One of the most challenging issues to talk about in the church today is financial giving to the church. It seems people are open to hearing about God’s word on a variety of issues but when you start talking about money attitudes can shift dramatically.
There are a variety of excellent reasons Christians should be tithing and doing it with a joyful heart. The idea of giving our first fruits, acknowledging our money is a gift from God, willingness to give sacrificially to kingdom work, and the fact Jesus spoke about our money and its direct relationship to our spiritual life are all excellent reasons we should consider tithing.
I’d like for you to consider another reason we find in the story of Abraham and Melchizedek in Genesis 14. You may recall, Abraham gathered up about 300 of his men and chased after King Chedorlaomer and his allies who had taken Abraham’s nephew Lot along with the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah. Upon his triumphant return, Abraham was greeted by Melchizedek, king of Salem, who brought him bread and wine then blessed him. Then Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the spoils, a tithe.
Here is Abraham, father of the Jews, successful leader, wealthy, a man of courage and character giving a tithe to Melchizedek. Why would he do such a thing? Abraham honored Melchizedek with a tenth of everything he had gained because he recognized the superior greatness of this priest-king from Salem.
Saints, when we tithe, we too are recognizing the superior greatness of our Priest/King, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we give our tithes to the Church which is God’s instrument on earth, we recognize his superiority and our subjection to his Lordship. If we claim to be followers of Jesus, we should joyfully give of our financial harvest to the one who is far superior in every way over any earthly king or priest, even Melchizedek.
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