2 Chronicles 31:5
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
As soon as Hezekiah commanded the people in Jerusalem to give the priests and Levites their portion so they could devote themselves to the law, the children of Israel promptly brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, oil, honey and all the increase of the field, with the tithe of all things abundantly. The gifts were piled in heaps until Hezekiah and the princes blessed the Lord and the people, and from the time the offerings began to come there was enough to eat and much left over because the Lord had blessed His people. The tithe thus shown is holy to God, a required tenth taken from all things and all increase, including produce of field and garden such as honey, oil, seed, fruit, herd and flock. Those abundant gifts supplied the priests and Levites and the temple service from the Lord's storehouse, and in like manner those who preach the gospel now are supported by tithes brought into the Lord's treasury. Honoring God with their possessions in this way was accompanied by blessing and prosperity, with larger stores left over than when they used what belonged to God for themselves, standing as an example urging those who seek a blessing to give faithfully.
Hezekiah's Reformation Setting
The account belongs to the reign of Hezekiah, counted among the good rulers, in a record showing that doing duty brought blessing and that God helped His people when they sought Him with all their heart. Worship had become neglected and the people had greatly apostatized, and their failure to support the temple had left its treasury empty. Hezekiah gave freely of his own substance for the worship of the Lord and commanded the people dwelling in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites so that they might devote themselves to the law. The people's giving followed the king's example in the revival of true worship and the restoration of support for the priests and the temple service.
As soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel promptly brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, oil, honey and all the increase of the field, and the tithe of all things abundantly. Those of Israel and Judah dwelling in Judah did the same, bringing the produce of fields and gardens and the tithe of their possessions for God's work. The response was immediate and liberal upon the proclamation of the command to provide for the priests and Levites, supplying those serving in the Lord's work with enough food and leaving a great store.
The gifts were piled in heaps over months until Hezekiah and the princes blessed the Lord and the people when they saw them. When questioned about the heaps, the chief priest explained that from the time the offerings began to come they had had enough to eat and much left over because the Lord had blessed His people. The ensuing heaps testified to God's blessing and provided more than enough for their needs. After Hezekiah restored the system of tithes and offerings, the abundant provision left enough for the sanctuary's work and a reserve the priests could use as needs increased.
The ingathering was an example of the special services held when firstfruits were gathered in. Firstfruits offerings were made from every harvest of grain, wine, oil, honey and every other increase of the field, along with the tithe brought in abundantly. The amount given abundantly was as each giver determined.
Tithe and Offering Requirement
The tithe stands as holy to God, and the proclamation answered by abundant firstfruits and tithes shows Israel was required to give a tenth of its increase. When the command to bring contributions came abroad, the people brought in abundance the firstfruits of produce and paid the tithe of all their increase abundantly. That giving belonged to a reformation that recognized the tithe as holy to God.
The tithe was taken from all things and all increase, not only from goods sold, including produce and other farm products such as honey, oil, seed, fruit, herd and flock. It is due on what is produced as income from what is sown, in agreement with the command to truly tithe all the yearly increase of seed, and the call for a tithe of all seed, fruit, herd and flock does not contradict that command. The increase of the field was thus brought in abundantly in keeping with the commandment, supporting giving God a tithe of everything received or consumed from the farm. The same requirement covers what is raised in fields and gardens as well as money earned, calling for God's portion to be set aside first rather than giving only what remains after personal expenses.
The tithes were recognized as belonging entirely to the house of the Lord and not as any part of the king's revenue. They belonged solely to those engaged in the Lord's special religious and benevolent work, while taxes for the support of civil government were entirely outside of this, so civil taxes cannot be deducted from the tithe. The verse is also among the passages recording provisions for ceremonial offerings connected with the Sabbath. Those rites were added after the Fall and were not part of the Sabbath's original institution, so ending the ceremonial law removed these added rites without changing the Sabbath itself.
Support Blessing and Application
The abundant gifts supplied the priests and Levites and the service of the temple from the Lord's storehouse, which consisted principally of the tithe. Those who minister about holy things and wait at the altar live of the things of the temple and are partakers with the altar, and in like manner those who preach the gospel now are supported by the tithes brought into the Lord's treasury by those who recognize God's claim and believe and obey the gospel. When the command to provide for the priests and Levites was made known, the people promptly brought abundant firstfruits from their crops and abundant tithes of their possessions, and the resulting provision gave the religious workers enough food and left a great store.
Their prompt and liberal giving illustrates the faithful support of God's work that follows wholehearted commitment to Him. It illustrates obedience to God's command concerning the tithe and honoring God with possessions. That honoring of God was accompanied by blessing and prosperity in Israel's history.
When the people brought in their tithes, things went well, and those who did their duty had larger stores left over than when they used what belonged to God for themselves. From the time the offerings began to come there was enough to eat and much left over, because the Lord had blessed His people, an experience in harmony with the later promise of blessing for bringing the tithe. This stands as proof that God blesses faithfulness in tithes and offerings with abundant provision, with protection of the fruits of the ground and the vine from destruction, and with a land called blessed by all nations.
Those who seek a blessing are urged to follow this example of faithful giving. Withholding the tithe is shown to affect God's work.