Tithe מַעֲשֵׂר

Our word for today is last of the five words that we find used for the first time in the Bible all in chapter 14 of Genesis. We’ve looked at king, Melchizedek, priest, and most high. Today we are looking at מַעֲשֵׂר tenth part, tithe, an offering of a tenth part. It is used 32 times in the Old Testament. The first time it is used it describes Abram’s response to Melchizedek blessing him as a priest of the Most High God. Genesis 14:19-20 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a מַעֲשֵׂר tenth of everything. This is an interesting response because we have no description as to why Abram did this other than inferring from the context that it was an act of worship for God’s deliverance from his enemies and blessing him. The next time our word is used in the Bible we have an explanation. Leviticus 27:30 Every מַעֲשֵׂר tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. The book of Leviticus gives instructions on how God is to be worshiped by Hebrew people during that part of God’s plan for that time period. What is included as part of this worship is giving ten percent of one’s possessions because it already belongs to YHWH God. Because God created everything in life and keeps life itself going he then owns everything. And as an owner has the right to do what he wants with what belongs to him. He raises up people to take care of everything but that does not negate the reality that God still owns it and has a right to instruct us how what is His needs to be managed. This truth is a major theme repeated throughout the Bible. Psalm 50:10-12 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. God accuses the people through his prophet Malachi in this way. Malachi 3:8-10 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your מַעֲשֵׂר tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full מַעֲשֵׂר tithe into the storehouse. You can only rob from someone when they own what you took to use for yourself. Just like we saw a couple of days ago with the Holy Spirit not wanting us to miss the connection with our word priest. The Holy Spirit shows us how the tithe is still an act of worship for people saved through Jesus’ work. Hebrews 7:1-2, 4-10 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything … See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.Just as Abram was thankful for God’s deliverance from the kings in battle and gave God Most High a tenth of everything as an act of worship. How much more do we need to include in our worship a tithe for His saving us from our sins through Jesus’ death in our place.