The Blessings of Tithing

       On Sunday we had over 50 families accept the 4-Month Tithe Challenge, and this was only the initial invitation.  I am convinced that many other families will take the challenge in the coming weeks. Congratulations to these people that have put their trust in God and His Word.  They are in-fact doing what God asked them to do in Malachi 3:10-12

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.  you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

       The other day I was preparing for a different message, in-fact it was the message on the family that I blogged about last week.  While studying to preach this message I was intrigued by something that I came across concerning tithing.  As we have previously discussed, Jacob and his mother Rebekah had deceived Isaac into giving the family blessing to Jacob (although God had already since before their birth stated that the elder would serve the younger).  Somehow Rebekah felt like she needed to perhaps "help God" in making sure her favorite son did indeed get the blessing.

       After this had taken place their was so much animosity in the family that they couldn't dwell together peacefully.  So Rebekah comes up with another idea; she and Jacob convince Isaac that the best thing to do is to send Jacob to his Uncle Laben's (Rebekah's brother) house; that he might take a wife from there.  Now if you're a student of the Bible you know that this turned out to be divine retribution for Jacob, because the deceiver got deceived!  He worked seven years for Rachel and ended up with Leah...  Then he was lied to on numerous occasions.  But all of that's another story.  What I want to share with you is what happened to Jacob on his was to his uncle's house.

       While traveling to Laben's house Jacob decided to turn in for the night because the sun was starting to set.  Here he took a stone and used it as a pillow, and there he fell asleep.  While he was sleeping he dreamed a dream; he saw a ladder that reaching from the earth to the heavens with the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Gen. 28:13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel;[a] but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

       What I find amazing is that Jacob stayed at Laben's house for twenty years, but when he finally returned he came home as a wealthy man.  Notice the present that Jacob sent to his brother Esau when he was coming to meet him.  Here's the list of gifts:

1. 200 Female Goats
2.  20 Male Goats
3. 200 Ewe Lambs
4. 20 Rams
5. 30 Milk Cows (with their colts)
6. 40 Cows
7. 10 Bulls
8. 20 Female Donkeys
9. 10 Foals

       Now I submit to you that this is not a present that is sent by a poor man.  This is a gift sent by a man that pledged/vowed to bring God the tenth of all God prospered him with more than twenty years ago!

That is the Blessing that come from tithing!

Family Dysfunction

As I was preparing for a message on the Family a few weeks ago, I was studying the family of Issac and Rebekah and the twin boys they had, Esau and Jacob.  They were a prime example of the dysfunctional family to say the least.  I mean you had Isaac whose favorite son was Esau, and you have Rebekah, whose favorite son was Jacob; partiality and favoritism from the word go.  Then you have the Word of the Lord that came to Isaac and Rebekah telling them that there were two nations in her womb, and that they would struggle with each other, and the older would serve the younger.

Amazingly, Isaac, when he was old would call his favorite son, Esau, to come before him so that he could give him the blessing.  However, Rebekah heard what was about to happen so she intervened by sending Jacob to go and kill a goat.  After they prepared the meal she put Jacob up to going before his father and pretending to be Esau, and asking for the blessing of the first-born.  So it appears to me that Isaac did not accept the fact that the older would serve the younger, (as God had earlier said) and he was about to follow the tradition of men and pass on this blessing of the first-born son to Esau.

That being said, Rebekah did not have to put her son up to lying; in fact they both took part in a scheme to deceive Isaac.  God had already said that Jacob was his choice to lead the family, and he didn't need their help to make it happen.  Anyway, Jacob, at the behest of his mother went in to deceive his aged father.  Isaac, although suspecting something was wrong, reluctantly went along with the blessing.  Of course he was blessing his younger son Jacob.  But remember, this was God's spoken plan in the first place.  From before they were born the Lord had already declared that the elder would serve the younger.  I find it amazing that we often try to alter or change God's spoken plan for us when we already know what He's said concerning a matter.  Well, Isaac and Esau didn't like it, but God's plan prevailed.

I would however like to point out a few things about this story.  I know that it was God's plan for Jacob to receive the blessing and ultimately lead the family; God had said so.  But notice what happened by Jabor and his mother scheming to ensure that it happened.

1. There was great animosity between Jacob and his brother.  The last words that Jacob remembers before he left for his Uncle Laben's house was Esau saying: "When Daddy dies I'm going to kill you".
2. This caused strife between Jacob and his father, and without a doubt between Isaac and Rebekah.
3. Listening to his mother, Jacob thought he'd only be gone a few months, but it turned out to be 20 years, and we don't know if he ever saw his mother again after his departure. 

So when you do things your way and you get what you wanted, is it going to be worth the price you had to pay to get it?

Stayed tuned; I will add to this story tomorrow. 

Mike Sanes

Pastor, The Harbor