Imagine two angels having a conversation at Sinai, as the Law of Moses is given to the Old Testament saints:
Uriel: Wow, the people are now under the law. I wonder how much as a percentage of their income they will have to give? Obviously, the temple needs funding to ensure people have great worship services in great venues and the temple can pay the priests, help the poor, and reach out to people with the message!
Raphael: it’s 10%, I overheard them talking about it earlier. It’s a remarkably kind low percentage, considering God saved them from Egypt, split the Red Sea, feeds them for free every single day, and the temple provides the blood of goats and bulls to cover their sin. No one will ever starve on 90% of their income. It’s a real generosity for it to be such a low amount!
Uriel: though to be fair, these are spiritually dead people. They have no life inside them, they are fallen from Eden, they have no access to the Holy Spirit, they have to go to prophets to hear God, they need strict laws to keep them out of self-righteousness, and they are only getting their sins covered by the blood of goats and lambs and cows.
Raphael: it is the law, it is holy and pure and wise. It’s a good percentage, God has – as always – chosen wisely.
Now advance these two angels to the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:
Uriel: wow, look at these people, spiritually alive, filled with the Spirit, speaking in tongues, in community with love and glory. I looked forward to this for centuries, people not under law but under grace. Wow wow wow! Look at this. Remember the first day of Pentecost when the law was given and 3000 people died – well on this day of Pentecost we have seen 3000 people resurrected! Wow wow wow! This is glorious!
Raphael: so now they are not in the Levitical system, but in the church, the actual body of Christ, and have a new high priest, not a Levite, but Jesus Christ Himself in the order of Melchizedek, how much more is God going to ask them for?
Uriel: oh the law is gone, but the tithe remains. Jesus is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, and like Melchizedek received a tithe from Abraham by faith, now Christians give 10% of their income by faith, not under law, but as a response to God’s great grace.
Raphael: if I thought you were capable of deception, I would say you are pulling my angel leg right there. You are telling me that these people – now washed not in the blood of goats and lambs and bulls and doves, but washing the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh himself, spiritually alive, with all the righteousness and blessings and health and glory of Jesus Christ Himself, in this new, better covenant with the Holy Spirit inside them – are expected to give just the exact same amount as a percentage of their increase that the spiritually dead people under law with no gifts are expected to give? That is amazing. Only the same amount expected and they get so much more! Wow!
Uriel: no, that’s the truth. But I am sure that across the world, Christians will be so glad to be a local church with pastors that love them and equip them, worshipping with all the saints, that they will be giving 20%, 30% or even more, there’s no upper limit on it. Some will fund whole mission stations in nations where is no gospel, others will pay for billboards, pay TV bills, invest above and beyond to ensure that pastors are paid, venues are hired, lives are changed and the glorious good news that we see here on the day of Pentecost is taken to the whole world. I predict people will send lands and houses to get money into local church!
Raphael: I believe it. I absolutely believe it. I almost wish I had some money of my own to give into a church offering, I would love to tithe! And they get a harvest on their giving too, what a deal. No one would ever reject that!
Uriel: Agreed
Raphael: Can you imagine if one of these Christians, right? Born again, completely forgiven, washed in Jesus’ blood Himself, with a spirit as righteous as Jesus – right, did not have the capability, the spiritual wisdom, the ability to give 10%? I mean they might even argue against tithing!
Uriel: What you are suggesting is that a born-again Christian who doesn’t even tithe? Doesn’t even give as little money as a spiritually dead person was giving under law? With Jesus as their high priest, with the faith of God inside them, with the righteous spirit, with the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, and they would not even give 10% a month. No way! That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard. Money is the least thing according to Jesus, people will be fighting to tithe, making sure that their money gets into their churches. Churches are where people grow and are equipped, people will be giving so much more than 10%. The idea that someone would call that legalism or not grace is just insane, think about what Jesus has done for these people and how much better this covenant is!
Raphael: you are correct, of course, the idea of a non-tithing Christian is crazy. They would have to have no clue to what it means to be under grace and what they have in the New Better Covenant to do that. That would never happen. Man, watching these people getting baptized and starting to speak in tongues is so exciting! Glory to God!
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