Q3. Abraham Tithes to Melchizedek

[Spen]

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills?

1. What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? The tenth of the first fruits belongs to the Lord. The significance is that Abraham was worshipping with the tithe. Melchizedek as Priest of Most High God is also according to Hebrews 6 King of Salem and King of Righteousness, having no beginning or ending thus... Significance being that in a prophetic sense Abraham was worshipping God the Son in a theophony in the very place Salem which was to be the Holy Hill, Jerusalem, in times to come. The bread and the wine are not used in scripture again until Matthew 26 when Jesus in the passover meal took bread and broke it and wine just as Melchizedek did.

2. Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? It does when the heart is of the same spirit.

3. Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills? God is the owner of all we earn and we are the custodian of His goods. The tithe is based on the gross amount of our talents, time and money as the Lord has profited us.

[pastor neal]

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills?

The significance of Abraham giving Melchizedek a tenth of his "spoils" was not only in submission to the King, but for his blessing to Abraham and the Lord.

The 10% also was used in thanking the Lord for His guidance and intervention to a successful "ambush" in which they rescued Lot and the others.

Tithing today does in fact represent the same worship as in the days of Abraham. Through our tithing we are outwardly thanking the Lord for all of His blessings and grace.

Tithing God first demonstrates that he is first in our lives and that it is His love, blessings and grace that give us faith and courage so we must not forget to show our thanks.

[wifee]

3a)The tithe here was an act of worship of God Most High who had given him the victory in battles, following the blessing and it is received by Melchizedek priest as God’s rep, loot divided beginning with God.

B)Tithing today recognises that God provides all our resources of food,work,benefits and we need to thank him by giving a portion back to God in our worship.

C)We need to put God before all else..

[royk]

The bible clearly tells us to give our first fuits to God; this needs to be done out of love, reverence, and greatfulness. I have found that as God shows me more how to love Him, Tithing ng is easier, it i an expression of love for His Kingdom; it is the need to support this in evangelism, and ot of our pockets.

We can't love Him asmuch as He loves us, but tithing is important for our hearts.

[Old Jerry]

The significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek was that he was worshiping God for the victory that was given him. Tithing does represent the same kind of worship because when we tithe we are giving back to God a tenth of what he gave us.

We should tithe to God first because it is the first fruits and God has always asked for the best and tithing is putting God first not as an afterthought.

[Craig]

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills?

 

After Melchizedek blessed Abraham, as a priest of the God Most High, Abraham as an act of worship and thanksgiving gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.  Tithing today serves the same purpose and is the same kind of worship.  Tithing up front gives God the first fruit not what is left over.

 

[Ernie's Son]

Ancient Near Eastern peoples practiced tithing (giving one tenth).  In Genesis, there are several examples: one of which is here and the other is where Jacob's promise as an act of worship.  By submission to a king, one might tithe, but here we find an act of worship.  After the blessing of Abraham and the God Most High, by Melchizedek:  " . . . Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything" (14:19-20).

 

"By tithing to God's priest Melchizedek, Abraham is worshiping God for giving him the victory" (Dr. Wilson).  This was an act of worship, in that, Melchizedek, the priest, representative of God, receives Abraham's gift to the God Most High.  When the spoils were divided, Abraham started with God who gave the victory.

 

I'm really not sure that our tithes correspond to Abraham's tithe, but they should for God giving His Son for the sins of the world--victory over sin.  The battle that Christ fought, for us, on the dross deserves our tithes, our firsts.

 

When we divide up the spoils that have been given to us, does Christ get the first part--the tithe?  He must come first.  Does not our tithe state the He comes first? 

 

 

 

[lighthouse2014]

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills?

The significance of Abraham giving Melchizedek one tenth of the spoils is in honoring God for helping him to conquer the Mesopotamian kings and getting Lot and his belongings back.

Tithing represents that we honor God for all we have and his blessings upon us. However, there is no mention of Gentiles to give ten percent of their earnings to the Lord. but to tithe what the Lord has put on our heart to give.

We should tithe to God first before dividing up our income and paying bills. This shows honor to God and in return his blessings upon us for our faith. 

[Rosesam]

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills?

In this story we see how Abraham responds to two kings differently. Abraham chooses the king of Salem over the king of Sodom. It is to this king of Salem, Melchizedek, to which the priesthood of Jesus is linked to. This priest-king recognizes that God is the source of victory and in response Abraham gives him a tenth of the spoils of war. Since the victory came from God, Abraham sees “to give back this tithe of thanks to the priest of God”. The writer of Hebrew says that Melchizedek is of a higher order than the priesthood of Levi and Aaron because Abraham paid tithes to him. Paying tithes is a symbol of worship, and a symbol of submission and Abraham along with Levi paid tithes to a priesthood of a higher order by giving a tithe of his spoils to Melchizedek.

God is the giver of all good things. As we give to God we are acknowledging that He has given us the gifts to enjoy and we worship the Giver.

[Godswriter]

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills?

The significance of Abraham's tithe is that he is giving the Lord thanks for the victory over the battle. He is giving God back what originally belongs to Him. Abraham chose to remember that God gave him the victory. Yes it does because we are worshipping the God Most High and serving Him. To recognize Him and give Him praise is to give Him a portion of our finances. We should give to God first because truthfully nothing we have is truly ours. It all belongs to Him.

[Paula Price]

Now this is a question that I have been studying and have some different insight into.. Perhaps some one can help me in understanding between tithing , which is what God demanded from the people in the old scriptures or Testament and the way in which God commands us to give today, per the New Testament,...Jesus fulfills the old testament so we are not under the law any more...Tithing was what God required then...Under the New Testament we are to give generously as God has purposed us....a tenth of our earnings is not required...but we are required to give as God has blessed us...whatever we give we are to give with a cheerful heart, not sparingly .. not with regret but cheerfully from our hearts....whatever the amount is.  When Jesus was teaching the Jews in the temple and they were accusing him of healing on the Sabbath Day, He tells them that He has come to fulfill the law... We learn that Jesus is teaching a new way of worshipping and a new way of forgiving of sin and a new way of doing the will of God....As I study and come to understand... We who live under the New Testament must live and worship God according to the way Jesus teaches. For He is the mediator for our sins... we are accept by God only through His son, Jesus the Christ...who died for our sins so that we may have the right to God and eternal life....So the New Testament does not teach Tithing, but giving as God as purposed, cheerfully....We are still required to give.  THINK::: Does God accept a persons giving who gives 10% grudgingly or a person who gives less than 10% or all they have with a cheerfully heart??   

Abraham blessed Melchizek with tithing because it was what was required from God as a way of being thankful for delivering him from the hands of his enemies.  as always Abraham is being obedient to God.

 

 

[Irmela]

Abram is acknowledging Melchizedek as the priest of God Most High, who is the same as Yahweh. Also Abram is acknowledging that his victory was directly due to God. So as worshiping God, he gave to God first before distributing the spoil to anyone or in anyway. 

It should be acknowledging Him in thanksgiving. 

It all is God's anyway. By giving to Him first we are acknowledging this in worship. 

[Thad Fm]

God said to Abram, 

"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse...." (12:2-3)

it's like give to give. When I give my 1/10 to this Pastors this day, the 1/10 is for them not for God.

the same for Abram with priest.

[Thad Fm]

Once again, Genesis 12:2-3

You blessed me I will bless you.

You give me I will give you.

God didn't ask Abram to give him 1/10.

Abram remembered what God said to him. I will bless those who bless you.

So he did it for God.

[Krissi]

I can see how tithing was a part of Abraham's worship, since, as Pastor Ralph wrote, it could not have been a gift to Melchizedek who neither merited nor earned it.

Giving to others is giving to God -- giving to God is giving to others. In the sacrifices, the priest kept a portion ...

I'm not sure that the ten-percent figure or how it's calculated really matters. What matters is a giving spirit, that giving is done as part of worship. Giving done out of guilt, fear, or a sense of duty, may not be acts of worship, or, perhaps, are lesser forms of worship.

An attitude of trust,  one that says, "Here ... take it, it's yours ..." seems to be what God is looking for. A truly trusting attitude doesn't count the loss or worry about the percentage. 

Giving away what could be security means trusting God to provide. Maybe it's only ten percent . or maybe it's everything you own, but the point is to trust God as a precondition of worship.

 

[Bianca]

Melchizedek is a priest and representative of God so it is an honor of worship. 

Tithing today represents the same type of worship. We should tithe because it puts God first place in our financial area. It's shows we trust him with our finances. We trust him to provide for us and that we will have more than enough because God is the provider. It is always a blessing to give and to have more than enough. God wants us to place his kingdom first in our lives and then we have other things. But giving must come from the heart not just doing some religious ritual with no benefit to the heart. Someone else might be benefiting from the money but the person giving is not if not done with right motives.