p. 6 | THE TITHE by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 42.

THE TITHE.

By G.

The tithe, or tenth, of one's income is holy unto the Lord. Lev. 27:30-34. It is designed for the sustenance of the ministry. Num. 18:21-24. The obligation to return a tithe to the Lord was recognized by Abraham (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-9) and by Jacob (Gen. 28:20-22). Christ said paying tithe was a duty that ought to be performed. Luke 11:42. God challenges His people to prove Him by faithfulness in the payment of tithes and offerings, promising special blessing in return. And unfaithfulness in these respects is declared to be robbery, carrying with it the curse of God. Mal. 3:8-12.

The tithe, being holy to the Lord, comes under the head of “devoted” things; and “no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27:28. Now there is not a principle enunciated in all the Bible that is not illustrated by an object lesson. So the sin of appropriating to private use that which is the Lord’s has been most strikingly illustrated for our instruction and warning. When Israel made the attack on Jericho, under the Lord’s direction, Joshua said to the people:—

“The city shall be accursed [margin, “devoted”] even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed [“devoted,” R.V.] thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed [“devoted,” R.V.] thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.” Joshua 6:17-19.

Everything else in the city was to be destroyed. The Lord had ordered the place to be devoted to Him; it was the first fruits of the great campaign against the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, in which the Lord had promised that He would fight the battles for His people if they would be faithful to Him. Deut. 1:30, 31; 3:21, 22; 20:1-4. The Lord was the judge of what to do with that which was devoted to Him by His special order. It would not have been wise to allow the people, on winning an easy victory over a wealthy city, to indulge a spirit of avaricious plunder. They must first learn to manifest a spirit of faith in God, and be taught to recognize their dependence upon Him for success, and His first claim upon all that was acquired in the campaign.

But one man allowed his covetous spirit to get the better of him, and took to himself a part of that which was “holy to the Lord,” having been “devoted” to Him by express command. “Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed [“devoted,” R.V.] thing; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.” Joshua 7:1. A few days afterward the people presumed to exercise their own judgment, and to go against the city of Ai in their own strength. One man’s sin in appropriating to himself that which the Lord claimed as His own, that which was “devoted” to the Lord and therefore “holy,” had caused the Lord to withhold His Spirit from the whole camp, and allow them to take their own way and suffer the consequences. It cost the lives of thirty-six of the brethren, brought disgrace upon the cause, and humiliated all Israel in the presence of a people who had thought Israel’s God was invincible. It is no wonder that Joshua and the elders of Israel “put dust upon their heads” and “fell upon their faces” before the Lord. Their great humiliation of mind was thus expressed by Joshua:—

“O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?” Verses 8, 9.

Remember that this was caused by but one act of but one individual in withholding that which the Lord had declared was “devoted” to Him. And here is the Lord’s judgment as concerning the responsibility of the whole people:—

“Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed [“devoted,” R.V.] thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed; neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from among you.” Verses 11, 12.

“And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed [“devoted,” R.V.] thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.” Verse 15.

This is sufficient to illustrate how God regards the act of appropriating to private use that which He has devoted to Himself and to the support of His cause. What Achan took was gold and silver devoted to the Lord’s treasury, and a Babylonish garment of elegant design. Now the Lord says that He changes not. A thousand years later we have His declaration, “I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Mal. 3:6. After the object lesson given in the destruction of Achan, to illustrate the principle involved and the final consequences of breaking His covenant, the people were penitent, and sought forgiveness. The Lord was very merciful to them. They were spared from becoming habitually of the same covetous spirit. But they are here reminded that it was because of His mercy. Yet with this reminder they are shown that a curse rests against them for robbery in withholding His tithes and offerings, that which He had reserved for Himself and had pronounced holy. See verses 8, 9. His mercy is shown in the command to return to Him, take up anew these neglected duties, and receive the consequent blessing. Verses 10-12.

Now God has not changed, either in the longsuffering character of His mercy or in the exactitude of His requirements. He is just as particular concerning that which is to be devoted to Him to-day as He was in the case of Achan; but men who profess to serve Him are presuming upon His mercy and keeping back the “devoted,” “holy” tithe. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Eccl. 8:11. Because they love gold and silver and goodly raiment, that which is holy to the Lord is withheld. They think that God changes, that He is such a one as themselves (Ps. 50:21). But with Him “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17), and the day of reckoning will reveal the whole account of “devoted” things unlawfully withheld from Him.