“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” Pro.10:22.

(…continues from part seven…)

8)            In another episode of where a king wanted to marry Sarah is in Genesis chapter 20. Here are some of the verses. 20:2 “And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.” Again Abraham did it out of fear, definitely unnecessary, but, out of fear, no doubt. 20:11-13, “And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 20:12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 20:13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.”

Abraham received from Melchizedek bread and wine – elements of Divine union.

Does this narrative portray Abraham as a shrewd, wicked businessman? A prevailing circumstance demanded Abraham’s reaction. The word ‘kindness,’ chêsêd (kheh’-sed), contextually means: ‘In a good sense, zeal towards any one, love.’ Abraham asked Sarah to express her wifely zeal by telling those who could feel jealous of his fortune as her husband that she was his sister. Whether God rose to protect Abraham or not is adequately couched in Genesis 20:17 “So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.” Why would God protect His friend? He had not evil intent; he was protecting his union with Sarah. His actions were, out of ignorance, fear driven and ungodly. There is absolutely nothing to prove that Abraham hatched this plan owing to bankrupt experience.

1Corinthians 9:9-14 9) “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10) Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11) If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12) If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13) Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14) Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” Those who are impervious to theological facticity would ask, “How does the above 1Corinthians 9:9-14 serve as a correlation to tithes and offerings in Church?” Going back to the Old Testamentary order, how were the people of the Levitical priesthood sustained? What did they live on that kept them in good health in the Lord’s Temple? The people brought to them their offerings and, definitely, their tithes. What is Paul’s argument of “If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.” For Paul to teach that apostleship is in every way likened to the priesthood, the lawfully expected guerdons for the apostles and pastors must include tithes and offerings; simply because that was what their priest counterparts received.

Paul of Tarsus

Somebody could be nursing the idea that Jesus did not ask anyone to bring tithes and offerings to Him, so, what business has pastors in the collection of them. Anytime Jesus healed someone, had He not told those ones to approach the ecclesiastical officers of the priesthood to conclude the spiritual angle? Why would Jesus do that? The Holy Spirit was, then, seated in the holy of holies of the Temple –God uses the Church to deal with our spiritual necessities. What happened when Jesus eventually died on the cross? The katapetasma was torn in two and the Holy Spirit left the great Solomon Temple. Fifty days after that was the phenomenality of the Upper Room experience of the Day of Pentecost – the birth of the pillar and ground of the truth, the Church. The Church became the custodian of true worship of the Almighty and every material thing of spiritual giving. What does verse fourteen say? “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” Is there anything wrong with catering for the sustenance of the ecclesiastical headship of the Church? Having toiled hard to give the laity spiritual revelatory knowledge, where is the sin in the continuation of offerings and tithes? For an extensive teaching on tithing click on this link:  https://hoojewale.wordpress.com/2015/12/12/tithing-part-1 …  and  https://hoojewale.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/tithes-revisited-on/ …

 If anyone fails or refuses to apprehend the fact that tithing is adequately implied by Pauline inference, and that the taking of offering does, in any way, clash with the legality of giving in God’s House, that one is sincerely wrong. Selah!

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 seven here

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