Genesis 14:18-20
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
After a battle in which God gave Abram a great victory, we see Abram in a conversation with a priest of God. Something I notice is that Abram, without hesitation, offers a tenth of all that he gained from the battle to God’s representative. Abram tithed, but not out of obligation. No law had yet been given at Mt. Sinai to force a tithe from the people of God. Abram simply, out of gratitude, joy and worship, gave a tenth to God.
The way that Abram handled the tithe has a very nice way about it. Can we not learn from him in the Christian world today? Why would we not give to God without law, without rules, and without begrudging? Why would we, who have been given so much more than Abram had received, not give at least a tenth of our income to God without a second thought?
Now, I understand that some folks have found themselves in some very difficult financial positions. I’m not writing this to burden anyone with guilt. But, I would argue that giving as an act of worship is a part of Christian living. And I would encourage any believer in Christ to find a way to give to God freely, joyfully, proportionally, sacrificially, wisely, and regularly as an act of worship. I would also say that the tenth is a very wise, very biblical, starting point. I would encourage you to aim at giving a tenth to God, not out of law, but out of simple desire to give all that you are.
Pastor Travis Peterson 