“Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.
A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.
The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.
“We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Nehemiah 10:37-39
Last time we saw the community vow to bring the firstfruits of their crops, fruit trees, flocks and herds, and their sons – holding open their hands to the Father of Heavenly Lights, from Whom every good and perfect gift comes.
Today we begin with a few more firsts, including first of the dough or ground meal. First here is reshith – beginning, chief, choice; of dough, and dough is arisah – course meal.
This one is interesting to me as it is simply the difference between bringing grains fresh from the field and ground meal or prepared dough to sacrifice. And the thing that honestly popped into my head was, “Haven’t they already offered this grain to God?”
It reminds me of quibbling about tithing net or gross income, or a tax return. And it strikes a chord at our greed, my greed.
Sheesh, how much does God want?
How much sin can I get away with?
How little can I think of others in my decision making?
Holy Writ is in such contrast:
“… walk in the way of love..“
“…find out what pleases the Lord…”
“For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”
Apparently God is very interested in us offering the work of our hands in every form. Not just reaping and sowing, but the more intimate grinding to bake, sell, or store. The baking of bread for nourishment of self and others. This, too, is an offering to God. It pleases the Lord.
Next is offerings of new wine and oil. Offerings is terumah – contribution for sacred uses, heave offering, shoulder, lifted up from rum – to be high or exalted. Isn’t that interesting? Do you picture something heavy being shoved onto shoulders to hand up to someone?
Sometimes what is given us to offer up is heavy. Weighty offerings that require our all. Good thing we can lift our eyes to the hills, knowing where our help comes from.
The group also assured in their covenant they would bring these offerings to the proper place: the storerooms of the house of Elohim. Storerooms is lishkah – room, chamber, hall, cell, parlor. We’ll get into that more in a second.
The group was also to bring the tithes (masser – tenth part/tithe) of land to the Levites. The reason? “For they should receive the tithe in all communities (iyr – city, excitement) of our farming (abodah – labor, service).
This, too, seems a different command than firstfruits of a crop with the understanding more will come. Instead, it is a tenth of everything they sow in all the lands of God’s people.
For a people whose parents were the first to return from exile, where obedience to the law was minimal without Temple, this would likely seem a weighty command.
How about you? Were you raised to give a tenth to God? If so, this may be a given. If you weren’t, or never have, it could seem like a hefty chunk to give each paycheck. Like that weighty boulder on your shoulders.
And, it, too, can turn into a form of bondage:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
Matthew 23:23
So even God in the flesh says we shouldn’t neglect the tithe, but, instead, should not assume it is all that is needed to walk in the way of the kingdom. To ensure God has our hearts, allegiance. We can write that tithe check – or have it automatically given – each time, then mosey on ignoring systemic injustice, participating in slander of our brothers and sisters, and loving only those who agree with us. Seem like missing the point to you? Me, too. Apparently to Jesus as well.
Let’s keep going, though, because the way in which this tithing was to go down was also vowed by our group: a priest from the descendants of Aaron was to be with the Levites when they received the tithes from the people. Then the Levites were to bring up (alah – go up, ascend, climb, exalt, offer, arise) a tenth of the tithes to the house of Elohim to the rooms of the treasury (otsar – treasure, store, armory, cellar).
So a priest was to be with the Levites, then a tenth of the tenth was to go into the treasury. And the rest?
“I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.”
(Numbers 18:20-25)
“And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.”
Deuteronomy 14:22-29
“Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps [of tithe from the people]; and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, ‘Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.’
Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts.”
2 Chronicles 31:9-12
The tithe was similar to sacrifices in that the Levites were given the grain and dough and wine and oil to eat since they were given no land to farm. In exchange for serving in Temple, these tithes and offerings were their paycheck.
This next part is interesting to me: “For the storeroom is where the articles of the sanctuary were.” Articles here is keli – utensil, vessel, earthen ware, jar, jewel, pottery, tool, yoke; and sanctuary is miqdash – a sacred place, chapel, holy place, hallowed part.
The storeroom was also where utensils used to serve in the holy place were kept. The tithe belonged there among such sacred articles. This giving to the LORD matters. Malachi agrees:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Malachi 3:10
And finally from today’s vow:
“We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Neglect is azab – loose ourselves from, forsake, leave destitute. The group promised to not loose from themselves these vows to serve Temple. Likely with the full understanding that it was not simply for God’s sake, but for their own good.
May we not neglect the house of our God in our day – whether protecting our vulnerable brothers and sisters, opening our hands when He says give, or refusing to compare and compete with the family of God.