Day 42: Acknowledge the Source of Your Spiritual Supply

The Old Testament prophets Haggai and Malachi both challenged the Israelites with their attitude regarding their financial priorities and urged them to bring their tithes. Before we look at the New Testament perspective regarding tithes, we need to understand what a tithe is.

It's an Old English word for a tenth. A tithe means that we give to God the first tenth of everything that we receive in income. It's important that it's the first. The principle is that we honour God in everything. We put God first and that includes our finances and our wealth.

Proverbs 3:9-10 says:

"Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." (NIV)

Notice we honour the Lord when we put Him first in our finances.

Many people think tithing was instituted under the law of Moses, but that is not correct. Tithing is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 14:18-20, when Abraham had a significant meeting with a man named Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of God. This is what it says:

"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram [Abraham], saying, 'Blessed be Abram [Abraham] by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.'" (NIV)

That's the blessing that Melchizedek, as God's priest, pronounced on God's servant Abraham. Now, notice how Abraham responded to the blessing of his priest, Melchizedek:

"Then Abram [Abraham] gave him a tenth of everything." (NIV)

That's how Abraham first practised it. Tithing is a way to respond to God's blessing, and it's a way to honour God's priest. Remember that Abraham is the father of all who believe. He's our spiritual father if we are believers – and we are required to walk in the steps of his faith. Furthermore, Hebrews 7 shows that Jesus Christ, in the New Testament, is our high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Also bear in mind Malachi’s call to bring the tithe into the storehouse. What is the storehouse? It's the place from which you obtain your seed, both to eat and to sow. It's the way you acknowledge the source of your supply. And let me put this to you in a little proverb: 'If you eat in the Holiday Inn, don't pay your bill at Howard Johnson [an American hotel chain].' Acknowledge the source of your spiritual supply with your generous gifts to the Lord.