The Lordship Portion
I’m glad I had a better night of rest and continue to heal from my mole surgery. Debbie was off today, so I’m pleased that she will have a long weekend.
I was able to get out and get a little yard work done before some needed rest and an afternoon massage appointment. It seems that some of the neuropathy in my right foot is dissipating which is good.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Then Jacob made a promise. He said, “I want God to be with me and to protect me on this journey. I want him to give me food to eat and clothes to wear…This stone which I have set up on its end will be the house of God. And I will give God one-tenth of all he gives me.” Genesis 28:20-222
As Jacob set out for Haran to find a wife among his mother’s relatives, he has a vision of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. The Lord speaks this promise, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are now sleeping. Your descendants will be as many as the dust of the earth. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. I am with you and will protect you everywhere you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)
Jacob was in awe of what he saw and claimed the Lord as his God and in recognition of that he promised to give him a tenth of what the the Lord would give him. We see that by the time Jacob returned to this site, that he had two wives, twelve sons and was rich with livestock and possessions. The Lord had kept His promise to Jacob.
This concept of giving a tenth or a “tithe” is something that we see hundreds of years later incorporated into the law God gave to His people through Moses. But it is clear that this idea did not originate with the giving of the “Law of Moses.”
The first reference to a “tenth” is in the early life of Abraham. After Abraham and Lot separated, Lot and his family was taken captive in a war between an alliance of several kings. After his victory Abraham meets an unusual character known as “Melchizedek.” He is referred to as a “king” and “priest.” The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament would say of Christ, “He is a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:17)
This was Abraham’s response when he met Melchizedek. “Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest for God Most High….Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had brought back from the battle.“ (Genesis 14:18-20)
What we can observe in these passages and what I believe is an important spiritual principle is, “the giving of tithe is a recognition of lordship.” This is certainly clear in Jacob’s response. It becomes clear as the Lord gives the Law to His people. “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.“ (Leviticus 27:30)
As such it recognizes that the Lord is our provider, protector and “ever-present” help. Jacob said, “I want the Lord to be with me and protect me and provide for me….” When we see how the Lord appeared to Jacob and what He promised, it would have been foolish for Jacob to say, “That’s okay, I will take care of myself, I don’t need help” or “I think I will check out other “gods” and see what they offer.”
As the Lord fulfilled His promise, Jacob offered the Lord a tenth of what the Lord provided in recognition of God as His source and the one who who fulfills His promise and goes before Him.
Is God with you? Does He go before you when you trust in and follow Him? Does He provide for you and keep you safe? If you recognize God instead of yourself as the security for your life, offering to Him a small token as an act of worship and recognition of His Lordship is reasonable.