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!