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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 [32] sins and iniquities will I remember no more.Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
These words spake Y'shuw`a in the treasury, as he taught in the Temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith YY -TZvaot, 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.
And Y'shuw`a saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the kohen, and offer the gift that Moshe Commanded, for a testimony unto them.
And walk in love, as Moshiach also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to Elohim for a sweetsmelling savour.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for Elohim loveth a cheerful giver.
And Y'shuw`a sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.And he called unto him his talmidim, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Honour YY with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is YY 's: it is holy unto YY .
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of YY .
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of tzdukim.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of YY thy Elohim which he hath given thee.
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
Take ye from among you an offering unto YY : whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of YY ; gold, and silver, and brass,
But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Elohim, which is your reasonable service.
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices Elohim is well pleased.
Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.And thou shalt eat before YY thy Elohim, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear YY thy Elohim always.
Upon each one Sabbath, let every one of you lay by him in store, as Elohim hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the El Elyon, possessor of heaven and earth:And blessed be the El Elyon, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Woe unto you, scribes and Prushim, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Torah, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of Elohim: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levi was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Y'shuw`a, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to Elohim.
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a talmid, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living Elohim, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;That they do good, that they be rich in tzdukim, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Speak unto the children of Yisrael, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which YY thy Elohim giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that YY thy Elohim giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which YY thy Elohim shall choose to place his name there.
For this Malki-TZedek, king of Shalem, kohen of El Eleyown, who met Avraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;To whom also Avraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Shalem, which is, King of shalom;
Whatsoever YY pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
And Elohim is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
But thou shalt remember YY thy Elohim: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
I know also, my Elohim, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
Sell that ye have, and give tzedakah; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Therefore when thou doest thine tzedakim, do not sound a shofar before thee, as the hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:That thine tzadakim may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be Elohim's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor holy ones which are at Yerushalayim.
And Moshe gave Commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple? and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar?Even so hath YY ordained that they which preach the good news should live of the good news.
Y'shuw`a said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Kayin brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto YY .And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And YY had respect unto Abel and to his offering:But unto Kayin and to his offering he had not respect. And Kayin was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Give unto YY , O ye kindreds of the people, give unto YY glory and strength.Give unto YY the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Elohim continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of YY thy Elohim. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and teaching.For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is YY ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my Elohim in vain.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the good news, when I departed from Macedonia, no Congregation communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
YY is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my Elohim, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my Elohim, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: YY will deliver him in time of trouble.YY will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing YY thy Elohim shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his shofar shall be exalted with honour.
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of Elohim bestowed on the Congregations of Macedonia;How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the holy ones.And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to YY , and unto us by the will of Elohim.
And blessed be the El Elyon, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to YY : and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. YY looseth the prisoners:
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Yerushalayim.And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto YY ; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to Elohim.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Cast thy burden upon YY , and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Be not deceived; Elohim is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
That they do good, that they be rich in tzdukim, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Avraham gave the tenth of the spoils.