Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Greetings...

As most of you are aware we have been examining lessons based on the theme “Fundamentals.”

In other words those things we must understand before we can “move on to solid food” ().

Most recently we have been looking at “worshiping God” as we should in “spirit and truth” ().

We have examined God’s expectation of us in worship concerning prayer.

We have looked at God’s expectation of our worship in song.

Today we are going to begin looking at “Worship In Giving.”

As you can see from your handout, if you have one, we are going to look at “worshiping in giving” first from God’s perspective in the Old Testament.

With this in mind let’s begin our study for this morning.

Why Study The Old For The New?

Over the years I have been asked this question.

As we will clearly see in tonight’s lesson, we are not under the Patriarchal Law or the Law of Moses so why would we go to the O.T. to make points relating to the N.T.?

Why would God tell us to go to the O.T. and learn from it if we aren’t under it?

Our lesson this morning is the perfect case study for this.

A Christian simply cannot understand “worship in giving” fully today without first understanding giving in the past and God’s “mind” on the subject throughout time.

Yes we are given instruction about giving today, but the instructions in the New Testament “assume” you have studied the Old Testament on the subject and know it.

Tithing In The Old Testament

Tithing during the Patriarchal Law.

The first mention of tithing is in where we find Abram giving a tithe to Melchizedek.

In the N.T. the Hebrew writer would use this to point out that tithing represented the concept of “lesser to greater.”

The second mention of tithing is found after Jacob’s Ladder () wherein we see Jacob creating an altar for worship to God and dedicated a “tithe” or “tenth” of all God gave him back to God.

This is the first time we find tithing and worship to God connected and it is after a dream meant to reinforce the “promise to Abraham and his decedents.”

So we have tithing connected to the promise of Christ.

Tithing during the Law of Moses.

There are so many “principles of giving to God” that we find in this great law.

In the book of Numbers we find two concepts.

We find the concept of using tithes as a way of supporting God’s workers.

We also find the concept of “those supported by tithes” giving a tithe back.

Num 18:

In the book of Leviticus we find important information.

We learn that tithing was not limited to “the best” but the first.

Lv 27:33

Lv 27:

We also learn that tithing was based on the physical blessings of God that could be “gained from” i.e. broken down into tithes.

Lv

It the book of Deuteronomy we find important information.

We learn that God determines when and where the tithe is to be offered.

Deut 12:

We learn that the tithe was meant to be used to help the less fortunate.

Deut 14:

We learn that the tithe was meant to make you reflect on God’s mercy and rejoice.

Deut 26:

We learn that the tithe was meant to please God that He may give more abundantly to those that gave according to the Word.

Deut 26:

As you can see there are many great things we are expected to learn and thus know about God concerning “worship in giving” from the Old Law and it’s these principles that help us better understand giving under the Law of Christ.

Conclusion

There’s a reason why the Old Testament is quoted so much in the New Testament.

It was to instruct and teach based on principles that could and should be carried over by us today.

Let me be clear, worshiping God in spirit and truth cannot be fully grasped without having a thorough understanding of our God from the Old Testament.

God is merciful and judges rightly based on maturity but for those that “ought to be teachers” by now He expects us to worship Him based on a full understanding of the Word.

Remember the words of God concerning “all Scripture...”

Though our giving is based on the authority found in the Law of Christ, that authority is based on an understanding of the principles that foreshadowed the New Law.

Next week when we examine the authority for giving let us not forget the beautiful principles of this lesson.

Invitation