Numbers 18:31, commentary and pictures

The verse gives the tithes of Israel to the Levites as their inheritance and reward for their service in the tabernacle, because they were to have no inheritance in the land, and provision was made by requiring the other tribes to pay a tenth into the treasury, for the tithe is the Lord's and holy to Him. The priests and Levites and their households may eat what they receive in every place, wherever they live, because it is their reward and compensation for serving in the tabernacle, and it was food for them and their households. After faithfully setting aside a tithe of what they received for the priests, the remaining nine tenths was theirs, for the regular first tithe was given to the Levites, and the Levites were to tithe what they received, which is different from the second tithe used at the yearly feasts and in charity at home. The tithe is God's portion, assigned to support the ministry and not to be diverted to another use, as Israel's required offering of a tenth of its increase supporting the continuing duty to give means for God's work. The Lord requires no less of His people now, when time is emphatically short and their means are needed to accomplish a great work in giving the last merciful message to the world, and those who receive means consecrated to God have the privilege of returning a portion to the Lord, which one who withholds loses to others.

Reward for Tabernacle Service

When God set apart the tribe of Levi for the service of the tabernacle He made provision for the support of His ministers by requiring each member of the other tribes to pay a tenth into the treasury. The tithes of Israel were thus given to the Levites as their inheritance and reward for their tabernacle service because they were to have no inheritance in the land. This was fitting, for the tithe is the Lord's and holy to Him.

The priests and Levites and their households may eat the tithe they receive in every place, wherever they live. It was food for them and their households, given as their reward and compensation for serving in the tabernacle and at the tabernacle of the congregation. After faithfully setting aside a tithe of what they received, the remaining nine tenths were theirs and their households' to eat wherever they were.

The regular first tithe was given to the Levites, and the Levites were to tithe what they received for the priests. The tithes received by priests as reward for tabernacle service to eat with their households still carried the privilege of giving a tithe of the tithes to the Lord. This first tithe is different from the second tithe, which Israel used in connection with the three yearly feasts at Jerusalem and in charity at home in the third year.

The verse belongs to the chapter associated with the covenant of salt, meaning a covenant properly ratified by the use of salt according to God's direction. The passage in Numbers 18:28-32 gives directions for the thank-offerings to bring when coming up to the feast of the Lord with families and friends to spend the entire time seeking God. Bringing offerings according to these directions carries the promise that God will meet with His people.

Support of Ministry Today

The tithe given to the Levites was their reward for serving in the tabernacle, to be eaten by them and their households wherever they lived. It was God's portion, assigned to support the ministry and not to be diverted to another use. The Levites in turn were to pay a tithe from what they received. Numbers 18:24-32 establishes the tithe as the Israelites' required offering of a tenth of their increase, and stands among the commands requiring Israel to give that tenth in support of the continuing duty to give means for God's work. The children of Israel were required to give a tithe of all their increase, and the Lord requires no less of His people now when time is emphatically short and a great work is to be accomplished by the use of their means in giving the last merciful message to the world.

Those who receive means consecrated to God also have the privilege of returning a portion to the Lord from what they receive, so that fruit may abound to their account. This holds even for ministers who receive tithes as reward for service, for the tithes received by priests as reward for tabernacle service to eat with their households still carried the privilege of giving a tithe of the tithes to the Lord. One who fails to give is the loser, letting the blessing that giving could bring rest on others. One who receives much cannot afford to lose this privilege, and one who receives little sells it very cheaply by withholding, cheaper than Esau sold his birthright.