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Apostle Don Meares
This verse is a reference to the tithe. In the Old Covenant, every tenth animal under the rod was marked for God. Here’s something we must remember: A tithe is the first tenth of the whole that is devoted to destruction. It is not just ten percent but only the first tenth of a whole. The tithe is a devoted thing, a first fruit, which is most holy to God. It is the Lord’s. The tithe redeems. It sets free. It releases one from captivity and bondage. The tithe redeems 90 percent. It is powerful.
The Redemptive Power of the Tithe
The tithe has the power to be redemptive. The first crops of the field are the best portions. In the old covenant, God lays claim to this portion. He owns it. According to Exodus 13:11-13:
“And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.”
Many believers try to live their lives as best as they can successfully, but they don’t know they have a major problem. They are living with broken things, unredeemed things that they might have good intentions for. Unfortunately, these “good” things have been sentenced by God to death. The only way this can be reversed is if they redeem these. In the old covenant, the offered lamb must die to redeem that which is unclean so that it can be used. The clean lamb had to be offered so the unclean person it stands for could be redeemed. The firstborn is devoted to God because He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. He redeemed them and delivered them with a mighty hand. Egypt represents the world and sin. In other words, God brought us out of the world and out of sin with a mighty hand. That is why He wants an offering of everything first in your life.
Seek God First
In the New Covenant, God tells us to seek Him first. One of the essential parts of seeking God’s Kingdom is to understand that we must give Him the first things. The principle He’s laying down for us is that the first things that are unclean have to be redeemed with the first things that are clean. God absolutely has the right to demand from us for Himself first things because He is the one who does the redemption.
Here are some points we must remember:
One: God sees the first thing, the first principle, as the root. The root is governing, guiding, and determining all the rest. In Romans 11:16, it says:
“ For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.”
If the root is holy, so are the branches. If the root of the tree is good, the whole tree will be good. If the tree’s root is bad, the whole tree will be bad. This is a principle of the tithe. If your tithe is holy, the 90 percent will be holy. The tenth has the power to cover and redeem the rest.
Two: The first represents the total meaning that whatever the first portion is used for will determine what happens to all the rest. However, the first is used, and the proportion that it is used is going to affect and determine what happens to the 90 percent.
Three: The firstborn that is clean belongs to God. It is always the Lord’s. The firstborn or the first portion is always devoted for consumption or destruction to the Lord. God bought us. He redeemed us by the blood of the Lamb. In the new covenant, we were bought with a price. He took us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus is the firstborn. He is the first fruit. He’s the tithe.
Tithing is a conditional agreement. You need to climb something by faith and follow what God asks you to do. You need to do what God requires of you to give you the provision. You can’t just holler “Jehovah Jireh” and expect God’s provision to happen. You need to obey God and fulfill His requirements by faith. If you’re not a tither in the sight of God, He can’t be your Jehovah Jireh.
Jesus is a tithe that was paid by God to redeem mankind. The tithe has the power to redeem all of humanity. If you are a tither, you need to start having faith in the power of redemption as you tithe.
Many Christians often have a problem with tithing because they just don’t understand how God thinks. God’s thinking is not our thinking. His ways are not our ways. To God, the first matters. One of the ways you must seek the Kingdom of God is by giving Him the first increase of your money. When you tithe, you must set apart the first tenth. If you give God what remains of your earnings, then it is not a tithe. It must be the first. Only then can it redeem the rest of your earnings.
Often, our inclination when it comes to tithing is to see if we’ve got enough money to pay all our bills. We have to give our tithes to whom it is due because the only way we can honor God is not by plaques or clap offerings but by your substance. Before you pay your bills and your other obligations, you have to honor God first.
When we pay our tithes, not only are we showing God that we are obeying Him by faith, but we are also showing Him that He can trust us. Only then will He be Jehovah Jireh and provide for all our needs. This is what seeking the Kingdom is about.
The tithes are not an issue of money. It’s an issue of seeking the Kingdom first. God wants to challenge us that if we can prove to Him that we trust Him, He will bless us far greater than one hundred percent. He wants us to prove Him so that He will open the windows of heaven. When we tithe, there’s going to be much more than we could ever be blessed.
Four: The first fruit, the tithe, has redemptive power. In Galatians 3:10-14, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Debt is a bondage. Sometimes, the lack we experience is because of our disobedience. But if you give God an acceptable tithe, He will anoint the rest of your finances. He will deliver you.
Fifth: The tithe is first. Never pay any bill or anything from the first of your increase. Don’t ever pay something else first. Second Corinthians 9:7 says:
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
When we come before God to give our tithes and offerings, we must have joy and thanksgiving. For us to experience His increase in all areas of our lives, we must be dedicated to setting apart the first, trusting that He will bless the remaining portion. When God makes a command, it is for our good. We can trust that He will fulfill His promises to us as we fulfill His requirements in giving the tithe.
God desires to give you supernatural blessings in all areas of your life. Learn more about the principles of tithing from Apostle Don Meares.
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