INTRODUCTION
There are many examples of Old Testament characters who did and did not receive some kind of reward or payment for their ministry. Those who did receive payment are examples of Old/First Covenant religionists, and those who did not receive payment are examples of New Covenant disciples. In this series of pages we will introduce these scriptures and comment on them.
AUTHORS’ NOTE: See Tithes, and Sacrifices, Tithes and Offerings for more about the differences between money and spirit. Also see these scriptures for an overview of what God says about his need/desire for material offerings of any kind.
God reinforces these simple scriptures with many stories of people who did and did not understand God’s desires for material tithes and offerings. Such stories found in the Old Testament are the subject of this series of pages. Other stories and teachings are found in Commercial Religion, Jesus and the Money-Changers in the Temple, New Testament Scriptures About Money and Ministry, What Jesus Said About Money, Balaam,Judas, and Commercial Religion in the End Times.
ABRAM WOULD NOT RECEIVE A MATERIAL REWARD
Jews and Christians consider Abram (later called Abraham) to be their spiritual father. Since we are instructed to do the works of Abraham, there is much to be learned from the way that he handled tithing.
Genesis 14: 1-24: 1 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ). 3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh ), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
COMMENTARY: See Kings, Queens, Princes and Other Rulers, Religious Enemies, JUDAIZERS AND SPIRITUAL ABUSE and Cities, Kingdoms and Nations for the symbolic meaning of these cities and nations who are involved in religious wars with each other for people to occupy their kingdoms.
8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar -four kings against five. 10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits ; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country.
11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed. 12 They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew , and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom. 13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.
14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.
COMMENTARY: It is important to recognize that Abram did not join forces with the other kings. Only Abram, his servants, and the allies mentioned in verse 13 defeated the kings that had captured Lot.
17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley ). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine ; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth ; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
He gave him a tenth of all. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.‘ 24 “I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.”
COMMENTARY
Abram is a good example of what it means to be a New Covenant discipler. In this story, discipling is presented in the context of going to war with enemy kings who have captured Abram’s nephew Lot whom Abram has discipled by rescuing him from captivity, providing for him, protecting him, and teaching him about God. Despite his failings, Lot is considered to be a righteous man. And since he was a member of Abram’s household, he should be considered a disciple of Abram.
Abram had just completed a major ministry event in rescuing Lot. He had suffered great risk and expense to do this and yet he declined to receive any payment for himself. There is always a cost for discipling, but Abram refused to be reimbursed for his efforts so that no one could boast that he had made Abram rich. He had the goods that were acquired in the raid, but he did not keep anything for himself. The only thing important to him was the people, but he did not keep them for himself, he gave them to God.
THE TITHE TO MELCHIZEDEK
Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Melchizedek is a God figure to whom Abram paid a tithe. Since Abram had given all the goods to the King of Sodom, all that Abram had to give to Melchizedek was the people. Thus, in effect the tithe was the people. See Tithes for an understanding of spiritual tithes.
When we say people are the tithe, we mean that formerly religious people are the tithe.They were captives of religious kings who have been set free from religion to serve God.
When you think about it, that makes sense. God does not need material goods. What He desires is spiritual children made in His image which is the image of Christ. Thus the goal of discipling is to instruct people in God’s ways so that they will be transformed into the likeness of Christ which is the image of God. It is what God had in mind when He told Adam, Noah, Abram, Isaac and Jacob to “be fruitful and multiply.” And this is what Jesus was referring to when He said “go make disciples.” Thus, these are God’s commands to us also. See this link for more about this topic.
When Abram opted for the people, he fulfilled God’s covenant promises made to Adam, Noah and himself that they would be fruitful and have many spiritual children. If it is our intent to see those promises fulfilled in our lives also, Abram’s attitude about rewards for ministry should be our attitude as well. We should decline material rewards and be satisfied with fulfilling our part of the covenant by fathering (i.e. discipling) spiritual children and giving them to God as our tithe to Him. See Sacrifices, Tithes and Offerings for more about this topic.
EVENTS AFTER THE ENCOUNTER WITH MELCHIZEDEK
It is interesting to note that immediately after this event, God came to Abram and told him that He (God) was his shield and that his (Abram’s) reward would be very great. Because of the timing of God coming to Abram after he gave the people tithe to Melchizedek, we conclude that he instead received a spiritual reward from God because he declined to receive a material reward sacriesfrom the king of Sodom.
In the next chapter, Abram expressed his deep desire to father a child that was not the son of a slave. In response to that request, God confirmed his earlier promise (Chapter 12) that Abram would be a great nation (i.e. religion). God sealed the promise in a covenant that included the promise that Abram would possess the land currently occupied by many religious people (nations/religions).
See The Promised Land for understanding of the land Abram would possess.
See Religious Enemies, JUDAIZERS AND SPIRITUAL ABUSE and Cities, Kingdoms and Nations.
We can infer from these events that Abram had proved himself worthy of such a covenant in the following ways:
It is helpful to recognize that of all the above things that Abram did, only one thing (i.e. “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you) was at God’s direction. Symbolically, we interpret his obedience as willingness to leave the religion of his family. He did the rest, we can assume, spontaneously and out of the desire of his heart. It is also interesting to observe that this heart attitude anticipates the kind of heart that God later establishes in Abram’s offspring when he makes a covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai.
In his willingness to suffer the risk of death by going to war (i.e. intercede) to rescue Lot, Abram was a Messiah-like figure bringing redemption to people held in captivity to religion. He was an intercessor for people who needed redemption just like Moses rescued Israel, and just like the Messiah.
ABRAM BECAME A SPIRITUAL FATHER
Rescuing Lot and others from death was the equivalent of giving them new life. By giving them new life, he became their spiritual father.
When the king of Sodom offered to Abram all the goods taken from the four kings, Abram declined to receive anything material for himself and elected to keep the people. If he had taken the goods, he would have been nothing more than a mercenary willing to go to war for a material reward.
By choosing to keep the people instead of taking a material reward, he added to his spiritual family and demonstrated his character as a life-giving father (discipler). He effectively laid down his life so that others may live. If he had received a material reward, it would have been payment for services rendered — not a sacrificial act of laying down his life.
We interpret the act of going to war as obedience to God’s command to free people who are unjustly held captive by religion. That is what the Messiah did and that is what people New Covenant disciples must do also.
ABRAHAM IS OUR SPIRITUAL FATHER
Matthew 1:1-17 reports the Messiah’s genealogy going back to Abraham. The Messiah is called the son of David who is the son of Abraham. Jews readily call themselves sons of Abraham. That Christians should consider Abraham their father also is clearly confirmed in these scriptures. Since both Jews and believing gentiles are sons of Abraham, they are spiritual brothers.
As spiritual brothers of Abraham, believing Jews and gentiles carry the same spiritual seed that flowed down through the generations to the Messiah to all who say they are the children of Abraham. Evidence of that claim, however, is found in whether they do the works of Abraham. One of Abraham’s works was to be a life-giving intercessor for whom the interests of people was paramount. That meant that he would not receive any material rewards for any ministry works he did for people who needed rescuing. He chose to be a spiritual father instead of a mercenary businessman. Thus, declining to receive a material reward for ministry is living proof that Abraham’s spiritual seed is alive and at work in anyone who claims to be a believer. And conversely, anyone who works for material wages or rewards of any kind casts serious doubt about his/her claims of spiritual ancestry.
ANOTHER SIGN OF BEING A CHILD OF ABRAHAM
We know that Abraham’s influence on the people he rescued was spiritual from the fact that he later circumcised everyone in his household (including those he had rescued) as God had commanded. Because the people agreed to be circumcised along with Abraham, they also entered into covenant relationship with God because circumcision is a sign of the covenant. And since circumcision is not something anyone enters into lightly, we can fairly assume that Abraham’s influence over his household was great. He must have taught them about God, and they must have been believers before they agreed to be circumcised or they would not have done it.