5 “At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
S(cripture) - You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.
O(bservation) - I really don't want to add much to this text. The nation of Israel is under a curse - a land with sorcerers, adulterers and liars, those who withhold wages, abuse orphans and widows, and deprive foreigners of justice, religious types who panel their houses and fail to give God 10% (a tithe).
And I wonder about America. The question in my soul is how a nation with so many abundant resources could also be economically sick? We all like sheep have gone astray. There are principals and God-fashioned laws that can either bring blessings or curses (for nations and individuals) depending on whether they are followed or ignored.
God is so patient. Israel, on trial, is guilty with God as the witness, yet God still wants to not only pardon but bless. He promises a blessing to Israel if they would but turn back to righteous living. I believe the promise is universal. Oh America, America, God shed his grace on thee. We have wandered so far from your ways.
A(pplication) - Are you cheating God - not giving to God what is due him? Are you living the Kingdom life - a life concerned with justice for the marginalized? What areas of your life need repentance - to turn from curses to blessing?
P(rayer) - Abba, everybody's pointing fingers in this time of upheaval. Wall Street and politics, veterans . . . so much anger and vitriol. So many turning to everything and everyone but to You to heal and bless. Is there any hope? You are the Author and Perfecter of Life. You wrote the universal laws that bring either curses or blessings. If need be, break our hearts so we would turn back to You. Amen.
2 comments:
First a recaction to Stan's post...don't know if we do that or not?:
I always think smaller than "America." I have given up on argueing with people or expecting "America" as a whole to be what God expects because it's smaller pieces (us) are not what God expects...This scripture made me think about my house and it generated a few questions which I would love some response to...
1.Does God expect 10% of our income to go to church? To go to service of Him?
2. He speaks of crops...it it what we produce and not necssarily money?
3. Do expectations like these for sacrifice change after the sacrifice Christ made for us - we don't do burnt offerings anywmore.
Off to Serve God in my flauted and often selfish way...
Thomas
good questions
1. can be debated either way. the OT tithe was expected to support the institutional priesthood and temple. there were additional offering to cover justice/alms for the poor. other hints - ten Jewish tithers would be enough to establish a synagogue - 10 times .1 = 1 average salary for the Rabbi. i guess another question would be should persons committed to a church want to support it fully with a tithe? Everyone should love and believe in the vision of their local church. The ten % is an issue of grace. God doesn't need it of course. Giving teaches us to trust God - it is part of our maturation.
2. great thought - not necessarily money but that is primarily what we "produce' in this economy. i wonder if anyone has thought of tithing the vegetables in their home garden? we know that the Pharisees were meticulous in their zeal to give a tenth of EVERYTHING they had received - even down to the leaves of their spices. Jesus told them they were keeping the letter but missing the law of love. Paul talked about giving cheerfully or eagerly. Joyful generosity is a mark of Christ at work within us.
3. The sacrifice of Christ ramps things up, not abolishes the law. If our model is Christ, then we are no longer content to give a "mere" 10%. If God expected 10% from those who live under the law, how much more would he expect from those who have found liberating grace? Giving is not to earn God's favor, but in response to the favor God has shown us through Christ's sacrifice. We recognize that some have made poor decisions and indebted (enslaved) themselves through loans and credit cards. As such 10% would be unrealistic - God does not want us in debt either. So the Vine calls for first fruit giving - giving a percentage of income FIRST not out of what is left over. As Christ followers mature in faith and trust, that percentage should go up. This text talks about 10% as a bench mark. But Christ followers shouldn't get to 10% and stop. Perhaps God would call the tither to find new ways to give (and especially the amount above 10% could be used in ways other than supporting one's local church or could be used creatively within the local church.)
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