Henry urged us recently to prioritize tithing and sacrificial giving. Hebron has been incurring Operating Fund deficits for several years which necessarily limits the ministry of our staff-driven church. God appointed tithing as the method to finance His work. Note the specificity. God does not leave it up to us, but He clearly states what portion of His gifts to us are due to Him in return.
Recall the revivals God worked in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30 & 31) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10) to return His people to the written Word. In both, tithing was renewed and restored. And for what purpose? ‘…that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord
(2 Chronicles 31:4) which is also implied as to the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).
Note also that the tithe is ‘holy to the Lord’. That is to say, God reserves to Himself one-tenth of that which He has given to us. You say, ‘Nothing is our own, it’s all His’. True, but in some sense the tithe is not our own personal property at all. We have no say about it whatsoever. It is set apart to a holy use. It’s the Lord’s and His alone.
The same could be said of our time. Who among us can claim they set aside one-seventh of their time to the Lord? Yet, that is what He has appointed for His glory and our good. More volunteers would ease Hebron’s need for more staff.
God is quite aware of our proclivity to depart from His Word and rob Him in tithes (and time) (Malachi 3:7-8). Yet He allows us to put Him to the test, proving whether He does honor those who honor Him by opening ‘the windows of heaven…and pour down…a blessing until there is no more need’ (Malachi 3:10).
Tithing is a test of our faith. If we trust God with our eternal future, can we not trust Him in temporal matters?
Dan Gallagher, Stewardship Team