This morning I thought to look at this lesson on tithing that a friend of mine had posted in a particular forum. He'd done a huge study on this topic and I thought I'd post the main points. I left some out to tidy it up as there were quite a bit of 'personal' quotes and quips.
For a long time I have felt the Holy Spirit tell me that tithing was not a requirement in the New Covenant. I'd read a few books about it, and read many articles which were good teaching, but I felt there was something deeper, the postings my friend StevenL had given from his study was that deeper teaching. In fact, I believe it goes deeper still, the scriptures are like that. So here is that teaching, I hope it helps someone to break free just that little bit more from the Law still preached in pulpits around the christian world..
Tithing
That there may be food in My house.
John 4:32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Why does he want the tithes? So there will be FOOD in His House.
What is His House?
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:9 YOU are God's building. (Read the surrounding verses to see Paul's allegory. We're going back to "God's field"....think "tithe"..... later.)
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
So, His House is the people of God, corporately and individually. It is a SPIRITUAL HOUSE. It's not located in some particular place so that we can "go to the house of God." You can't GO there. You ARE there. It's certainly not in Jerusalem for an antichrist to go sit in.
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth;
This House is Haggai's House. Hag 2:9
1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices (think "tithe") acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
HIS HOUSE is a spiritual House.
This House is also a PRIESTHOOD.
God's House is also a Priesthood, a Building, a Field, a Body, a Family, a Temple.
1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices (FOOD!) acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 7:11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
At the appearing of Jesus, God manifested in flesh, at the end or consummation of the ages, a NEW PRIESTHOOD also was established. The old one, under the order of Levi (Aaron, the High Priestly family) was found to be ineffective and useless. It represented FLESH. ~ The flesh had to be fed with physical food ~ or, of course, they would die or at least be hungry and unable to work. The tithes and offerings (FOOD) of the NON-PRIESTLY tribes were used to feed the physical temple servants so they could be 'holy' (separated to the work).
But the physical temple with its appointments and rituals, law, priesthood, is now GONE. The Priesthood changed, it changed TRIBES. Jesus was born into the world through JUDAH (meaning Praise) and became a Priest after the order of Melchizedek (meaning King of Righteousness) and not Aaron. The Levitical was on the order of and represented FLESH and DEATH. Melchizedek represented the order of Spirit and LIFE! Perpetual LIFE!
So we NOW have a Priesthood after the order of PERPETUAL LIFE, the order of Melchizedek. And Melchizedek (Jesus) has a FAMILY. A holy Family. Holy meaning separated to Him. Come out from among them and be separate says the Lord...... A PRIESTLY FAMILY, A ROYAL FAMILY.
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen
Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons (children) to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
So we are all BROTHERS/SISTERS/KINDRED in this Royal Family of Priests. A Priesthood based on the order of the King of Righteousness, based on Perpetual LIFE.
Previously, in physical fleshly, Israel, there was only ONE family/tribe of priests. God's original intention was that the whole nation of Israel be a priestly tribe.
Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
But we know that Israel failed to obey. Then, at Sinai, when they made the calf and had the big party, God separated LEVI out for the Priesthood because they alone took up swords, sided with Moses, and killed their brethren who had rebelled.
But then, at the establishment of God's New Covenant through Christ Jesus, at the end of the ages, the Ekklesia, God's Called-Out Family, became the fulfillment of God's original intention.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
God's House is now a Spiritual House, A Spiritual Nation, A Spiritual Body, A Spiritual Priesthood. No separated tribe exists in This Nation. The Whole Nation is now holy (separated).
This Holy Spiritual Priesthood has its own Spiritual FOOD. It offers spiritual sacrifices.
ALL THE PRIESTS ARE REQUIRED TO DO IS EAT.
John 4:31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” (Looking for the physical/flesh)
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. (Looking in the spiritual)
What about us? As Priests in God's House are we eating this food? Christ is our example.
1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Our FOOD should be doing the will of God and finishing His work in us.
You can see why He would want this FOOD in His House. You can also see why it wouldn't be good not to have this FOOD in His House.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
If we don't eat this FOOD, we will pass away with the world.
Phillipians2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. <<<<<<PRIEST FOOD
It should be apparent that this food cannot be purchased with money.
1Ho, every thirsty one, come ye to the waters, And he who hath no money, Come ye, buy (paradox?) and eat, yea, come, buy Without money and without price, wine and milk. 2 Why do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which is not for satiety? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat good, And your soul doth delight itself in fatness.
3Incline your ear, and come unto me, Hear, and your soul doth live, And I make for you a covenant age-during, The kind acts of David -- that are stedfast. (Young's Literal)
Here's the only place I think we can connect "tithe" (Food in His House) with money. If God tells me to give money to someone (it's His will) and I do it (His will) then I've partaken of the Food in His House. But even then, the tithe (food) is NOT the money, but my ACT OF DOING THE WILL OF GOD.
You can have the biggest "church" in the country, the most members, with every single one of them giving 10 % of his or her gross income to the "house of God", and still not have one particle of True Tithe anywhere in sight.
MORE ON FOOD..
John 6:27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting (age enduring) life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
John 6:32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
PEOPLE are still stumbling over the reality of the Good News. Take away all the physical trappings, the temples (houses of god), the pews, the crosses, the doves, the priests/pastors behind their pulpits, the sermons, the money "tithes", the sabbaths, the rules, etc. and most would just scratch their heads in bewilderment and walk away. The church members of today have little, if any, greater knowledge of Spiritual Truth than the religious Jews that Christ Jesus had to face.
Most will mouth the fact that Christ FULFILLED the types and shadows of the Mosaic law (or before law) but then in actuality continue to carry on as if the types were NOT really fulfilled.
Christ fulfilled the law of Tithing by doing what Israel in the flesh would not do. He filled the True Temple Storehouse with the True Food from above.......HIMSELF. A Blessing that overflowed and could not be contained. The Second Adam became a Life-Giving Spirit.
But the blinded keep trying to transform the fulfilled tithe into MONEY and then trying to use the prophecy in Malachi to get financially blessed or to expain why they've been financially blessed. What vanity! What delusion!
NOTE: I did NOT say that God will not financially bless people. I said that God does not financially bless because one keeps the law of tithing. No law of tithing exists for God's children.
A Bit of extra teaching concerning Abraham and his tithing to Melchizedek:
Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. SPOILS. SPOILS SPOILS.5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here (in ancient Israel with a Levitical priesthood) mortal men receive tithes, but there (in the land around the Salt Sea where the battle took place in the Genesis 14 account) he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. 11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
So.....the Genesis account says nothing about anyone receiving "tithes in heaven". Melchizedek was definitely on the earth. What else? Scripturally, Abraham tithed ONCE. To the High Priest Melchizedek. ONCE. What did he tithe? His money, his cows, his chickens, his gold.....what? What does the Scripture say he "tithed?" He gave the Priest a tenth of the SPOILS OF BATTLE. THE SPOILS BELONGED TO THE KINGS FROM WHICH THEY HAD BEEN TAKEN. No other scriptural evidence exists that Abraham EVER tithed from his own possessions at any time.
And so from this, church scholars (needing cash) derive a doctrine that "since Abraham tithed church members must tithe." (Meaning church members should pay 10 % of their income to the church.) This is one of the greatest HOAXES and DECEITS of all time.
But wait! Does the High Priest Christ Jesus receive "tithes"? Oh yes He does. But do we send him money into heaven? No. Do we go to battle and kill a bunch of thieves, take their goods, and send the SPOILS to heaven, like Abraham? No. So how does He get His "tithe"? Well, here's one way, if you can hear it.
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he Jesus shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
I wonder why I've never heard it preached that we can buy "whatever our soul desires" even wine or strong drink....and eat and rejoice before the Lord?? Sounds like a pretty good party to me.
Deuteronomy 14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, the produce of the field, year by year. 23And thou shalt eat before Jehovah thy God, in the place which he will choose to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear Jehovah thy God continually.
24And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which Jehovah thy God will choose to set his name there, when Jehovah thy God blesseth thee;
25then shalt thou give it for money, and bind the money together in thy hand, and go to the place which Jehovah thy God will choose, 26 and thou shalt give the money for whatever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat (who shall eat?)there before Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thy house.
27And thou shalt not forsake the Levite that is within thy gates; for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee. 28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates; 29 and the Levite -- for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee -- and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.
The tithe was always about EATING AND DRINKING. Somehow this got left out of all the thousands of "sermons" I've heard on "tithing." And somehow they always leave out the part about the booze. I wonder why this is?
Another question: Where is the PLACE now that YHVH has chosen to SET HIS NAME? In order to "tithe" we MUST go to this PLACE. I wonder how many even know where HIS NAME dwells today? That's where we've gotta EAT and DRINK and REJOICE.
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