In this chapter King Hezekiah organizes the priests, offerings and tithes.
“And the people of Israel and Judah… brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things… and laid them in heaps. When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, ‘Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.’ ” (v6-10 abr)
Hezekiah gives all of the priests and Levites roles for serving the Lord (much like David did) and some of those roles included stewarding the abundant offerings and tithes that came into the temple. There was so much tithe (literally heaps of it) that Hezekiah commanded the Levites to redistribute the surplus to the Levites throughout Judah.
Picture this: God blesses many of His followers with abundant resources. If they all contributed their excess to the church, the church would have have a surplus and have to give some (or most) of those resources away. That surplus could go to God’s followers who are struggling with basic needs, and support those in full-time ministry so they wouldn’t need day jobs or fundraising. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
I know many pastors and full-time ministry workers who are not fully funded by the church, having to work a ‘day job’ or fundraise to cover their living expenses. I truly believe that God can and will bless the church so abundantly that we could fully support many/all of those who serve full-time in ministry. I also believe that many of us have enough extra food, clothing and spare bedrooms to care for some/most of those who have not been directly blessed with those resources.
This week I reassessed my finances and giving opportunities and have made some changes to reflect God’s current level of provision in my life. Praise the Lord I was able to increase my giving without compromising my family’s needs. I suggest we all take the time to review God’s provision in our lives and prayerfully assess where He’d like us to send any extra resources. He’s thrilled when His children care for each other (see Matthew 25:31-46), so why not do so if we have the means? The resources entrusted to us are God’s anyway, so let’s invite Him to direct their usage.
Father God, our Generous and Benevolent Lord, You have blessed us far beyond measure. Thank you for giving many of us more than we need. Thank you for prompting us to spread those resources out to others in need, and support those called to ministry. May we give generously, and joyfully, as You our Lord have modeled. In the name of Jesus who gave the greatest gift of all, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training