D x * . T a l b o t ’s d ia e s t io n . B o x
WHAT TO TITHE? Q. I am troubled about the tithe. Should we give a tenth of our income before the bills, rent, house pay ments, groceries, etc. are paid? Should it be taken out of the net income, or gross income, that is, before or after taxes? Your answer will be appreciated. A . If you are giving a tenth, I sup pose that would mean one-tenth of your income before any expenditures are made. However, there is nothing in the New Testament that indicates that tithing is the Christian’s meth od of giving. I do not criticize it for it is a simple way to be sure that something definite is given to the Lord’s work. It was instituted as a principle of giving before the law was given. Abraham gave a tenth 400 years before the law was in stituted. But we are not under the law, but under grace. The Lord says through Paul that we are to give “upon the first day of the week” regularly “ as God hath prospered” (I Cor. 16:2), first giv ing our own selves to the Lord (II Cor. 8 : 5 ) ; cheerfully (II Cor. 2:7) and out of a sense o f gratitude for all He has done for us. Of course we do not seek by giving of our material means to “ repay” the Lord in any way. TOWER OF* BABEL Q. In Genesis chapter 11 what is meant by the word “ down" in vv. 5 and 7? Also in the story of the tower of Babel, was God’s only motive in confounding their language to spread them over the earth? Was there any thing particularly wrong with their building the tower except that they wanted to keep together?. Surely they could never have reached heav en even if they had continued. Did they actually believe they could? A. The account of the tower of Babel as given in Genesis 11 finds its fruition in Revelation 17 where we have the description o f “ Babylon the
Great, mother of harlots, and abomi nations of the earth” (Rev. 17:5). As you know, the Lord first takes the church to be with Himself, meeting His own “ in the air” ; then after the tribulation He descends to judge His enemies and to set up His millennial kingdom on the earth. I believe that the account in Genesis where the Lord is said to come down “ to see the tower and the city” foreshadows His Second Coming. He “ came down” in judgment, not that He could not see from His abode in Heaven, and He confused the language in order that men might be scattered and not concentrate in one place. Men had conceived the idea of there being strength in unity which was the beginning of all combines, unions, and organizations of that nature. The only union that God demands is personal union with the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Many of the concentrations of power rule Him out entirely. Notice in verse 4 of Genesis 11 that the words may reach are in ital ics, indicating that they were not in the original Hebrew, but only sup plied by the translators to “ make sense.” What these men of Babel in tended to do was to institute a wor ship of the stars and heavenly bodies. On the top of the tower undoubtedly was inscribed the zodiac which is featured in many cults and false systems of religion today. Astrology, which is not a science at all, is built upon this. It was more than a tower with which to reach the skies; it was one of the forms of pagan worship. Men were determined even then to be independent of God. As for their believing they could build a tower to reach the skies, I do not think that was their intention at all. THE MEANING OF EARTHQUAKES Q. Is there any significance at all to the fact that this year has had more earthquakes than for a long, long
time? Are earthquakes related to prophecy in any way? A. Earthquakes have been associated with crises in the history of the world and of the nation of Israel. I believe that as we approach the time of the end, that God’s restrain ing power will be employed less and less. This applies to earthquakes and other natural phenomena as well as to nations and peoples. When Christ died on the cross, the event was marked with a great earthquake which split open the graves of be lievers. Matthew 24 gives an outline of the phenomena which will char acterize the times before the Lord’s return in w . 5-14 and among those “ signs” are earthquakes. Of course, the restraining hand o f God will be almost completely removed during the Great Tribulation and then the forces of nature will be disturbed and shaken as described in v. 29 immediately before Christ’s appear ance with the church to set up His kingdom. There is something about earthquakes that strikes utter ter ror to the hearts of men. One of our news commentators said of the re cent Alaskan earthquake: “ I wonder if God is not trying to say something to us?” We Christians know that He is by every disaster. And the mes sage He is trying to get across is that life is short and that NOW is the day of salvation. THE C ITY FOURSQUARE Q. What is the significance of the fact that our eternal, heavenly home, as described in Rev. 21:16, “ lieth foursquare” ? A. This speaks of the absolute right eousness, mercy, and justice of God and the equality of all His ways. In other words, God is not partial; He has no favorites. He justifies all alike on one ground only, the shed blood of His Son who gave His life on the cross that “whosoever will, may come.” God’s judgments are perfect as He is perfect.
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