Todays readings.. 2 Kings 11&12, Ezekiel 2, 2 Corinthians 8&9
Throughout the Old Testament, especially from the time of the Law of Moses, tithing became an established principle for God’s nation. But we must remember that this was a law for a nation. When the nation chose to have kings there were additional financial burdens. The situation with Christianity was quite different, believers became a spiritual nation (1 Peter 2 v.9) but there is not even a hint of a law of tithing in the early church, although many sections of the “Christian” movements today act as though there is.
Our chapters (8 & 9) in 2nd Corinthians today make it plain that all giving by believers was “of their own freewill” [8 v.3] and that giving to the needs of others is an “act of grace” [v.6] by the giver.
Paul comments that it is “a matter of fairness (that) your abundance at the present time should supply their need” [v.13,14] and Paul reflects back to how God oversaw life in the wilderness journeys under Moses when “whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack” [v.15]
The climax to Paul’s reasoning comes in Ch. 9 v.6-7, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he (or she) has made up (their) mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
May we all reap bountifully, may this be Wonderfully the case when Christ returns.
Remember the Proverb, “the one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.” [11 v.18]: or as Paul puts it in writing to the Galatians, “let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” [6 v.9]
