And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel.
When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel, for the heaps were the abundance of firstfruits and tithes of all things and the increase of the land brought in by Israel in generous obedience to provide for the priests and Levites and laid up from the third month to the seventh month. There was enough to eat and plenty left over with a great surplus because the LORD had blessed His people, supplying the work of the sanctuary and a reserve for the priests' growing needs. The tithe belongs to the LORD and is to be set apart for Him, and as the priests and Levites then lived on the things brought into His storehouse, so God's ministers now are supported by tithes brought into His treasury by those who believe and obey the Gospel. Bringing all the tithes into the storehouse as commanded proves the LORD as He asks, and He pours out a blessing so abundant there is not room enough to receive it, a promise belonging to the Christian dispensation, especially the last days, and those who test Him in tithing always find Him true. The blessing does not necessarily mean temporal prosperity, but just such blessings as He sees will be for the best good of the giver and for His glory, including rebuking the devourer and preserving the fruits of the ground and the vine, so that those who do their duty keep much larger stores than while robbing the LORD.
Heaps in Hezekiah's Reform
When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. The heaps were the abundant offerings brought by the people in faithful and generous response to the command to provide for the priests and Levites, and the leaders' blessing expressed gratitude at the abundance collected and recognition of the people's faithful giving and of God's blessing upon them. That blessing was evident in the provision itself, for the people had supplied the priests and Levites abundantly, with enough to eat and plenty left over.
The heaps consisted of abundance of firstfruits and tithes of all things and the increase of the land, brought in by Israel in generous and faithful obedience to God's command to bring offerings into His treasury. They were laid up from the third month to the seventh month, until Hezekiah and the princes saw them and blessed the LORD and Israel. Their generous giving was renewed, willing service to God, marking faithful giving upon which God's blessing rested.
There was enough for the ministers to eat and plenty left over with a great surplus, because the LORD had blessed His people. The abundance provided for the work of the sanctuary and a reserve for the growing needs of the priests.
The episode belongs to Hezekiah's reforms and reign, whose history shows that seeking God wholeheartedly brought help and blessing. The people's generous giving showed renewed, willing service after unfaithfulness in tithing, for the fuller account records Israel's unfaithfulness in tithing and reformation from it. When the people brought in the tithe everything went well, so that those who did their duty kept much larger stores than while they were robbing the LORD.
Tithing Doctrine and Blessing
The heaps show God's command concerning the tithe, that the tenth belongs to the Lord and is to be set apart for Him. Living of the things of the temple meant living on the things brought into the Lord's storehouse. That store consisted principally of the tithe, brought in by those who recognized and responded to God's claim upon them to support the priests and Levites in their work. In like manner God's ministers now are supported by the tithes brought into the Lord's treasury by those who believe and obey the gospel.
When all observe God's plan for supporting His work there is abundance in His treasury. Under Hezekiah faithful tithing brought in abundance of firstfruits and tithes of all things, laid in heaps from the third month to the seventh month, so that at the sight of the heaps Hezekiah and the princes blessed the Lord and His people Israel. There was enough to eat and plenty left over because the Lord had blessed His people, with no need to resort to unscriptural methods of raising money.
Bringing all the tithes into the storehouse as commanded proves the Lord as He asks. He then pours out a blessing so abundant there is not room enough to receive it, seen in the heaps that led Hezekiah and the princes to bless the Lord and Israel. That promise belongs to the Christian dispensation, especially the last days, and those who test the Lord in tithing always find Him true to His promise.
The blessing does not necessarily mean temporal prosperity, but just such blessings as He sees will be for the best good of the giver and for His glory. It includes rebuking the devourer, preserving the fruits of the ground and the vine from destruction, and causing all nations to call His people blessed as a delightsome land. The heaps marked the people's faithful giving after unfaithfulness in tithing and reformation from it, and God's blessing rested on those who brought in the tithe. When the people brought in the tithe everything went well, so that those who did their duty in the matter had much larger stores left over than they had while they were robbing the Lord.
Offerings gathered for God's work in money, pledges, jewelry, livestock, and land are like those heaps of gifts. As Hezekiah and the leaders blessed the Lord and Israel at the sight of them, so such present gifts call forth the same blessing.
When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel, for the heaps were the abundance of firstfruits and tithes of all things and the increase of the land brought in by Israel in generous obedience to provide for the priests and Levites and laid up from the third month to the seventh month. There was enough to eat and plenty left over with a great surplus because the LORD had blessed His people, supplying the work of the sanctuary and a reserve for the priests' growing needs. The tithe belongs to the LORD and is to be set apart for Him, and as the priests and Levites then lived on the things brought into His storehouse, so God's ministers now are supported by tithes brought into His treasury by those who believe and obey the Gospel. Bringing all the tithes into the storehouse as commanded proves the LORD as He asks, and He pours out a blessing so abundant there is not room enough to receive it, a promise belonging to the Christian dispensation, especially the last days, and those who test Him in tithing always find Him true. The blessing does not necessarily mean temporal prosperity, but just such blessings as He sees will be for the best good of the giver and for His glory, including rebuking the devourer and preserving the fruits of the ground and the vine, so that those who do their duty keep much larger stores than while robbing the LORD.
Heaps in Hezekiah's Reform
When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. The heaps were the abundant offerings brought by the people in faithful and generous response to the command to provide for the priests and Levites, and the leaders' blessing expressed gratitude at the abundance collected and recognition of the people's faithful giving and of God's blessing upon them. That blessing was evident in the provision itself, for the people had supplied the priests and Levites abundantly, with enough to eat and plenty left over.
The heaps consisted of abundance of firstfruits and tithes of all things and the increase of the land, brought in by Israel in generous and faithful obedience to God's command to bring offerings into His treasury. They were laid up from the third month to the seventh month, until Hezekiah and the princes saw them and blessed the LORD and Israel. Their generous giving was renewed, willing service to God, marking faithful giving upon which God's blessing rested.
There was enough for the ministers to eat and plenty left over with a great surplus, because the LORD had blessed His people. The abundance provided for the work of the sanctuary and a reserve for the growing needs of the priests.
The episode belongs to Hezekiah's reforms and reign, whose history shows that seeking God wholeheartedly brought help and blessing. The people's generous giving showed renewed, willing service after unfaithfulness in tithing, for the fuller account records Israel's unfaithfulness in tithing and reformation from it. When the people brought in the tithe everything went well, so that those who did their duty kept much larger stores than while they were robbing the LORD.
Tithing Doctrine and Blessing
The heaps show God's command concerning the tithe, that the tenth belongs to the Lord and is to be set apart for Him. Living of the things of the temple meant living on the things brought into the Lord's storehouse. That store consisted principally of the tithe, brought in by those who recognized and responded to God's claim upon them to support the priests and Levites in their work. In like manner God's ministers now are supported by the tithes brought into the Lord's treasury by those who believe and obey the gospel.
When all observe God's plan for supporting His work there is abundance in His treasury. Under Hezekiah faithful tithing brought in abundance of firstfruits and tithes of all things, laid in heaps from the third month to the seventh month, so that at the sight of the heaps Hezekiah and the princes blessed the Lord and His people Israel. There was enough to eat and plenty left over because the Lord had blessed His people, with no need to resort to unscriptural methods of raising money.
Bringing all the tithes into the storehouse as commanded proves the Lord as He asks. He then pours out a blessing so abundant there is not room enough to receive it, seen in the heaps that led Hezekiah and the princes to bless the Lord and Israel. That promise belongs to the Christian dispensation, especially the last days, and those who test the Lord in tithing always find Him true to His promise.
The blessing does not necessarily mean temporal prosperity, but just such blessings as He sees will be for the best good of the giver and for His glory. It includes rebuking the devourer, preserving the fruits of the ground and the vine from destruction, and causing all nations to call His people blessed as a delightsome land. The heaps marked the people's faithful giving after unfaithfulness in tithing and reformation from it, and God's blessing rested on those who brought in the tithe. When the people brought in the tithe everything went well, so that those who did their duty in the matter had much larger stores left over than they had while they were robbing the Lord.
Offerings gathered for God's work in money, pledges, jewelry, livestock, and land are like those heaps of gifts. As Hezekiah and the leaders blessed the Lord and Israel at the sight of them, so such present gifts call forth the same blessing.