Daily in the Word: a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church
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"When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer."
Deuteronomy 18:9-11
My uncle serves as a county commissioner where he lives in Colorado. He told me recently of legislation that mandates that cities and counties must give money for re-training the local Native Americans in the spirit beliefs of their ancestors. The government is so consumed with trying to be politically correct that they are helping to put people back into the practices that spiritually enslaved them for so long. For years Christians have worked to free people from the bondage of false religion and sin by preaching Jesus Christ, yet now the government is leading people right back into bondage.
God gave clear instructions in Deuteronomy that the children of Israel were to enter the Promised Land but were not to take on the customs of the unsaved inhabitants. They had their belief in God and followed His commands, and although they lived in a sinful land, they were to remain true to God's Words.
We have been given a task as God's children. He desires that we would serve Him here on earth and remain faithful to His call and commands. It doesn't take much to see the sin rampant in our world, but while we are living in this world, God calls us to be separate from the practices of the world.
Just as God commanded the Israelites, He desires that you would abstain from the sinful practices of this world. Daily seek His protection from sin's attacks and remain rooted in His truth.
Jesus walked this earth without succumbing to sin's stranglehold, and through His power we can do the same.
"He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen."
Deuteronomy 10:21
What comes to your mind when you think about God? Do you praise Him daily for who He is and for what He does in your life?
A.W. Tozer wrote, "The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man's spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like."
Our God is omniscient, all-knowing, unchangeable, righteous, just, holy, eternal, pure, and good-and these are only a few of His many attributes. When we start praising God for Who He is we will experience pure and genuine worship-the kind God desires from us.
Let's not allow the sin and superficial worship of this world to blur our spiritual eyes and injure our view of God. Take time today to praise God for Who He is. Begin a list of God's attributes and thank Him for each of them.
When we make God the object of our praise we, like the psalmist, will be able to say, "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all they marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High" (Psalm 9:1-2).
Experience a clearer and purer view of God by making Him the object of your praise.
"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel."
Deuteronomy 17:18–20
Long before Israel foolishly rejected God in search of a king to rule over them, God gave instruction to Moses for what the king should do when he assumed office. One of the critical assignments each king was supposed to follow was to make for himself a handwritten copy of the law of God from the scrolls carefully kept and preserved by the priests. This would be a labor-intense task that would consume a great amount of time in the life of a busy man with many responsibilities. Yet God commanded that the investment of time and effort be made.
This command illustrates the vital priority that the Word of God should have in our lives. It is from the Scriptures that we learn to fear and obey God and keep His commandments. It is from the Scriptures that we learn to be humble and to instruct others to follow God. In our day when copies of the Bible are readily available, it is easy for us to take the Word for granted. Instead, we should treasure and cherish it, and make it part of our daily lives.
Treasure the amazing gift you have in the Word of God. Read it and heed it, and you will do well.
“The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.”
Deuteronomy 1:30–33
When God led the Children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, He did not just give them freedom. He led them through the wilderness, providing them with everything they needed along the way. The visible symbol of God’s presence with His people was a constant reminder to them that He would meet their needs. In the daytime, when the desert sun was hot, it was seen as a cloud, offering shade and protection. At night, when the cold winds blew, it appeared as a fire, providing warmth. And day by day, when it was time to travel, the cloud led them toward their next destination.
God has not changed. He still has unlimited resources available to meet every need that we have. Yet too often Christians live without accessing what God has promised to provide. We try to make our way on our own, not realizing our inability to orchestrate life alone, and not claiming God’s promised provision. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2). It is a tragedy for a child of God to live as if he were an orphan.
Do not live without the provision for your needs God would give you if you would simply ask.
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”
Deuteronomy 10:12–13
When his evangelistic ministry took him to England, J. Wilbur Chapman was eager to meet with William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. Chapman sat and talked with the elderly man about his life and ministry, and then asked Booth why he had been able to accomplish so much for God’s kingdom. Booth replied, “I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me to have. There have been men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William Booth. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.”
The Christian who loves God with only part of his heart will never be willing to make the sacrifices and commitment necessary to do great things for Him. When Jesus met Peter after the resurrection, He did not berate the brash disciple for his denial. Instead He focused on the condition of Peter’s heart. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs” (John 21:15).
If you love God as you should, no sacrifice will be too great to make for His service.
John 8:9–11
In an attempt to trap Jesus, the religious leaders brought an adulterous woman before Him and asked what should be done. They thought they had placed Jesus in a no-win situation. If He said she should be stoned, they would accuse Him of breaking Roman law. If He said she should not be stoned, they would accuse Him of breaking Jewish law. Instead of falling into their trap, Jesus pointed out that they were not following the law of Moses which required those who testified against someone in a capital case to carry out the sentence themselves. “The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you” (Deuteronomy 17:7).
After the ashamed accusers (who were not really interested in following the law) had left, Jesus gave the woman two things that she desperately needed: forgiveness for past sins and the ability not to be bound by her past life. When we trust Christ as Saviour, we are not just forgiven but also set free. Paul wrote, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:6–7). No believer is compelled to sin, but instead can walk in freedom.
Walk victoriously in the power you have been given to reject the bondage of sin.
“For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.”
Deuteronomy 11:22–24
The largest nuclear accident in history occurred at Chernobyl in 1986. The massive release of radiation and fallout was not the result of a design flaw or an equipment failure. Two electrical engineers in the control room decided to find out how long a turbine would “free wheel” with the power turned off. To accomplish their purpose, they manually overrode six separate systems and alarms. The disaster was not the result of a lack of warning, but rather a failure to heed the multiple warnings that were given.
Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses told them that they faced a choice. If they would follow God, He would give them complete and total victory. Any student of history knows that Israel, even at its greatest size by land mass, only possessed a small portion of the land God promised to give to them. God fought battles and gave them victories while they were obedient, but soon they turned aside from following Him and began worshiping idols instead.
The defeats that Israel suffered were foretold ahead of time. Again and again prophets warned of the consequences of disobedience. And again and again they ignored them and were punished. If we ignore what God has commanded us to do and not do, the result will be the same. Someone said, “You can sow wild oats and pray for crop failure, but it won’t work.”
If we do not heed and follow the warnings of the Bible, we will suffer the consequences.
“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”
Malachi 1:6–8
The expression “close enough for government work” has been around for more than one hundred years. Originally it meant something that was almost perfect, able to meet rigorous standards and ready to be tested and put into use. But in the 1960s it became a condemnation instead. Now it refers to something that is not done as well as it could or should be done. Regardless of what human standards we may reach or fall short of, God does not accept less than our very best.
The instructions given under the law for which animals were acceptable for sacrifice were clear. “And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 15:21). But by the time of Malachi, the people were giving God anything that was defective, while keeping the best for themselves. God called this “evil” and He has not changed His mind. When God gave to us, He sent the very best that He had—Himself, Jesus. Our salvation was purchased by a perfect Lamb. “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:19).
God deserves nothing less than the very best that we can offer to Him.
“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:”
Deuteronomy 17:18–19
Long before Israel ever had a king, God gave Moses instructions for how the kings should live. There were things they were forbidden from doing, and things they were required to do. One of those requirements was for the king to write out a copy of the law, which he would keep and read day after day. That would have been a laborious and time-intensive process, requiring commitment and diligence. This devotion to Scripture was the key to obedience to God’s commands. They needed to be known and read repeatedly and emphasized so that they would be followed.
I remember the first Bible I was ever given. Inside the front cover were written these words: “Sin will keep you from this book, or this book will keep you from sin.” That was true thousands of years ago when Moses taught it. It was true when I was told it as a young boy. And it is true today. The Bible is the only source of power given to us through which we can triumph over temptation and sin.
John tells us, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). Paul gives us the source of faith, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). We must be diligent in our relationship with the Bible if we want to be what God calls us to be.
A close relationship with God’s Word is the best protection we have against temptation.
“And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.”
Deuteronomy 11:19–21
It is not exactly news that our society is becoming increasingly wicked. Ungodly actions that used to bring shame in our society are now openly celebrated and flaunted in front of even young children. But we must not think that our experience is unique. There have been many times throughout history when evil ran rampant. As the Israelites faced their entry into Canaan, they were going to a place where they would be surrounded by idolatry and immorality. Their children would need a strong foundation of faith if they were to follow God. The solution for families in a wicked world is to make the home a place of instruction in what God teaches. It is easy to criticize the world for being hostile to God, but we must not neglect our responsibility to pass on our faith.
Dr. John Rice wrote, “What hypocrisy it is for Christian people to indignantly blame the action of the Supreme Court about no Bible reading and no prayer in the schools when they do not have it at home! There is no law to prevent you from praying with your children. There is no law to prevent you from reading the Bible in your home and teaching your children the Bible. And it is a poor kind of escapism to blame the courts for forbidding Bible teaching in the schools, when you do not sincerely care enough about it to have it in your own home.”
God’s instructions for the family are applicable and vital in every society and situation.
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”
Deuteronomy 18:18–20
There are a lot of people in our world today who claim to be speaking for God, but whose actual words either contradict or add to the Bible. They tell us that God wants us to do certain things and not do others and if we do, we will be healthy and wealthy. They tell us that if we follow their advice, or (more often) if we send them money, God will do things which He has not actually promised to do. No matter what the name on the sign outside the building reads, and no matter how pretty the pulpit and platform on which such a person stands, they are not speaking the truth.
God takes a dim view of those who go beyond what He has spoken. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5–6). When we speak for God, either in a public setting or a private conversation, we must be diligent that we are accurately relaying His Word rather than our own opinions and ideas. The only reliable standard of truth is not how something sounds or whether it makes sense to our reasoning, but how it measures up against the Bible.
Do not listen to or be influenced by those who falsely claim to be speaking for God.
"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel."
Deuteronomy 17:18–20
Long before Israel foolishly rejected God in search of a king to rule over them, God gave instruction to Moses for what the king should do when he assumed office. One of the critical assignments each king was supposed to follow was to make for himself a handwritten copy of the law of God from the scrolls carefully kept and preserved by the priests. This would be a labor-intense task that would consume a great amount of time in the life of a busy man with many responsibilities. Yet God commanded that the investment of time and effort be made.
This command illustrates the vital priority that the Word of God should have in our lives. It is from the Scriptures that we learn to fear and obey God and keep His commandments. It is from the Scriptures that we learn to be humble and to instruct others to follow God. In our day when copies of the Bible are readily available, it is easy for us to take the Word for granted. Instead, we should treasure and cherish it, and make it part of our daily lives.
Treasure the amazing gift you have in the Word of God. Read it and heed it, and you will do well.
Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
Deuteronomy 15:9-10
Under the Mosaic Law, every seven years there was to be a release of all debts that were owed. Anyone who had loaned money to someone who was in difficulty was to forgive the entirety of the debt. Moses gave the people a special caution about refusing to lend to help someone in need because the deadline for forgiveness was coming up. The natural human reaction would be to say that because there was only a little time left until the debt release, the money would be lost—and then to refuse to provide what was needed.
Yet God told the people not to think that way. Instead they were to give assistance to those who needed it, even if it would never be repaid by them. God said that in that case, He would provide the repayment through His blessing. And He warned the people to consider their attitude as they did—not be grudging or resentful about it. Paul gives a similar admonition in his instruction to the church at Corinth about giving: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
God does not need our help to fund His work or meet the needs of others. Nothing we give increases His resources even a tiny amount. But He does offer us the opportunity to join in His work, and commands us to do so from a generous heart.
If our focus is only on ourselves and what we can get and keep, we will never be generous givers as God commands.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
The final letter that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write was addressed to his protégé Timothy. From a Roman prison, realizing that the time of execution was approaching, Paul asked Timothy to do everything possible to come and see him as soon as he could. The aged apostle was alone. Some of his companions had been sent on other assignments, but there was one loss that was especially painful to Paul. “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2 Timothy 4:10).
All of us have known people who, like Demas, have become enamored with the things of the world. Over time, that love has drawn them away from the things of God. And we have seen the devastating impact that has on their lives, and often on their families and churches as well. The world is alluring. The temptations of Satan are designed to appeal to us in a powerful way. Just as Eve was enticed by the appearance of the forbidden fruit, we are drawn away from our love for God by the appeal of the world.
Yet if we love God as we should—above all else—we will not find the things of the world overwhelmingly attractive to us. This is the most important of all the commands God has given to us. Moses instructed, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12). There is no room for us to love the world and the things in it in a damaging way if our whole heart is filled with love for God.
Every Christian who walks away from the things of God has fallen out of love with Him.
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
Hosea 2:7-9
The story of Hosea and Gomer is a painful real life depiction of the consequences of people turning away from God. The prophet's wife was unfaithful to him, just as Israel was unfaithful to Jehovah. Instead of worshiping Him alone, they were constantly seeking other gods to receive their devotion. God highlighted the depths of this betrayal in His message to Hosea when He pointed out that the very blessings He had graciously bestowed on Israel—the silver and gold granted in great quantity—were being taken for granted by the people, and even used as offerings to the false god, Baal.
It is a tragedy when we take the good things God has given to us and allow them to lead us away from wholehearted devotion to Him. Worship and service and love for God should be the very highest priority of our lives. This is not optional, but commanded and required. Moses said, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12). Yet Satan often succeeds at getting us to focus our love on the things God provides rather than on the Provider. Our blessings are meant for our benefit and service to God, not for our worship.
We should appreciate and give thanks for the blessings of God, but we should never allow them to become the object of our love.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Psalm 119:9-16
When I was given my first Bible as a little boy, there was a note inscribed in the front. It said, “Sin will keep you from this book, or this book will keep you from sin.” That statement is absolutely true. I've seen it proven in my own life and the lives of others time and time again. The Bible is not just another book. It is the inspired Word of God that He has given to us to instruct us on how to live. It is the most important resource we have for the Christian life.
God gave an instruction through Moses to the future kings of Israel. Each one was to personally hand write a copy of the law—the entire first five books of the Bible. After they had finished that laborious process their work was not done. “And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them” (Deuteronomy 17:19). As far as we know from the Old Testament account, none of the kings of Israel or Judah obeyed this instruction. It is little wonder then that so many of them led the nation away from God. It is a love for and obedience to God's Word that will bring victory and success in our Christian walk.
A Christian who is not living in the Word of God will be a weak and defeated Christian.
For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
Deuteronomy 11:10-12
Each time we reach the end of one year and approach the beginning of another, we have the opportunity to look back on what God has done for us, and look ahead in faith to what lies ahead. There is much we do not know about the future. Often the thing we expect do not happen, while things we do not see coming catch us off guard. Charles Spurgeon said, “You who trust in Jesus are under the guidance of the great Joshua; you are fighting sin; you have obtained salvation; you have left the wilderness of conviction and fear behind you, come into the Canaan of faith, and now the eyes of God are upon you and upon your state from the opening of the year to its close.”
Nothing ever surprises God. Nothing causes Him to adjust or alter His plans. Nothing can take His eyes off us, and we are never separated from His attention and care. We can face the future with confidence, not because we know everything will work out the way we want, but because God never fails. The truth of God's continual care for His children is a profound source of hope. God knows everything about us, even to the smallest details—and even more importantly, He cares about us greatly. Jesus said, “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7).
We never need to fear that our situation is not known by God, or that our concerns are not important to Him.
And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Deuteronomy 11:13-16
It is a wonderful thing to experience God's blessing, but it comes with a risk. When we have received His favor, it is easy for us to begin to believe that we brought the good things in our lives to pass by our own power and knowledge. It is only a short step from there to the place where our ingratitude takes our hearts away from God. God blesses us because He is good, not because we are good. Apart from Him there is nothing good about us. Apart from Him, we would still be lost and headed for eternity in Hell. He deserves our praise and thanks, and those help us maintain our devotion to Him alone.
Ahaz grew up in Jerusalem surrounded by the worship of Jehovah. He had access to the law of Moses, and there were priests and scribes to help him understand anything about which he had questions. He could have been devoted to God, but instead he kept looking at the gods of other nations and wanting to copy their worship. “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof” (2 Kings 16:10).
Remembering all that God has done for us helps protect our hearts from being drawn away from Him.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:9-11
I heard the story of a missionary in Africa who had been teaching new converts about the importance of tithing. On Monday morning one of the members of the church knocked on the missionary's door. He had his fishing pole in one hand and a fish in the other. Handing it to the missionary he said, “Here's my tithe.” The missionary asked, “Where are the rest of your fish?” The man replied, “They're still in the river. I just wanted to bring God His fish first.”
We do not give to God because He is in need of our resources. We give to God as an act of obedience to remind us that He is God and we are not. We give not what is leftover, but the first and best that we have because He deserves nothing less. “And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always” (Deuteronomy 14:23).
The concept of firstfruits was vital in an agricultural society. We are used to having plenty of food available year round, but the time before the harvest came in was often a time of hunger in ancient societies. The temptation to take the first for themselves was great, but God instead commanded them to give what came first as a sign of His prominence and priority in their lives.
We give to God as a testimony of our faith in His willingness and ability to provide all of our needs.