KINGDOM FINANCE: THE CONCEPT OF THE TITHE

02/04/2023

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," (Philippians 3:3)

Circumcision in God's mind was about separation for divine use. It wasn't just about cutting off the foreskin of a male's genitalia and wreaking pain. It was about saying that this one, the circumcised, was the Lord's portion. In the Old Testament, the uncircumcised had no business in God's domain because, by being uncircumcised, it meant such a person was unsanctified and worthy of destruction. It was such a grave issue that God was going to kill Moses for not circumcising his son. In Exodus 4:24-26, the Bible declares, "And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him [Moes] and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He [the LORD] let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision." The full context of this passage is very striking that God was willing to dispose of Moses but for Zipporah, who understood the rule of sanctification in Genesis 17:14 which states, "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

This same principle was used by Jesus in the washing of His disciples' feet. When Peter's turn came for his feet to be washed, he protested, "...Lord, are You washing my feet?” (John 13:6). In his mind, what the Lord Jesus was doing made no sense, just as tithing makes no sense to some believers, whom we will address by the end of this devotional. Yet what did Jesus say? "Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:7-8). In other words, Jesus was saying if I don't sanctify you by washing your feet, you cannot be useful to God. Then Peter went on and said, "...Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:9). But Jesus' answer was very instructive. The Bible says in John 13:10, "Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean, and you are clean, but not all of you.” The feet washing was a mark of sanctification and that was all God was interested in, the mark and not the whole. 

That said, the tithe is a mark of divine sanctification on your income. It belongs to God. Period. Abraham gave tithes (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:4). And Jacob vowed a tithe (in Genesis 28:20). Note that these all happened before the Law of Moses, meaning that Jacob had been thought it by his grandfather directly or indirectly through his father, Isaac. What is important is that Abraham and his seed understood the concept of the tithe as a demarcating mark from the rest of the world, when it came to the source of their wealth. Now, what does the Bible say about you? Galatians 3:29 NIV says, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Hear me, there are things that demarcate the children of the promise from the children of the bondwoman and tithing is at the fore. 

Your tithe is your number one access to the stupendous Abrahamic wealth. Don't let anyone deceive you. What the enemy has done with the doctrine of tithes is to introduce mixtures to deprive the rightful heirs of access to their wealth. Hear me, every time you tithe, you circumcise the financial channel by which wealth flowed to you. If the increase came from a job, that job is sanctified. If it came from a contract, the contract is sanctified and if it came by gifts, the givers are sanctified. This concept is clearly stated in Romans 11:16, "For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches."

If you ever hear anyone say that the tithe is "Old Testament" and that it was abolished with the finished work of Jesus, recognize the source of that commentary and understand that the enemy, for whatever reason, is now planning to steal, kill and destroy one or more of your wealth channels. Respond by saying, "You came too late, devil. I am a seed of Abraham and it is our custom to mark our increase with the tithe. Now be gone from me and let the earth and the sea yield their increase to me. In the name of Jesus. Amen!"

Have a fantastic day, today! 

Faith-Filled Confession

I am the seed of Abraham and the distinguishing mark concerning our wealth is the tithe. The tithe is our secret pact declaring that the God of Wonder is the source of our wealth. Because the tithe is holy unto the LORD, the rest is separated from the reach of the flesh, world and the devil for the proliferation of good across the earth. Hallelujah!  

ONE YEAR READING PLAN:  Exodus 34-36; Matthew 23:1-22