108 Offering and Tithes

Think about this: Christ loved us so much that he gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering to God.¹ He made the ultimate sacrifice for you on the cross, loving you to death and beyond. Even as time marches on, His love stays constant.

It's so important for you to grasp that the biggest sacrifice has already been made. But now, you get to be a pleasing offering to God, too. Let your service, your honor, and your giving be a delight to your Heavenly Father. Know that Jesus has given you everything, and anything you offer pales in comparison to His love.

Giving to God, supporting His work, it's an expression of love. Don't see it as a burden or an obligation, but as a response to God's love and Jesus' sacrifice. It's a way of saying "thank you" for everything Heaven has poured into your life.

¹Ephesians 5:2

and, “Their sins and their lawlessnesses I shall remember no more.”

Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer a slaughter offering for sin.

Esteem יהוה  with your goods, And with the first-fruits of all your increase;

These words יהושע  spoke in the treasury, teaching in the Set-apart Place. And no one laid hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and let there be food in My house. And please prove Me in this,” said יהוה  of hosts, “whether I do not open for you the windows of the heavens, and shall pour out for you boundless blessing!

And יהושע  said to him, “See, mention it to no one. But go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Mosheh commanded, as a witness to them.”

And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to Elohim for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant. You were trustworthy over a little, I shall set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

“And the one who had received the one talent also came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed,

Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not of grief or of necessity, for Elohim loves a joyous giver.

And sitting opposite the treasury He saw how the people put copper into the treasury. And many rich ones put in much.

And a poor widow came and threw in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.

And calling near His taught ones He said to them, “Truly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those putting into the treasury,

for they all put in out of their excess, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her entire livelihood.”

Esteem יהוה  with your goods, And with the first-fruits of all your increase;

Then your storehouses shall be filled with plenty, And your vats overflow with new wine.

‘And all the tithe of the land – of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree – belongs to יהוה. It is set-apart to יהוה.

“But I offer to You with the voice of thanksgiving, I pay what I have vowed. Deliverance is of יהוה.”

who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people, His own possession, ardent for good works.

Truly, He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up on behalf of us all – how shall He not, along with Him, freely give us all else?

but each one with the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of יהוה  your Elohim which He has given you.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also.

“Give, and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over shall be put into your lap. For with the same measure with which you measure, it shall be measured back to you.”

For if the readiness is present, it is well received according to what one has, not according to what he does not have –

‘Take from among you a contribution to יהוה. Everyone whose heart so moves him, let him bring it as a contribution to יהוה : gold, and silver, and bronze,

Ascribe to יהוה  the esteem of His Name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give so voluntarily as this? For all comes from You, and we have given to You out of Your hand.

I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship.

And do not forget to do good and to share, for with such slaughter offerings Elohim is well pleased.

“You shall tithe without fail all the yield of your grain that the field brings forth year by year.

“And you shall eat before יהוה  your Elohim, in the place where He chooses to make His Name dwell, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and of the firstlings of your herds and your sheep, so that you learn to fear יהוה  your Elohim always.

On the first day of the week let each one of you set aside, storing up whatever he is prospered, so that there are no collections when I come.

And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Aḇ

“And blessed be the Most High Ě

Good is a man showing favour and lending, He sustains his matters in right-ruling.

There is one who scatters, yet increases more. And one who withholds more than is right, But it comes to poverty.

The generous being is enriched, And he who waters is also watered himself.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint and the anise and the cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah: the right-ruling and the compassion and the belief. These need to have been done, without neglecting the others.

“Offer thanksgiving to Elohim, And pay your vows to the Most High.

And looking up He saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,

and He saw a certain poor widow putting in two mites.

And He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all.

“For all these out of their excess have put in offerings for Elohim, but she out of her poverty has put in all that she had to live on.”

Then they brought in the contribution, and the tithes, and the set-apart gifts, trustworthily. And Konanyahu the Lĕ

Offer slaughterings of righteousness, And trust in יהוה.

He who has a good eye is blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

“All this I did show you, by labouring like this, that you ought to help the weak. And remember the words of the Master יהושע, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Indeed I have all and more than enough. I have been filled, having received from Epaphroditos what you sent, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable offering, well-pleasing to Elohim.

Those sowing in tears, shall reap with songs of joy.

“And whoever gives one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a taught one, truly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loosen the tight cords of wrongness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to exempt the oppressed, and to break off every yoke?

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, and cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

Do not say to your neighbour, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I give it,” When you have it with you.

And let him who is instructed in the Word share in all that is good, with him who is instructing.

What shall I return to יהוה ? All His bounties are upon me.

Charge those who are rich in this present age not to be high-minded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living Elohim, who gives us richly all for enjoyment,

to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share,

storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, so that they lay hold on everlasting life.

“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕ

“And it shall be, when you come into the land which יהוה  your Elohim is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it,

that you shall take some of the first of all the fruits of the soil which you bring from your land that יהוה  your Elohim is giving you, and shall put it in a basket and go to the place where יהוה  your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell there.

For this Malkitseḏ

to whom also Aḇ

He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not withhold.

יהוה  has done whatever pleased Him, In the heavens and in earth, In the seas and in all the depths,

Causing vapours to go up From the ends of the earth; He made lightning for the rain, Bringing forth wind from His treasuries;

“Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your Father who is in the heavens.

And Elohim is able to make all favour overflow toward you, that you, always having all you need in every way, have plenty for every good work.

“But you shall remember יהוה  your Elohim, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is today.

“And I know, my Elohim, that You are trying the heart and desire uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have voluntarily given all these. And now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to give voluntarily to You.

The wrongdoer is borrowing and does not repay, But the righteous one shows favour and gives.

“Sell your possessions and give in kindness. Make yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief does come near nor moth destroys.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also.

“Thus, when you do a kind deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do, in the congregations and in the streets, to be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.

“But when you do a kind deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

so that your kind deed shall be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret shall Himself reward you openly.

Treasures of wrongness are of no value, But righteousness delivers from death.

then this stone which I have set as a standing column shall be Elohim’s house, and of all that You give me, I shall certainly give a tenth to You.”

For it pleased those from Makedonia and Achaia to make some contribution for the poor among the set-apart ones who are in Yerushalayim.

Then Mosheh commanded and they sent this word throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the contribution of the set-apart place.” And the people were withheld from bringing,

for what they had was enough for all the work to be done, more than enough.

Voluntarily I slaughter to You; I praise Your Name, O יהוה, for it is good.

But the generous one devises what is generous, and by generous deeds he rises up.

Do you not know that those serving the Set-apart Place eat from the Set-apart Place, and those attending at the altar have their share of the offerings of the altar?

So also the Master instituted that those announcing the Good News should live from the Good News.

Giving to the beast its food, To the young ravens that cry.

יהושע  said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.”

And it came to be, in the course of time, that Qayin brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to יהוה.

And Heḇ

but He did not look to Qayin and his offering. And Qayin was very wroth, and his face fell.

Ascribe to יהוה, O clans of the peoples, Ascribe to יהוה  esteem and strength.

Ascribe to יהוה  the esteem of His Name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

Ascribe to יהוה  the esteem of His Name; Bow yourselves to יהוה  in the splendour of set-apartness.

He who goes on and weeps, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall indeed come in with rejoicing, Bearing his sheaves.

He who is greedy for gain, troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes lives.

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a slaughter offering of praise to Elohim, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.

“Bring the first of the first-fruits of your land to the House of יהוה  your Elohim. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double respect, especially those who labour in the word and teaching.

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The labourer is worthy of his wages.”

Remove falsehood and a lying word far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me my portion of bread;

Lest I become satisfied and deny You, And say, “Who is יהוה ?” And lest I be poor, and steal, And seize the Name of my Elohim.

All day long he is showing favour and lending; And his seed is for a blessing.

“And the Sovereign shall answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in so far as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’

And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

So then, as we have occasion, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of the belief.

And you know too, Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I went out from Makedonia, no assembly shared with me concerning giving and receiving, except you only,

because, even in Thessalonike you sent to my need, once and twice.

יהוה  is my shepherd; I do not lack.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.

He who gives to the poor does not lack, But he who hides his eyes does have many curses.

“And also, because I delighted in the House of my Elohim, I have treasure of gold and silver; I give for the House of my Elohim even more than all that I have prepared for the Set-apart House:

imparting to the needs of the set-apart ones, pursuing kindness towards strangers.

if you extend your being to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted being, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness be as noon.

Blessed is he who considers the poor; יהוה  does deliver him in a day of evil.

יהוה  does guard him and keep him alive; He is blessed on the earth, And You do not hand him over To the desire of his enemies.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also.

“You shall certainly give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this reason יהוה  your Elohim does bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.

The blessing of יהוה  makes one rich, And He adds no pain with it.

He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness is standing forever. His horn is exalted with esteem.

Now brothers, we make known to you the favour of Elohim which has been given in the assemblies of Makedonia:

that in much trial of pressure the overflowing of their joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the riches of their generosity.

Because I bear witness that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily,

begging us with much urgency for the favour of taking part in this service to the set-apart ones.

And, not as we had expected, they gave themselves first to the Master, and then to us by the desire of Elohim,

“And blessed be the Most High Ě

And the people rejoiced, for they had given voluntarily, because with a perfect heart they had given voluntarily to יהוה. And Dawiḏ

And delight yourself in יהוה, And let Him give you the desires of your heart.

or he who encourages, in the encouragement; or he who is sharing, in sincerity; he who is leading, in diligence; he who shows compassion, joyously.

“Give to him who asks of you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away.

Doing right-ruling for the oppressed, Giving bread to the hungry. יהוה  releases those who are bound,

only that we might remember the poor, which I myself was eager to do.

And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I shall send to bear your gift to Yerushalayim.

And if it is fitting for me to go, they shall go with me.

for your fellowship in the Good News from the first day until now,

He who shows favour to the poor lends to יהוה, And He repays his deed.

being enriched in every way for all simplicity, which works out thanksgiving to Elohim through us.

You give to them, they gather in; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.

The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the service of righteousness be rest and safety forever.

“If you then, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in the heavens give what is good to those who ask Him!

In brotherly love, tenderly loving towards one another, in appreciation, giving preference to each other;

Cast your burden on יהוה, And let Him sustain you; He never allows the righteous to be shaken.

Do not be led astray: Elohim is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap.

to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share,

He raises the poor out of the dust, Lifts the needy from a dunghill,

To make him sit with the nobles, With the nobles of His people,

Now see how great this one was, to whom even the ancestor Aḇ

Prayer