"The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (Exodus 23:19)
The Lord God was instructing the children of Israel not to sacrifice a firstborn animal and then cook it in it's mother's milk. We'll learn more about in a future lesson. However, this is the first time the Lord God refers to bringing firstfruits (aka tithes and offerings) to the house of the Lord your God. The children of Israel have not built a house of the Lord your God yet.
The Lord God will give instruction on the building of the house of the Lord your God in a few lesson. But bringing the firstfruits of your land into the house of the Lord your God is a very important lesson that we need to make sure we understand and apply, even today. The Lord God will give the reason as to why this must be done in future lessons, when He establishes the priestly duties for His house, but we're going to explain some of the reason why now.
Remember, the sons of Jacob were twelve: the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram. (Genesis 35:22-26)
The Lord God will establish the priestly duties to the tribe of Levi. Generations later, after the children of Israel go into captivity and then return to the promised land, Nehemiah would lead them to rebuild a temple, a house of the Lord their God. And he would give this instruction, And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the Lord; to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse. (Nehemiah 10:35-38)
The above scriptures explains all of the reasons why we should pay tithes and offerings, and to whom we should pay them, and where we should bring them. Why? Because tithes and offerings are a sacrifice we make to God for blessing us with what we need. If we are obedient in this area of our lives, to trust Him enough to give Him at least 10% of what He's given us, and to be wise stewards with the remaining 90%, He will provide us with more than we need. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-12)
Who? We are to pay the tithes and the offerings to God, but we are to bring them to the Levites, the priests, the pastors who teach us the Word of God, who present [themselves] approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15) The main reason is because of the responsibility God has given them. Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. ... Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:7,17) As the Apostle Peter explained when the church was established after Christ resurrection and ascension, when the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ... but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2-4)
Which leads to the last part of the reason we are to bring our tithes and offerings to the Levites, the priests, the pastors, is because if they give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word, they need to be able to earn an income to take care of their needs also. Their job is the Word of God and ministering to the church, therefore the church body needs to provide them with their income; the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse. All that the priests or pastors receive from the church body, they are to save at least 10% of it for whatever need may come up among the church body. From the remaining 90%, they are to take care of the responsibilities of the church and ministry, and use a portion to take care of their needs.
Where? Because of the needs of the Levites, the priests, the pastors, the church body, the tithes and offerings are to be brought to the house of the Lord, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse. In other words, bring your tithes and offerings to church, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
Yes, we live in a corrupt world, and there are many churches with leaders who are corrupt. BUT, the majority are not, and each of us can find a church family that we can become a part of and obey the Word of God by: 1. giving our tithes and our offerings, at least 10% of what God has blessed us with; 2. bringing it to a church whose leader, pastor is teaching the Word of God accurately and boldly; and 3. bringing it to a church that will use it the way God wills, to help others while maintaining the needs and upkeep of the building and it's leader. Bring the first of the firstfruits of your land into the house of the Lord your God. AMEN!
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