Living from the better promises is a great motivation to grow in the grace of giving!
Matthew 6:1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,…
Matthew 6:4 "that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
Do your giving secretly before your Father in Heaven and He will reward you openly. The spiritual disciplines done with a heart of intimacy with the Father will reap the greatest benefits. Do not do it before men or do it out of a sense of duty, but do it because you long for fellowship and intimacy with the Father! Doing with the right heart is as important as the doing itself! You can note we have found praying, fasting and giving as points of intimacy. While we often call them the spiritual disciplines, as we grow in intimacy with the Father we will find them our delight.
Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
Last week we talked about what graceful giving looks like. This week we also what to include what it is not. Jesus came with a more excellent ministry, Him being the Mediator of a better covenant. This better covenant is established on better promises. John wrote the law came through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
The law of commandments contained in the ordinances of the law stood against us! Jesus abolished the enmity that was against us. Jesus brought a better covenant!
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law becoming a curse for us! The law came with the curse and the blessing dependant upon the man’s performance. As the law of Moses states “those who do such things shall live by them”. Jesus did the performance and gives us imputed righteousness. It is Jesus Christ doings that makes us blessed.
Hebrews 7:18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Jesus came with a greater priesthood; with a different priesthood came a changing of the law. Jesus brought a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?‘ 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 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.
Under the law the people departed from the ordinances of the law. They robbed God by not bringing in the tithes, sin offering, wave offering, trespass offering, and the list goes on. Because they were under the law of Moses and their lack of performance brought them under a curse. Believer’s under grace have a better covenant! Believer’s are not under the curse. Jesus became the curse! Those teaching tithing from this Malachi perspective erroneously bring the believer back under the law of Moses! Tithing is not based on what we find under the law. Our covenant is superior to the law of Moses.
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. 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 mortal men receive tithes, but there 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.
The greater priesthood is receiving tithes of those who wisely give into the kingdom. Jesus Christ is the Priest who remains and receives tithes today!
Lets consider the greatness of Melchizedek from which Jesus' priesthood is derived!
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.
Melchizedek the priest of God Most High came and served Abram; note he served Abraham bread and wine. Jesus as High Priest of this new covenant serves the bread and wine. It was after Melchizedek blessed Abraham, Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. The Levites could be credited with paying tithes through Abraham because they were in his loins when he gave the tithe.
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body.“ 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
As Abraham did, we should respond by giving our tithe to our great High Priest who presently receives tithes from the worshippers. Like Melchizedek, Jesus brought the bread and wine and blessed mankind with this new covenant. We like Abraham, honor the priesthood we have been blessed by when we give a tithe.
Where Do We Bring Our Tithes to honor the greater One Jesus?
Genesis 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, … 21 "so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. 22 "And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."
Abraham gave a tithe to the priesthood of Melchizedek. The next man giving a tithe is Abraham’s grandson Jacob. Jacob promised to God a tithe of all if He brought Him home. Like his grandfather, Jacob called the place Bethel which is the house of God.
Genesis 31:13 'I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.'"
Twenty years later God speaks to Jacob reminding him of the vow he had made. God identified Himself as the God of Bethel.
Genesis 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.“... 7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.
God reminds Jacob once again it is time to go to Bethel. Now Jacob builds an altar there and calls the place El Bethel. God is the God of the house of God. Indeed it is where the tithe belongs! GROW IN THE GRACE OF GIVING!
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