How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New 9
God Never Fails to Shield You
Let’s return to Abram, just after he had given his tithe to God through the high priest, Melchizedek: (see Part 7)
Sometime later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” Gn. 15:1 NLT
Jehovah is reassuring Abram that the covenant He had already made with him[1] will come to pass. Abram has the audacity to talk back to God, expressing his doubts:
“O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.” Gn. 15:2 NLT
Our generous and gracious Creator spells it out for Abram once more:
Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” Gn. 15:4, 5. NLT
Our Lord sure took it up a BIG notch, yes? He is ratifying / justifying His covenant. And Abram believed (placed his faith in) his God. What was God’s response?
And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Gn. 15:6 NLT
Abram certainly did not earn this covenant. He was justified by God for his faith.[2] Out of His grace, Jehovah sanctified Abram’s imperfect faith by crediting it – by declaring his righteousness.
Then, God reassures Abram about His previous promise to give him land:[3]
Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” Gn. 15:7 NLT
“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates— Gn. 15:18 AMP
Abram was curious regarding how Jehovah God would bring this about. He answers that by telling Abram to gather up 5 sacrificial animals and he cut them in half and arrayed the halves opposite one another, separated by pathway in between.
This constituted a binding agreement between God and Abram. While Abram was waiting for God to walk the path, He put Abram in a deep sleep. (No one can see God and live.)[4] Then God walked through the path in such a way that the carcasses were burned! When Abram awoke, he saw the burned sacrifices.
What is key to see, is that He prevented Abram from participating, because God wanted to be the only one bound to this agreement, making it unconditional. Only God was to fulfill it.
Before I continue with Abram, I want to segue off the very first Scripture in this chapter, this time in the Hebrew Bible translation:
“Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you.” Gn. 15:1
‘Shield’ is translated from the Hebrew magen, meaning ‘defense’ or ‘protector’. What God promises one of His children, He gives to them all. So, what is Jehovah telling us? He says that we do not have to be afraid, because the Creator of the universe is our defender and protector.
God is perfect Love, and He Himself is our ultimate reward:
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 Jn. 4:18 NLT
Because God loves you so much, He surrounds you with Himself. God covers you on all sides. He repeats this message throughout the Bible:
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Dt. 31:6 NLT
The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Ps. 27:1 – 3. NLT
The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. Ps. 94:14 NLT
For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. Is. 49:25
What about Satan?
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thess. 3:3 NLT
How long will God watch over you?
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Pt. 1:3 – 5. NLT
Until the end of time…
How can we bank on this? It is because God is faithful and trustworthy:
Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Pr. 30:8
NLT
“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Is. 40:8 NLT
However, you also have a part to play:
“…what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” Dt. 10:12, 13. NLT
Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. Dt. 7:9. NLT
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if anyone keeps My word [by living in accordance with My message] he will indeed never, ever see and experience death.” Jn. 8:51 AMP
We must play by His rules…
Okay. Let’s wrap up this encounter between God and Abram. God gives Abram another vision, this time about his descendants:
“Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.” Gn. 15:13, 14. AMP
This is a prophecy regarding a future enslavement of Israel in Egypt. One that comes true in about 600-800 years, and of God’s liberation of the Israelites from that captivity. (I think it is a faith-builder, when we see Jehovah’s prophecies come to fruition exactly as He describes it).
[1] Gn. 12:1 – 3.
[2] Rm. 4:3 – 5.
[3] Gn. 12:7
[4] Ex. 33:20
Building Better Americans 126
How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New 8
What does God think about your money?
‘Tithe’ is translated from the Hebrew maaser, meaning a ‘tenth’. Abram was giving Melchizedek a tenth of his ‘first fruits’, i.e., a tenth of the increase of his wealth, that he had gained from the spoils of the war from fighting to free Lot. (see part 7)
Abram was honoring God for His favor that gave him victory, and he placed his faith in Him, rather than worrying about how much he kept in his wallet. He put God first.
Nowadays, most tithing is given in the form of money because that is the modern system for measuring wealth. But money is an alluring thing. People work for it, gamble for it, or even steal it. Some even make an idol of it, and their obsession over it has brought countless lives to ruin.
Yet money itself has been given a bad rap. Money itself is neutral. It is only a medium of exchange, whose value is determined only by what a society agrees it should be. What it is not, is ‘the root of all evil’, a commonly misquoted Scripture. It is the love of money that is at the root.[1]
Money, (indeed, all forms of our abundance), is a gift from God:
“…remember that the LORD your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” Dt. 8:18 CSB
Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 1 Chr. 29:12 AMP
Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. 2 Cor. 3:5 AMP
Moreover, God wants us to enjoy our gifts, that we may draw joy from living out our unique lives:
And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. Ec. 3:13 NLT
So, what about this tithing thing? Why does God want your money? He certainly doesn’t need it. However, Jehovah opens all the doors and creates all the opportunities for you to get yours. He only wants you to honor that with a 10th of any increase in your prosperity.
Why? He wants you to give that portion back to Him to remind you that God is the source of all your abundance. You are, in essence, giving back to Him what was His to begin with. You are honoring Jehovah for His giving – keeping Him in remembrance and enhancing your relationship with Him:
“I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” Ho. 14:8 NLT
“If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant.” Job 36:11 NLT
And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19 CSB
That first ten percent is God’s money. And He holds your act of tithing as a holy (sacred) act:
“One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy.” Lv. 27:30 NLT
It fills Jehovah with dismay when we don’t willingly tithe to Him, as we see when He reprimanded the Israelites through the prophet Malachi:
“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’”
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.” Mal. 3:8 NLT
(‘Offerings’ is translated from the Hebrew olah, which means ‘sacrifice’).
When you tithe, you are exercising your faith in God. He doesn’t need your money; He wants your faith, by showing your obedience to His will. In fact, here is a Scripture, (the only one in the entire Bible), where God asks you to test Him on His promise:
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “l will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Mal. 3:10 NLT
This passage is also related:
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your crops (income); then your barns will be abundantly filled and your vats will overflow with new wine. Pr. 3:9, 10. AMP
So, for your 10% investment, Jehovah gives you a 100+% over the term of your lifetime.
There is a caveat, however. God does not just pour abundance on you by happenstance. He only blesses you with your desires, if by receiving them, they will increase His purpose in you, towards furthering His kingdom.
Furthermore, God works with you, not just for you. You must express the talent He imprinted in you, to lay claim to your abundance, and you must express it with integrity:
Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. Pr. 10:4 NLT
Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but he who gathers gradually by [honest] labor will increase [his riches]. Pr. 13:11 AMP
Also, when God sends blessings your way, they come to you adjoined with a responsibility to be a good steward of them:
…generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. Is. 32:8 NLT
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all that we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good.
They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 Tim. 6:17 – 19. NLT
You can’t out-give God. He gives you more than enough abundance so that you can share it with others, which in turn, serves Him:
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” Lk. 6:35 NLT
As above, Jesus also tells us to give discretely, rather than publicly in a prideful manner:
Be [very] careful not to do your good deeds publicly, to be seen by men; otherwise you will have no reward [prepared and awaiting you] with your Father who is in heaven.
So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men.
…they [already] have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing [give in complete secrecy], so that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you. Mt. 6:1 – 4. AMP
All of God’s abundance is good, and He wants you to have it. There is a danger though. It happens if your focus shifts from your gratitude for His riches, to the riches themselves:
Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring. Pr. 11:28 NLT
“Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Lk. 12:15 CSB
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”[2] Heb. 13:5 NLT
The danger of making an idol out of your money is that it separates you from God:
…people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Tim. 6:9, 10. NLT
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” Lk. 16:13 NLT
Even worse, when you are separated from God, you risk the loss of your salvation:
“…all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” Mk. 4:19 NLT
“…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.” Mt. 19:24 AMP
Tithing is about giving what you are able to give. If you have money, pay God first. Should you pay your bills first, you will never tithe, and your blessings will diminish.
Maybe you don’t have money, then give the gift of yourself in worship. Give the gift of your time and talents: Mentor a child. Teach God’s word. Help others move through the difficulties in their lives. Volunteer at church, etc.
When you use your resources to further the Kingdom, (to improve the spiritual lot of others), are you not blessed and expanded? When we help others grow in God, we can’t help but blossom ourselves.
And in the same spirit, we tithe to the church because it’s doing Jehovah’s work. You become a facilitator of that work – advancing the Kingdom.
Every material and spiritual gift from God is a wonderful and marvelous thing. All we must do is remain grateful, share our abundance, and keep our focus on the greatest treasure – God Himself:
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Ga. 6:8 NLT
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” Mt. 6:19, 20. NLT
Indeed, our greatest treasure is expressed in our spiritual journey – beginning with our acknowledgement of God’s redemption through Christ:
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 1 Pt. 1:18, 19. NLT
Your ultimate abundance is found in God. When you stay with Him, everything is taken care of. He wants you to have the fruits of His earthly abundance, (including money), because it’s one of His ways of showing you, His love. He just doesn’t want the fruits to have you.
Tithing may feel like a sacrifice, and it is. However, it honors God, spreads love and salvation all over the planet, and opens the door for you to have more people to play with, in eternity…
[1] 1 Tim. 6:10
[2] Dt. 31:6 & 8