Sure, please consider carefully and prayerfully:
Q. Is the Tithe merely of food [victuals], of crops, of cattle?
Genesis 14:11 KJV - And they took
all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and
all their victuals, and went their way.
Genesis 14:12 KJV - And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and
his goods, and departed.
Genesis 14:16 KJV - And he brought back
all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and
his goods, and the women also, and the people.
Genesis 14:17 KJV - And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that [were] with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which [is] the king's dale.
Genesis 14:18 KJV - And
Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth
bread and
wine: and he [was]
the priest of the most high God.
Genesis 14:19 KJV - And he
[Melchizedek] blessed him
[Abram, Abraham], and said, Blessed [be] Abram of
the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Genesis 14:20 KJV - And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him
tithes of all.
Genesis 14:21 KJV - And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take
the goods to thyself.
Abram [Abraham] would not take a thing of the
“goods”. Thus this Tithe is surrounded by the very context that it is God that owns
“all”, “
possessor of Heaven and Earth” [Genesis 14:19,22], and thus the Tithe would include more than food [
“victuals”], crops and cattle, and it would include
“anything” [Genesis 14:23] of
“increase” from God, even down to a
“thread” and
“shoelatchet”.
This is where the New Testament Pharisee had learned to return tithe down to the smallest item, but abused it [
Luke 18:12 KJV - “... I give tithes of all that I possess.” ], because they missed the
“weightier matters” [Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42] of the Law.
Genesis 14:22 KJV - And Abram said to the king of Sodom,
I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
Genesis 14:23 KJV - That I will not [take] from
a thread even to
a shoelatchet, and that I will not take
any thing that [is] thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Thus the Tithe was given
before anything else, which remained, was distributed.
Genesis 14:24 KJV - Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre;
let them take their portion.
All of the spoils,
“goods” [Genesis 14:16] [
“increase”, including money, wealth, etc], among which is the
“victuals” [Genesis 14:11], now belonged to the victor, and thus Abram [Abraham] was increased, and yet not desiring it, he still gave
“tithes of all” of that which was his rightfully in victory to Melchizedek, the High Priest Of Peace and Righteousness. This is the typological history pointing to the Salvation in Christ Jesus.
We, as sinners, being taken captive by Satan, yet being delivered by a saviour, and not taken back to the previous condition, Sodom, but brought to Salem, with the Tithe/Firstfruits being presented, and so we are indebted
[Romans 8:12, 15:27], etc.
Joshua himself also recognizes this:
1 Chronicles 26:27 KJV - Out of
the spoils won in battles
did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.
Joshua recognizes that the
Firstfruits of Ai belong unto the LORD:
Joshua 6:24 KJV - And they burnt the city with fire, and all that [was] therein: only
the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
Q. Or will we yet withhold that which belongs unto God as did Achan?
Joshua 7:21 KJV - When I saw among
the spoils a goodly
Babylonish garment, and
two hundred shekels of silver, and
a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then
I coveted them, and
took them; and, behold, they [are]
hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and
the silver under it.
Q. What was Achans “reward”, his “wages” [a type of the second death, a valley, stones and fire, and complete loss of all] for “covetousness”, to even secretly desire a “Babylonish garment” instead of the clothing of the Righteousness of Christ, and to keep back the “gold” and “silver” for himself rather than to have the joy, approval and approbation of God, His Father?
Q. What did this sin of selfishness cost and bring upon own kin and brethren?
Q. Was this the demonstration of Love to God and neighbour?
Q. Was it the Holy Spirit that led Achan to withhold that which rightfully belonged unto God, or was it from the unclean, greedy and sneaking spirit of Satan? Even as he thought to hide the items in the earth, in his tent, so too he sought to hide this sin from all eyes, buried in his earthen heart, in the midst of his fleshy tabernacle, but God reads the hearts of all, for there is nothing hid from Him, which shall not come abroad.
Joshua 7:22 KJV - So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and,
behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
Joshua 7:23 KJV - And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
Joshua 7:24 KJV - And Joshua, and all Israel with him,
took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them
unto the valley of Achor.
Joshua 7:25 KJV - And Joshua said,
Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day.
And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
Joshua 7:26 KJV - And
they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from
the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
Let us be careful to notice, that there are troublers in Israel, even tares among wheat, goats among sheep, foolish among wise, and yet the final judgment by a great and fiery hail of stones is coming, and so let us not be among that number. When our
“Joshua”[Jesus] conquers our worldliness, and the strongholds of sin in our lives, let us not be as Achan, who continued to desire, covet and secretly obtain the Babylonish garments, the worldly wealth and ill-gotten gain, but rather let us openly, and in the light, honour the LORD with all the
“increase”, even with all our substance.
Q. What is included in this “increase” [Deuteronomy 14:22,28, 26:12; Proverbs 3:9, etc], for is it only fruits, goods and cattle? Though the
“increase” is often spoken of as coming from the
“seed”,
“field” and from the
“flocks”, the underlying Hebrew word for
“increase” is “
tĕbuw'ah”, and is also used in the following passages
[in red]. Take notice of the connecting and associated words therein:
Proverbs 3:14 KJV - For the
merchandise of it [is] better than
the merchandise of silver, and
the gain thereof than
fine gold.
Proverbs 8:9 KJV - My fruit [is] better than
gold, yea, than fine gold; and my
revenue than
choice silver.
Proverbs 15:6 KJV - In the house of the righteous [is] much
treasure: but in
the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
Proverbs 16:8 KJV - Better [is] a little with righteousness than great
revenues without right.
Job 31:12 KJV - For it [is] a fire [that] consumeth to destruction, and would root out
all mine increase.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 KJV - He that
loveth silver shall not be satisfied
with silver; nor he that
loveth abundance with
increase: this [is] also vanity.
Thus these Bible texts give us further definition of the word
“increase”, and showing that it is not reduced to mere association with 'farming' or 'agriculture', even as Strong's Concordance agrees with, “
"1) produce,
product, revenue;
a) product, yield, crops (of the earth usually);
b)income, revenue;
c) gain (of wisdom) (fig);
d) product of lips (fig)" -
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H8393&t=KJV
Further, the word
“revenue” is also defined Bibically as it is found in the following:
Ezra 4:13 KJV - Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up [again, then] will they not pay
toll, tribute, and custom, and [so] thou shalt endamage the
revenue of the kings.
Proverbs 8:19 KJV - My
fruit [is] better than
gold, yea, than
fine gold; and my
revenue than
choice silver.
Proverbs 15:6 KJV - In the house of the righteous [is] much
treasure: but in the
revenues of the wicked is trouble.
Proverbs 16:8 KJV - Better [is] a little with righteousness than great
revenues without right.
Isaiah 23:3 KJV - And by great waters the seed of Sihor,
the harvest of the river, [is] her
revenue; and she is a
mart of nations.
Jeremiah 12:13 KJV - They have
sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, [but] shall not
profit: and they shall be ashamed of your
revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
And
“revenue” is classically defined as:
“
REV'ENUE,
noun [Latin revenio; re and venio, to come.]
1. In a general sense, the annual rents, profits, interest or issues of any species of property, real or personal, belonging to an individual or to the public. When used of individuals, it is equivalent to income. In modern usage, income is applied more generally to the rents and profits of individuals, and
revenue to those of the state. In the latter case,
revenue is
2. The annual produce of taxes, excise, customs, duties, rents, etc. which a nation or state collects and receives into the treasury for public use.
3. Return; reward; as a rich
revenue of praise.
4. A fleshy lump on the head of a deer.” -
http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Home?word=Revenue
We can now go back and look again at Leviticus 27:
Leviticus 27:25 KJV - And
all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
Leviticus 27:26 KJV - Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the LORD'S firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether [it be] ox, or sheep: it [is] the LORD'S.
Leviticus 27:27 KJV - And if [it be] of an unclean beast, then he shall
redeem [it]
according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth [part] of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be
sold according to thy estimation.
Leviticus 27:33 KJV - He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
Leviticus 27:30 KJV - And
all the tithe of the land, [whether]
of the seed of the land, [or]
of the fruit of the tree, [is] the LORD'S: [it is] holy unto the LORD.
Leviticus 27:31 KJV - And if a man will at all
redeem [ought] of his tithes, he shall
add thereto the fifth [part] thereof.
Leviticus 27:32 KJV - And concerning the tithe
of the herd, or
of the flock, [even] of
whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
Leviticus 27:33 KJV - He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
The
“increase” of the
“tithe”, if it be of the seed, field, fruit, flock, etc could be
“redeemed” for
“shekel”
[Leviticus 27:25] of the Temple, even
“of the money” [Leviticus 27:15,19] having
“value” [Leviticus 27:8,12] of
“estimation” [Leviticus 27:15,19,23,25,27], if a
“fifth” part was added to it.
Truly the Firstfruits of Holy Tithe is full of
“value”, a true
“treasure”, in
“gold” and
“silver” even, since, in certain instances,
“Silver” [Exodus 30:15; Leviticus 27:3] is the symbol of Redemption in Christ
[2 Samuel 24:24; Zechariah 11:12,13; Matthew 26:15, 27:3,5,6,9; Acts 19:19] and
“refining” [Zechariah 13:9; Proverbs 17:3, 27:21], and
“Gold” the symbol of
“tried” [Zechariah 13:9] and perfect Character of Christ fulfilling all the will of God
[Genesis 24:22; Deuteronomy 10:4; Psalms 19:10, 119:127; Isaiah 13:12; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3; Matthew 22:40; 1 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:20; 1 Peter 1:7; Revelation 3:18], Christ Jesus being the true Treasure:
Psalms 135:4 KJV - For
the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself,andIsrael for his peculiar treasure.” Psalms 135:4
Isaiah 33:6 KJV - And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times,
and strength of salvation:
the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
1 Peter 1:18 KJV - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, [as]
silver and
gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;
1 Peter 1:19 KJV -
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Christ Jesus, the precious
“kinsman” redeemer
[Numbers 27:11; Ruth 1:1-4:22] and we are his
“purchase”:
Exodus 15:16 KJV - Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be
as still as a stone; till
thy people pass over, O LORD, till
the people pass over,
which thou hast purchased.
Psalms 74:2 KJV - Remember
thy congregation,
which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine
inheritance,
which thou hast
redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Psalms 78:54 KJV - And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
even to this mountain,
which his right hand had purchased.
Acts 20:28 KJV - Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to
all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood.
I pray that this has been of true service.