Tithe: A Sign of God's Lordship

1. TITHE: A SIGN OF GOD’S
LORDSHIP
Aniel Barbe
Stewardship Ministries and Trust Services
SID
Category: Mainstreaming of Stewardship

2. Plan
I. The First Test
I. Signs of Lordship
II.Tithe Throughout the Bible

3. Part I
The First Test

4. The First Test
On which issue was our first
parents tested ?

5. The First Test
Genesis 3:4,5
And the serpent said to the woman, You
shall not surely die,
for God knows that in the day you eat
of it, then your eyes shall be opened,
and you shall be as gods, knowing good
and evil.

6. The First Test
Genesis 3:4,5
And the serpent said to the woman, You
shall not surely die,
for God knows that in the day you eat
of it, then your eyes shall be opened,
and you shall be as gods, knowing good
and evil.

7. You Shall be as gods!
Adam and Eve have chosen to play the
owners/lords in place of the real
Owner/Lord.

8. Part II
Signs of Lordship

9. Tests For Today!
Human existence takes place along two
dimensions.
Acts 17:28
“From one man he made all the nations,
that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he marked out their appointed times in
history and the boundaries of their lands.”
• Time
• Space

10. Tests For Today!
Who is the Owner/Lord of my time and
my space?
What are the signs given by God?

11. The Signs have to be More than
Verbal Acknowledgement!
Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to
me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the
will of my Father who is in
heaven.

12. Tests For Today!
How are we supposed to demonstrate our
acknowledgement of God’s Lordship and
Ownership?
- Time: Sabbath
- Space: Tithe

13. The Sign of the Sabbath
Ezekiel 20:12
“Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a
sign between us, so they would know
that I the LORD made them holy.”

14. The Sign of Tithe
Genesis 28: 20-22
“If God will be with me and will watch
over me on this journey I am taking
and will give me food to eat and
clothes to wear21 so that I return
safely to my father’s household, then
the LORD will be my God 22 and this
stone that I have set up as a pillar will
be God’s house, and of all that you give
me I will give you a tenth.”

15. The Sign of Tithe
Genesis 28: 20-22
v. 20: Material things that God
provides: Food, Clothe & Protection.
v. 22a: The Lord will be my God.
v. 22b: As signs, I will build a pillar
and return tithe.

16. Signs of Lordship and Ownership!
When keeping the sabbath, we are
reminding ourselves and acknowledging
that not only the 7th Day belongs to
Him but all the days of the week and all
the days of my life.
When returning tithe, we are reminding
ourselves and acknowleging that not
only 1/10th of my revenue belongs to
Him but all my belongings and the
material world.

17. Why Talk about Money?
Should spiritual beings spend much time
to speak about money?

18. Why Talk about Money!
1. It is a very common theme in the
Bible:
a) Over two thirds of the
parables deal with money or
material possessions.
b) Over 2,350 biblical references
to money! 650 on love, 350 on
faith, 275 on prayer.

19. Why Talk about Money!
2. Money is life.
Time + Talent + Energy = Life = Money
3. Finances are a spiritual battleground:
a. In the world.
b. In the work place and business.
c. In the home.
d. In the church.
4. God uses money.
5. Money competes with God (Matt. 6:24).

20. Why Talk about Money!
Money competes with God (Matt. 6:24).
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters (Lords).
For either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will hold to the one
and despise the other. You cannot serve
God and mammon.”

21. Part III
Tithe Throughout the Bible

22. The Original Purpose of Tithing
What is the purpose of returning tithe?
- The common quick answer is: To support
the Church.
- For the 1st two occurrences, Genesis 14
and Genesis 28, corporate worship was
not yet in place!

23. 1st Occurrence of Tithing
Genesis 14
- God granted Abram a great success.
- On his way back he met Melchizedek, king
of Salem.
- His natural reaction was to offer a tithe
in response to the blessing receive.
- The sequence: Blessed he gave tithe,
Tithing was a response to God goodness.

24. 1st Occurrence of Tithing
More Lessons:
- Tithe is calculated on all revenues.
Genesis 14: 20
“Nathan” : to give back
- Given to those who are instruments to bestow
spiritual blessings (v.19)
- Tithing is practiced by those who recognize God
as their creator/owner and protector (vv.
18,20,22)

25. 2nd Occurrence of Tithing
Genesis 28:10-22
- Jacob cheated his elder brother and his
father concerning birth right.
- Following his mother advise he ran away
from the house of his father to escape
the anger of his brother.
- He laid down and fall asleep with a stone
as a pillow.

26. 2nd Occurrence of Tithing
- He had a vision angels ascending and
descending on a ladder.
- The God who was at the upper end of the
ladder made promises to Jacob, vv 13-15
“I will be with you…”

27. 2nd Occurrence of Tithing
Jacob’s Response:
- Jacob wake us with comfort and assurance.
- He calls the place Bethel: House of God
- He pours oil on the stone.
- And pronounced these words: “God, if you
will be with me as you promised, if you bring
me back and bless me with possessions …
out of everything you give me, I will give
out a tenth.” Genesis 28:22

28. 2nd Occurrence of Tithing
Lessons
• The Sequence: Tithing is the response to
the blessings received.
• By tithing, one recognize and worship God
as the Provider.
• Not tithing is making oneself the owner.

29. 2nd Occurrence of Tithing
More Lessons
 Before making the promise to tithe Jacob
choose God as Lord. (v.16)
 It was promised to God during a worship
experience: Commitment to God,
Worshipping God, Tithe.

30. Clear Instructions about Tithing
- Leviticus 27: 30-33
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or
of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.
If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add
one-fifth to it.
And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever
passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.
He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he
exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the
one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’”

31. Clear Instructions about Tithing
3. Leviticus 27:30-33
• Tithe belongs to God.
• It is holy to the Lord.
• God shares in the risk—no selection by
quality.

32. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Numbers 18: 21-28

33. Clear Instructions about Tithing
4. Numbers 18:21-28
• God gives the tithe to the Levites.
• Even the Levites were to tithe.
• Tithes are an offering to the Lord

34. Clear Instructions about Tithing
“Tithe” in the book of Deuteronomy

35. Clear Instructions about Tithing
5. Deuteronomy 12:6-17; 14:22-28; 26:12.
• Second tithe (uniquely different).
• Worship of God.
• Sharing God's blessings to others
• Given every third year to the Levites
and the poor.
• Brought to the place God chosen as
a “dwelling place” for His name.

36. Clear Instructions about Tithing
6. Tithe and Revival
2 Chronicles 29-31
• The temple is restored
• The worship services are restored
• Passover is celebrated once again
• Levites are restored to ministry
• A Call to return tithe

37. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Tithe and Revival
The response of the people
2 Chronicles 31: 5-8
As soon as the commandment was circulated, the
children of Israel brought in abundance the
firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of
all the produce of the field; and they brought in
abundantly the tithe of everything. And the
children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the
cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and
sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were
consecrated to the Lord their God they laid in
heaps.

38. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Revival and Tithe/Offerings
7. Nehemiah 10:37-38; 12:44; 13:5, 12.
• Time of revival when Ezra reads the law.
• Corporate worship is restored.
• A commitment to faithfulness to God in
tithes and offerings.
• Storerooms for the tithes and offerings
are established.

39. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Revival and Tithe/Offerings
8. Amos 4:4
• A challenge to their tithes while living a
live of sin.
• We cannot separate tithe from your
heart relationship.
• It has to be an external expression of
what is inside.

40. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Revival and Tithe/Offerings
9. Malachi 3: 7-8
Ever since the time of your ancestors you
have turned away from my decrees and have
not kept them. Return to me, and I will
return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But
you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a
mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But
you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In
tithes and offerings…”

41. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Revival and Tithe/Offerings
Malachi 3:7-10
• Extended dialogue over their apostasy.
• Call to return to God.
• Robbery—failure to recognize God's
blessings.
The act of accusation is reading: Robbery
You are already blessed otherwise you cannot
rob God.

42. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Revival and Tithe/Offerings
Malachi 3:7-10
Tithe is both a response to God’s blessing
and a gateway for more blessings.

43. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Revival and Benevolence
Quotation from E.G.White
“When we have entire, wholehearted
consecration to the service of Christ, God
will recognize the fact by an outpouring of
His Spirit without measure; but this will not
be while the largest portion of the church
are not laborers together with God. God
cannot pour out His Spirit when selfishness
and self-indulgence are so manifest.”
Counsels on Stewardship, p.52

44. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Jesus and Tithing
10. Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and
pharisees, you hypocrites. ! You give a tenth
of you spices- mint, dill and cummin. But you
rejected the more important matters of
the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.
You should have practiced the latter ,
without neglecting the former.”

45. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Jesus and Tithing
10. Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12
• Tithe remains as an expected response.
• Tithe is returned in the context of a
consistent lifestyle.

46. Clear Instructions about Tithing
Paul and Tithing
11.Hebrews 7:1-10.
• Review of Abram and Melchizedek
• Tithing is presented as a Universal
command.( Before the levitical system)
• Tithe does not belong to the Levi. They
also gave tithe to Melchizedek through
Abram. V.10
• Tithe belongs to the one who is king of
righteousness, king of peace, without
father or mother, without beginning of
day and end of life.

47. Conclusion
1. The tithe belongs to and is returned to God.
2. Tithing is an act of worship to God.
3. Tithe is returned in response to God’s blessings.
4. Tithing is a test of loyalty for God’s people.
5. Tithing is part of revival.
4. God supports those who serve in corporate
worship by giving the tithe He receives to them.

48. Appeal
Who will recognize God as owner and
Lord by returning a faithful tithe?

49. OUR VISION
All of us in Full Partnership
with Him, accomplishing the
Final Mission

50. END