THE LORD'S CHALLENGE by William N. Glenn

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 27, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 21.

THE LORD'S CHALLENGE.

By William N. Glenn

THE Lord's wonderful patience and long-suffering with a rebellious world is beyond human comprehension. This is because of his matchless love. His instruction comes to us as unto little children, "line upon line, precept upon precept." And he deigns to come down and encourage us along by challenges to prove his word. Instead of cutting us off in our selfish injustice toward him, through willful disobedience of his commands, he stoops to beg of us to be reconciled to him.

A notable challenge to a proof of his word is found in Mal. 3: 10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." There are comparatively few professed Christians who return to the Lord an honest tithe. In this neglect, or refusal, they virtually say that they do not believe the Lord will keep his word. He in whom they profess to have implicit faith, has challenged them to prove him and see if he will not fulfill his word, but they do not dare to prove him. They profess faith, but they deliberately act unbelief.

The Lord has said that the tithe is holy unto him (Lev. 27: 30), and that those who withhold what is his have robbed him, and are "cursed with a curse" (Mal. 3: 8, 9). Are you trying to dodge the censure by the specious plea that this was said under the Mosaic dispensation? Remember that Abraham paid tithe long before Moses was born. Abraham lived under the Melchizedek priesthood, and we are under the same priesthood that Abraham was; for our high priest is Christ, and he is "a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." See Heb. 7: 1, 2, 6, 17.

But some will say they cannot afford it. The question arises, Can you afford to forego the rich blessing of God? Can you afford to be under a curse for robbery? That is rather a peculiar position for a professed servant of God to assume, right in the face of the challenge to prove him on his rich promise of overflowing blessing. Has God ever taken back the claim that the tithe is his, and is holy? Read Ps. 89: 34: "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips."

The Lord calls for the tithes, "that there may be meat" in his house. The tithe is designed for the support of those who labor in the work of the Lord, in dispensing the truth to the people. Did the Lord's work cease when the Aaronic priesthood ended?—Nay, verily; it was greatly enlarged. And to-day there is a more extensive work to be done than in any former age of the world. There is to-day a greater necessity for bringing "all the tithes" into the storehouse than there ever was before. And surely the people need the blessing based upon a faithful tithe as much as did those of any preceding generation.

He that withholds the tithe required by the plain word of God, virtually says one of two things,—either that he does not believe the promise, or that he does not want the blessing of God on that condition. W. N. G.