Tithing
&
The Ministry of Our Eternal High Priest
The Ministry of the High Priest
The high priest in Israel was chief of ancient
Levitical priesthood traditionally traced from Aaron.
The high priest was the supreme civil head of his
people. Aaron held this position above his sons that was to continue in the
firstborn of successive holders of the office.
The high priest was distinguished from his fellow
priests by the clothes he wore, the duties he performed, and the particular
requirements placed upon him as spiritual head of God's people.
The ministry of the high priest include,
intercessory and offering of gifts and sacrifice for sins.
The high priest was "sanctified" to serve
as a priest and "consecrated" to offer sacrifice (Ex 28:41; 29:9).
The high priest's special dress represented his
function as mediator between God and man. Over the trousers, coat, girdle, and
cap, worn by all priests, the high priest wore an ephod, a
two-piece apron reaching to his hips, made of royal colors (blue, purple, and
scarlet), and sewed with gold thread. By two onyx stones bearing the names of
the twelve tribes of Israel fastened to the shoulders of the ephod, he brought
the whole nation before God in all his priestly acts (Ex 28:5-14).
The "breastplate of judgment," made of the
same material was attached to the front of the ephod (Ex 28:15-30). On its
front were 12 precious stones engraved with the names of the 12 tribes. In its
pocket, directly over his heart, were the urim and thummim (Ex 28:30), the
medium through which God could communicate His Will. By this the high priest was
Israel's advocate before God and God's spokesman to them.
Over the breastplate he wore the blue "robe of
the ephod" (Ex 28:31). Around its hem were pomegranates, pointing to the
divine law as sweet and delicious spiritual food (Deut 8:3), and bells that
would ring as he went "into the holy
place before the Lord...that he may not die" (Ex 28:35). The bells
announced God's gracious Salvation for He had accepted the people in the person
of their advocate, the high priest.
On his forehead the high priest wore "the holy crown" of gold
engraved with the words, "Holiness
to the Lord" (Ex 28:36-37). Thus he was represented as bearing "the iniquity of the holy things"
(Ex 28:38) which Israel offered to God and crowned mediator, making
atonement for the nation so God might accept their gifts and show them Favor.
Our Eternal High Priest and King
Eternal
In Hebrews 5 we see that Jesus Christ is “the
Perfect High Priest.” In verse 6, He is "a
Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek".
According to Hebrews 7, Melchizedek remains an
Eternal High Priest; today, tomorrow, any day!
"Like
the Son of God He remains a priest forever."
Melchizedek
lives on!
For, verse 3 declares that He is “Without father, without mother, without descent,
having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son
of God; abideth a priest continually” (KJV)
"Continually" in this verse means for
ever.
Next verse says, “Now consider
how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of
the spoils” (KJV)
That’ the tithe!
Melchizedek accepted Abraham’s worship, and
presented it to the Most High God, and received blessing from God and bestowed
it on Abraham.
And Melchizedek King
of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and He was the Priest of The Most High
God.
And He blessed him,
and said, Blessed be Abram of The Most High God, Possessor of Heaven and earth:
And blessed be The
Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave
him tithes of all.
Gen 14:18-20 KJV
Melchizedek is greater than Abraham.
His priestly order is perfect; established before
the time of the Law. His priesthood is eternal.
Jesus is greater than Moses.
His priestly order is perfect; performed in the time
of the Law, “after the order of Melchizedek” (eternal priesthood). His
priesthood brought the New Covenant.
If therefore
perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received
the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the
order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
For the priesthood
being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
For He of Whom these
things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar.
For it is evident that
our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning
priesthood.
And it is yet far more
evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another
priest,
Who is made, not after
the law of a carnal commandment, but after the Power of an Endless Life.
Heb 7:11-16 KJV
Jesus Christ is ‘the Apostle and High Priest Whom we
confess.’ He is “the Mediator of a New Covenant.”
Now, the Scriptures declare that Jesus Christ is "a Priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek" and, Melchizedek, "Priest
of the Most High God" is "made
like unto the Son of God."
Also, the Scripture declared Melchizedek—King of
Righteousness, King of Peace. So is our Lord Jesus; He by His Righteousness
made Peace, the fruit of Righteousness is Peace. Christ speaks Peace, creates
Peace, and is our Peace-Maker.
Therefore, Melchizedek and Jesus own and operate
'the same divine office' as ‘Eternal High Priest.’
This is why Hebrews 5 presents Jesus as "the
Perfect High Priest."
The Father said to the Son in Psalm 2:7
"Thou art My Son;
this day have I begotten Thee" (KJV).
Psalm 110:4 declares,
“The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the
order of Melchizedek” (KJV)
Melchizedek and Jesus own and operate 'the same
divine office' as ‘King Eternal.’
Psalm 45:6 declares: "Thy
Throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a right scepter."
(KJV)
Psalm 89:14 says:
“Righteousness and
Justice are the foundation of Your Throne;
Love and Faithfulness
go before You.” (NIV)
Psalm 93:2 declares:
“Thy Throne is
established of old: Thou art from everlasting.”(KJV)
Psalm 103:19 says:
“The Lord hath
prepared His Throne in the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all.” (KJV)
He is the High Priest Who sits at the right hand of
the Throne of the Father, and His priestly work continues in the Heavenly Temple.
Now of the things
which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, Who is set
on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
A minister of the
sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Heb 8:1-2KJV
He sits ‘at the right hand of the Father’ both as
King and Priest.
Prior to the human birth of "the King of
Righteousness"—"the King of Peace," the extension of His Eternal
Dominion and Reign to the earth was prophesied.
For unto us a Child is
born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder:
and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The
Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His
Government and Peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon
His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice
from henceforth even for ever. The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.
Isa 9:6-7 KJV
While Matthew chapter 1 bears the record of Jesus'
genealogy as "the Messiah King," the record of genealogy of Christ to
Adam in Luke 3 reveals to us that He is “the incarnate Son of God”—‘the Only
Begotten of the Father.’
Psalm 110:7 prophesied:
He shall drink of the
brook in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head (KJV).
This was fulfilled on the Cross. Christ perfected
His priestly work on Calvary.
Only through His priesthood have we obtained
reconciliation and remission of sins.
Jesus Christ is alive forever more! He is the
Eternal Priest and King Eternal; the Apostle and High Priest of our profession
(Heb 3:1); the King of the ages (Rev.15:3); King of kings and Lord of lords
(19:16). He is "the Blessed and Only Potentate" [Only Ruler] (see I
Tim 6:15); "the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the Only Wise God"
(1:17).
Melchizedek is a Priest forever. And He is a King
forever! He was the first human-appearance of “the High Priest of God,” Who
setup and performed the service of High Priest of God on the earth in the Old
Testament.
Jesus Christ is the High Priest Who came and
fulfilled The New Covenant.
Melchizedek and Jesus are one and the same Eternal
High Priest.
The same personality!
We have only one Eternal High Priest, and He is
Jesus Christ.
God's Only Begotten Son is the Perfect Priest Who
became for us the Eternal Source of Salvation (read Heb.5:6-10; 6:19-20; 7:11-25,
26-28; 9:15-28).
Who is "the King of Righteousness?"
Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Who is "the King of Peace?"
Jesus Christ God’s Only Son.
The Tithe
The tithe is a decree by God, covenanted with
Abraham (‘the father of faith’) before the time of the Law.
The tithe is an “ordinance,” required as tribute to
the God of all Creation. It is holy and sacred, morally and spiritually
excellent; devoted to God and not to man.
In other words, the tithe is a “debt,” and not an
offering.
A tenth of the produce of the land; of the seed or
fruit, of the herd or of the flock, belongs to the Lord.
And all the tithe of
the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the
Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord.
And concerning the
tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod,
the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord (Lev 27:30, 32 KJV).
Verse 31 says, “And if a man
will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part
thereof.”
The tithe is holy unto the Lord.
As each tenth animal passed through a small door, it
was selected and marked; as a tithe set aside—holy to the Lord.
The Levites paid the tithe too. They paid ‘a tenth
part of the tithe’ received as inheritance from the children of Israel.
And the Lord spake
unto Moses, saying,
“Thus speak unto the
Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes
which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up
an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe” (Num
18:25-26 KJV).
God Himself said in Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that
there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of
hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (KJV)
Regarding tithing, we are to set aside the whole
tenth of our income or profit for the Lord.
At this point, you must understand that ‘the
covenant of the tithe’ by God, is not only with Abraham, but with all God’s
children—who are referred to as ‘sons of Abraham’ (Lk.19:9) in the Scripture.
The Lord of Hosts [Adonai-Tzva’ot] mightily
demonstrates His Favor, Goodness, Grace, Blessings, and Protection when we
tithe faithfully. This is why He declared, “…prove
Me now herewith…if I will not open you the windows of Heaven…”
In the following verse He said, “I
will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of
your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the
field” (v.11 KJV).
And, in verse 12 He said, “And
all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith
the Lord of hosts” (KJV).
God’s Action on our behalf occurs at a favorable
time. His manifold blessings are beyond our needs.
God’s people are called-out as “a royal priesthood,”
“a holy nation” (1 Pet.2:9). This is one of the main reasons why we must honor
the Lord with the tithe.
To Whom Does the Tithe Belong?
Offering is for God's work, but the tithe belongs to
the Lord.
The Lord Himself receives the tithe!
He is “the Firstfruits” of God—“the Firstfruits of
Creation.”
Who is the Image of
the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature: For by Him were all things
created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things
were created by Him, and for Him:
And He is before all
things, and by Him all things consist.
Col 1:15-17 KJV
He is the visible Image of the unseen God. He
existed before all things; He is the Creator of all things. He is supreme over
all.
In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the
beginning with God.
All things were made
by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:1-3 KJV
He is “the Firstbegotten” of the Father."
The “Firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29 NIV).
And again, when He
bringeth in the Firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels
of God worship him.
Heb 1:6 KJV
He is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen
asleep.”
But now is Christ
risen from the dead, and become the Firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came
death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Cor 15:20-22 KJV
Only God Himself can receive the “tithe” which He
initiated. Therefore, tithing is honoring God.
Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's” (Matt 22:21 KJV)
‘The things that are God's’ are: the tithe (Mal
3:10), and the vow (Eccl. 5:4-5).
The tithe is a debt to God; likewise, the vow made
to Him.
It is highly unreasonable and inappropriate for
someone to say that ‘tithe’ or teaching on tithe is not in the New Testament.
Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe
of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the
law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave
the other undone” (Matt 23:23 KJV)
The Love of God is greater than all.
Judgment and Mercy are determined
by Him—He dispenses each, as He pleases. He requires justice, mercy and faith
(‘weightier matters’).
Will the Lord be
pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I
give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my
soul?
He hath shewed thee, O
man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly,
and to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Mic 6:7-8 KJV
In verse 23 of Matthew 23, the Lord said, “…these ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Dear friend, do not leave the tithe “undone!”
The tithe is an expression of our faith and trust in
Him. Another such expression is the vow.
Romans 4:13 clearly states:
It was not through Law
that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of
the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith (NIV).
Abraham was declared righteous apart from the Law,
even so; ‘the tithe’ was decreed before the Law and was declared holy.
Our inheritance in Christ Jesus is by God’s Divine
Promise, and not by the Law.
For if the inheritance
be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Gal 3:18 KJV
Romans 4:3 “Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (KJV)
The Levites, who collect the tithe, paid it through
Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of
his ancestor (Heb 7:9-10).
In ‘the Levitical priesthood,’ tithes are received
by men who are subject to death; while in “the order of Melchizedek,” the tithe
is received by One of Whom it is testified that He lives perpetually (read Heb
7:1-8). In the time of the Old Testament, He received it as Melchizedek.
Firstly, the tithe is a representation of the Lord
Himself Who is the "Firstfruits" of all creation. The tithe is a
“photograph” of our eternal spiritual life in God, even as we are “the
firstfruits of the Spirit.” It represents our existence, our heritage in Christ
Jesus—that we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Rom 8:23 KJV).
Even the nation of Israel was a type of firstfruits
to God (see Jeremiah 2:3).
Melchizedek was the High Priest of God in the Old
Testament.
Abraham gave Him "the tenth of the spoils"
Now consider how great
this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the
spoils.
And verily they that
are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment
to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren,
though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
But He Whose descent
is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed Him that had
the promises.
And without all
contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
And here men that die
receive tithes; but there He receiveth them, of Whom it is witnessed that He
liveth.
And as I may so say,
Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
For he was yet in the
loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
Heb 7:4-10 KJV
David was “a-type-of Christ,” he was king, priest,
and prophet; Solomon was “a-type-of Christ,” he became the greatest human king
that ever lived—in wisdom, splendor, and wealth. And, Moses also was “a-type-of
Christ” in the sense that he was sent as a deliverer to the Israelites in
Egypt.
But this “Man” in the time of the Old Testament came
into the world and received the tithe from Abraham “the father of faith”—to
whom God made “the Promise.” He came to setup the eternal priesthood of God on
the earth, in Salem.
Understand that, as long as the Scriptures declare
Melchizedek “like the Son of God” remains a Priest forever, elsewhere; Christ
was declared “a Priest forever in the
order of Melchizedek.”
Therefore, Him Who was declared "a Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek," receives the
tithe even in the New Covenant.
FirstFruits
The word “firstfruits” is a plural noun.
The “firstfruits” is holy and sacred. It is morally
and spiritually excellent—devoted to God and not to man.
Dedication of “the firstfruits” in the Old Testament
was an act of worship. God required "a sheaf of the first grain" from
the Israelites.
And the Lord spake
unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the
children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I
give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf
of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
And he shall wave the
sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath
the priest shall wave it.
Lev 23:9-11 KJV
The sheaf of the firstfruits presented on “the morrow
after the Sabbath”; which was on the first day of the week, points to the Resurrection
of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant.
He arose on the first day of the week; and ‘the
firstfruits’ were waved before the Lord on the first day of the week (the
morrow after the Sabbath).
The waving of the sheaf before the Lord by the
priest means, that it is presented to God, offered to Him on behalf of the
bringer of the sheaf; then it is weighed and accepted by God.
Our “Eternal High Priest” is the One Who offers our
spirits to God as His firstfruits from the earth. He is “the Lord of the Harvest”
Who will one day present us before the glorious Presence of the Father and His
angels.
A "sheaf" prophetically is ‘the soul of
man’ ripe for spiritual harvest. So, the psalmist wasn’t referring to natural
sheaves, but “spiritual sheaves,” when he wrote:
He who goes out
weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs
of joy,
carrying sheaves with
him.
Psa 126:6 NIV
This also is the reason why in Joseph’s Dream in
Genesis 37, his sheaf rose up, but his brother’s sheaves bowed down to his,
revealing that he would become a prince [ruler] over his brethren.
A “spiritual sheaf” in the sight of the Lord is a
‘precious seed.’
Firstfruits in the Old Covenant has its fulfillment
in the New Covenant—which is a divine spiritual reality; the Resurrection, is
that reality. The (Jewish) “Feast of FirstFruits” is all about ‘the harvest of
souls.’
God demanded from His people, “the firstfruits” in
the Old Testament as a sign of His Covenant with His people:
And the first of all
the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your
oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first
of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.
Ezek 44:30 KJV
Like Jesus, we are “a kind of firstfruits” of God’s
creation.
Of His own Will begat
He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His
creatures.
James 1:18 KJV
This verse speaks of both the spiritual and natural
creations. In the supernatural, we are given birth through “the Word of Truth.”
God chose to give us birth through His Word that we might be ‘a kind of firstfruits’
of all He created.
If you belong to Christ Jesus, then you are a part
of “the firstfruits of God’s heart desire” which will be made morally and
spiritually excellent—even as you are already devoted to God and not to man,
for Christ has reconciled you to God in the body of His flesh through death, in
order to present you holy, sacred, and faultless and irreproachable in the
Presence of the Father.
The only condition is that you fully believe the
Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the
Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting Him to save
you. This is the wonderful News that came to each and every one of us, and is
now being preached all over the world! (Read Col. 1:22-23)
Now unto Him that is
able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the Presence
of His Glory with exceeding joy,
To the only Wise God
our Saviour, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jude 24-25 KJV