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Melchisedec Never Asked for the 10% Abraham Gave Now the tithe that Abraham gave, number one, let me point this out to you. I think it is very evident. Melchisedec never asked for ten percent of anything. What Abraham gave him, he (Abraham) purposed in his own heart what to give. It happened to be ten percent. No one knows why Abraham came up with this percentage, but it was something, according to scripture, that he decided himself of what he was going to do. Melchisedec never required it of him and Melchisedec did not bless him after he gave his tithe. Abraham gave this ten percent out of the spoils of battle. He had already received this gain. I want you to think, just for a moment, the mentality that we have about the tithe. Does everyone here concur that no matter what the church background you grew up in, most all of us were taught that if you tithe, then God will bless you? All right. Now , how many of you were taught to the extreme, that if you don't tithe you are under a curse? All right. Now we need to look at that very clearly because that is a very dangerous thing. In fact there is a thing going through in full gospel circles at this time in churches as large as ten thousand members and on national Christian television. It has been stated on Christian TV out of California, by teachers on this particular program, that if you do not tithe you will not go to heaven. Now this is how extreme this has become. Taking Malachi Out of Context They say they have taken the scripture in Malachi 3:8-12, which says: "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me, even this whole nation. In tithes and offerings". This shows that if you don't pay your tithes God calls you a thief and a robber. ....they then flip up over to the New Testament to where it says 1Corinthians 6:9,10 "...that thieves and robbers shall not inherit the Kingdom of God" and by taking this out of context and looping it together with something that is not even pertaining to one another at all, in effect they say, 'You see, if you are not a tither you are going to hell'. That statement is not in the Bible. It is not implicated anywhere in the Bible, but through what is a deviate view of giving? A deviate and perverted view of giving is believing that if you give, then you are avoiding a curse from God and that if you do give that you will be blessed by God because of that giving. Why is that deviate? It is as deviate to believe that if you tithe, you are out from under the curse and that if you tithe you are going to be blessed of God. What About Levi It is as deviate to believe that if you are circumcised you are going to avoid a curse or that you are going to gain a Hebrews 7:5-10 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood have a, commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is of their brethren though they came out of the loins of Abraham. But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradictions the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives. (he is still making reference to Melchisedec) And as I may so say, Levi also, who receives tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him." Here we have a very open statement, that is very profound. We have Levi, who didn't pay tithes, but the Bible says that he did so because Abraham did it and Levi was still in the loins of Abraham. Do you know that he just stated that whatever Abraham did, his descendants were credited with because they were his descendants? Now, are they his descendants because they are his descendants under the law? Are those who receive the promise those that are under the law? The Bible says no. You say "How did I pay tithes in Abraham?" By faith. Glory to God! The Bible says, speaking of Abraham, he is the father of our faith. He is spoken of in that result and in that manner a great deal. This is simply a minor point but one which must be made. That if Levi paid tithes because he was still in the loins of Abraham, he never paid tithes. The tribe of Levi never paid tithes. They were not ordered to pay tithes, but they gave the tithes (a power of attorney so to speak) because Abraham was their descendent. They were considered to have paid the tithes because they were still in Abraham's loins. The Bible says that the promise was unto Abram. It is not only good news, I want to bring to a conclusion the hope in your heart of all the people who read this or hear the tape, because the tape is going to be sent around the world, believe me by those who oppose and agree, will duplicate it by the thousands and send it out to either fight against it or to agree with it. We don't care for what purpose they send it out as long as it get out! Amen? Praise the Lord! All right. The other places that the tithe is mentioned in the Bible is in Matthew 23:23 and the gospel of Luke. We are going to look at Matthew and the other one you can look up if you like. It is basically the same thing, stated just a bit differently, as the gospels do. Turn to Matthew 23:4 "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." This is the type of people that Emmanuel is addressing and the tone and that he is addressing them. Matthew 23:15 "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." That is a pretty bold statement. I want you to see in what context and the types of people Emmanuel is addressing. Matthew 23:19 You fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? and he goes on: Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe...".  |