yields, which you will harvest from your land that Adonai your God is giving you, put them in a basket and go to the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live.
8 and Adonai brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. 9 Now he has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 Therefore, as you see, I have now brought the firstfruits of the land which you, Adonai, have given me.’ You are then to put the basket down before Adonai your God, prostrate yourself before Adonai your God, 11 and take joy in all the good that Adonai your God has given you, your household, the Levi and the foreigner living with you.” (Deut 26:1-2;8-11)
As we see from the text, Israel were instructed to bring their first-fruits (‘bikurim’) to God when they entered Canaan. “2 you are to take the firstfruits of all the crops the ground yields, which you will harvest from your land that Adonai your God is giving you…” as a permanent regulation for them and all future generations.
So the previous generation had all died who had been “an unorganized and oblivious mass of people who didn’t know where they are going or the hardships they would have to face and the length of the journey. They were enslaved and with the mentality of enslaved people, and that is why God dragged them 40 years in the wilderness with a series of tests that were not only miracles but also the building of trust.” Rabbi Yosi Shulum
Despite all the ups and downs, God had always been faithful and provided for their needs; “5 I’ve led you through the wilderness for 40 years. The clothes on your back and the sandals on your feet haven’t worn out. 6 You haven’t had bread to eat or wine or strong drink to consume, but I’ve fed you each day with manna so you’d know that I, the Eternal, am your God who protects you and provides for you.”
But now, as the new generation prepared to enter Canaan, a land overflowing with ‘milk and honey’ (abundance) they would seek to cultivate the land that God had given them. Instead of being wanderers in desert places they were now settlers responsible to sow and reap the land with joy as they possessed the land given to them by God.
They had grown from spiritual babies to those who had matured thereby holding a greater accountability towards God. Under the leadership of Joshua they were poised to enter the land that had been promised to them from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And one of God’s first commands when they entered the land was to offer the first fruits of the land to Him, to wholeheartedly offer Him their best as a statement that their lives were a “bikkurim” – a first fruits unto Him.
God always deserves our best and the measure we love Him is demonstrated by the measure we submit our lives under His Lordship, (living sacrifices) regardless of our position in life, (kings or slaves) our material possessions (rich or poor) our education, background or any other outward criteria. Anything less than our best (our bikkurim) falls short and robs Him of what rightly belongs to Him. Better to overcome much with very little than much with an abundance – to contend for the faith no matter how meagre our provision may appear.
The act of offering their first fruits (bikkurim) to God became an integral part of the Israelite’s worship during the 1st and 2nd Temple period but following the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70AD, it became no longer possible to offer sacrifices and was replaced with tzedekah (charity) – giving to the poor and needy.
Tzedekah is still to this day an obligation in Judaism which even the poor are expected to observe.
The sages taught that tzedekah is the highest offering that is eclipsed only by the manner in which one gives. God loves a cheerful giver. We see here the context in 2Cor.9:6: “… whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Yeshua Himself illustrated this point with the widow’s mite (Mk.12:41-44) the least valuable Roman coin, which amounted to only one sixty-fourth of a day’s wages for a labourer. “Then Yeshua sat down opposite the Temple treasury and watched the crowd as they put money into the offering-boxes. Many rich people put in large sums, but a poor widow came and put in two small coins. He called his talmidim to him and said to them, “Yes! I tell you, this poor widow has put more in the offering-box than all the others making donations.”
Rom.12:1-2 defines for us the true meaning of giving in its broadest sense: our time, our talents, our energy not merely our material wealth. This is reflected in a Jewish phrase closely related to tzedekah called ‘gemilut hasadim’ – lovingkindness, and generosity that embraces all aspects of compassion towards others without differentiation that even includes our enemies because once we were also enemies of God as Paul makes clear in Coloss.1:21-22 who offered us “gemilut hasadim” for our salvation: “And you yourselves, who were strangers to God, and, in fact, through the evil things you had done, his spiritual enemies, he has now reconciled you through the death of his body on the cross, so that he might welcome you to his presence clean and pure, without blame or reproach.”
Because of God’s infinite compassion towards us so we can do no less than be truly thankful to the One who has saved us from a lost eternity and reach out in kind to others without differentiation.
There are various types of giving to God, of which one is thankfulness reflected in the worship song: “Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart. Give Thanks To The Holy One. Give Thanks Because He’s Given Jesus Christ, His Son. And Now Let The Weak Say, “I Am Strong”. Let The Poor Say, “I Am Rich because of what the Lord has done…” We recall the root meaning in the ancient Hebrew alphabet (pictogram) for the word “thanks” (baruch) which means to bless God with a gift on bended knee (i.e., in humility). What greater privilege is there in life than this? And what is the best gift we can ever give Him but a life fully surrendered unto Him consecrated with a heart filled with thankfulness!
And another form of giving which is perhaps the most neglected one yet among the most important is forgiving. We forgive others in the knowledge that we have received an infinitely greater measure of forgiveness from God (Deut.26:5-11). This is perhaps one of the greatest expressions of thanksgiving we can offer to God that gives all other expressions we offer to Him substance.
The terms of God’s covenant with His people are reflective of these things in Deut.28:1-14.If the Israelites would choose to faithfully follow His commandments, He would set them high above all the nations of the earth with a level of blessings that would characterise their lives. Their choice was uncomplicated, and unambiguous – blessing or curse – abundant life or enslavement.
This illustrates for us how God has commissioned us to be ‘tikkun olam’ (repairers of the world) by mending the damage caused by sin. God is not concerned with damage limitation or sticky plaster solutions but to bring full restoration to our lives with Divine love and precision. God is rebuilding stone by stone the things that have been broken down through sin and rendered a heap of rubble, that through our restoration we will contribute towards ‘Tikkun olam’ (repairers of the world).
God is busy transforming our garments into ones that mirror His bride. Though our garments were stained and soiled with sin, they shall become as white as snow: “Come now, let us reason together,” says Adonai. “Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they will become like wool.”
Another word similar in scope to joy is “happiness.” To understand it correctly we must view things through a biblical lens. The Hebrew word is (‘ashrei’) the first word in the book of Psalms, translated as ‘blessed’ in the Greek (“makarios”) was used by Yeshua in the sermon on the Mount. Observant Jews recite the prayer known as ‘Ashrei’ three times each day from Ps.145;1-13; 14-21 which defines happiness in the biblical sense and opens with the words, “…I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king; I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised; his greatness is beyond all searching out. Each generation will praise your works to the next and proclaim your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
People will speak of your awesome power, and I will tell of your great deeds. They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness, and they will sing of your righteousness. Adonai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace.”
It’s interesting that the Hebrew word for joy (simcha) occurs almost ten times as frequently as the word ashrei (happiness) and is one of the fundamental themes of Deuteronomy. Both “Simcha” and “Ashrei” clearly stand side to side with each other but why is there a wide discrepancy with their usage in Scripture?
The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote something insightful here that’s linked with first fruits. “Joy plays a key role which has to do with the bringing of first-fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem. After describing the ceremony that took place, the Torah concludes: ” You are then to put the basket down before Adonai your God, prostrate yourself before Adonai your God, 11 and take joy in all the good that Adonai your God has given you, your household, the Levi and the foreigner living with you.” (Deut. 26:10-11).
Scripture is here implying (remez) that bringing one’s first fruits before the Lord is symbolic of a person who presents his best in his life wholeheartedly to God as commanded in the “Shema” (“…to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.” Deut.6:5). This will always result in the “joy of the Lord” – to rejoice in Him in all circumstances.
Interestingly, out of the 39 books of the OT, the one most focused on joy is Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) written by King Solomon (“the preacher”) a book usually associated with unhappiness although it is always read during Sukkot a time of great rejoicing! And yet it uses the word ‘simcha’ 17 times, which is more than the whole of the 5 books of Torah combined. After every thought and reflection regarding the pointlessness of life, Kohelet ends on a note to rejoice: (Eccl.3:12; 3:22; 8:15; 11:8) This is puzzling since the whole book of Ecclesiastes is simultaneously filled with the word “hevel” (“futility”) Our clue is contained in this Hebrew word which properly translated means “a shallow breath.” Our mortal lives are NOT futile (wrongly translated) just a fleeting breath and Kohelet eventually discovers it not fundamentally in happiness with enjoying the material things of life but in the joy of the Lord!
Isai.60 defines joy that’s available for all true believers: “Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you!” These words are in context with the end times such as the times we are now living in. Verse 2 describes the conditions we are currently in: “2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but…
The end of the story has yet to unfold: “…the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes round about you and see! They all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried and nursed in the arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures.”
This momentous event, descriptive of the Millennium age makes us joyful even amid the perilous times we are living in because of the blessed hope that dwells within us (Titus 2:11-15) And so we …arise, shine, (joyfully) that our lights will shine!” in the present as we prepare for what awaits us in the near future! – our blessed hope!
But here is a problem. Many people exchange God’s light for sameness in preference to the pain of His scorching light that destroys the impurities which overshadow our lives – the cost factor of discipleship Sometimes, when we seek God for more of Him, we attempt to dictate the conditions because although we hate the darkness we beg God not to make His light too bright! Sameness is the enemy of fulfilment. Therefore, “Search me O God and know my heart…” (Ps.139)
We shine the brightest when we allow the purest oil to burn within us. When the Maccabees restored the Temple they chose to rekindle God’s light and for this, they needed pure oil in place of what had been defiled. We experience the greatest change when we operate on the level of ‘pure oil’. He will work in ways that are beyond our imagination when we become saturated in His Light. Nothing will ever be mundane again! God is faithful and His light is kindled even when the oil appears to be just enough for one night, for Yeshua is our all-sufficiency.
To summarise – Ps.1 describes the happy “ashrei” (blessed) life of an individual who walks in righteousness according to the Laws of the Lord, but biblically, joy is never about an individual but rather something that we share with others. (Neh.8:10). This is important thing that distinguishes between “ashrei” and “simcha.”
Happiness is an attitude to life but by comparison, joy lives in the moment. We pursue happiness but not so with joy which rather discovers us and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23)
I want to share something that connects to the substance of this message. The Hebrew word for work and worship is the same – ‘Avodah.’ When does work become worship? When it is done with the appropriate ‘Kavanah’ (intent) and ‘Shiflut’ (humility). Avodah reflects the view of the Early Church, that work is simply one more form of worship in daily life. Clearly to the Jewish mind, work and worship are closely connected. Every act, however menial, is worship according to our ‘Kavanah’ and ‘Shiflut.’
True worshippers worship God in “spirit and in truth” and are the living expression of who they are in Yeshua, but all of this becomes downgraded to hard labour immediately our focus is diverted away from God. An example is with Lucifer’s downfall through rebellion in Isai.14 and Ezek.28. Lucifer, (Light Bearer) the lead cherub and worship leader in Heaven who communed in the very presence of God, made a badly flawed choice, blinded by pride, that led to irrevocable and unimaginable consequences. For aeons and aeons, he had served God faithfully, but his downfall occurred the instant he took his eyes off God and placed them upon himself. At that moment, the seed of corruption was ignited which paved the way to his ultimate and eternal doom. This contains a salutary lesson for us. We can so easily fall into pride and rebellion even in the midst of our ministry and service of God should we ever take our eyes away from Him and place them instead upon ourselves.
We may speak the right words, and smile the right smiles, yet deep inside of us we may still crave for recognition and praise from the lips of others above the approval of God. This is an easy trap for anyone to fall into yet if we become subject to it, our lives will yield wood hay and stubble because it is based on the wrong kind of ‘Avodah.’
We do well i to ask ourselves the question: “What are our lives characterised by – true worship or hard labour?” True worship is governed by the infinite; hard labour by the finite. I may strive to acquire a fortune of material wealth, but it will never fulfil my longings: that is work. Yet, when I fix my eyes upon Yeshua, the “Author and Finisher” of my faith, He enfolds me in His arms of love, and my life is irrevocably transformed. That moment of worship becomes an infinite memory and the joy of the Lord becomes our strength which cascades into the hearts of others as we manifest His love that causes us to become “Tikun Olam” – repairers of the world as our light shines brightly in the darkness.
BIBLICAL GUIDELINES.
The apostle Paul wrote comprehensively about how we can live victoriously both spiritually and practically. In 2Cor.8-9, Paul focuses upon the characteristics of true giving – eagerness, generosity, enthusiasm, freedom, cheerfulness and concern for the poor. The apostle James (Jacob) reinforces this last point in his definition of the character of true religious observance, pure and undefiled. In all of this, tithing is not even mentioned once.
Although Paul occasionally disclosed his determination to avoid receiving financial support from others, he clearly stated that full time ministers, approved by the Lord should be financially supported (especially if they had no other visible means of support). It is the same principal as was applied with the Temple priests and Levites. This is significant, yet Paul never makes even a hint of reference to tithing. Nonetheless, we should carefully consider how well we bear our responsibility to care practically for those who minister over us. Paul provided clear directives about issues of finance.
1. Responsibility for us to set aside our gifts regularly and give in proportion to our income;
2. Supporting one another in the true spirit of love and community demonstrated in part by sharing financial resources equally between local congregations;
- The proper administration of finances;
Even a cursory examination of Scripture reveals that in the early Church people gave voluntarily and generously according to their ability, both individually and as a community. Is this not the central characteristic of Koinonia (Gk – fellowship) one of love in action that reveals the heart of a Godly community? This kind of ‘giving’ can make us feel uncomfortable yet it is a defining element which has the potential to transform the world we live in.
In the early Church, the ‘koinonia’ was the common fund from which the deacons administered care for the poor, the orphans and the widows, and was also the ‘offertory’ box where gifts were placed as people arrived at the meetings.
IN SUMMARY
God consistently challenges us to be wholehearted, trustworthy and responsible custodians of His blessings that overflow into other people’s lives. Yeshua illustrated this in many of His parables and sayings. We do well to regularly reflect upon the standards we set ourselves.
Again, it is important to emphasise that the manner of our giving is more important to God than the amount. We may well be surprised to see the nameless and faceless wearing the most beautiful crowns in Heaven rather than the spiritual celebrities adorning the corridors of Church history. To lay down our lives for Him and place them at His feet: our energy, talents, possessions and all we possess, is the starting point for who seek to follow in His footsteps. It is a lifelong act of worship of unconditional love for the One who gladly sacrificed everything to redeem us and willingly paid the price for our sin.
It’s an easy thing to invoke exclusion clauses, the small print, exceptions, and the like in our giving, which only results in spiritual barrenness. Other people have had their fingers burnt financially including those in full-time ministry through false promises, betrayals, dishonesty and a host of scams leaving a trail of bruised and beaten casualties. Who would not be tempted to withdraw and become cynical or embittered when faced with such things? Yeshua knows all about betrayal infinitely more than we can know, yet His love remains steadfast in adversity, and ‘His strength is made perfect in weakness.’ (2Cor.12:9)
Whilst we are cautioned to be ‘wise as serpents and innocent as doves,’ our giving to God should be as natural and spontaneous as the air we breathe. This is perhaps best summed up by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans:
“I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”
What has all this to do with tithing? Not a lot really but it has everything to do with cultivating a life well lived.
THE UNIVERSALITY OF GIVING
A fundamental tenet within Jewish law recognises that giving (‘tzedekah’) is an integral part of human dignity. Therefore, even a poor person in the most wretched of circumstances is still obliged to give charity. To receive but never give, is to lack human dignity. We see this in many examples throughout Scripture such as with the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath.
Why did the mishkan (Tabernacle) become the abiding place of the Divine Presence? It was because it was built out of voluntary contributions. When we invite God into our lives without any coercion, manipulation or ulterior motives, but simply because we want Him alone to consume our lives at any cost, we begin to understand one of the profoundest messages concerning the principle of giving.
We survive by what we are given, but we achieve dignity by what we give. As parents, we must teach this principle to our children so they grow up to cherish and respond to the greatest gift in life – the gift of Messiah Yeshua. Is not this one of the many reasons why Yeshua taught us that: “It is more blessed to give than to receive?” This surely changes our paradigm as we begin to see how great a privilege it is to give in the manner of the Master.
TZEDAKAH (Charity) and GEMILUTH HASADIM (Heb: practice of kindness)
”Do not avert your eye from the needy, or give a man occasion to curse you” (Eccl. 4:5).
“He that shows mercy will lend to his neighbour, and he that strengthens him with his hand keeps the commandments” (Eccl. 29:1).
Within the Oral Law, receiving tzedakah is a favour which the poor do for the benefactor rather than the opposite! This is because tzedakah is a biblical commandment, and therefore provides someone with the opportunity to fulfil an obligation.
In his book, “The Mishnah and the Words of Jesus,’” Dr Roy Blizzard made the following comments:
“It is difficult to understand or grasp the implication of the word (tzedakah) until we listen carefully to the teachings of Jesus and His contemporaries. In order to begin to grasp the full implications, we must first understand that biblical faith is not so much man’s actions directed upward toward God, but rather his actions directed outward toward his fellow man.”
Yeshua reflected the essence of giving in Matt.5:40-42:
“If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! 41 And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! 42 When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.”
PASHAT (Plain sense of interpretation)
The poorest people in the Roman Empire only had two garments – their tunic, the inner garment, and their cloak, the outer garment. The outer cloak that He told His disciples to give away, was an inalienable possession.
This oppressive custom was a common practice with the Romans (although it originated with the Persians). Roman law allowed a citizen to demand the very shirt off another person’s back which was a practice forbidden by Hebrew law:
As the Israelites were instructed in Deut 24:10-13, “When you make any kind of loan to your neighbour, you are not to enter his house to take his collateral. 11 You must stand outside, and the borrower will bring the collateral outside to you. 12 If he is poor, you are not to go to bed with what he gave as collateral in your possession; 13 rather, you must restore the pledged item at sunset; then he will go to sleep wearing his garment and bless you. This will be an upright deed of yours before Adonai your God.”
By freely giving an oppressor one’s cloak in addition to one’s shirt caused that person to be reduced to nakedness. However, this situation subtly reversed things because public nudity was viewed as bringing shame on the viewer, not just the naked. We see this in the case of Noah:
“Noach, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21 He drank so much of the wine that he got drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Kena‘an, saw his father shamefully exposed, went out and told his two brothers. 23 Shem and Yefet took a cloak, put it over both their shoulders, and, walking backward, went in and covered their naked father. Their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father lying there shamefully exposed.” (Gen.9:20–23).
“ (Yeshua said) If someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone wants to borrow something from you, do not turn away.” (Matt.5:42)
In Jewish law, there are different types of ‘giving:’
Tzedakah – (providing financial assistance) Tzedakah is normally charity for the poor.
Gemiluth Hasadim – From Yeshua’s statement, it would appear that one should give all of our material possessions on request from another person. A mistranslation of the first half of this verse has given rise to all manner of confusion.
There are two words for “borrow” in Hebrew because there are actual subtle differences between the word “ask” in the sense of borrow, and the word “borrow” itself. A distinction is made between borrowing an object such as a book, which which will be eventually returned, and borrowing something such as money or flour which must be returned in kind. In both cases, the borrowed items are returned. This is very different from ‘Gemiluth Hasadim’ and ‘Tzedikah’ which are both forms of giving without any expectation of return.
This is nicely explained the Easton Bible Dictionary:
“The Mosaic law required that when an Israelite needed to borrow, what he asked was to be freely lent to him, and no interest was to be charged, although interest might be taken of a foreigner (Ex. 22:25; Deut. 23:19, 20; Lev. 25:35-38). At the end of seven years all debts were remitted. Of a foreigner the loan might, however, be exacted. At a later period of the Hebrew commonwealth, when commerce increased, the practice of exacting usury or interest on loans, and of suretiship in the commercial sense, grew up. Yet the exaction of it from a Hebrew was regarded as discreditable (Ps. 15:5; Prov. 6:1, 4; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 27:13; Jer. 15:10).”
We see here how Yeshua was turning everything on its head by instructing the early believers not to differentiate between our giving to Jew or Gentile. In context to what Yeshua was saying, we are exhorted to be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us and not to differentiate between the types of people we choose to respond to. This includes everything we possess, not just our material possessions. To squander our talents is equally as wrong as squandering our material wealth.
Scripture teaches us not to foolishly dispose of possessions, nor give without God’s leading in the giving. But, on the other hand, if we can help someone by letting them borrow something they don’t have themselves, or even giving them what we can spare out of our surplus, we will be more blessed than the person who is receiving it (In Acts 20:35, Paul quotes Yeshua as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ).
It has been said that Tzedakah can only be given to the living, but Gemilut Chasidim can be given to the living and the dead. The manner in which we give charity (tzedakah) is what elevates it to Gemilut Chasidim.
Gemilut Chasidim is one of the foundation stones of the Jewish faith. In the Talmud, we read that, “…He who denies the duty of gemilut chasadim denies the fundamental tenet of Judaism.”
The apocryphal Book of Sirach 4:5, states,”Do not avert your eye from the needy, or give a man occasion to curse you” and in 29:1 “He that shows mercy will lend to his neighbour, and he that strengthens him with his hand keeps the commandments”. “Gemiluth Hasadim” is considered the highest form of giving that can be considered as a response to a need even when it could be abused as when Yeshua taught: “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” It embraces every kind of help without discerning between rich or poor, friend or even enemy and sets no limit to the extent of giving provided without any anticipation of gain. Yeshua’s command to forgive “70×7 times” meaning without measure, is perhaps the most important and highest form of Gemiluth Hassidim.
But there is one more thing here. In Ps.63:3-5 we read the following words of praise from the psalmist David: “3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. So will I bless You as long as I live;I will lift up my hands in Your name.5 My soul [my life, my very self] is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,And my mouth offers praises [to You] with joyful lips.”
The word for ‘lovingkindness’ is translated as ‘steadfast love’ in some English versions from the word “Chesed.” So one could paraphrase verse 3 as “Because (the Lord’s) Gemiluth Hassidim is better than life, I will lift up my hands (in worship) to His name and my whole being is fully and completely satisfied as I offer unto Him everlasting praises with joyful lips!”
Now we understand better why David was so excited about His confident understanding about the nature of God! He is generous beyond our wildest imaginations, steadfast in His love and supplies over and above our deepest needs according to His riches through Messiah Yeshua! And He has demonstrated His love towards us that while we were yet sinners Yeshua died for us and gifted us with eternal life to all those who would receive Him as their Saviour and Lord! What greater demonstration of Gemulat Hassidim and Tzezakah is that, all wrapped up in one Divinely orchestrated package! The important issue for us in this is how we respond. Should it not be a very reasonable, measured and logical response to offer unto Him our lives as a living sacrifice that is the least He deserves as expressed in the manner we love others that the Book of James describes as being the “royal” law? (James 2:8). Listen to what he writes: “8 Remember (Yeshua’s) call, and live by the royal law found in Scripture: love others as you love yourself. You’ll be doing very well if you can get this down. 9 But if you show favouritism— paying attention to those who can help you in some way, while ignoring those who seem to need all the help—you’ll be sinning and condemned by the law. 10 For if a person could keep all of the laws and yet break just one; it would be like breaking them all. 11 The same God who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also says, “Do not murder.”If you break either of these commands, you’re a lawbreaker, no matter how you look at it. 12 So live your life in such a way that acknowledges that one day you will be judged.”
What a beautiful commentary on Gemilut Hassidim!
We now move on to the third statement which Yeshua made in Mat 5:38-42: “And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! “
Yeshua’s advice was a method which tested the oppressor as much as the one oppressed, to search his heart and motives. The Roman law known as ‘Angaria’ allowed the Roman authorities to demand those who were not Roman citizens to carry messages and equipment for one mile but prohibited them to go further than this distance.
Walter Wink observed that this type of service was a constant feature in Israel from Persian to late Roman times. Whoever was found on the street could be coerced into service, as was Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry Jesus’ cross (Mk.15:21). Although those of rank could afford to purchase slaves or donkeys to carry their packs consisting of between sixty to eighty-five pounds (not including weapons) others depended on oppressed civilians.
Yeshua addressed this law by testing the true meaning of loving one’s enemy. This is how we transform an attempt to manipulate us, into a free act of love. He quoted from Ps.37:1,8 where we are told not to be upset at evildoers since they will eventually reap their just reward:
“Do not worry because of evildoers, nor be envious toward wrongdoers;”
“Cease from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evil.”
But, neither was Yeshua implying that we should submit to evil. Rather, He taught the avoidance of seeking revenge on others who mistreat or take advantage of us. Although it is morally wrong to tolerate evil, our response to it is vitally important.
SOWING AND REAPING
I would like to focus upon the phrase ‘bearing seed’ that is often associated and linked to tithing and giving. The phrase is closely related to the Hebrew word (‘tazria’) that also means ‘to conceive.’
The Bible frequently uses the expression ‘sowing seeds’ especially in the NT and we come across it a lot particularly in the parables of Yeshua. Since Israel was an agricultural nation, it is not surprising that He would use agricultural illustrations as examples which people could easily relate to. For example, in the Parable of the Sower, Yeshua makes the point the final product is more important than the initial seed sown. We sow in order to gain a harvest and what we sow we will reap. There has been much spoken about the concept of sowing and reaping that I would just like to touch upon for a moment.
In Gen. 8:22, God promises Noah that: “…So long as the earth exists, sowing time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” We see from this verse that there is a principle of sowing SEED, then TIME (a period of waiting) and finally the HARVEST which is a Divine law built into creation itself. It involves every part of us, body, soul and spirit and is not confined to what we do, but also what we say and think. So, our whole lives revolve around this principle of SOWING and REAPING but the important question which Yeshua raised in the Parable of the Sower was what kind of harvest we are preparing to reap for ourselves? Paul writes to the Corinthians in this respect, exhorting them to build upon a firm foundation: (1Cor. 3):
“11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.“
Sowing and reaping is simply is a biblical metaphor representing the things in our lives that we invest in whether positive or negative. To sow into the Kingdom of God can be a scary thing because we do so at the risk of possibility losing everything that the world applauds and values. They scorn us and consider us fools when we relinquish our reputations, status, popularity and other things which the world cleaves to and uses for measuring our worth and value. Yet, Paul himself declared that, “…whatever things were gain to me, these I have considered as loss for the sake of the Messiah. More than that, I consider all things to be loss in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of Messiah Yeshua my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things; and I consider them garbage in order that I might gain Messiah.” (Phil. 3:7-8)
How much of our lives are invested in the Lord? What are we building our foundations on? What things are we withholding from Him through fear and unbelief?
I am so glad that God has taught us through His word how to live our lives in a manner that yields the fruit of the Spirit in place of the fruit of the flesh? Surely this defines and embraces the fullness of giving as demonstrated so completely by our precious Messiah and Lord, Yeshua!
Raphael ben Levi
