As you read the Old Testament, it’s clear that giving God tithes, or the first 10% of your income, is a big thing. It’s modeled by people like Abraham (Genesis 14:17-20) and Jacob (Genesis 28:20-22) even before the law was introduced. It’s commanded in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 27:30). And when people neglect tithing, God equates it with robbing Him (Malachi 3:8). In the New Testament, it doesn’t seem to be mentioned as much. Understanding why helps us see how God’s vision for our finances has been transformed by Jesus.
What does the word “giving” do to your facial expression? Does it cause you to smile as you think of what your giving expresses to God and what it means to His mission? Or do you get that uncomfortable, feeling like when you realize you have overdue library books? Some people reading this know the joy of giving and have experienced the satisfaction of sacrificial generosity, both towards God and those in need. But inevitably there are others who know that the way they use their money isn’t honouring God. In Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, he gives four corrections that can help when you’re feeling guilty about your giving.
Televangelists have made it difficult for people to listen to the Bible’s teachings about money. They flash their expensive cars and jewelry and declare that ‘Poverty is from the devil and God wants all Christians to be prosperous.’ In reality, they’re running a Christian pyramid scheme and getting rich on people who don’t know better. But where do they get their ideas and how should we understand the passages they wrongly cite?
Statistics say that the average Canadian has $22,000 of non-mortgage debt and the average millennial spends more money on gourmet coffee than on saving for retirement. Something is wrong. The 3000-year-old Book of Proverbs, written by Israel’s King Solomon, contains financial wisdom from another era, but its principles are as relevant today as when he wrote them. Three lessons stand out.
