831
September, 1945
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li the subject cf giving is distasteful to you, learn from this article what God says about it.
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R EMEMBERING without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience a standard, provided that it is done in faith and love and that the giver understands clearly what he is doing. Some of the best Christian people are strong advocates of tith ing. It seems to work very satisfactorily for those who live on a budget and for those whose incomes follow a mathematical pattern. Without question, there is a law o f God which so operates that a person is blessed who gives a regular amount to His cause. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr of the Kerr Fruit Jar Company and Mr. Robert Le Tourneau, manufacturer of earth-moving equipment, are shining examples of those who took God into partnership, and were rewarded with great fortunes in return. This is evidence that God blesses those who d?al honestly with Him in the matter of money. However, there are some facts about tithing that the Christian should consider. Certainly tithing was the Old Testament method; it was arbitrary: the Jews had no alternative* But there is no New Testament command ment for tithing. This does not mean, however, that we are left to our own devices or to caprice in the matter of giving. Believers are plainly instructed in 1 Corinthians 16:2: “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” Therefore, we are to give systematically and regularly. There is no fixed amount or percentage, but there is a principle upon which giving should be based. We are to give as God has blessed us. If our income is small, then our giving must be small; if it is great, then our giving must be great. The mite the widow gave did not amount to anything financially; compared with the wealth of the temple and the gifts of the rich, she gave nothing. But in the light of God’s standard, and a c c o r d i n g to Heaven’s evaluation, she gave more than all the rest put together. It was not a tenth—it was all. The tithe antedated the Mosaic law. According to the fourteenth chapter of Genesis, Abraham paid a tithe to the mysterious Melchizedek. Where did Abraham get the idea? H i s t o r y tells us that the Egyptians and Assyrians practiced tithing as early as 3800 B. C. The tithe was not a part of the ceremonial law. The instructions, recorded in Leviticus 27:30, belong to the Feast of the Firstfruifs. The tithe was purely an economic arrangement. It was instituted for the purpose of sustaining the Levites who were given no land as were the other tribes. The economic life of the Jew dwelling in the Promised Land, was entirely different from our present day setup. 4
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