L3 Sabbath 14 January: The Tithing Contract 

Memory Text: ‘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.’ (Malachi 3:10)  

Genesis 14: 18-20 – Following Abraham’s return from rescuing his nephew Lot and other people Melchizedek ‘priest of the most high God’ blessed Abraham and praised God who had ‘delivered thine enemies into [Abraham’s] hand.’ Abraham gave a tithe of everything he had.  

After Abraham had tithed God came to him in a vision saying ‘Fear not, Abraham: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.’ (Genesis 15:1)  

In Deuteronomy 14:22, 23 – Moses told Israel to tithe on all of their increase produced on their land ‘year by year’….so that they may ‘learn to fear the Lord thy God always.’  

In Testimonies for the Church, vol.3, p.39 Ellen G. White says the requirement of tithing goes back further than Moses to ‘the days of Adam.’  

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 – ‘Ministers of Christ’ who are also ‘stewards of the mysteries of God’ are required to be faithful in what they have been given.