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now, as he was before, High Pries t.
He has the same office or rank he
had in Abraham's day, when he
was known as Melch izedek–
meaning "King of Righteousness."
Recelved Tlthes Before Moses
Consider, now, what Melchizedek
or Christ, in his office as High
Priest, received from the patriarch
Abraham.
"For this Melchisedec, king of
Salem, priest of the most high
God, who met Abraham returning
from the slaughter of the kings
Varied easy credit
arrangements
do not so/ve the
financia/ problems of
most people.
They perpetuate
them. They keep people
in the habit of
overspending, of
stretching out
payments- with heavy
hidden interest rates.
[see Genesis 14:18-20], and blessed
him;
to whom also Abraham gave
a tenth part of al/.
... "
-a tenth,
remember, is a
tithe.
Continuing: "Now consider how
g reat this man was"-Melchiz–
edek-"unto whom even the patri–
arch Abraham gave the tenth"- a
tithe-"of the spoils" (Heb. 7:1-2
and 4).
M elchizedek-who later became
the human Jesus-collected from
Abraham
God's
tenth- the tithe.
That is one of the functions of
Christ's priesthood that continues
today.
But how did Abraham know to
tithe? Because " Abraham," says
God, "obeyed my voice, and kept
my charge, my commandments,
Februery 1986
my statutes, and my laws" (Gen.
26:5). This was centuries before
the law of Moses and befare the
Old Covenant!
God's laws are·eterna! principies.
They have existed
from the begin–
ning.
They are living, active princi–
pies today!
So tithing was a law centuries
befare the Covenant made at Sinai.
Abraham was paying tithes about
140 years before Judah, the father
of the Jews, and Abraham's great–
grandson, was born.
Tithing is not " Jewish"!
Tithing, of course, was included
in the laws revealed to the Hebrew
ex-slaves at Sinai.
It
had to be.
Tithing is a living financia! law.
It
did not begin with Moses, and it
did not end when the law of Moses
ceased . The law of Moses could not
end what it did not bring into exis–
tence!
Later we find Jacob, Abraham's
grandson, promising God he would
pay him the tithe. "And of all that
thou shalt give me 1 will surely
give the tenth"-the tithe-"unto
thee," said Jacob (Gen. 28:22).
Not to impostors!
What Christ Does wlth the Tlthe
What is the purpose of the tithe?
How did Melchizedek use the
tithes he received in Abraham's
day? To what use does Christ put
tithes today?
There is a great PURPOSE being
worked out here below. Man could
know nothing of that purpose un–
less it be revealed to him.
That
takes a Revelator. Christ is that
Revelator. He reveals the Father's
will.
lt
is one of his duties as High
Priest.
Now understand what the priest–
hood of Christ has to do with
tithing.
God the Father works through
Christ. But how does Christ work?
On occasion he works in person on
earth. He worked from time to
time with the patriarchs . He
worked continuously in the flesh
for 31h years with the apostles.
Most often-and for the past 1,900
years-he works
from heaven
through his chosen human instru–
ments whom the world has perse–
cuted over the centuries.
But
whal'
is Christ's WORK?
What WORK has Christ been carry-
ing out t hrough human instru–
ments on earth these near six thou–
sand years?
The work of preaching the good
news-the gospel--of the kingdom
of God.
When on earth with the apost les,
" J esus went ... preaching the
gospel of the kingdom" (Matt.
4:23) . His commission
today
is:
"Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every crea–
ture" (Mark 16: 15). He carried on
the same WORK nearly 4,000 years
ago. As Melchizedek, he preached
" the gospel unto Abraham, saying,
In thee shall all nations be blessed"
(Gal. 3:8).
lt
cost money for the apostles to
travel from city to city, to rent
halls in which to speak, to have
letters la boriously handwritten.
Even in Abraham's day it cost to
carry out the WORK of God . Abra–
ham had at least three hundred
men in his employ (Gen. 14:14).
Including wives and children there
must have been between 1,500 and
2,000 who traveled with him. To
preach the gospel to them, facilities
had to be provided in which to
meet for special occasions and fot
weekly services.
Today, to teach the whole world
the good news of the kingdom of
God on the superpower facil ities of
television, radio and via the print–
ing press costs very large sums of
money.
To pay for his WORK God or–
dained from the beginning a defi–
nite financia!
plan-tithing.
God
does not come down on earth today
and ask owners of radio stations
and printing presses for their facil–
ities free. God believes in just ly
paying human beings for the facil–
ities he entrusts to them.
What the Creator does is to re–
serve for himself, out of all that is
produced out of the earth he cre–
ated, only 1O percent. The remain–
ing 90 percent he willingly releases
to man for his puny efforts
after
man
first
renders -the first 1O per–
cent to his Maker. He commis–
sioned Christ, as High Priest, to
collect that 1O percent-the
t ithe- from those who voluntarily
want to become co-workers with
him. As Melchizedek, he received
it personally in Abraham's day. To–
day-and ever since his ascen-
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