Devarim (Deuteronomy) 26:1-29:8, Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 61-63, Mattityahu (Matthew) 22:15-22
Shabbat Shalom everyone, I am your host Ulices Rodriguez. Welcome to this week’s parasha Ki Tavo. This week, our focus will be on the subject of giving, primarily within this context of our sincerity when we give. We know, there are few ways for one to give in this life, one can give their time, one can give their money, one can give both. The general rule is, where we give our time and money too, we also give our hearts away as well.
Consider what Yeshua said in the book of Luke:
Luqa (Luke) 12:34
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Now, in scripture Yahweh commands that we give our money in various ways, and He commands that we give our time in various ways. However, Yahweh doesn’t just want our money, and Yahweh doesn’t just want our time. To expand more on what Yeshua said, most importantly, Yahweh wants our hearts. When we give our hearts to Yahweh freely, His desires then become our desires. At which point, we have no problem giving our time and money for whatever He wants.
Consider what 2nd Corinthians has to say:
Qorintim Bet (2 Corinthians) 9:6-7
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for Elohim loves a cheerful giver.
Giving is so important in Yahweh’s eyes, because how and what we give is a reflection of our heart. If we sow love and forgiveness into the lives of those around us, we then reap love and forgiveness. If we sow hate and bitterness in the lives of those around us, then we reap hate and bitterness. What we give, what we sow, is what we receive in return, and if we invest everything into Yahweh, with sincerity, then we are going to reap the rewards that Yahweh has for us.
And, since the very beginning, Yahweh has given us everything. He has always given us His absolute best. He has always invested Himself into His creation. Even while we were sinners, and undeserving of anything. Yahweh still gave up His one and only Son, so that we may be redeemed.
Romim (Romans) 5:8
8 but Elohim shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us.
Therefore, Yahweh’s vast love for us is reflected in what He has given us. And the sincerity of it, reflects the condition of His heart. It reflects the condition of His nature. Which is a nature of love and righteousness. Therefore the questions I have for everyone today, including myself.
Are we giving Yahweh our absolute best? Are we giving an honest and sincere effort?
Only you and Yahweh know the answer to that question. Since today’s subject is on giving, we are going to explore several different passages in scripture. Firstly we will look at our torah portion, to see what Yahweh has to say about giving.
Secondly, we will look at the three tithe system that Yahweh developed for us, and the purpose for it. Thirdly we will look at the example of Cain and Abel, to see what sort of heart pleases Yahweh when it comes to giving. Lastly, we will look at our Brit Chadasha portion which is our new testament portion, and we will see what Yeshua has to say about giving.
In our torah portion, we read:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 26:1-2
1 “When you come into the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it,
2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your Elohim will choose, to make His name to dwell there.
Now, to really understand why Yahweh commands that we bring Him the first fruits of the land, we must first understand this concept of divine Kingship, and how its applied to us as a body of believers today. Yahweh is our Elohim, and He is our King. Therefore, similar to how an earthy king is ruler of his land, and has complete ownership rights and control to everything, Yahweh has the same ownership rights and control with us, and all that we have in our lives.
Now, the way a benevolent monarchy is supposed to work in a perfect world, is that the king serves his people selflessly, and the people serve their king, selflessly. The king serves the people by providing protection from their nations enemies, the king serves the people by administering justice for his people, and by providing a way of life that best promotes trade and free market, so that the people can flourish and live good and comfortable lives. And the people serve their king by pledging loyalty to him and his heirs, and by demonstrating their gratitude by bringing him their goods often in the form of taxes and by bringing their skills and services, so that they may help him grow the kingdom. When both the king and the people who serve the king work together, they undoubtedly make the kingdom a stronger kingdom for everyone to thrive. In this way, the king relies on his people, and the people rely on their king. One can not be independent of the other. A king is only as good as the people that he leads, and a nation is only as good as the king who leads them.
Now the fundamental difference with Yahweh is that, He is independent of us. He does not need us. However, we absolutely need Him. Which makes this idea of divine kingship even more important. Now unlike earthly kings, Yahweh is perfectly selfless and perfectly righteous. He provides the protection, the justice, and the comfortable and good life we all desire. Yahweh provides all of this for us. In exchange, He demands our loyalty. Therefore, if loyalty was considered such a great deal in antiquity with the earthly monarchs, how much more important is our loyalty to Yahweh our Elohim and King?
You see, Yahweh commands that we bring Him the first fruits of the land so that He can test our hearts and see who is loyal and who is not. Who is grateful for the life He has provided for them, and who is not. Principally, this is first and foremost what Yahweh looks for in the heart of those who bring their tithes and offerings. Second to this, Yahweh uses our tithes and offerings to serve His people, to serve our neighbor, to provide a better life for His people. To grow His kingdom stronger. So that we all may thrive.
Yahweh says in Deuteronomy:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 14:27-29
27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.
28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.
29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that Yahweh your Elohim may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
As mentioned earlier, Yahweh is not selfish. He doesn’t take our tithes and offerings for Himself. We are the ones who suffer when we give reluctantly or don’t give at all. Much of our tithes and offerings, Yahweh uses for the levite who has no inheritance in the land, much of it Yahweh uses to bless the sojourner who is living amongst us but also has no inheritance in the land. Much of our tithes and offerings, Yahweh uses to bless the fatherless, the widow, and the poor so that they are not left behind and forgotten, because most of them have lost their inheritance, and are struggling to make ends meet.
Now, anyone of us can fit into these categories, anyone of us can fall on hard times and be left destitute. And what kind of Elohim and King would Yahweh be if He did not take care of the poor, the broken hearted and the destitute. All praise be to Him, because He does have a heart for the destitute and broken hearted. All praise be to Him because He is our righteous King. As our righteous King, He expects His people to have the same level of love and care for Him and our neighbor.
Consider what Yeshua said in the book of Matthew:
Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:46-48
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Now let’s briefly cover the three tithe system that was developed by Yahweh. With the three tithe system we’ll see that it was instituted with the principle in mind of loving Yahweh more than anything, and loving thy neighbor, as thyself. Principally Yahweh set up a three tithe system where, the first tithe is to go to the priesthood. And the first tithe is a tenth.
The book of Numbers says:
Bemidbar (Numbers) 18:19-21
19 All the set-apart contributions that the people of Israel present to Yahweh I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh for you and for your offspring with you.”
20 And Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.
21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
Without making it too complicated, all tithes ultimately belong to Yahweh. Because He is our King, with absolute authority and sovereignty over our lives. Therefore, when we tithe, first and foremost we are bringing our tithes and offerings to our King. However because Yahweh is Spirit, and has no need for our earthly tithes and offerings, as an earthy king would. Yahweh gives the first tithe to the priesthood, as compensation, as an inheritance for their work. It is consider compensation, because they minister to the people on Yahweh’s behalf. It is for them so that they can live in the land and provide a living for their families. The priesthood still has to pay their way like everyone else, just because they minister on Yahweh’s behalf does not mean that they get a free ride in life.
In principle, they are relying upon Yahweh for their provision and not themselves. Therefore, in this way they serve as an example to the people, so that the people learn to trust in Yahweh for their provision and not themselves. This is one of the principles that Yahweh is trying to teach His people by instituting the tithe. Now, if the people are not bringing their tithes and offerings to Yahweh, this is a problem. First, it indicates that the people do not trust Yahweh in their hearts, it indicates that they are not relying on Yahweh for their provision, rather they are trusting in their own works. As a result of them not earnestly trusting in Yahweh, it’s Yahweh’s priesthood who suffers. Therefore, if Yahweh’s people are reluctantly tithing or not tithing at all, they are only hurting their neighbor.
Remember what I mentioned earlier, a king is not independent of the people he leads, and the people are not independent of the king they serve. A king and his people must work together in order to grow the kingdom and make it stronger for all to thrive in. Yahweh is our King, however He doesn’t need our tithes, but the priests who serve on His behalf, the priests who minister on His behalf, do need the tithes and offerings so that they can survive in the land. Therefore, in a round about way, not trusting and loving Yahweh faithfully enough to bring Him, His tithes and offerings, makes us incapable of loving our neighbor correctly.
Consider what Yeshua said in Mark chapter 12, and then we will look at the prophet Nehemiah:
Marquas (Mark) 12:30-31
30 And you shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Now, let’s look at the book Nehemiah:
Nechemyah (Nehemiah) 13:10-12
10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field.
11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of Elohim forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.
12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.
Nehemiah tells us that the levites had to go and find another way of supporting themselves, because the people were not reciprocating their support by bringing their tithes and offerings to the Levites. Implying that ultimately because the people failed to love Yahweh first, and more than anything, they then failed in loving their neighbor as themselves. And if they are unwilling to bring their tithes and offerings for the Levite, they most certainly wont care about the poor and destitute among them. It was only after this confrontation, that the people then began to bring their tithes and offerings.
Now, when the tithing system was commanded, the first tithe went to the tribe of Levi, because they were the priesthood tribe but now that we are apart of Yeshua’s priesthood, which is the Melchizedekian order. It’s no longer specifically the tribe of Levi that receives the tithe. Rather it is the priesthood of Yeshua who receives the tithe. Those that are apart of Yeshua’s priesthood are the local elders who minister to you, its the apostle or prophet who ministers to you. These are the ones who receive the first tithe. All with the same principle in mind, that they are given the first tithe to take care of themselves and their families, so that they can dedicate themselves entirely to the work of ministry, and serving Yahweh’s people.
Now the second tithe is a tithe for ourselves, think of it as a savings. Very much like we all used to do for Christmas, where we had a savings so that we could purchase gifts for our loved ones, so that we could buy all the festive foods, and eat good. All with the intent to make the holiday a delightful time. The second tithe is basically the same thing, except it’s meant to be applied to Yahweh’s holidays and not the pagan ones.
Deuteronomy 14 says:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 14:22-25
22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.
23 And before Yahweh your Elohim, in the place that He will choose, to make His name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear Yahweh your Elohim always.
24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when Yahweh your Elohim blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your Elohim chooses, to set His name there,
25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that Yahweh your Elohim chooses
Now because of our modern times we do not set aside a tenth of our produce from the field and the firstborn of our animals, therefore we do it from our income. However when the commandment was given, the idea was that we would set aside a tenth of everything so that we could have food, drink and gifts to make the feasts a delight for ourselves and our families.
Now, the third tithe is done every 3 years, out of a 7 year cycle. It is specifically purposed as a tithe for the poor. This tithe is also a tenth that is given to the levite or (the priesthood) so that they can distribute the third tithe to those who need it. Let’s look at our torah portion for this reference:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 26:12-13
12 “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled,
13 then you shall say before Yahweh your Elohim, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandment that You have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them.
Now, so far with the first and second tithe, this puts us at 20% of our income set-aside and dedicated for Yahweh every year, and then every three years, out of a sever year cycle known as a Shemittah, there is the third tithe for the poor. Which puts us at 30% of income dedicated and set-aside for Yahweh every three years. Now, there’s a lot to say about tithing but for the sake of simplicity, I’m going to leave it at this. Norman has a very in-depth study on this particular subject on our website both in written and video format, if you would like to dive in deeper about this particular subject.
The more pressing matter I want to impress upon everyone is that the overall purpose and design of the three tithe system is that first and foremost Yahweh is testing the hearts of His people. To see who is going to prove their love, loyalty and gratitude to Yahweh as our King. By giving in faith when they bring their tithes and offerings. If we are reluctant to tithe to Yahweh, and are unsure of the blessings that come with giving in faith. In the book of Malachi, Yahweh says to test Him in the tithe, and see if He will not reward us for tithing in faith. In fact its the only time that we are allowed to test Yahweh.
Malachi (Malachi) 3:10
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put Me to the test, says Yahweh of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Secondly the purpose of the three tithe system is that by loving Yahweh faithfully, He as our righteous King uses our tithes and offerings to bless those the poor, the widowed, the fatherless and the destitute, which again could be anyone of us.
Next I want to look at the example of Cain and Abel, in B’reisheet we read:
B’reisheet (Genesis) 4:2-5
2 Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
3 In the course of time Cain brought to Yahweh an offering of the fruit of the ground,
4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and his offering,
5 but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
Now, in a more profound spiritual sense, the reason that Yahweh had regard for Abel’s offering over Cain’s offering is because Abel denied Himself and put Yahweh first. Abel proved his loyalty, his gratefulness and his love to Yahweh by denying himself and putting Yahweh first. Instead of taking the very best for himself, instead of gratify the desires of his flesh first, he rejected all of that, and gave Yahweh his absolute best with sincerity. This is a concept we see over and over again all throughout scripture.
Yeshua said in Luke.
Luqa (Luke) 9:23
23 “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny Himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
This the difference between people who walk like Cain verses those who walk like Abel. Cain still brought an offering to Yahweh, however Cain took the best for himself and brought Yahweh his leftovers. I would also contend that, Cain loved Yahweh, however Cain loved himself just a little bit more. Notice, one brother gave to Yahweh cheerfully, with a pure and humble heart, and Yahweh had favor upon Him. The other brother gave to Yahweh reluctantly with a corrupted and prideful heart, and Yahweh did not have favor on him.
Now on that same note, let’s look at our brit chadasha portion, and we’ll see what Yeshua has to say about giving with sincerity.
In Matthew chapter 22 we read.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 22:17-21
17 Tell us, then, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Yeshua, aware of their malice, said, “Why put Me to the test, you hypocrites?
19 Show Me the coin for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
20 And Yeshua said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to Elohim the things that are Elohim’s.”
In scripture, Rome, Greece, Babylon, Egypt and several other empires spiritually represent the world and the world system. And just as I mentioned at the beginning of this study. The take-away principle with our brit chadasha portion is that to many of us, give our time, our focus, our money, and our heart away to things that don’t help grow Yahweh’s kingdom. And when we give these things away, to the worldly things, we walk with the same level of faith that Cain did. And often times, we make excuses exactly like Cain did.
Genesis (B’reisheet) 4:8-9
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
Often times when we give our heart away to world things, and then when we are confronted about why we aren’t involved more with the building of Yeshua’s Kingdom, we say things like:
I don’t have any extra time to study scripture.
I don’t have any extra money to tithe.
I don’t have extra time to dedicate myself, and help grow Yahweh’s Kingdom. We make excuses for our selfish and sinful habits. All the while, we are claiming with our mouths that we are fervently praying for Yahweh’s will to be done in our lives.
Consider what Yeshua in the book of Matthew:
Mattityahu (Matthew) 15:8-9
8 “‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me;
9 in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
The principle of this study is that, Yahweh doesn’t just want our money, or our time. He wants our hearts. He wants us to be sincere in all that we do for Him. The three tithe system is a commandment, but do not tithe reluctantly, as Cain did. It’s good that we help out those who are in need, but do not do so in a reluctant attitude as Cain did.
We can’t get away from paying taxes, and we can’t get away from having to live life in a corrupted world. However that doesn’t mean that we have to allow ourselves to be corrupted by the world. Growing Yahweh’s Kingdom is so much more than just the occasional tithe and volunteer service. Growing the kingdom, is everyones responsibility, in various ways. Growing the kingdom is tearing down the strongholds that have held our families prisoners to sin, for generations. Growing the kingdom, starts in our homes, it starts by preaching the gospel to our family. To our children, to our spouses, to our neighbors. It’s about establishing those healthy habits and traditions that redirect our focus back to Yahweh. Which then is followed up by walking in faith.
Remember, what we invest in. What and how we give, and the sincerity of it, is a reflection of our heart. Do we love Yahweh enough to give Him everything? Are we giving Yahweh our absolute best? Are we walking and giving with a heart of faith?
Shabbat Shalom.