IS IT JEWISH? by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 9, 1880

IS IT JEWISH?

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

PEOPLE become very liberal towards the Jews when some of God's claims are presented. Especially is this the case when the attention of individuals is called to the Sabbath of the Lord. The most convenient way to dispose of the question with many, is to say it was given to the Jews. The poet aptly says: "They love the rest of man's invention, But when Jehovah's rest we mention, This puts an end to all contention. It's Jewish."

But such reveal a great ignorance of the Scriptures. The first mention of the Sabbath is in connection with the creation. "And God blessed the seventh day, because in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." The Saviour bears testimony: "The Sabbath was made for the man" (Greek), referring to Adam while in the garden of Eden, who represents the human race.

The same assertion that it is Jewish is also made when the Scripture claims relating to man's temporal possessions are presented. God has ever claimed one-tenth of a man's income for the support of the gospel. After the fall of man, it became a necessity for the good news of salvation through Christ to be preached and published to a lost world. He called men to do this work, and for their support he instituted a system which runs parallel with the preaching of the gospel. Each individual who receives the blessings of the gospel is a debtor to administer of his substance towards its support. "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" "And their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in carnal things." "Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things." "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." See 1 Cor. 16:1, 2; 9:11; Rom. 15:27; Gal. 6:6.

None of these scriptures state how much should be laid aside, but it states distinctly that "every one" should make a continued, weekly contribution to the cause of God. And this should be according as God has prospered the individual. There is no person who has food, raiment, and shelter, that can say he has no prosperity. The same writer who penned each of the above quotations also says, "Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content." 1 Tim. 6:8. The giving according to our prosperity must be a certain proportion of the income received, else no two would agree what amount to give. This would be just and equitable, for otherwise, some would give more, and some less, of that with which the Lord had prospered them.

But how much should be given on each hundred dollars received, is the question. Upon this point the Scriptures are very plain, and return but one answer. A tithe, or one-tenth, is the least God has ever proposed to accept under any circumstances from any individual who has been a participant of divine grace. "All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." Lev. 27. The Lord gives man nine-tenths to dispose of, while "the tenth," he declares, "is the Lord's." "It shall be holy unto the Lord." Notwithstanding the expression is so unqualified and repeatedly used, we are met with the same declaration as in regard to the Sabbath, "It is Jewish."

Like the Sabbath, it is quite commonly supposed that the tithing system originated and terminated with the Mosaic economy. This is the question we here propose to answer. There are two orders of priesthood spoken of in the Bible, The Melchisedec, and the Aaronic or Levitical. The Melchisedec existed from Adam to Moses; the Levitical, from Moses to Christ. "Christ was made a priest after the order of Melchisedec," hence the Melchisedec order is from the first advent of Christ to the closing work of the gospel. The tithing system originated with, and belonged to, the Melchisedec order. The first mention we find of it is incidental. It is found in Gen. 14. "Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all." Heb. 7:1, 2; Gen. 14:17-24. He did not reserve for himself even "a thread to a shoe latchet," to pay his taxes, or feed himself or his household. Out of the nine-tenths, the young men ate that went with him.

Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, who lived during the same order of priesthood, is the next person to make mention of paying tithes. It is evident he took the same view of the tithes as his father Abraham. He made a solemn vow to God, "Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Gen. 28:20-22. Had he reasoned as many do at the present day, he would have said, "Of all thou shalt give me over and above my living, I will give the tenth unto thee." Jacob had only asked for "bread to eat, and raiment to put on." But he realized that the tithe of all he received, including food and clothing, was the Lord's, and by returning to God the things which were his, God would secure to him a blessing according to his needs.

The Lord speaks expressly upon this very point in Malachi 3:10, 11: "Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts." Here is something remarkable indeed. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, from whom we receive every blessing we enjoy, calls upon the inhabitants of the earth to acknowledge him in their substance by returning to him one tithe of their income, and to prove him herewith if he will not open the windows of Heaven and pour them out a blessing.

Are these words true? Does God mean what he says? Dare we trust him? There are thousands of men and women to-day, and there have been in every age in the past those of every religious body, who can bear witness to the truthfulness of these words. They have tried God upon this point and proved his words true. Seventh-day Adventists, as a people, everywhere are living witnesses of the truthfulness of the prophet's testimony.

DOES THE SAVIOUR TEACH THE TITHING SYSTEM? This is an important question. And yet, if his testimony was silent upon this question, it would no more prove that men should not pay tithes, than that the second commandment is abolished, because he does not mention the form of it in the New Testament. But we have only to quote his words to settle this question: "Ye pay tithe of mint, rue, and all manner of herbs; . . . these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Luke 11:42; Matt. 23:23. The Saviour charged the Pharisees with hypocrisy, not because they paid tithes on everything they received, for this, he says, "they ought to have done," but because they passed over "judgment and the love of God," and made all their religion consist in paying tithes.

Those that withhold a tenth of their income, rob God, and in so doing have departed from him. The Lord calls upon all such to return unto him, and he will return unto them. But they say, "Wherein shall we return? What particular thing shall we do?" Then he instructs them with the following words: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." It is bad enough to rob men; but to rob God is sacrilege in the highest degree. And yet men have but little realizing sense of robbing God in withholding the tenth of what he has given them.

It is an honor conferred upon man to be thus connected with Christ in carrying forward the plan of salvation. Christ gave himself. He left his position in Heaven, the glory he had with the Father before the world was, that man might be saved. And when men and women receive this great benefit, he permits them to co-operate with him in carrying forward the preaching of the gospel, by returning to him a small portion of the temporal blessings he bestows upon us. The cheerfulness and promptness with which we do this, shows how much we appreciate the blessing we receive, and the love we have for the spread of the gospel by its ministry. S. N. HASKELL.