How to Support the Ministry
By H. S. Shaw
A Definite Bible Plan — It Would Bring Prosperity to the Church and to the Individual WHEN the Levitical priesthood was instituted, the tribe of Levi was set apart from the other tribes for the service of the tabernacle, and provision was made for their support by each member of the other tribes paying a tenth into the treasury for this purpose. Here is the record: THE INHERITANCE OF THE PRIESTHOOD
“And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. . . . And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee. . . . And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, . . . I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. . . . Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land. . . . But the tithes of the children of Israel . . . I have given to the Levites to inherit; therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.” See Numbers 18. Here in the Levitical priesthood the Lord made provision for the support of His ministers. Notice, the Lord says: “The tithes of the children of Israel . . . I have given to the Levites.” “The tithe . . . is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27: 30. The Lord said that He had given the tithe to the Levites. APOSTASY SUBVERTED THE PLAN
The work went on and prospered, and after the death of Moses, Joshua had charge of Israel. The record says: “And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua. . . . And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel. . . . And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, . . . and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them.” Judges 2: 7-14. Finally, after many years of captivity in Babylon, Nehemiah was raised up to restore and build Jerusalem. When he arrived, he had to institute a reform in many things; but we can only mention here the following statement from him regarding the tithe: “And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then brought all Judah the tithe . . . unto the treasuries. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, . . . and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.” Neh. 13: 10-13. Thus the ministers of God were gathered from their farms, and placed in the work to which the Lord had before appointed them, and the tithe was paid into the treasury for their support, according to the Lord's order. The church in that time, however, did not always remain faithful to the Lord's instruction, as also we too often in this age of the world fail to obey the word of God. The prophet wrote afterward, saying: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. . . . Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house.” Mal. 3: 8-10. It is plain, from the above texts, and others that might be cited, that the tithe was used for the support of the ministry in Old Testament times. Set apart to minister in the Lord's house, the Levites had no inheritance save the tithes from their brethren of the other tribes of Israel. The Levites could not run away from the work of the Lord any more than a minister who is called of God to-day can run away from his work, and return at his pleasure. “EVEN SO HATH THE LORD ORDAINED”
There can be no intelligent doubt that the ministers of God to-day, who have been called to dedicate their lives to the service of the Lord's house, to care for the flock, are filling a position in the church in our time, similar to that allotted to the Levites in their day. The Lord calls them, and places the burden of the flock upon them, and He claims the tithe from the members of the church to sustain them. Our great High Priest is now ministering in the heavenly sanctuary, and His ministers in the world are serving Him as really as ever a Levite served the Levitical priesthood in the days of Israel; and the apostle, speaking on the subject, says: “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” 1 Cor. 9: 13, 14. Having forsaken the Lord's tithing system, the church of to-day has invented numerous plans and schemes for the support of the ministry. In her effort to sustain the ministers whom God has called to care for His work in the earth, many things have been introduced that have proved a snare to her. If every child of God would bring a tenth of his earnings into the storehouse, as the Lord has said, there would be sufficient to sustain the ministry. There would be no need then of “Trilby parties,” “donkey socials,” “fishponds,” “ring cakes,” “church balls,” “the Gypsy dance,” and the many other inventions now employed by well meaning people to aid the church in her effort to raise money to sustain the Lord's work. There are many pastors and people who deplore these unsanctified methods which have found their way into the church; but their hands are tied, because, having forsaken the Lord's plan, there seems to be no other way remaining for the church to sustain her needs, than to employ such schemes as may seem to be most successful in bringing means to the treasury. MUCH EVIL COULD BE AVERTED
Much of the evil of this age might be kept out of the church, if the Lord's plan for the support of His work were recognized. And besides this advantage, there would be prosperity everywhere; for the Lord has promised that He will open to us the windows of heaven, and pour us out a blessing, that there should “not be room enough to receive it.” See Malachi 3. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of 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, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27: 30, 32.