Let’s Return to Him

October 3, 2023

Building People of Substance for Works of Power

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:41-47 NKJV

The book of Acts gives us a picture of what the church looked like in the beginning. The newly constituted people of God were in a state we would call revival. The church began with a harvest of 3000, and as they “continued daily,” we see that “the Lord added to the church daily.” That’s enough to get my motor running! Isn’t this a picture of what God had in mind for His church?

If we’re honest, today’s church bears little resemblance to what we read in Acts. Why? There’s certainly a lot of history and human failure involved, but I know this kind of fervent faith is possible. We’ve seen little flashes of it over the centuries. God shows us this description for a reason. He wants us to see folks who were hungry for the teaching of the Word and the fellowship of other believers. They lived in a prayerful, awe-struck simplicity that we find hard to fathom, but God showed it to us anyway. It’s possible, it’s the will of God, and I want it.

One striking characteristic of this vibrant community of faith was their uncommon generosity. This was not the occasional love offering for missions or for the needy, this was a fundamental change in attitude about possessions.

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

Acts 4:32

Here we see the Spirit-driven kind of giving that was foreshadowed in the Law of Moses. In all the Old Testament, God included two specific events that show what giving under the Law would look like if His people were on fire for Him.

King Hezekiah took the throne at a time when Judah was in a state of spiritual disarray. They had begun to worship other gods under Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz. There were idols and idol worship in the temple. Moral decay was rampant. They were conquered by other tribes, including their “cousins,” the Samaritans.

After his inauguration, Hezekiah immediately turned things around. He called the priests and Levites together and commanded them to clean up the temple, to purge it of idols and impure objects. He offered sacrifices and burnt offerings for all the priests and Levites as well as for all of Israel. They then reinstituted temple worship and the celebration of the feasts. Hezekiah gave his own wealth to provide sacrificial animals. He even invited the Samaritans to Jerusalem for Passover. It was a huge turnaround.

One key factor in this revival: He reinstituted the tithe for the maintenance of the temple and the priesthood. The people responded with such zeal that it took 4 months to bring it all in. The quantities were so huge that they “began laying them in heaps.” (2 Chronicles 31:5-10) You have to love the preacher’s report to the king:

And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.”

2 Chronicles 31:10

One mark of this great revival was giving on a grand scale, including the tithe. The temple and the ministry were supplied with an abundance left over.

Almost 300 years later, after the Babylonian exile, Nehemiah presided over the construction of the city wall in Jerusalem. Temple worship was revived. This included locating, sanctifying, and training priests and Levites. The Torah was read aloud, and the people wept and repented. As in Hezekiah’s day, a necessary part of revival was restoring tithes and offerings.

And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.

Nehemiah 10:38-39

I love that last phrase: “we will not neglect the house of our God.”

Both of these revival stories demonstrate the passion of God for taking care of His house, its festivals, and the ministry He has established. These were the express purposes of the tithe as instructed in the Law of Moses. When the people were serving God, they obeyed and were blessed. When they drifted away and neglected these things, God was not pleased. In both these instances, the tithe is associated with a return to faithful worship, especially the gatherings of God’s people and the care of His house and ministry.

There were 3 kinds of tithe enjoined by Moses in the Law:

• Numbers 18:24-32 established an annual tithe for the Levites who served the people in the synagogues. The Levites then tithed to the priests at Jerusalem. This counted the same as a farmer tithing on his crops. (The Levites and priests had received no share of land. Their sustenance came from the ministry.)
• Deuteronomy 14:22-27 describes an annual contribution for the required feasts. This was to be eaten by the individual on the journey or at the feast, as well as shared with those who couldn’t provide for themselves.
• Deuteronomy 14:28-29 Every third year, a tithe was given for the needy. This one is distributed in the local area by the Levites. It was not carried to Jerusalem.

Malachi’s prophecies came concurrent with the work of Nehemiah. In chapter 3, he addresses giving, including the tithe, as a mark of real revival: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:6-8)

The last prophetic words under the Law addressed the association of tithes and offerings with the people’s return to God. When revival hit Jerusalem in Acts Chapter 2, those Jewish converts knew that their giving should reflect their believing. They believed Messiah had come. They didn’t ask, “Do we still have to tithe?” They understood that all they owned belonged to the Lord. All they wanted to know was, “What’s the need?” Then they gave to meet it. Generosity flowed.

Here’s the point: When God’s people turn back to Him, one of the results is generosity. Tithing was practiced among Jews during times of spiritual faithfulness until well after the birth of the church. The tithe is for the purpose of taking care of the house of God, the ministry, and those in need. Those purposes have not changed. The purpose of the tithe has not changed. What has changed is the heart of those who believe in Jesus Christ. If you love His house, if you respect His ministry, and if you have compassion for the needy, tithing is the bare minimum. Meet the need. Let generosity flow.

New Class: “The Tithe. An 8-hour course focused on God’s plan and purpose in the tithe. The videos and course outline are available free of charge on the FCF Tucson YouTube channel.

Pastor Virgil

3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.

Tucson, AZ 85741

www.fcftucson.org