4/28/2009 8:55 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Bringing tithes and offerings
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Deuteronomy 12:17-19
Message of the verses: “17
"You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your
grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of
your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the
contribution of your hand. 18 "But
you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God
will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female servants,
and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the LORD
your God in all your undertakings. 19
"Be careful that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live
in your land.”
This small
section of Deuteronomy speaks of giving offerings and bringing tithes to the
Lord. Israel was not a huge land, but it
was spread out so that it would be difficult for some of it people to transport
their offerings and their tithes to where it was that the tabernacle was set
up, and eventually in Jerusalem where the temple would be built. In order for the people to bring their tithes
and offerings to the tabernacle or the temple they would have to bring money
and then buy animals for their sacrifice in order to sacrifice to the
Lord. This section also speaks of giving
tithes so that the Levites could have their food, as part of the sacrifices
were given to the Levites for the Levites did not have a portion of the land
given to them like the other tribes would have.
There is NT
principles given here as well, for tithing did not begin with the Law but it
started further back in the OT with people like Abraham and Jacob so it must
have been something that was known before the Law. The NT portion of Scripture that speaks of
giving is 2 Cor. 8-9 and there is nothing said about a tithe, but gifts were to
be given as to how the Lord has prospered believers. Some gave sacrificially as spoken of by Paul
in his writings.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- Increase our giving to Todd and Cindy.
- Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
- Continue to strive at learning contentment.
- Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
Memory verses for the week: Ephesians
1:6-10
6. To the praise of
the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7. In Him we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to
the riches of His grace
8. which He lavished
on us. In all wisdom and insight
9. He made known to
us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed
in Him
10. with a view to an
administration suitable to the fullness of the times, this is, the summing up
of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on earth. In Him
4/28/2009 9:25 AM
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