“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house” (Malachi 3:10).

(…continues from part four…)

5)            Is the Bible bereft of wealth creativity for the children of God? Would one not think that God’s decision not to allow any particular tribal land for the tribe of Levi meant that acquisition of wealth was out of the lives of the Levi Tribe? Levi might not have a bestowal of inheritance, like other tribes, but the beneficence of the God of Israel is seen in: 21) “And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22) Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 23) But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24) But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance” (Numbers 18:21-24). Do you think it is only the daily oblations that came into their hands?

This is a typical high priest of Israel.

Monetary tithes and offerings, agricultural offerings and, definitely, personal gifts from satisfied individuals and groups got lavished on official members of the Levitical priesthood. Damina, they were not poor church people. It is an unfortunate, vitiated utterance from Dr. Damina that, “The Bible is a poor material for money making.” The truth is that I am happy that he actually taught that. When God wants to ridicule a wayward person, He allows him to commit terrible blunders. If the express Word of God cannot make someone rich, what or who can? Who made Abraham very rich? Genesis 24:35 “And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.”

Shall we read from the Bible, what Mosaic documentation of God’s Book says of the third and final patriarchy of Israel? Genesis 28:20-21 20) “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21) So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:” I trust the unbalanced teaching of Damina to be very quick in countering this as being alien to Scripture, in the sense that Jacob spoke those words not from theological facts. Damina is never in short of eisegetical inordinateness. Which of the priests: Eli, Samuel, Aaron or Moses suffered lack?

This is the protocol of the pillar and ground of truth

                Was Prophet Malachi delusional when he penned Malachi 3:8-12? 8) “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12) And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” Can you not see that this vaticination is unquestionably God’s act of enriching the Church? What is the Hebraic word for ‘storehouse’? It is ‘ôtsâr (o-tsaw’): ‘Properly, what is laid up, a store, stock, treasure, store, as of corn, food, provision (magazine), especially of gold, silver, and other precious things, hence used of the treasury of the temple.’

In 1Chronicles 27:27 and 2Chronicles 11:11 the words ‘cellars’ and ‘store’ are the same ‘ôtsâr. The ‘ôtsâr of these verses are in reference to State Treasury. 1Chronicles 27:27 “And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:” and 2Chronicles 11:11 “And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.” But that of 1Chronicles 26:20 is not of political treasury, which reads, “And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.” Both ‘treasures’ are the same ‘ôtsâr, the storehouse of the Solomon Temple which contains special rooms where the offerings and tithes are kept for Temple expenditures, which includes Levitical remuneration.

Getting born again is a conscious effort on the part of an individual. Get born again. You were born in sin. Say this sinner’s prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be continued…)

Read part four here

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