Deuteronomy 26-27 Getting By Giving

They’d been wanderers for 40 years and now they were to settle down in homes in the land the Lord their God was giving them and become farmers.  Moses tells them here that when they harvest that first crop, they were to gather up the very first of what they’d harvested and take it to God where He’d chosen to be worshiped.

Besides that initial basket, they were to give a tenth of everything produced on their land, not to operate a church, but to feed the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows in their land – those who did not own land and had no way of providing for themselves.  These tithes were the minimum contribution.  Malachi mentioned tithes AND OFFERINGS, which would indicate giving more than 10%.

One thing we’ll discover when we do give more than 10% is that we cannot outgive God.  He takes our faithfulness and blesses us for it, for in so giving we are trusting him to provide for us.

Father, how special it would have been to have heard Your words in 27:9 – “Today you have become the people of the Lord your God.”  It wasn’t by buying their way in through offerings.  It was solely because of Your will and Your love for them.  Remind me often that I am Your child and help me willingly to give to help Your other children in need.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford