Sacredness of the Tithe by E. K. Slade

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 11, 1913

Sacredness of the Tithe

By E. K. Slade

Gospel Order—No. 7

Sacredness of the Tithe

E. K. SLADE

Throughout the history of the world, God has ever kept before the human race the opportunity of distinguishing between the sacred and the common. The common practise of one who fears not God, is to ignore God’s claims, disregard his requirements, and desecrate that which he has sanctified. The seriousness of such a course can be understood only as we understand the difference between the common and the sacred, and by what means and for what purpose the sanctification exists.

In his bountifulness and love, God has given to man for his use and his pleasure all that he can ever need. This was true before the fall, and it is equally true at this time. It is true with reference to all things that we can ever desire or enjoy. In his wisdom he has seen fit to sanctify, or make sacred, certain portions of these bounties. The sanctuary serves as an example. It was set apart for his service. It was made sacred by his presence, and thus became a holy place, to be distinguished from all common places and properties as a sacred place or structure. In this act man was not deprived of any blessing or portion of property that he could need, but on the contrary, this sanctified place, this sacred structure, was designed of God as a means of bringing to humanity untold blessings, as is true of his sanctifying presence always.

When the law was given from Mt. Sinai, that portion of the earth’s surface was set apart as sacred ground, and a line was drawn between the sacred and the common. At the burning bush Moses was requested to recognize the sacredness of the place which God had set apart for his use at that particular time. The ark of the covenant was a portion of property unlike an ordinary box, or chest, of common property, in that God had set it apart for his service and it became sacred.

One of the gifts bestowed upon man was time. This the Lord gives freely, with the exception of one-seventh part. He made the week of seven days, and drew a line about one day, saying, This I set apart for my use. This portion of time is thus made sacred, or holy, and he calls it “my holy day.” Man was required to recognize a difference between it and the remaining days of the week, which were common time.

It was not a slight offense for one to fail to distinguish between the common and the sacred. On one occasion the servants of God, in a careless and dissipated condition, found it more convenient and more suited to their taste in connection with the sanctuary service to use fire which they had kindled instead of that which God had provided and sanctified for that service. The sacred fire had been kindled by God, and it burned perpetually. It doubtless seemed to the intemperate priests that all fire was alike, and they failed to put a difference between the sacred and the common fire. The account of their punishment is placed on record that we may know that God is particular, and that he counts it a serious sin for man to treat as common that which he has made sacred, or for him to fail to distinguish between the common and that which has been made sacred.

Of material things it is said: “God gives man nine tenths, while he claims one tenth for sacred purposes, as he has given man six days for his own work, and has reserved and set apart the seventh day to himself. For, like the Sabbath, a tenth of the increase is sacred; God has reserved it for himself.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. III, page 395. No one will question God’s right to reserve one-seventh part of time for his use and for mankind to recognize and use as God directs. The seventh day of the week is God’s time—his holy day. Though nearly the whole world carelessly treats it as common time, substituting another day instead, or treating all days as common time, yet the truth remains the same; and some day God will make it evident that it is as great a sin as in the days of Nadab and Abihu to disregard that which he has sanctified and to count as common that which is holy.

“Like the Sabbath, a tenth of the increase is sacred.” A tenth of the income of every man living is sacred, and God claims it for his use. But few recognize his claim, and treat the one tenth as sacred; yet this does not alter the obligation nor lessen the offense.

To use that which God has set apart is robbery today, just as much as in ancient times. A tenth of our income is sacred. It cannot be treated by us as common, nor be used by us as we may properly use the remaining nine tenths. We are just as much required to distinguish between the sacred and common in this as in any other thing, place, or time that God has sanctified. The punishment of Nadab and Abihu serves to reveal the nature of the offense; but we are not to conclude that the absence of such punishments now indicates that it has ceased to be an offense to desecrate that which God has sanctified. That punishment indicates the final fate of those who trample upon and treat with

disrespect God’s sacred things. Members of our churches who have been careless regarding the payment of tithes will do well to consider carefully the thought that “like the Sabbath, a tenth of the increase is sacred.”