The standard of the tithe is not reached until the sentiment of the heart from which it comes crosses the threshold of gladness.
This is the the fifth reflection in a series of blogs that will last eight weeks, addressing the question of why our family tithes. And with this focus today, we are reminded that just following the right steps of the instructions we are receive from Scripture are not enough...how is my heart? This is something Vannessa and I teach our own children. When they were young, in those seasons of the daily struggle for obedience, we weren't striving for compliance. We have committed our lives as parents to shape their hearts. We want them to choose well not to avoid consequence (compliance) but because of an unshakable love of virtue (wisdom)! Our great hope is that our children will be values driven in life and not consequence avoidance motivated.
If I am giving over the course of a year ten percent of my gross annual income, I still may not be tithing! What if the attitude in my heart as I make those gifts is one of entitlement? What if the attitude of my heart is one of jealousy towards others who have a higher standard of living because they give less? What if the attitude of my heart is resentment toward God for asking what feels like too much? What if the attitude of my heart is anything but gladness?
In 2 Kings 23:1-3 we have this intriguing story of Josiah finding some lost scrolls and realizing that as a nation they had been neglecting many of the commands of God. The approximate date of this great national revival was 624 BC. David was king in 1056 BC so in 400 years, we see a nation that had lost its sense of devotion to many of the practices of worship that God had given Israel. As Josiah addressed the people, the text tells us he took his place by the pillar. This is key.
1 Kings 7:13-22 includes some details about the building of Solomon's Temple that are paramount in understanding this reference in 2 Kings about Josiah taking his place next to a pillar...there were actually two. God gave these two great pillars names: Jakin and Boaz. Jakin is believed to mean "He establishes" and Boaz is believed to mean "in Him is strength" and I am capitalizing those pronouns because I believe they are prophetic references to the nature of God. Every time someone entered the Temple, passing between those pillars, crossing that threshold they would have been reminded to consider what they believed about God! Did they believe that God was strong enough to keep His promises to them and faithful enough to establish their lives in the favor that comes through the glad obedience of worship...worship that included prayer, song, Scripture, and yes, tithes and offerings...all forms of worship at that great temple!
These pillars were over 30 feet tall including their decorative tops and 18 feet in circumference...because there is nothing small about the nature of God and His promises! I often think of Jakin and Boaz when I am giving. I like to envision myself walking up those steps, standing between those pillars, pausing for a moment and then crossing that threshold. And every time gladness fills my heart! Joy overflows. Celebration lifts my soul. I am tithing. This is tithing not only because the math is right but because my heart is right, in fact, I would humbly suggest that even when you have the right math but the wrong heart, you have yet to tithe.
The standard of the tithe is not reached until the sentiment of the heart from which it comes crosses the threshold of gladness.
See you next week!
Pastor Fred
No comments:
Post a Comment