- Details
- Written by Tim Harris
Principle
Under the Law of Moses, God told Israel to offer its first and best to God.
Explanation
In the Law of Moses, GOD gave several instructions about "first's." Israelites were instructed to give or redeem these firsts:
28 You shall not delay to offer the first of your threshing floor and fruit press. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 29 Likewise you shall do with your calf, sheep, and donkey. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.
(Exodus 22:28b-29 OSB)
19 All that open the womb are Mine: every male firstborn among your livestock, of oxen or sheep. 20 But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a sheep, and if you will not redeem it, you shall pay a price. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem, and none shall appear before Me empty-handed.
(Exodus 34:19-20 OSB)
19 The first of the first fruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.
(Exodus 23:19a OSB)
19 “All the firstborn males that come from your oxen and sheep you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn young bull, nor shear the firstborn of your sheep. 20 You and your household shall eat it before the Lord year by year in the place the Lord your God chooses. 21 But if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You may eat it within your cities; the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.
(Deuteronomy 15:19-23 OSB)
There were multiple reasons for these instructions. One was to provide for the priests who were serving (and therefore could not farm or supply for their own needs).
Another reason was that these actions reminded Israel that their blessings came from GOD. GOD had told Israel that Israel would be blessed as long as they followed and served Him, and that they would be cursed and poor when they deserted Him. In this manner, these firstfruit offerings served as a means of mental accounting of the volume of blessings the individual had received. When there was much received, there was much to offer to GOD. And vice versa.
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- Details
- Written by Tim Harris
Principle
Under the Law of Moses, God told Israel to tithe for certain specific things.
Explanation
GOD instructed Israel under the Law of Moses to tithe. However, certain details are often overlooked about tithing under the Law. For example:
- Tithing was for specific categories of blessings received, not a blanket ten percent on everything, as is commonly believed.
- The tithes had a practical purpose, such as providing for the priests and the needy.
- Tithes were collected at varying frequencies depending upon their purpose.
Here is what the Scripture says about tithing under the Law of Moses:
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Principle
Under the Law of Moses, testimony from at least two witnesses was required to put someone to death.
Explanation
An Israelite could not be put to death simply on the testimony of one witness. Two or more were required:
6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
(Deuteronomy 17:6-7a OSB)
We should note that the broader context of these instructions was an Israelite committing idolatry:
1 “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a young bull or sheep having any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God.
2 “If there is found among you, within any of your cities the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who does evil before the Lord your God in transgressing His covenant, 3 and who went and served and worshiped different gods, either the sun, moon, or any ornamentation of heaven, which He did not command, 4 and it is told you, then you shall inquire diligently; and if it is indeed true that such an abomination happened in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out that man or woman; and you shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. 6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall put away their evil from among you.
(Deuteronomy 17:1-7 OSB)
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Principle
Under the Law of Moses, Israel was to seek the place where God chose to put His name and be called upon.
Explanation
Before crossing the Jordan into Canaan, Moses instructed the Israelites that there would be one place in the land where they should go to seek GOD and sacrifice:
1 “These are the ordinances and judgments you shall be careful to observe in the land the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to inherit, all the days you live on the earth. 2 You shall utterly destroy all the places the nations you will inherit served their gods: on the high mountains, on the hills, and under the tree of the grove. 3 So you shall destroy their altars, break their pillars, cut down their groves, burn the carved images of their gods with fire, and destroy their name from that place. 4 You shall not do thus with the Lord your God. 5 But you shall seek the place the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name and to be called on there; and you shall go and seek Him there. 6 There you shall bring your whole burnt offerings, sacrifices, firstfruits, prayers, voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your oxen and sheep. 7 There you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand, you and your households, as the Lord your God blessed you.
8 “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes— 9 for as yet, you have not come to the rest and the inheritance the Lord your God gives you. 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, and you dwell in safety, 11 then there will be the place the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all I command you today: your whole burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the first fruits of your hands, and all your gifts and all your choice gifts you vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 13 Take heed to yourself, do not offer your whole burnt offerings in every place you see; 14 but in the place the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes; there you shall offer your whole burnt offerings, and there you shall do all I command you today.
15 “However, according to your every desire, you may slaughter and eat meat, according to the blessing the Lord your God gave you in each city; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat the tithe in your cities: of your grain, wine, or olive oil, of the firstborn of your oxen or sheep, of any of your offerings you vow, of your agreements, or of the firstfruits of your hands. 18 But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and daughter, your male and female servant, and the resident alien in your cities; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hand. 19 Take heed to yourself, do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
20 “Now if the Lord your God enlarges your borders, as He told you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you desire to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your soul desires. 21 But if the place the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your oxen and sheep the Lord gave you in the manner I commanded you, and may eat in your cities according to your soul’s desire. 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. 23 Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life; the life will not be eaten with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your sons after you, if you do what is good and pleasing before the Lord your God. 26 Only the holy things you have and your vowed offerings you shall take and go to the place the Lord your God chooses for His name to be called upon there. 27 You shall offer your whole burnt offerings; you shall offer the meat upon the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God; and you shall eat the meat. 28 Keep, obey, and do all these words I command you, that it may go well with you and your sons forever, if you do what is good and pleasing in the sight of the Lord your God.
(Deuteronomy 12:1-28 OSB)
Eventually, Jerusalem was identified as the place where GOD placed His name. This happened during the reign of David:
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Principle
Under the Law of Moses, God forbid witchcraft including sorcery, divination, soothsaying, interpreters of omens, spell-casting, and mediums who call up the dead.
Explanation
GOD spoke through Moses, saying:
9 “Now if you enter the land the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who purifies his son or daughter in the fire, or one who practices divination, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord your God, and because of these abominations the Lord your God will destroy them before you. 13 You shall be perfect before the Lord your God. 14 For all these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.
(Deuteronomy 18:9-14 OSB)
And elsewhere:
19:26 ‘You shall not eat upon the mountains, nor divine for omens, nor watch birds for omens. ... 31 You shall not follow ventriloquists, nor attach yourselves to enchanters, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
...
20:6 Also the soul who follows ventriloquists and charmers, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that soul and destroy him from among his people.
(Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6 OSB)
In Scripture, practices associated with witchcraft are closely tied to those regarding idolatry and worship of other gods—the ruling angels of the second world.
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