In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
In Hezekiah's reformation he commanded the people to give the priests and Levites their portion, and Israel and Judah obeyed by bringing in the firstfruits and the tithe of corn, wine, oil, honey, oxen, sheep and holy things and laying them up in heaps from the third month until they finished in the seventh month. Those heaps supplied the priests and Levites who lived of the things of the temple, giving them enough to eat with plenty left over for the work of the sanctuary and for increasing need. The abundance was the Lord's blessing on faithful tithing, acknowledged when Hezekiah and the princes blessed the Lord and His people at the sight of the heaps and when the priests testified that since the bringing began they had had enough and had left plenty. When all the tithes are brought into the storehouse God pours out a blessing too large to receive, rebukes the devourer so the ground and vine are not spoiled, and makes His people blessed, proving Himself true to His promise with such blessings as are for their best good and for His glory. As the priests and Levites were then supported by tithes brought into the storehouse, so those who preach the gospel are to live of the gospel by the tithes of believers, and where all faithfully follow God's plan there is abundance in His treasury with no need for unscriptural methods, while neglect to return the tithe stops His work and leaves His house forsaken.
Historical Context and Collection
The verse belongs to the history in 2 Chronicles 30-31, within the larger section from 2 Chronicles 25 to Ezra 5 that goes over ground previously covered in Kings with added detail on the kings of Judah. The gathering it describes took place during Hezekiah's reformation, after he commanded the people to give the priests and the Levites their portion so that they could devote themselves to the law of the Lord. That restoration provided abundance for the sanctuary's work.
The heaps were the abundant firstfruits and the tithe of all things brought by Israel and Judah in obedience to God's command, laid up by heaps. They included corn, wine, oil, honey, oxen, sheep, and consecrated holy things. The people began to lay the foundation of the heaps in the third month and finished them in the seventh month. They continued bringing their tithes and offerings for four months until the heaps were complete, and the contributions were so abundant and so willingly and generously given.
Those offerings supplied the priests and Levites, who lived of the things of the temple by living on the things brought into the Lord's storehouse and treasury. They gave them enough to eat with plenty left over. In this way there was abundance for the sanctuary's work and a reserve from which increasing needs could be met.
Tithing Blessing and Application
The heaps that grew from the third month to the seventh were the Lord's blessing made visible upon faithful tithing, for the offerings brought in abundance gave the priests and Levites enough to eat with plenty left over. When Hezekiah and the princes saw the heaps they blessed the Lord and His people Israel, and the priests testified that since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord they had had enough and had left plenty, because the Lord had blessed His people. To give the Lord His appointed portion is therefore to enter into blessing, in harmony with the promise of blessing poured out upon those who bring the tithe.
When all the tithes are brought into the storehouse, God pours out a blessing too large to receive, rebukes the devourer so that the fruit of the ground is not destroyed and the vine does not cast its fruit before the time, and makes His people a delightsome land whom all nations call blessed. Those who prove Him in this way always find Him true to His promise, though the blessing is not necessarily temporal riches but such blessings as are for their best good and for His glory. Israel's history here was unfaithfulness in tithing followed by reformation, and when they brought in the tithe everything went well, so that those who did their duty had much larger stores left than they had while robbing the Lord. As those who ministered about holy things lived of the things of the temple, supported by the tithe brought into the Lord's storehouse and treasury by those who recognized God's claim, so God has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, supported by the tithes of those who believe and obey.
The willing and generous contributions, so abundant that the gathering continued for four months until the heaps were complete, show how a people devoted to God respond by giving liberally. If all Christians faithfully observed God's plan for supporting His work there would be abundance in His treasury with no need for unscriptural methods of raising money. Neglect to return the tithe stops the progress of God's work, destroys spirituality, and leaves His house forsaken.
In Hezekiah's reformation he commanded the people to give the priests and Levites their portion, and Israel and Judah obeyed by bringing in the firstfruits and the tithe of corn, wine, oil, honey, oxen, sheep and holy things and laying them up in heaps from the third month until they finished in the seventh month. Those heaps supplied the priests and Levites who lived of the things of the temple, giving them enough to eat with plenty left over for the work of the sanctuary and for increasing need. The abundance was the Lord's blessing on faithful tithing, acknowledged when Hezekiah and the princes blessed the Lord and His people at the sight of the heaps and when the priests testified that since the bringing began they had had enough and had left plenty. When all the tithes are brought into the storehouse God pours out a blessing too large to receive, rebukes the devourer so the ground and vine are not spoiled, and makes His people blessed, proving Himself true to His promise with such blessings as are for their best good and for His glory. As the priests and Levites were then supported by tithes brought into the storehouse, so those who preach the gospel are to live of the gospel by the tithes of believers, and where all faithfully follow God's plan there is abundance in His treasury with no need for unscriptural methods, while neglect to return the tithe stops His work and leaves His house forsaken.
Historical Context and Collection
The verse belongs to the history in 2 Chronicles 30-31, within the larger section from 2 Chronicles 25 to Ezra 5 that goes over ground previously covered in Kings with added detail on the kings of Judah. The gathering it describes took place during Hezekiah's reformation, after he commanded the people to give the priests and the Levites their portion so that they could devote themselves to the law of the Lord. That restoration provided abundance for the sanctuary's work.
The heaps were the abundant firstfruits and the tithe of all things brought by Israel and Judah in obedience to God's command, laid up by heaps. They included corn, wine, oil, honey, oxen, sheep, and consecrated holy things. The people began to lay the foundation of the heaps in the third month and finished them in the seventh month. They continued bringing their tithes and offerings for four months until the heaps were complete, and the contributions were so abundant and so willingly and generously given.
Those offerings supplied the priests and Levites, who lived of the things of the temple by living on the things brought into the Lord's storehouse and treasury. They gave them enough to eat with plenty left over. In this way there was abundance for the sanctuary's work and a reserve from which increasing needs could be met.
Tithing Blessing and Application
The heaps that grew from the third month to the seventh were the Lord's blessing made visible upon faithful tithing, for the offerings brought in abundance gave the priests and Levites enough to eat with plenty left over. When Hezekiah and the princes saw the heaps they blessed the Lord and His people Israel, and the priests testified that since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord they had had enough and had left plenty, because the Lord had blessed His people. To give the Lord His appointed portion is therefore to enter into blessing, in harmony with the promise of blessing poured out upon those who bring the tithe.
When all the tithes are brought into the storehouse, God pours out a blessing too large to receive, rebukes the devourer so that the fruit of the ground is not destroyed and the vine does not cast its fruit before the time, and makes His people a delightsome land whom all nations call blessed. Those who prove Him in this way always find Him true to His promise, though the blessing is not necessarily temporal riches but such blessings as are for their best good and for His glory. Israel's history here was unfaithfulness in tithing followed by reformation, and when they brought in the tithe everything went well, so that those who did their duty had much larger stores left than they had while robbing the Lord. As those who ministered about holy things lived of the things of the temple, supported by the tithe brought into the Lord's storehouse and treasury by those who recognized God's claim, so God has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, supported by the tithes of those who believe and obey.
The willing and generous contributions, so abundant that the gathering continued for four months until the heaps were complete, show how a people devoted to God respond by giving liberally. If all Christians faithfully observed God's plan for supporting His work there would be abundance in His treasury with no need for unscriptural methods of raising money. Neglect to return the tithe stops the progress of God's work, destroys spirituality, and leaves His house forsaken.