Dear brothers and sisters,
Last week we began to study about tithing by looking at Abraham as an example of someone who returned God’s tithe to Him by taking it to the high priest of his day namely: Melchizedek. We also saw that when he received the Lord’s tithe from Abraham, he (Melchizedek) blessed him.
Let’s think a little bit more about Abraham:
- Several Bible references call Abraham our father. (Galatians 3:13-14, 29) God calls our redemptive blessings: The Blessing of Abraham.
(Galatians 3:5-9, Romans 4:3, 11-12, 16-25)
- God calls our faith the faith of Abraham, and Abraham our father to emulate.
- John 8:39 Jesus told us to do the works of Abraham
- Genesis 12:1-2 God called Abraham to be a blessing.
We’re called to be a blessing too. (Zech. 8:13, 1 Peter 3:9)
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Genesis 13:1-2 God made Abraham rich. God makes us rich. 2 Cor. 8:9
So Abraham is presented to us in the Bible as one to emulate and one whose blessing we are to walk in and enjoy. To walk consistently in the Blessing of Abraham, we must do what Abraham did. He was a tither. Jesus told us to do the works of Abraham. The Bible admonishes us to copy Abraham’s faith. Faith is an action. It includes believing in your heart and acting on what you believe. When a person believes God to supply his/her need from the resources of the earth, which belong to God, they must of necessity put action to their faith by honoring God with His tithe. Therefore brethren, we have adequate Scripture to show us that the Blessing of Abraham belongs to the person that is a tither.
Some say that they cannot afford to tithe. The truth is that you cannot afford not to tithe. T.D. Jakes said: “Everyone pays tithes; they just don’t pay them to the Lord. Some end up paying them to the mechanic. Others pay them to the dentist, the doctor or some other misfortune.”
When you’re not a tither, you cannot afford your own life financially. You’ve declared yourself to be your own source by your action of dishonoring the Owner of the earth. The Bible shows us that the earth is the Lord’s. (See Exodus 9:29
Exodus 19:5b, Psalms 24:1,1 Cor. 10:26, Psalms 104:24, Isaiah 66:1 and Genesis 14:22)
Young brethren, here’s some free advice: never marry someone that is not a tither. You’d be declaring a death sentence to your financial life. Start your life right, pay God’s tithe back to Him and enjoy the Blessing of obedience. If
you’re willing and obedient, you’d eat the good of the land. (Is 1:19).