Luke 11: 37-54

(Luke 11: 37-54)

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.  And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.  But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.  And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:  Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Malachi 3:6-12 speaks of tithing. The prophet Malachi says that the Israelites are stealing from God. The difference between the Israelites stealing God's things and not paying tithing today should be seen. Looking at what God is saying in Deuteronomy 18:15-22, God told the Israelites that he would raise up a prophet like Moses among your brothers. Because the Israelites feared God, they could not come before God.

When God heard the voices of the people and said so, He said, ``Listen to him, or I will punish you if you do not listen.'' When the Israelites asked, "How do you know that the prophet speaks according to the direction of God," he said, "If there is no testimony, and there is no achievement, it is not the word of the Lord, but the words of the Lord, so do not be afraid."

If the prophet speaks for himself, he is killed. The words of Jeremiah and Hanyana (false prophets) are introduced in the Old Testament. Hanana died while lying. Even today, if the Bible is interpreted and spoken according to his opinion, he has spoken freely. Even today, you can see that many churches talk about tithing as they wish. In Old Testament times, God told us to pay tithing. It is based on the law that it is said to pay tithing. In Leviticus 27:30, ``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. Today, the basis of tithing is searched based on this regulation, and before the Law, Abraham dedicated to Melchizedek after the war, and Jacob's vows are searched.

If you say, "God told me to pay my tithing," when God didn't say it, you just said it freely. Except for what the Old Testament law says, there is no God in the Bible to ask you to pay tithing. God told Israel to pay tithing based on the law. Matthew 23:23 reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 』

Jesus said that tithing is based on the law. Therefore, tithing was done according to the law. The reason why God told the law to pay tithing can be found in Leviticus 25:23: The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 』The Israelites are strangers to the earth. So, as a traveler or a lonesome person (foreigner), you are asked to give the fruits of the land to God as tithing (a tenancy fee).

Human beings are strangers in this world apart from God, so you must realize that you are strangers. In Leviticus 25:42, ``For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. 』Leviticus 25:55 says, "For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. ' It is a fact that he is a servant (worker) in the land of God. They are those who cultivate the land of God.