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TOP LEVEL
News
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Author: Rick Roy
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Publishing date: 12/09/2009 9:07 pm
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It is interesting that a study of tithe in the Bible begins and ends with the same illustration. In Genesis 14:18, it says, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” So Abram returns his tithe to Melchizedek who was a priest, but not after the order of the Levites because Levi had not been born yet.
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Rick Roy, Vice President for Finance
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Now go through the entire Bible to the last two verses on tithe that say, “…why was there still a need of another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron. For when there is a change in the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.” (Hebrews 7:11) “The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (Hebrews 8: 1, 2).
With the covenant between Abram and God, the law was put in Abram’s mind and heart. With the covenant in the days of the Levites, the law was “All these things you have said we will do.” Then when Christ comes the law was again put in our minds and hearts. The law was not being changed but how it changes us. The history of the Israelites proved that they could not do all that God had said. Only by the Lord changing us by putting His law in our hearts and mind can we truly be changed and follow His statues and laws which includes returning tithe to Him.
So we return our tithe to Christ who is of the order of Melchizedek just as Abram did in his day. “Because Abraham is the father of all believers, he is the model for tithe paying for Christians. As Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, so New Testament believers give tithe to Christ, our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.” Seventh-day Adventist Believe p272
Rick Roy
Vice President, Finance
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