Written on October 16th, 2004 - 2:57AM Last Updated: March 5th, 2005 - 11:07PM
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram gave him a tenth of all. (Genesis 14:20)
The friend of God, Abraham, was the first person recorded to have given a "tithe."
The word "tithe" comes from the Hebrew word meaning "ten from." It means 10% of whatever is specified, a tenth of the total.
In this story of the first tithe, we see Abraham returning from rescuing his nephew, Lot, along with his possessions and the women of his household (Genesis 14:15-17).
After his victory, the kings of both Sodom and Salem came to him to greet and bless him.
However, it was to the king of Salem, Melkizedek, that Abraham gave the tithe. This man was "priest of El Elyon" (Genesis 14:18).
This king blessed Abraham by El Elyon—God Most High—after bringing him bread and wine. This man, recognized by Abraham as a priest of Yahweh, El Elyon, possessor of heaven and earth, received a tenth of all that Abraham brought back.
Was not all that Abraham brought back his own property? Had it not all been previously stolen? Did it not rightly belong to him alone? Yet we see Abraham freely giving 10% of this precious spoil, which he battled to return to his possession, to a priest of Yahweh.
This is the beginning of the tithe. Giving what seems to be rightfully ours to the man of God, declaring that truly, it belongs to Yahweh.
As you read this site, you will hopefully come to know Yahweh more fully.
But all of this continuing knowledge is useless unless and until you come into union with Him. I use the word union because it is truly a marriage. It is that deep connection we all seek, for which we most often look in other people. However, the truth is that our hearts will only be fulfilled when we enter that union in fullness with the One Who made us.
This is the grace of God, that He has not stayed distant for us only to worship as Creator. But He has come unto us, even become one of us—in His Son, ChristJesus—in order to share an intimate union with us. He desires such closeness that it truly will envelope our entire life, transforming us into something new and wonderful.
You may have already entered this union with Him and only seek to know Him better through reading here. But if you have not, as you do read, let this Gospel sink into your heart as you read it now.
God loves you, and has cast your sins into the sea. He has sent His only Son as the Savior of the world—that includes you.
That Son, JesusChrist, was born as a man through a virgin who had given her life to Yahweh; He lived without sin, reflected the glory of His Father, God, in all His words and deeds, and was persecuted even unto death because of it.
His death upon a cross was the powerful explosion that separated you from your life of death. It remains for you, now, to enter into that death with Him. As you die to the one you are now, a person separated from God from your many sins, you will be born anew, with a nature predisposed to live rightly. This gift is free to you, with nothing you can do to earn it. It is the mercy of God to offer it to you, as He loves you so much! All you must do is receive it by trusting Him to have delivered you. Simply place your life in His hands and embrace the freedom that came through that death on the cross.
The Gospel is that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose again on the third day after His crucifixion! Death could not hold Him, as He was without sin. And so death will not be able to hold you, as you identify with Him fully through your trust in Him. Let go of yourself and confess Him as Lord of your life. The power of His death and resurrection will work in you all that your Creator has destined for you. You will truly enter a new life and experience that intimate union you have been seeking all of your life.
So ponder these words as you read here of this great God—Yahweh—and all that He has revealed to His creation. Let His Spirit testify to your heart that these words are true, that God is Love, and that He sent His Son so that you might receive the life that is unbound by time and space. As you feel that witness in your heart, simply believe and receive what He is offering to you, even now, and begin your new life as a child of God.
Please write to me and let me know when you take this step, as I will be your brother in Christ—we will be one in Him!
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