The Eighth Commandment

“Thou shalt not steal.” Exodus 20:15

The vast majority of us are not cat burglars or highway robbers, however, most of us have engaged in some form of stealing at one point in time or another. Office supplies from work, the neighbour’s WIFI, or even the excess changed received from the tired supermarket clerk. What about time? Do you steal your employers time, by being late for work or meetings or by scrolling through social media sites, or shopping for the weekend’s outfit on company time? Do you steal the time of your friends and family by being chronically late for every event or by distracting yourself on your phone? Have you robbed God?

A few years ago, I learnt the difference between theft and robbery. Theft is done without the victim’s knowledge outside of his/her presence. Robbery, on the other hand, the victim is fully aware that it is happening and is present for the crime. Yes, this is the tithe and offering speech. Malachi 3:8-10 informs us that in withholding our tithe and offering we are robbing God. It is robbery because God is everywhere and sees all.

Let’s go, beyond the returning of tithe and offering, to its use. What is the purpose of the tithe and offering? The bible states that its use is to provide food in God’s house. What food is this referring to? Responding to the devil in the wilderness Jesus made plain what is most important, saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus is the Word, He is the Bread of Life (John 1:1, 14; 6:35). The proclamation of Jesus, the Word of God, is the bread that the tithe and offering are to be financing. However, as the Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, tithe and offering has been held hostage by some and misused by others for the proclamation of doctrines that make the congregation happy instead of holy (Isaiah 30:10; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; PP201.2; 6T408.1).

God will hold us accountable for the use/misuse of His tithe and offering. All our resources belong to God and He has made us stewards of His property (Psalms 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; Luke 12:42, 43). The tithe and offering have a specific task to accomplish, and our bold robbery of God has not gone unnoticed and will come into account (Ecclesiastes 8:11-13).

In Love

Respecting Ownership

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