Jim Peters

Should I Still Give God A Tenth of Everything?

Posted on 27. Sep, 2009 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Genesis 14:18-15:11

¹⁸ Then King Melchizedek of Salem came with bread and wine.  He served the Most High God as priest ¹⁹ and spoke words of blessing over Abram, saying, “Abram will be made very happy and will be adored by God Most High who made heaven and earth.  ²⁰ And God Most high will be blessed – (God is) the One who won you the victory over your enemies.”  Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

²¹ The king of Sodom asked Abram to allow him to have the people (back) but to keep all the plunder for himself.  ²² But Abram said “I stand here before God Most High who owns heaven and earth ²² and I will not take even a thread or a shoe buckle.  You will never have a reason to say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’  ²³ I will take nothing except what the men have eaten and what my allies who fought alongside me deserve[1] – Aner, Eshcol and Mamre – they will take what they have earned.”

Chapter 15

After all this, God spoke to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I will be your shield and I am going to give you a great reward.”

² Abram replied, “Lord God, what can you give me that will really count if I have no son and all my possessions go to Eliezer of Damascus[2], my chief servant?  ³ See, I have no descendants and a slave will be my heir.” 

⁴ But God replied, “This slave will not be your heir but your heir will be your own son.” 

And God led him outside and said “Look up and count the stars, if you can.  You will have that many descendants.” ⁵ And Abram believed what God said and God declared that Abram was righteous because he trusted him.

⁷ God spoke to him, saying, “I am the Lord God who led you and guided you away from the country of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this country as your own.”

⁸ Abram said, “Lord God, how do I know that I own it?”

⁹ God said to him, “Bring me a young cow, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtle-dove and a pigeon.”

¹⁰ Abram took them to God, cut them in halves and laid the pieces next to each other, except the birds, which remained whole. ¹¹ Birds came to feed on the dead animals, but Abram shooed them away.

Application

I am to give a tenth of everything I earn.  Abraham was there before the law was given to Moses and Melchizedek was outside the line of Aaron, the priest.  The New Testament gives us this example of Christ’s high priesthood. 

I need to recognise that God owns everything and I am actually robbing God if I keep his ten percent.

God rewards faithfulness.  Trusting God brings his reward and his justification.  Abraham was promised a son and an heir because of his righteousness, which was revealed as his trust in God.

Prayer

Father, please teach me to trust you.  My heart desires to trust you and I have nowhere else to turn.

Lord, forgive me for worrying and trying to provide for myself when you have promised to supply everything.  Help me to be joyful in my giving and please put me in a position financially where I have more and more to give.  But Lord, right where I am now, help me always to be faithful and generous in my giving.

IJN Amen

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