Giving the Tenth by G. D. Watson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 5, 1902

“Giving the Tenth”

By G. D. Watson

SOME may say that giving of a tenth was only a Mosaic law, but this is a mistake; it was in practice by the saints of God five hundred years before the giving of the law. Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to the priest of God (Heb. 7:4); and Jacob gave a tenth of his income to the Lord; and, so far as we know, it was the practice of Noah and the saints of the earliest ages. When the Holy Spirit gets possession of a soul, he writes this principle of giving a tenth upon the heart, showing it is not merely a Mosaic but a Holy Ghost law.

There are marvelous blessings connected with giving a tenth to the Lord; it is a wonderful stimulant to faith; it strengthens obedience on all other points; it brings light into the mind on other subjects; it is a safeguard against greed and stinginess; it makes benevolence a fixed affection in the soul, and not a spasmodic action; it makes us appreciate our nine tenths far more; it makes God’s special providence more real to us; it makes the conscience tender, and gives sweet access to God in prayer.

It is a great blessing financially to give constantly a tenth of all you receive to the Lord. The living God keeps his financial promises just as absolutely as he does his salvation promises. “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty.” How few Christians positively believe this word, and steadily act upon it! I have never yet met a person who gave regularly a tenth to the Lord who ever regretted it. All uniformly testify that since they have done so, they have prospered far better in all their temporal affairs. I am absolutely sure, with Müller, that God does not want any of his children in debt or destitute; and if all of us who are in debt will repent of the sin of getting in debt, and promise God never them to go in debt again, and to give him one tenth of all that we receive, and stick to the covenant with a loving heart, he will begin to work financial mercies for us, and soon have us free from debt. See Rom. 13:8.

God will not do wonders for us till we get away from our slipshod faith and partial obedience. A great many will say they keep no regular account; they think that they give about a tenth, etc. That is the way I used to give, but I see now that it is a shilly-shally obedience. It will please God to give him the tenth, and not a guess about the tenth. Then some aim to give a tenth at the end of the month or at the end of the year. This is degrading our Lord by putting self first and him last. Honor God by putting him and his kingdom always first, and then he will honor you. Just as soon as you receive any money, be it ever so small, take out the tenth for the Lord; do not wait till you spend the nine tenths; do not use it all up, and promise to pay the Lord’s tenth out of the next money you get; that is a slovenly, shabby way of dealing with the Lord. Treat your Lord in all these matters with the respect and honor with which you would treat him if he stood visibly by your side; don’t be mean and stingy in your treatment of him, but generous and prompt and free-hearted, and God will treat you like a prince, and ever and anon will astonish you with some great favor. Be you ever so poor, old or young, parent or child, even if you have only an occasional sixpence to call your own, give a tenth of it to God; do it religiously, lovingly, rigidly, and, as sure as you live, Omnipotence will find some way to bless you in your temporal affairs.

Will you believe this? Will you begin at once to do it? Ask the Holy Ghost to help you keep it as a holy covenant.— G. D. Watson, D. D.