Last week we discussed how many Christians claim Proverbs 13:22, “...the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous,” while at the same time are very unrighteous in the way they handle what has already been entrusted to them. There are other biblical prophecies about the wealth of the nations being given to the righteous, which will no doubt come to pass, but we need to determine who “the righteous” and “the sinner” are. The purpose of the message for the next few weeks is to be sure that we are on the right side of this definition and are prepared to be a part of the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Both “the righteous” and “the sinner,” referred to in these texts are addressed in regard to wealth. The righteous are those who do what is right in the sight of God with what they have been trusted with and the sinner does not. However, because sin is deceitful, and one who is deceived obviously does not know it or they would not be deceived, there are many Christians who are deceived in this.
As we also covered last week, a fundamental characteristic of those who are righteous is that they keep their word. There is a shockingly low percentage of Christians that can now be depended on to keep their word. This tragic meltdown with integrity in the body of Christ is the root of many of the problems that they have. Those who do not keep their own word will also not keep the Word of God, regardless of how much they may appease their consciences by various means. As Spurgeon once lamented, he could find ten men who would die for the Scriptures for every one that would read them! The Scriptures are clear that obedience to God and His Word is essential for enjoying the blessings of God and His Word.
We also see in Scripture that those who inherit the promises and blessings of God are faithful, trustworthy, wise, and humble (see Hebrews 6:11-12). On the other hand, if you want a scare read the many Scriptures that talk about what will come upon fools. Fools are defined as those who do not believe the Lord, believe His Word, obey the Lord, are not faithful, are proud, and as we read in Ecclesiastes 5:4 last week, those who do not pay what they vow on time.
If we are wise and righteous, we will believe the Lord and His Word. Sure evidence of this will be that we obey His Word and keep our own word if we give it. Paying our vows and paying them on time is not even a question to the faithful who are the ones the Scripture calls “the righteous.”
One of the most foolish things we can do as a Christian is to not pay our tithes. Tithing means to give ten percent of our income to the Lord. I have heard Christians make many excuses for not doing this, to their own determent. Without question, when we read the incredible promises of God for those who are faithful in this, we have to be the greatest of fools not to obey it.
One of the most popular excuses for this disobedience is that tithing was a part of the Law and that we are no longer under the Law. Okay, I will concede that it was a part of the Law but so was not committing murder. Is it okay to murder now that we are no longer under the Law?
Those who say that tithing is not in the New Testament are mistaken anyway. It is! Though this argument, because so many people have been deceived by it, is worthy of far more attention than I can give it here, let me briefly address these assumptions.
First, tithing was actually practiced by the patriarchs before the Law was given through Moses (see Genesis 14:20, 28:22). Tithing was included in the Law with other standards of righteousness (basic integrity and morality) which the Lord had already established before the Law. We also continue to observe things such as not lying, paying our vows, not committing adultery, murder, etc. under the New Covenant. As stated, how can we say that tithing was a part of the Law and therefore no longer will need to be observed without including these other things? It seems that such reasoning or lack of it would have to be included in the definition of foolishness.
Tithing is included in the New Testament and was a practice of the early church. As the writer of the book of Hebrews asserted, we are a part of the Melchizedek priesthood, and Melchizedek received tithes (see Hebrews chapters 5, 6, 7). In fact, one of the main points made in the Scriptures is when Melchizedek met Abraham (see Genesis 14).
As stated, if we really believe the Lord and His Word, then when we read the promises of God that are made to those who are faithful to tithe, we would be the greatest of fools to not do it. Consider the following exhortation and promise from Malachi 3:7-12:
"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
"You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.
"Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the Lord of hosts.
"And all the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land," says the Lord of hosts.
I have not yet met a single Christian who is faithful to tithe and has chronic financial problems. There may be some because there are other things we can do that can open the door to a spirit of poverty in our lives, but I have not met any. In contrast, the testimonies of those who resolved to be obedient in this one thing are abundant.
The text quoted above from Malachi is the only place in the Scriptures where the Lord actually invites us to test Him. He promises that if we will “return to Him” He will bless us until it overflows. Again, considering the wise and foolish, it seems to me that this is a better way to live than most Christians now do. This promise is also corroborated in the New Testament in II Corinthians 9:6-8:
Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
Normal Christianity is a life that overflows and has “an abundance for every good deed.” Every Christian should be financially independent. This does not necessarily mean that we should have great personal wealth. What it does mean is that we should never have to make a decision based on whether we can afford it, but simply on whether it is the will of God. We should never come upon a good deed that we cannot afford to do. If this is not the present state of our lives, tithing the first fruits from our labors can begin to correct it.
There are other things we can do which are also basic to biblical wisdom and obedience to the Lord. We will cover these in some detail for the next few weeks because it is time we start to walk in the great promises that have been given to us. The way we handle money is fundamental as the Lord made clear in Luke 16:11, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?”
Again, we have a bit more to cover about this which we will do over the next few weeks. However, it will not do us any good to know these things if we are not obedient to them. Now is the time to start building our houses on the Rock by hearing and obeying the Word of the Lord that He has so faithfully given to us in the Scriptures.
