Truth About the Tithe
Today’s Focus: Administrators of the First Covenant
Scripture: Genesis 14:18-20; Genesis 28:19-22
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Now we look at the class of administrators of the second covenant being the Levitical priesthood but we are now at the question of the administrators of the first covenant. Let’s look at order that governs the first covenant. Now we know that the Law was given 430 years after Israel entered Egypt. So there was a priesthood that was on the Earth governing the first covenant and that priesthood was after the Order of Melchizedek.
The title Melchizedek is two words in one. In Hebrew it is Melek meaning “king” and Tsedeq means “right”. Hence Melichizedek means King of Righteousness, King of Salem (Shalom or Peace), Prince of Peace. Now Melchizedek was a unique person in the sense that not only was he a king but he was also a priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18). Melchizedek is a Royal Priest. Hmm! Where have we heard this? Remember before the Law the children of Israel were offered the first covenant. Let’s look at the offer and see if we see some revelation.
Exodus 19:5,6: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an Holy Nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
So the first covenant makes the children of God a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. Now in Genesis 14:18-20 we see a unique exchange between Melchizedek and Abram. First, Melchizedek serves Abram bread and wine. Have we seen this before? Absolutely what we call Communion or the Lord’s Supper and then we have Abram giving Melchizedek tithes of all he had. Now the word tithes in Hebrew is “maser” or tenth. Hence this is where we get the concept of the tenth as a tithe. The tithe was not an uncommon thing under the Order of Melchizedek it was an ongoing expression. Let me show you.
Jacob in all of his generosity was in a place called Luz. In this place he had a dream where he saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder setup on earth reaching to heaven. Of course we know that the dream was a type and shadow of what Jesus would explain to Nathaneal that he will see angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Now after awaking from his dream Jacob calls the place Beth-El which means “House of God” and makes this unique statement.
Genesis 28:20-22: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, if God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
So even with Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, we see him giving a tithe or a tenth. So the tithe was customary and normal in that time BEFORE the Law. For the sake of information I want to continue this in the next message. We have to go this way because it is the framework for answering our questions about the tithe. So in the next message we will look at Melchizedek more in depth and start drawing some lines in the sand.
At Our Father’s Service
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
