In our last discussion, we elaborated on two aspects of the rubrics of God: Giving of the Tithe to God, and Fellowshipping with God. In this edition, we continue with elaboration on the two aspects of the rubrics of God – Dedicating our Lives to God and Committing to the Kingdom of God.
Dedicating our lives to God
In Genesis 14, Abraham details to the king of Sodom on an activity he had done in relationship to God — “I have lifted my hand to the Most-High God, possessor of heaven and earth.” Please note that Abraham made this declaration to the king of Sodom immediately after his encounter with Melchizedek.
The question that confronts us is when did Abraham lift his hand to the “Most-High God” to make that vow? The phrase “Most-High God, possessor of heaven and earth”’ was a direct quotation from Melchizedek to suggest that Abraham had most likely taken that vow before God during his immediate encounter with him.
Thus, the content of Abraham’s declaration to the king of Sodom indicates that extra priestly activities other than the blessing of Melchizedek and the tithing of Abraham had taken place during their engagement.
Altogether, the lifting of his hand to God concerning the king of Sodom indicate that extra activities took place when Abraham gave the tithes, during which Melchizedek consecrated, sanctified, and dedicated him to God.
And Abraham pledged to live and to serve God alone. The tithing of Abraham, therefore, gives us the guiding example of the importance of constantly dedicating our lives to God in association with the giving of our tithes to His priestly program for the church.
Committing to the kingdom of God
In yielding to live a sanctified and consecrated lifestyle, dedicating his life to live and to serve God alone, Abraham was also committing to God and His kingdom program to make him the father of many nations. Abraham’s commitment to the kingdom agenda of God at his tithing gives us another example of Abraham to follow when we come to give our tithes. God modeled in Abraham that the giving of the tithes is also to be in association with our commitment to the cause of Christ and his kingdom.
The Quest for a Paradigm Shift
The credibility of church tithing is in the four things that constitute the rubrics of God taking place simultaneously. One without the others discredits the credibility of what constitutes the nature of the practice of church tithing that God had set up.
Unfortunately, what we have as a practice of tithing in most local churches is the giving of the tithes component of the rubrics, with little or no attention at all given to the other three aspects.
In a nutshell, the rubrics of God for church tithing give evidence for a new education and a new approach to the culture and practice of tithing in the local church. This new approach must then match with what God envisioned through Abraham to be the practice and the outcomes of church tithing.
Dr. Samuel Kirk Mills
President
Church Tithing Institute
