Tithing and Stewardship

Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to coffee and devotions this morning. We're at Deuteronomy chapter 14 verses 22 through what I say 22 through 37 something like that We're gonna talk about the principle of tithing at the principle of tithing. Let's have some coffee. We'll pray we'll get into God's Word Oh, there's no Deuteronomy 1437.
You're right. Twenty nine. I was wrong. Yep. I'm not adding to God's word. Mm hmm. You want some coffee? No. OK, let's pray. Father, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for the blessing of being able to read your word. Father, we pray that you would please help us to understand it. Please teach us. Lord, please let us walk in your ways in Jesus's name. Amen. All right, Deuteronomy chapter 14, beginning at verse 22. You want to read that first paragraph or you want me to? You can. Okay.
You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God in the place where he chooses to make his name abide. The tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil of the firstborn of your herd and your flocks that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. But if the journey is too long for you so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money. Take the money in your hand and go to the place where Jehovah your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires.
You shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part in inheritance with you. You want to read that last paragraph here? and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are in your gates may come and eat and be satisfied that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
Okay, so this is talking about the tithes. Do you remember in here, why did they have to give the tithes? First I should ask, what is a tithe? A tenth of all of your produce. Good, right, so a tenth of all their produce. And what does it say in the very last part of verse 23? Why were they supposed to give this tithe where God wanted it?
So that they can learn to fear God. Right. Yeah. So they would learn to fear the Lord. Good. So that's that's the whole point of this. Right. Who's have we been learning this in our Bible lessons lately? Who's is the world? God. So if I buy a field, do I own the field? No. Yes, I do. I paid for it. I got a I got a deed. I got a title. I own that land. Don't I own it? Yeah, but are you allowed to come in and steal it from me? No. So don't I own it? No, it's more like a temporary borrow from the Lord. Oh, so it's more like I'm a steward of God's things.
Yeah, right. So so we're stewards of what the Lord has. Right. And so in the economy of Israel every year, what were they supposed to do with a tenth of the stuff? Give it to God. I give it to God. Right. So if they went out to the harvest and they reaped, let's say, 10 bushels of barley, how many of how many bushels should they bring to the Lord? One. One. What if they had 10 lambs that year? Give them one. And if there's 20 lambs, give them two lambs. And if there's 30, give them three.
OK, good. I'm glad you know how to do math. That's wonderful. Yeah. Right. And so that's what the Lord does. Right. He does. And the whole point was to teach them that whose was the land? God's. Whose was the animals? God's. Who gave them all their blessings? God's. Who gave them all the good things? God's.
Hey, Dad, I have a question. Yeah. What if you only had five? Maybe you'd have to give up half the land. Like how? Or maybe you would give with a generous heart. Actually, that's that's one of the points I wanted to make when we got to see calling was. What are we called to do? We're called to give to the Lord. What's the Lord? OK, so given to the Lord, what's the Lord's right?
So do you have to pay a tithe? Should I pay a tithe? But we're not Old Testament Christians. But the Lord still owns everything we have. OK, so maybe the principle still stands that the Lord owns it. So are we bound to the exact number for the tithe? I don't think we are. I think 2 Corinthians 9 6-7 talks about this, right?
The Lord wants a cheerful giver, not one who gives under compulsion, but willingly. Do we recognize that everything we have is from him and he's so good? Every good and perfect gift that we have comes down from our Heavenly Father. And so if the people under the law had to be told, you must give one-tenth, And if we're under grace, how much more can we say, God, you've given me everything I need for life and you've given me your son.
I want to give it to you. Now, notice, though. Part of it is for the upkeep of the tabernacle. Right. If you notice every third or you shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. Right. So the Levites had to be cared for.
But every third year, The tithe would go not just to the Levite, but it would also go to the stranger and the orphans. It was meant to help care for the community as well, people who were downtrodden. But maybe another principle would be what should the church do with some of the money that the church receives? Give it to missions and homeless people. and give it to people who are in need. Right. So part of it is paying the ox who's trading the grain. Part of it is also paying for the or helping other people. See, there's actually one of my friends taught me this. I thought this was very helpful.
Does the government make money? Or make wealth? Oh, they they take it or they print money, right, but but they don't actually produce wealth. The church recycles, right? The church gets money from people and uses it to build the church or uses it to care for the community. And then individuals. And people, as they work for companies, making things produce, right, go out into the field and make things right. And so each each part has its place.
OK. What would you underline is the best verse to summarize this? Probably 22 verse 22. You shall surely tithe or you shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. OK, let's let's have you do see calling. What what do you think you are called to do? To tithe and give back to the Lord what he gave to us. Okay, that's fine. If that's what you want to take us as the calling. All right. Can you pray for us to close? Or would you like me to? What's up to you? I can. All right.
Thank you so much. You have given us so many good things. Thank you for life. Thank you for breath. Thank you for food. Thank you for children. Thank you for grandchildren. Thank you for parents. Thank you for shoes. Thank you for shoelaces. Thank you for taste and smell and hearing and touch. Thank you for love. Thank you for your son, in Jesus's name. Amen. Well, may God raise up in you a heart of generosity, of thankfulness that wells over into caring for others. We'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.