God’s Law of Tithing, Pt. 1

Ronald Weinland

July 31, 2021

It’s been a very long time since any sermons on this particular subject that we’re going to begin covering in this new series; been a long time since this has been covered. Actually, been a little over ten years ago or right at ten years ago that this was covered as far as a series is concerned. It’s a subject where some have been asking questions in recent time. It seems more and more some of the questions have been coming forward, which is timeliness. God prepares us for things that we hear, instruction, guidance, and direction that He gives. There have been more of those kinds of questions. Especially as we get closer to the Feast period, even more questions coming out on some of this because people want to know, individuals want to know and understand certain aspects or principles, applications of some of what we’re going to be covering, because they want to obey God in this.

The subject is about tithing, and this new series is entitled God’s Law of Tithing, with this being Part 1. Within this series Holy Day offerings are also going to be addressed somewhat because they’re so obviously tied together here.

Over the past couple of years there has been a higher-than-average number of people (considering the size of the Body at this time), so there has been a little higher than average number of people who have not been faithful in this, who have simply ignored God in this particular subject. This is one of the main areas where people have separated themselves from God, from the Church.

Think, what a horrible thing to come to a point in time in one’s life, whatever that might be after being called, and then having battles with this. Struck by some of this this morning in conversation, how this particular law, if you will, is something that was never lost as far as Sardis was concerned – the Sabbath, the name of the Church, and tithing – because they are the building blocks of a relationship with God. Those are the primary areas of beginning for everyone when they’re called because those are the things that have to be addressed as to whether or not a person can even begin to make steps forward in receiving more that God is offering them.

And so, if there isn’t that determination, if there isn’t that dedication, if there isn’t that conviction to keep the Sabbath, one can’t go forward. If there isn’t the determination to separate oneself from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, seventh-day sunset, if a person isn’t going to make a distinction in how they observe that particular day, they can’t go forward in receiving more that God has for them, intends to give to them. Because there is a purpose why God calls each and every one of us.

So, the same thing is true when we come to understand then the law of tithing and giving of Holy Day offerings. It’s not rocket science; it’s a very simple aspect of God’s way of life.

One of the most important things we have to come to understand is when God begins to call us, is that He is Almighty God! He created everything! He owes us nothing and He’s given us everything. He places us in this life; we have life, we experience physical life. That in itself is an awesome blessing, to grasp and comprehend the life that God gives to us, and everything, the abundance that’s out there. It’s awesome, it truly is.

It helps us as He begins to call us and draw us to recognize that. The seventh day also is something to remind us of that, isn’t it? Because it’s about a plan that God has. He gives us the seven-day week and we’re to remember He is our creator; He’s given us everything. Not only has He given us an opportunity to have physical life, which if it could be received half decently by human beings in the sense of wanting to have a better life, wanting to treat people better, wanting to live by certain moral standards in life rather than the way we tend to as human beings, we’re incredibly blessed just to experience human life, if that’s all there was.

What if that was all there was? If we really knew that, if we really…if that’s what we were told and then it’s going to depend on what you do with it, how you live it. What are people going to do? Well, be a mess considering human nature. But us, once we’re called, we understand that’s an awesome blessing and gift to have, life. Then to consider that God wants to give it to us for all time without end? Awesome! Awesome, awesome, awesome.

And so, here begins a relationship with the Great God. Why anyone would want to steal from God…? Because that’s what He calls it. We’ll turn to those later on. Everybody knows about that, Malachi. To steal from God, to lie to God – because it’s lying to God. It’s like, well, why in the world would I be there if I’m going to lie to God? He knows everything in our mind. He knows what we think. God Almighty knows what’s happening in the mind. He knows what’s churning. He knows our thoughts. He knows our thinking. It’s based on a spirit essence that God has placed in the human mind, and He knows it inside and out. Incredible.

So, the fact that we couldn’t be honest with God, that we can’t be honest with God, how in the world can a person begin to have a relationship with God? Do we really want it? What is it? What do we think of it?

We can go through the motions sometimes of going back and forth from Sabbath services, going back and forth from the Feast, being around people in God’s Church and developing friendships…developing friendships, the type of which we’ve never been able to have if we grasp that. Then, if we begin to lie to God in certain areas, we can lose all of it, the relationships that have been developed. That’s what happens over and over again. Incredible!

It blows my mind, it really does, to grasp what we’ve been offered and then to just treat God in the way we do as human beings once we’re called, once we have our minds opened up to His truth, that we wouldn’t be faithful and true in that relationship to Him when He knows our mind and our thinking?

All of that is being weeded out of God’s Church! Any mind like that will not be in the Millennium. Any mind like that will not be there! If you think you’re going to be able to get by with it, and I don’t care what age you are either, if you think somehow that you’re going to get by, by lying to God, by cheating on God, by robbing from God. He says, “I give you everything, everything! Life, everything around you! And ten percent, ten percent of that in love and appreciation and response and recognition that I am your God is to be given back. Ten percent. Another ten percent for you to be able to have a unique time or times within the year, to come together in a very special way, to have funds that you otherwise wouldn’t have.” Now, a lot of people plan and have vacations at other times and things like that.

God has planned that for us in a very unique way around, surrounded by His truth. He wants to give us more truth at that time, but He gives us the ability to plan for that, to be faithful in that as well.

Blows my mind because this is one of the number one areas where people separate themselves from the Church. The other is sex. Those two are at the top, right at the top of the list. Sometimes they go together because sometimes people are lying and cheating in other ways against God in things that they are not supposed to be doing, thinking, or having in their life. And so, when they begin to get weaker and weaker you know what happens? They being to lie and cheat and rob from God.

So, pardon me, but don’t pardon me if I get a little worked up over the subject, that we put everything at risk by being so stupid. Where is the thinking? Well, it isn’t about loving God. It isn’t about wanting God in our life. God knows that so He’ll take us through various things, give us various opportunities—that’s why I’m being as blunt and frank as I am about all this—to give us so many opportunities to change in that process, to repent.

So many never do. Go by the wayside. Throw it all away as though it was nothing. They all suffer for it. They’ll suffer a lot more for it before it’s over.

Anyway, it should blow our minds, boggle our minds, that we can do that as human beings. And so, when Herbert Armstrong came along, had the name of the Church—it was God’s Church, belongs to God—tithing, and the Sabbath. That’s where it all begins. We’re judged in those things in a relationship toward our Great God.

It’s difficult sometimes. Well, it’s always difficult to see those things emerge in people’s lives, to see those kinds of things, those kinds of decisions being made. It’s painful. It hurts. We don’t want to see that in others. What do we want? We should want the same thing for everyone, to see everyone love God, respond to God, love the opportunity He’s given us, and want to obey Him and please Him. Yet I see a Church that’s being shaken right now.

I see a world that’s being shaken right now. See things coming together very quickly. And it should put great fear, in one respect, in our lives if we’re not living what we should be living because I don’t know how else to say it except to keep saying it: this Church will be cleansed before Christ returns. It’s going to be cleansed, and I don’t know how much is going to be left.

So, there are different things out here that are there to test us, to try us, to refine us with a final refining that’s taking place. In the midst of some of these things that are coming to the surface I see weaknesses and I see cracks that bother me as a pastor on this earth, physically speaking, and spiritually speaking as well in the job that’s been given.

Whatever remains will remain, and it’ll be wonderful, and it’ll be beautiful in God’s sight. And what doesn’t, there is nothing you can do about it. You can’t give this to anyone. You can’t give the kind of mind, the kind of response to God, to God’s government, to God’s Church, to relationships within the Church. You can’t give that to anyone. It’s got to be because you want it with all your heart, with all of your being, with all of your life because you’re learning to love God and embrace God. I wasn’t planning on going through all of that but there are reasons for it.

Someone mentioned here, I don’t remember if it was an email or someone talking about it, but it’s coming up more and more all the time where the world is talking about war. The world is talking about a nuclear war. The world is talking about a third world war in ways that we have never seen in God’s Church, constantly, week by week by week.

It’s one thing for the world to be asleep to what’s coming, as even a war is emerging and even as wars take place, like what happened in WWII. You look at countries and their responses to the various things that were taking place and it boggles the mind how human beings oftentimes react and respond under those conditions and don’t want to get involved, don’t want to do this, don’t want to do that, and try to appease certain ones.

Like Hitler. You know, don’t want to make him upset, you know, because we don’t want to be in this. We don’t want to do that so don’t do this, don’t do that. The games that people play. Then it takes something like a Pearl Harbor to finally waken a great nation up, if you will. The world is asleep again, talking about some of these things, discussing some of these things, discussing what’s going on in China.

You’ve got to be, I don’t know, just totally blind and so wrapped up in your own pitiful world in this world if we don’t understand what China is preparing for. I mean, how dumb can the world and governments be? They want war! They’re preparing for war! I hope we understand that and see that! That’s what they’re doing. They’re not playing games and trying to flex their muscles and say, “Now we’re greater than you.” They’re going to show us that they’re greater than we are. That’s what’s coming!

That should stir us up, to realize how close this is getting. The games that are being played out here, they’re nuts. People are crazy. Soundness of mind has gone down the toilet. It’s not around anymore. The world is living in insanity. Because there is a being who has already been given more power to do what you’ve seen happening over the past year. He already has so much of that power to stir these things up now and to bring these things to pass. They’re moving forward and they’re going to move forward faster, more quickly.

So, how do we respond in God’s Church, of all people, after all we’ve ever been told? We’re there! We’re on the doorstep! And how do we respond? By lying to God. By robbing from God. By turning our backs on God. By not developing a close relationship with God. Do we love God? Do we want God? What do we want?

Well, only each one of us can ask ourselves that and answer it accordingly. What is our conviction? Is everything right here? Everything? I don’t care what comes your way, are you determined that this is it? Death? I don’t care! Do we believe that? We told God that at baptism! “If it comes down to Your way of life, if it comes down to unity and oneness in God’s Church,” which I’m not seeing a lot of, in some respects… Blows my mind! Blows. My. Mind.

We ought to be shaken a little bit, brethren. I’ll be real candid with you. Some things (and I know what God is doing), pushing me more and more into a corner to where I have to make certain decisions along the way because of that, because this is God’s Church, and He loves the people whom He’s called. None of us are above what God is telling us. Okay? Whether we love God, whether we love Christ, and whether we love His people is coming to the forefront in a very powerful way.

Deuteronomy 14. So, we’re going to be addressing quite a few different things here in this series. Some are going to hear some things that it’s going to take some humility to hear them because others already know about certain things, like the use of tithes, like second tithe. And if we haven’t done that well, if we set a bad example in part of it, there are some things going to come out that there are things we should and shouldn’t do. Second tithe is to be used for God’s Feast during that period of time. That’s the primary focus. But we’re going to go back to tithing, period, here, starting in Deuteronomy 14.

Deuteronomy 14:22—You shall truly tithe… There is truth involved in it. God knows whether or not we’re being truthful to Him or not. “You shall truly tithe.” In this, as we read through this, there are other scriptures we’ll talk about, but in this first verse here it has to do with all tithes, whatever the tithe is, first, obviously, and second. It encompasses all of that even though it goes on into something more specific in a moment.

But this is what it’s saying. This is what we’re supposed to do. You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. Now, so much different today. The world is so much different than what it was at that time and for hundreds and hundreds, and even thousands of years, because it was an agrarian kind of society. It was an agricultural society, if you will. And today, because it’s so much different because of trade, because of businesses, we’ve grown so massive, so mighty as peoples around the earth. And technology, look what that’s done. The world has changed dramatically.

The principles are here that we’re to apply to our lives and to understand what they lived and what they were doing and why it speaks in such language.

You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that’s in the field year by year. You shall eat before the Eternal your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide. Now it switches a little bit here because there’s a focus here. We ought to know what that focus is. It’s about second tithe. That’s what it’s saying. You can’t eat first tithe in scripture, in the Old Testament, but you can go to the place that God places His name, and you can partake of a tithe because you’re commanded to. It’s about the second tithe.

You shall eat before the Eternal your God, in the place He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and of your new wine and your oil. Because scripture makes it very clear you’re not to do that with the first tithe. But you’re to do it with the second tithe.

…the new wine, your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and of your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Eternal your God always. Does that mean to be afraid of God? Not at all unless you’re disobedient. Then one should fear God because they’re doing nothing but bringing curses down around their head because it’s a matter of disobedience. There are laws in force, and especially once called to the truth and people are able to see what they do, then what happens to the mind when that’s rejected and turned away from is a horrible, horrifying thing that can truly ruin and destroy a mind.

A mind is a precious thing, especially once called and impregnated with God’s holy spirit. And to turn one’s back on God and not listen to God and not listen to God’s Church and God’s government, by the way, says a lot about us. That instead we choose to listen to the world or some opinions of people in the world and don’t recognize how God’s spirit works.

Of all people ever in the Church of God, you should know, and know that you know where God is working! You’ve been given that opportunity. 57 Truths! From God? God magnified Herbert Armstrong’s work by the things He revealed to him and restored into the Church of God. Awesome things, awesome truths that had been lost over time. Some things that had really never been known because God gave to him to understand certain things he had never known before.

For us we’ve been so blessed to understand what happened to the Church, a Church that was decimated by something that was prophesied a long time ago to come to pass. An abomination of desolation on a spiritual plane, an Apostasy, a falling away from God’s truth, awesome! We’ve been blessed to understand those things and the scriptures that talk about those things and what can happen to us in our lives if we begin to let down and begin to become lukewarm in life. Awesome, what we have, the truth that we see, that we know. So, do we know?

That’s why I love the scriptures that talk about remember from where you learned it. Remember from where you learned it. You know, brethren, I have lived this in a magnified way in the ministry. Magnified so many times over, to see what can happen in people’s lives, to a ministry, if you will, of what takes place over time. The things we have witnessed, sometimes we don’t grasp the power of what we have witnessed in God’s Church over time, that if we’re seeing it properly should make us much, much stronger and much more determined to not allow certain things to happen in our lives, or within the Body, within the Church. Because we’ve had the experiences of things that are atrocious that have happened, especially since Herbert Armstrong died. We’ve experienced some horrible things.

Then all of a sudden to begin to see them and understand what happened to us as a Body, as a Church, why we had to go through what we did, and you’re able to see that and comprehend that? What an awesome gift. I can’t help but think of those scriptures that talk about “you are as a firebrand plucked out of the fire.” That’s what I believe I know with all of my being.

Because every one of us, every one of us who were a part before the Apostasy were guilty, were guilty of what came to pass. We were a part because of letting down, because of coasting, because we all became lukewarm. God said He wasn’t going to spew out 90% of the Church. All of it! What an incredible thing for the Great God of the universe to say what would come to pass throughout all the Church – so bad – that He cannot accept that which is lukewarm, to have that lesson crammed down our throat, in one respect, if you will, which is a great thing to happen if you can learn from it. What a blessing to understand, to grasp that, to see that, to be able to repent.

And so, when I look at that and what happened to us and what we did, and then to be given the opportunity, almost like a calling again but not a calling because we already had the impregnation of God’s spirit. But to be awakened? Because, you understand, that’s a spiritual thing and only God can do that, awaken us out of a sleep. Because, again, we understand that. Others out there don’t understand that. If they come to acknowledge that it’ll finally come down to the point where they have to admit “I was Laodicean.” And they can’t do that. They can see others who are Laodicean, “But I never was.”

I’ve said this before. I had a difficult time dealing with what I knew was true about slumbering and sleeping and I fully could see where I was starting to slumber a little bit, but I had a hard time acknowledging, no, that means slumbering and sleeping. That was hard! But you have to come to that and say, “Yes, I was.” We all were.

So, how many have ever been able to do that? See, a lot of you called since that time don’t have those experiences, can’t relate to that, but you know the truth of it, what happened. But all of us who did experience that, wow, a branding iron plucked out of the fire. Saved. Saved from destruction. Given opportunities that we can’t even begin to imagine, of something that God is molding and fashioning in the final part of His temple…the final part of His temple. That’s awesome.

…that you may learn to fear the Eternal your God. So, to fear if we don’t obey and live God’s way of life, but to love God, to grow in awe and respect toward God through the process of what we see as a result of what God says in obeying Him and being blessed by Him and we begin to see the awesomeness of God, our Creator, the one who transforms our mind and is creating within us something so unique and so mighty. It’s awesome!

What a wonderful thing “that you may learn to fear the Eternal your God always.” So, the greatest part of that is when we obey God, and we begin to see the magnificence of God. Because He gives that to us. He gives us the ability to come to see Him more greatly as time goes on. You know what? The more you learn and the more you grow in this the more you see you don’t even begin to grasp the greatness of God. He’s so much greater!

Yet He just keeps showing us more and more His greatness, how great He is and what He’s given to us. The more we learn, the greater God becomes, His glory, His patience, His love, His mercy, His incredible plan.

That’s why it blows my mind individuals come to a point in time where they don’t give God His.

So, the word “fear.” “To learn reverence.” You learn it through experience. You become more deeply convicted of it through experience. “To learn reverence, awe,” awe of God. I’m so grateful He helps us to grow in that and become more in awe of Him. The glory of God, the magnificence of God, the incredible love He wants to share with us.

Yet as I see a Body get smaller and smaller; it hurts. It hurts. Because this isn’t over with. I’m telling you; this isn’t over with at all! We each need to look into our lives and repent of where we need to repent. You know what it is in your life that needs to be repented of, that needs to be changed! And if you don’t, pray to God He give you a shaking so you will see it and understand it, begin to be shaken in your thoughts and your mind to maybe think that, “Maybe I’m not sitting so pretty as I thought I was! Maybe I’m not where I think I am.”

I’ll tell you what. I wasn’t planning on giving this sermon this way. I hope you know where it’s coming from. The Great God of this universe and Joshua the Christ crying out to their Church time is not on our side. Because I already know, and it hurts. I see certain things taking place in people’s lives and certain thinking that I can’t change. Only God can, and our response to it. I’m talking about around the world in the Church. No area is immune.

I see people going by the wayside. I see the spirit of it, brethren, in what’s in the minds because of the response to various things that are taking place. I cringe inside and I hurt inside because I see that, because I know when it’s all said and done maybe there won’t be that many. What are you willing to stand up to? What are you willing to go through? How convicted are we this is God’s Church; we are at the end?

A horrifying war is about to come upon this earth, and you have no idea yet how horrifying that’s going to be. You can’t imagine it. You can’t even begin to comprehend it. We’ll see it and we’ll experience it, and many will suffer through it as well because that’s a part of it.

God isn’t taking us off to some little place over in Jordan to live in a cave for three years and whatever it might be. Nuclear war can’t last for three years, or everything would be destroyed on the earth. I hope we grasp that, what God’s given to us and helped us to understand. Things can happen quite quickly. Where we are at that moment in time is where we are, meaning that’s where we’re judged at that point in time. So, where are we?

What if at the Feast of Tabernacles something happened? Where are we in our relationship with God? Do we think we still have a lot of time, more time, and “I can do this,” or “I can do that,” or still mess around with whatever it is in our minds and our thinking? Don’t be so sure.

“To learn reverence, awe, and great respect toward God.” Yes, and as I said, to have a fear of ever disobeying God. But sadly, so often that isn’t there.

Deuteronomy 4. Let’s notice the beginning of the book in Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 4. Awesome book when you look at the book of Deuteronomy and how it’s broken up in different places here. We’re going to take a look at that.

But here Deuteronomy is just as it says, it’s the second writing of the law, if you will, a second giving of the law. Toward the end of their journey they were given, reminded again about everything that they had been told, and kind of a summation of what God had brought them through during that forty years and the truth that’s there about the various laws of God and so forth. Those things are discussed here in Deuteronomy, “A final focus before you go into the promised land.”

Right now, we’re being given a final focus before we enter into a new land! We’re at the door right now! Talk about a cry going out to God’s Church to change, to repent, to wake up if we’re asleep. And if you’re asleep you don’t even know it. If you’re slumbering, if you’re starting to get a little drowsy you don’t know it. You’ve got to pray to God, to Him to help you to see, say, “Am I? Am I slipping off? Am I getting drowsy? Wake me up, God Almighty! I love You and I want this way of life with all my being! Correct me! Chasten me, whatever it takes.”

Be ready. Something I learned a long time ago at the very beginning before I was ever baptized, “and ask for mercy in the process.” God is very merciful.

Deuteronomy 4:1—Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live. God wants us, to give us a greater life. Right now, God is saying that to His Church. He wants us to live. Because I know, because I know how God works with me and has worked with me for a long, long time, I know there will not be one person in this Church who will live into the Millennium if they’re lying to God. Young or old. If you’re old enough to receive this, you’re accountable.

…that you may live and go in and possess the land which the Eternal God of your fathers is giving you. After 6,000 years! We’re the only ones alive. We think of them and what they were getting ready to go into, and what about us? We’re going into something so much greater, a period of time that God has so longed for, for so, so, so long, that mankind, the misery of Satan’s way of life, the misery of selfishness can come to an end and begin to be governed by God, by His Family. Because it’s the only government that can be perfect, that can do it perfectly.

The Church couldn’t do it. We couldn’t do it! Worldwide, we couldn’t do it. It couldn’t be done. That’s one of the greatest lessons you can take from all that! One of the greatest lessons through 6,000 years people can come to, is to understand God’s people with God’s holy spirit cannot govern faithfully! It won’t work. That’s what the Philadelphia era was proof of. It won’t work! Because the larger you get, the more holes, the more ditches that are going to come to the surface. Because the farther you get away from it, who is over all this, who is able to be on top of all this? The reality is only God can, only Christ can and 144,000. Human beings can’t.

Herbert Armstrong received monthly reports, which even in God’s Church you ask somebody to send in a monthly report, “This is too hard!” Well, if I didn’t do it way back when I wouldn’t have been in the ministry. Actually, it got so bad within the ministry that they had to be basically threatened, “You won’t send in the reports, we won’t send the checks.” That’s what they said! “You’re too lazy, you’re so uncommitted that you won’t obey Church government, that you will send this in month by month? Fine. We’re so committed that maybe you shouldn’t be in the ministry. We won’t send you a check.” You know what? People started doing some reports.

Human nature is an ugly thing, it really is. It’s so disgusting. But that’s what happened within the Church in Worldwide. After a while, you don’t know what’s going on in different areas, and so the superintendents over various areas, whatever they were called at different times because they had different jobs and responsibilities, they would send in reports to Herbert Armstrong. That was their job. They told him what they thought he wanted to hear. They didn’t tell him the truth. They lied. They lied and they lied, and they lied, and they lied, but they didn’t tell the truth. They didn’t tell Herbert Armstrong the truth about a matter so how could Herbert Armstrong then make decisions about corrections that need to take place in local areas? Because then, what would that say about a superintendent who was telling the truth about what was happening in his area? Because then he’s going to get a little bit of chastening and his area is going to get a little bit of chastening, and that’s not what he wants. Politics. Lies.

So, I hope we understand with all of our being only God Almighty through the government He sends to this earth can govern righteously and know everything that’s going on. People can try to lie to them if they want to, but they’re going to know as soon as they open their mouth…before they open their mouth, “You’re lying. You’re not telling the truth. You need some help.” They’re going to receive some help.

I think it’s awesome to have God’s Family ruling in the Church and in government. We won’t have the kind of swill and the kind of evil that exists in government today. Because that’s all it is out there. It’s evil. It’s horrible. If anyone were to hear some of that, make those three years look pretty easy, actually.

…that you may live and go in to possess the land which the Eternal your God of your fathers is giving to you. And here, we’re right there at the door. Closing in quite quickly.

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it. So, as God leads, guides, directs us, we’re to strive to live by what He gives us at any moment in time with the present truth, to hold on to it and to be careful of that, of how we do it. That we’re in unity, unity, oneness of mind, oneness of mind, doing the same thing in love toward one another because that’s what God tells us to do.

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Eternal your God which I command you. This isn’t just talking about the 10 Commandments. It’s talking about everything with the statutes, everything that God gives us, just as He gives to the Church. He gives us guidelines, He gives us direction, and you can’t separate any of that from God’s commandments.

Verse 3—Your eyes have seen what the Eternal did at Baal Peor; for the Eternal your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. Awesome, what He said here. Look what they did. God destroyed them all. They’re not with us today but you’re here.

But you who held fast… What a beautiful thing to hold fast what God gives to us, to hold on with all of our being. But you who held fast to the Eternal your God are alive today. So, there’s going to come a point in time for this Body, that we’re going to be on the other side. There is going to be a time when Joshua has returned, 144,000 and those who are part of that are resurrected or changed, become resurrected at that point in time. A spirit body is what I’m talking about, not from death. A few that will be in that category, which is unique. One way or another there will be those who are alive and there will be those who are dead.

Because we’ve been given everything. We’ve been given every opportunity. We’ve been given opportunities above and beyond everyone else that was scattered out there. There are going to be people who are scattered in the scattered Church who are going to be able to live on into a new age. They’re not going to be in the 144,000 but they’re going to be able to live on into a new age as a witness of and to learn from that and to begin growing again and be stirred up again in spirit and have an awesome opportunity on into the Millennial period.

But there are a lot who are going to be dead even in that scattered group because of what they did. There are going to be those that God is not going to allow to live into that age of the scattering, not going to allow them at all.

Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Eternal my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go in to possess. So again, it’s about obedience. It’s about obeying what God gives, about holding fast to whatever He gives to us.

Therefore, be careful to observe… “Careful to observe.” Love that expression because it’s the word about going back to the Garden of Eden and dressing and keeping it. It’s that “keep.” “Careful to observe,” to keep, to watch, to preserve (that’s what it’s all about), “what I have given to you.” That’s what God is telling us. Not only to love what He’s given to us and not only to be in agreement, but to preserve it, to sustain it, if you will, to keep it.

I think of that expression again here, when we talk about “dress and keep,” and how often that pops up in scripture in different places because of God’s desire for what He gives to us, of how He gave it in the very beginning and that’s the way it’s to be in life and what we do, to dress and keep, to cultivate, to improve by labor. Meaning you’ve got to work! Physically and spiritually!

That’s another story in itself sometimes, work. We have six days of the week we can work, we can produce, and what do we do? Are we? Do we try to?

Now, there is a time when you retire, there’s a time when you’ve done your work. There’s a time when health gets to a point where you’ve done your work and you can’t do that part anymore. But one of the big things in relationship with God is tithing from work. And if we don’t work, neither can we tithe. God says one who can’t provide for themselves, or their family is worse than a non-believer, an “infidel” it says, Greek translated into English, but it’s about a non-believer. You think, okay.

Some have been put out of God’s Church for that reason, or suspended from God’s Church for that reason, for not doing one of the most basic things we should be doing as human beings: work. Because it’s a disobedience to that very purpose and principle that God has given to us. If we don’t, we’re worse than an infidel.

So, “improve by labor.” So, even our lives – so we do it physically and spiritually, to improve things by labor, work. We want to grow. This is about growing. “Improving by labor.” We want to work at our lives and examine our lives.

Just like this sermon today, we should take it to heart, take it home, digest it, ask God to apply it, ask God for help to see things we can’t see yet or aren’t seeing clearly of where we may be missing out and learn what we’re not grasping, and to correct us where we need correction. Every one of us can always use correction because none of us are perfect yet by any measure.

So, this thing of “keep; to watch over; to guard; to preserve; to support; to take heed to.” There’s a lot said there in those words, there really are.

Verse 6—Therefore, be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding. This is the soundness of mind that God is offering you. The more that we can drink in of His way, of His mind, of unity and oneness with Him and His guidance and direction, instruction in our life, this grows. That which comes from God, not that which comes from the world, not that which comes from our own thinking, our own way of seeing things that sometimes makes me want to puke. Truly! I have too many times over the past couple of months in dealing with certain situations that basically make me want to feel that way sometimes. I’m just being honest with you. Robbing ourselves of the ability to have this from God.

I’ve tried to warn the Church to get away from certain things. Why are we holding on to anything in this world as being authoritative in our life? What is the authority in our life? Is it God or not? Or is it some way to do certain things that somehow you have this energy coming into your body and your life and go hug a tree and feel better. You know, sometimes if life is so bad and you just want help, maybe you could get some kind of mental help, support or whatever from hugging a tree. Seriously! Sometimes we go through hard things in life and if there is something that can give us peace of mind?

You know, there are certain routines that people can go through that can give them some peace of mind. That’s a lot of the problem, an ability to deal with everyday problems. I find that when I just go out and walk for my—I try to make it a little brisk—two miles. If I try to do three my knee starts killing me, so I go back to two. It’s like, that’s it! So, I feel better. I love it, being able to be in God’s creation and drinking it in and being able to think upon certain things like that at a time like that, and that’s calming.

Now, I’m not going out there barefooted and thinking that somehow something is going to come up out of the concrete and “oh,” these things. And so, there’s balance in all this. I’m not making fun of things that people may do or don’t do in life, but… Anyway, I don’t need to go into that anymore.

Then this conspiracy theory crap that some in God’s Church are still tuned into people out here, who are absolute morons! Why do you listen to them? What good is that doing in your life? What change is that making for you to listen to what some other people are saying, that some are doing this, and they’re doing this, and they’re planning this, and this is what’s coming our way, and this is what’s happening.

God is telling you what’s coming your way! I’m sorry. Why do we listen to stuff out there? Is that our authority in our life and we raise them up on a pedestal like idols (because some of you are doing that), and bowing down to them? You say, “Oh, tell me more, tell me more because this is what excites me.”

This is what should excite you, what God gives to you Sabbath by Sabbath. That’s what should move and motivate and stir us, what God gives us Sabbath by Sabbath, not somebody whether it be on the internet, whether it be on a news thing or some blogger or whatever that’s out there. Who are they? Who are they that we listen to? Are they moved by God’s holy spirit? Are they led by God’s holy spirit? Are they giving us things that we need to have right now that we need to think about and be consumed with, and sometimes so much so that we have to share it with others, “Did you hear?” “Oh, tell me more. Tell me more!” I’m sorry. I’m making fun of it because I’ve had my fill of it. I believe that God has had His fill of it, of seeing that in His own people. Why would we do such a thing?

So, that’s what’s being sorted through right now. We’re in a time of final sorting. Final sorting, through God’s Church, final trying. I don’t care who we are, we’re all going to be sorted out, where we stand, what we are, who we are. God is going to know us inside and out. Obviously, those who are being prepared for the 144,000 and are moving in that direction, God knows how long it’s going to take and what things you need to go through yet in order to be there. He knows.

He knows exactly how to mold us and what we have to go through. Those going on in the Millennium, He knows who it is that’s being faithful to Him, who wants His way of life, who loves Him, who is embracing Him and what He gives to us Sabbath by Sabbath. Because if we don’t recognize that what He gives us Sabbath by Sabbath is the greatest thing that’s happening to us every week of our lives then we don’t get it! We just don’t get it!

This is the greatest thing that God Almighty is pouring out to us Sabbath after Sabbath after Sabbath, what we hear in sermons. Nothing out of this stinking, rotten world! It’d be better if we divorce ourselves entirely from everything we hear out there if that’s the only way we can handle it, and drink in what God gives to us Sabbath by Sabbath by Sabbath. For I am either God’s apostle or not. And if I’m not, then why are we here? Why listen at all?

Sometimes I wonder why different ones are listening. If you’re going to go ahead and do this and that’s your plan, that’s your idea, what are you doing here? If you’re not going to tithe faithfully, what are you doing here? Do us all a favor, get lost! And you think, “Well, man, that’s harsh! Man, that’s not very merciful.” God has been very merciful and very patient for a long, long time. Get lost! Just go! Leave. Do me a favor. Do us all a favor. Because you know what? When you’re gone the Body is actually stronger spiritually, it truly is.

So, if anyone is lying to God and cheating from God and robbing from God, “Arrivederci.” Is it “arrivederci”? I don’t know what it is. Anyway, bye. Goodbye. Well, not even “good,” just bye. Because it’s not going to be good for you. It really isn’t. But be gone.

That’s why I know where I am in time as far as my relationship with God and with the Church. He has let me know that now is the time to deal with these things more than ever before, than you’ve ever done in your life. I’ve dealt with a lot of this stuff over my time in the Church. But God has made it very clear to me, making it very clear to me, well, I was going to say, no more of that stuff that comes out of human beings that isn’t pleasant. It shows us we’re all the same and we all stink. You do the same thing with it; you get rid of it. Thankful for plumbing and the ability to flush.

We’re all the same as human beings, and our nature stinks. Thank God He’s giving us a different nature, His, with a greater unity and oneness with Him. Nothing more beautiful that we could ever have than to live forever with God.

Naturally, I’ve lost my place. What verse was I on? 6? That’s all how far that I’ve made it? Oh, goodie. This is going to be a longer series. You know, that’s always encouraging to me because it’s like I don’t know what the next series is and I’ve got a lot of writing to do, and there’s a lot of editing to be done out there. I keep pushing this forward because I feel a greater sense of urgency than ever before and it’s amazing times in which we live, truly is. So, this is number one in my life, doing these things, having these things, and basically, God making it very clear, there are certain things to be taken care of and no more of this. There’s a time to make it very clear.

Verse 6—Therefore, be careful to observe them (watch them), for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what great nation is there that has God so near to it as the Eternal my God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him. Beautiful!  For whatever purpose, whatever reason. God is so great. He wants to help us through our difficulties, through our problems. He wants to help us to conquer and overcome. He wants us to be intently focused on Him and being at one in unity and harmony with Him.

That’s not something we have on the sideline here, is some kind of relationship with God and our own private prayer and so forth, and we have this ability to judge and discern various things that disagree with things that are being given to us from here. It’s a matter of being in unity with what God’s giving to us Sabbath by Sabbath by Sabbath. Because either it’s coming from God or we’re just wasting our time. Every person has to discern that and decide that and judge that for themselves. And anyone who doesn’t believe that fully? Goodbye. No, take that “good” away. Please, please, please, just “bye.” Go! Get! Be gone!

Because I don’t like dealing with that kind of thing. I don’t like to be the one to have to be put into a corner and then finally saying, “You know what? Enough is enough! This is coming to a screeching halt!” But I do and I will, and I’ve done it over and over and over again in God’s Church. It’s my responsibility, and if I don’t do it, I’m held accountable for it and I’m as guilty as the party of doing something wrong. And you know what? That’s not going to happen.

I’ll do whatever I have to do because I love God. I love Joshua with all of my being. My life is theirs, and I don’t care what happens to this. I’m not anxious to go through bad things and hard things, but whatever it takes, so be it, and thanks be to God because it’s to His glory, it’s His purpose.

If you’re a part of His purpose, which we’ve all been called to be a part of His purpose, if you yield to it it’s a beautiful thing. Your life is enriched in ways you can’t even begin to grasp. We have so much waiting for us we can’t grasp it, can’t even begin to fathom it.

I am reading this again, verse 9. I think that’s where I’m at. Only take heed to yourself. This is a really bad translation in verse 9 here where it says, “Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself.” It’s, Only take heed unto yourself and diligently take heed to your life. That’s what it’s saying. It’s poorly translated. “Only take heed to yourself.” That’s what God wants us to do. And now, more than ever in His Church take heed to yourself. That’s all you can change. That’s all you can work on, is this, take heed.

…and diligently take heed. That word there, “to take heed to,” is that word “keep.” …and diligently take heed (keep) guard of your life. That’s how you do it. Guard your life. There’s a life that God wants to give to you. It’s precious. It’s mighty. But so many have just…over the past year, it just keeps happening. What was it, last week or the week before, someone else quit? Sorry you made that choice. I’m sorry for you, I truly am, and for everybody that makes that choice and decision. But we’re better off. If you’re not convicted and committed to this way of life this isn’t for you. If this is for you, it’s your life. It’s your life!

…only take heed unto yourself and diligently take heed to your life unless you forget the things your eyes have seen. That’s what happens on a spiritual plane. …and unless they depart from your heart all the days of your life. What a horrible thing that we can lose things that God has given to us.

Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. So, we’re to teach, we’re to help teach this way of life. …children and your grandchildren, as it says here, of the day you stood before the Eternal your God in Horeb, when the Eternal said to me, Gather the people to Me and I will let them hear My words that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.

So again, this importance here about passing it along and living this way of life and being an example. It doesn’t just happen by osmosis, you know. You have to be a part with your own child and as they grow up and teaching this way of life.

Verse 11—Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire… So, taking them all the way back and bringing them up to where they were there now, they’re getting ready to go in the promise land. Look at this history, look at what’s taking place, look at what we’ve gone through.

Look at what we’ve gone through! We’ve gone through some of the worst times God’s Church has ever experienced on a spiritual plane. Now, God’s Church has gone through some horrifying things on a physical plane in different eras of the Church, but we’ve gone through the most horrifying on a spiritual plane.

…and the mountain burned with fire in the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. Then the Eternal spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; but only a voice. So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments He wrote on two tablets of stone. The Eternal commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, so that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

Now, if you understand that on a spiritual plane, what God’s giving to us, there’s a lot here, a lot here of soundness of mind, of balance, of ways that God wants us to think, to live, to be.

So, let’s turn to the end of the book here now, toward the end of the book here in Deuteronomy 31 where it’s reiterating again here the importance of why the book was written.

Deuteronomy 31:10—Then Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles… So, it’s bringing in something here that’s already been discussed before and talking about this seven-year release and what this means. It’s a unique principle as far as an agrarian society, an agricultural society, if you will, and things that they were to practice and the like.

But it also involved tithing and a process of tithing that a lot of us who were part of Worldwide learned and were a part of. This seven-year rotation for us was a very important thing that we kept, that we observed depending on the time we were each baptized. So, it’s done on a spiritual plane, not on a physical one like this was, which was the greater intent of what this was all about.

So, it says here “at this appointed time.” So again, showing incredible things that God reveals to us through a process of Holy Days and so forth, and this particular thing here at this time of the year. It says, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Eternal your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

So, every seventh year this is what they did at the Feast of Tabernacles. They read through all of this from beginning to end. So, whether they, how they established that, had that set up to where different ones had to do this and the reading from the Levites, had to be organized in such a way that it could be done in different areas, that all could hear. Because you can’t get that many people in one spot, so it had to be very organized to accomplish this year by year.

Verse 12—Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Eternal your God. Now, for them this was more a matter of being fearful to disobey God. For us, we understand what this means and the spiritual intent of what is being shown here. But for them, they had to have certain things given to them because they were a totally carnal, physical people.

So, they saw this mountain and the smoke and the thickness and the sound and they were to see something that no one has ever experienced in life, this power from the Great God. But it had to be done on the physical terms because this is all they could deal with. They weren’t being worked with up here in the mind spiritually. So, they had to witness various things take place.

The parting of the Red Sea, you know, going through that. Very physical. But who can do that but God? You know, an entire Egyptian army that was coming after you to kill you and closes on them. God Almighty, power, be careful. Didn’t last very long, did it? Start murmuring before long. You get farther down the road and griping and complaining and murmuring and you think, man, they were so carnal! It’s easy to find fault with them and so hard to see it in ourselves. We have the exact same nature except we have the blessing of God’s spirit so that we can deal with that spirit and that attitude. What an awesome thing. But it’s in us.

…that they may learn to fear the Eternal your God, and carefully observe, so that they’re careful to do these things. So, what happened in their history? Well, depended on the king. Depended on where the nation was at any moment in time. It depended on whether other nations were coming in to destroy them, too. So, we had different kings. We saw what happened under David and Solomon, Samuel before, and then he gave us… Well, he didn’t want to but gave a king, Saul.

We see these different steps that took place but even as you go through the judges before this happened, they would start disobeying God, they would turn away from God, and then all of a sudden God would allow a nation to come in to start conquering them and killing them by the droves. All of a sudden, “Oh, God, save us!” It’s that moment then finally when people will realize that you know “We’re going to be wiped out,” or “We’re going to lose everything we’ve done and the work we’ve had and our possession unless God intervenes.” This carnal, very selfish way of thinking.

God would give them a judge and give them victory. Back and forth, back and forth. The same thing happened with the kings then. After David and his son, what do we see? Back and forth, same sort of thing happening with the kings and their relationship with God or their attitude toward God. Then if they began to disobey, God would allow somebody to come in and start attacking them on different sides, and finally… Incredible, our nature. So selfish. So about self. So about “me” – “me,” “me,” what “I” think, how “I” see things, how “I” think things should be.

…and their children, who may not know it. So, “keep all the words of this law,” and their children who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Eternal your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.

So hopefully, all this, looking at Deuteronomy and what it says, has basically set the stage for what we’re going to be going into. Because it’s about everything that God gives to us and it’s about the importance of what He says. It’s the importance of His word. It’s the importance here of what He’s shown to us that we are to hold fast with all of our being, that we’re to be faithful to and statutes and judgments.

There are so many judgments that God gives through His Church to His people. They are as important to us as any commandment because the reality is they reflect obedience to those commandments. They truly do. Number one especially. God is first. Meaning, what God gives to us is first, meaning unity and harmony with God is first.

I want to explain the seven-year time cycle a little bit. They had this process of time because there was another tithe involved here, third tithe. Within a period of time individuals had a first tithe and a second tithe all the time, but a third tithe was every third year. So, in the third year they would give a third tithe and in the sixth year another third tithe.

Now, this was more of a civil matter to be done within the gates, to be done within different areas of where people were, to be brought in. Not like it was for the Feast, to be given to the Levites as first tithe was, or to be used by themselves as second tithe was. But here it was a matter of something administratively to take care of the people, to take care of situations where people weren’t able, the widow and so forth as it talks about, the retired and the like, sickness or whatever it might be. There are so many different things here as well that are brought into this picture here of life, if you will, of those cycles.

Then the seventh year was a free year for everyone. There was no third tithe, obviously, and there was no count there. So, what would happen is you would have a year of release. It involved a lot of other things on a civil plane more than anything else and having to do with loans and debts and various many other things that were included in this as far as their society was concerned. Because you’re talking about an entire nation of people.

After that seventh year you know what? You start with a seven-year period again. So, in three more years, third tithe year again.

So, we understood this in God’s Church in Worldwide because we kept it for a long time until it finally came to a point in time where Herbert Armstrong made an administrative decision concerning this and saying, in essence, which I know came from God, that it was a matter that the governments were responsible for this and had begun doing it more so, practicing it more so in the sense of what we have in the kind of systems we have of taxation and people being able to receive help from that portion, whether it be things like Social Security, retirement. It may not be what we were used to or what we had when we were working but it’s a help to keep people going. Whatever they want extra, they have to plan for themselves. That’s the way the system is set up.

There was that help that would be given for emergencies or whatever it might be, but basically, he came to a point in time in saying, “The Church doesn’t have that responsibility.” So, the decision was made in certain countries. I think the United States first, wasn’t it? Or was it Great Britain? Great Britain. So, it was made in Great Britain first because of the incredible heavy taxation they had there and more of a socialistic type of process of taking care of people. Then as that came about and continued on… Because by the time they took everything they took and by the time tithing takes place people were struggling. Now, it was a struggle for anyone who did it, as a whole. But anyway, it was a struggle. Then it became clear God was showing to Herbert Armstrong this needs to be done in the U.S. as well, and Canada, and all the nations of the world.

So, it finally came to a point over a short period of time that the decision was made everywhere, no more third tithe to be paid because it’s a government’s responsibility in every nation to fulfill that. Because that’s what this was about. It was about a civil type of structure. For us it’s a structure of the Church, first and second tithe, the ability to obey God, the ability to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, the Days of Unleavened Bread, monies that can be used for Pentecost, whatever it is, but especially for the Feast of Tabernacles period.

So, God provided that, we do that, and obviously first tithe. God makes it clear what those things are. That’s why we’re going through the series, to make it abundantly clear what it’s all about, which we all know anyway. But we’re going to see what God has to say about it and focus on some of that and some other things that are necessary to think about, like we’ve done in the majority of this sermon already.

Deuteronomy 14:28. So, that’s why it speaks of it, this in this manner. At the end of three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase the same year, the third year, and shall lay it within your gates. Meaning it wasn’t to be brought to, in this case, Jerusalem or whatever it is, wherever you are, wherever the center is that offerings are, wherever the tent was located, tabernacle, and sacrifices were to be made and so forth on High Days… and Sabbath. Whatever was taking place here. So, it’s making it very clear here this is something you can do within your gates. It’s an administrative governmental civil thing. You need to bring it there to take care of these things that he’s going to address.

…you shall bring forth the tithe of your increase the same year and shall lay it within your gates. That’s what this term means, “within your gates,” with where people live in the cities, the towns or whatever where people accumulate in a particular region or whatever, so it can be administered out.

The Levite, because he has no part nor inheritance with you… So, the Levite was to be taking care of this, in this respect, as to what they were to receive, but this, again, this is another matter more of a matter in many respects here having to do with things of retirement or whatever it might be, if they’re not working and doing various things for people, illness, age. The same kind of thing that we see in society today.

…he has no part nor inheritance with you, and the stranger, because there is another that is given to the Levite that’s different than what it’s talking about here, and the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow which are within your gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied. In other words, it’s going to be given to them so that they’re able to be taken care of. …that the Eternal your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Then the next verse continues by focusing upon those things concerning the year of release. So, it says here, At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. So, it goes into and explaining some of these things that are covered in other areas as well.

Then as where Herbert Armstrong came along and made this decision for the Church, no more is it needed. We’re going to have one small administrative thing made in this series that will affect some in the Church that is similar, related to some of this, but it’s on a spiritual plane too that God has given. So, we’ll talk about that when we come to it.

Leviticus 27. So, when covering such a subject as tithing it’s important to cover how the subject is presented in the Old Testament. That’s why we’re going through all these things, to see what God had to say at different times. Because it all has to be pieced together. You can’t just read one area that makes it all abundantly clear. It all fits together.

Leviticus 27:30—All the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land, of the fruit of the tree, is the Eternals. So, what is that telling you? Everything belongs to God. It’s all God’s. God owns everything. Everything that exists, God owns. You, me, this floor, the ceiling, the camera, everything that’s here God owns. It’s His. It belongs to God first and foremost, and if we can get that and understand that then we can see how blessed we really are.

All the tithe of the land, the seed of the land, and so forth, and this is talking about the tithe. But because of that God wants us to understand it all belongs to God, and He just asks for a tithe back. It’s the Eternal’s. Because everything is the Eternal’s. He’s given you life. He’s given you everything you have. He created everything, given you the ability to do everything you do. So, we should learn that from this.

As it focuses especially then on the tithe it says, It is holy to the Eternal. In other words, there is something unique and special about this that’s different from all the rest. God owns it all but there is this that’s set aside for holy use and purpose. It’s God’s but here is what it is specifically.

…holy to the Eternal. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. So, what does this mean? Well, some of these things in the Old Testament are a little different, a little unique. But again, it’s a matter of something that you may want. It may be to do with crops, certain things you want to keep for good seed that you feel was a better part of the field, produced better. So even those kinds of things people understood. Whether it be animals, same sort of a thing that applied even to animals, but God gets more specific about that.

Because when you have animals pass under the rod, because they put out a rod, and every tenth one is God’s, it’s tithe. As they went and brought them through there, come up to the tenth one and you’re not to mess up with the herd, not to fenagle things, you’re to let it just be nature. Just run them through. So, you have one that you may want to be a bull. “I want to keep this one.” Or whatever use you have for it that you want, and you wanted that one but it’s God’s. Well, He said you can have it, but you’ve got to pay this and more if you want it because this is holy to God.

So, to learn honor and respect and recognize all this belongs to God anyway. It’s God’s. And so, you’re doing it God’s way to honor and glorify God, to be obedient to Him.

Then concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock… So again, as you talk about various things, this first part here the same principles apply later as we go through this. But when you look at various kinds of produce or whatever it might be there are times that people might want it for some other reason. To store up whatever it might be. You might want to have a store of something for whatever reason, to build up a certain store and keep it for yourself. And if you do, that is what this is about. So, whatever the reasons are, it’s immaterial. The point is you’re going to pay more for it because it’s holy to God.

Then concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, even whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy. It’s God’s. …for God’s use. Again, understanding, brethren, everything belongs to God. But this one is for holy use specifically to be given back to Him. Set apart for holy use. So, the tenth shall be holy to the Eternal. If it’s holy to Him, it better be holy to us.

He shall not search… So how bad, how wrong is it to not deal with this properly? Crazy! He shall not search whether it be good or bad. See, he can’t decide ahead of time here this is what he’s going to take and to give to God, as some religions have in the Middle East where they give, where they actually give the lame to God. So, in this particular case, it’s not sorting through and seeing the runt of the herd coming through and that’s the one you want to give to God because it’s not as valuable. That’s the carnal mind. But people have done things like that.

He shall not search whether it is good or bad, neither shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged shall be holy. Awesome! It shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments which the Eternal commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Let’s go over to Numbers 18. I may come back to some of this later here in part of this, but I don’t want to get too bogged down in it. So again, God gives two specific tithes that are to be kept year by year, the first given to the Levite.

Numbers 18:20—Then the Eternal spoke to Aaron, concerning the tribe of Levi, as the context here, You shall have no inheritance in their land. So, as the areas were being divided up, as God was telling them who was going to receive what as far as the tribes were concerned, He says, everyone has a plot of land except the Levites.

You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any part among them. He says, I am your part and your inheritance among the children of Israel. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth of Israel. Because that’s what’s given to Him. He says, “I am your part.” That’s what He’s saying. …for an inheritance; for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle, of the tent, and of the congregation. In other words, the meaning here the place of assembly for God’s people, the commanded assembly.

Verse 24—But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering to the Eternal, I have given to the Levites. So, dropping on down there, verse 24. So again, he’s just reiterating some of this. I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore, I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

Now, the Eternal spoke to Moses, saying, Go speak to the Levites, and say to them, When you take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it for the Eternal. In other words, it’s set aside, and this is how it’s presented just as they presented their first tithe, and this is how you’re to present this part now, even a tenth of it. So, everything that’s given to you, you’re to take a tenth of it and do the same thing they did.

And this, your heave offering, shall be accounted to you as though it were the corn of the threshing floor and of the fullness of the winepress. Therefore, you also shall offer a heave offering unto the Eternal of all your tithes, just like the rest of Israel, which you receive of the children of Israel, and you shall give thereof the Eternal’s heave offering to Aaron the priest. Awesome. To him, to his family.

So again, just going through all these things here about the importance of how God administered things to a carnal national people, a people that weren’t converted, and working with them as tithes are all about. But then we see a unique thing happen as we have the Church and how God has had the Church then administer the process of tithing with the Church. We see and learn things on a spiritual plane that they could never have taught to them because that wasn’t their purpose. They weren’t given of His holy spirit.

So, things that we’re going through here require God’s spirit to understand, to grasp the structure of why God did what He did, of how He did it. Because it has a spiritual purpose in it, things that God wants to share with us.

So, we’ll continue through this. Again, it reveals much about us and who we are and where we are. Continue next Sabbath, Part 2.