Month: December 2014

Your Heart in the Presence of God (part 1 of 5)

One of the benefits to interpreting dreams like Daniel or Joseph in the scriptures is that it teaches you to slow down and think about what a symbol might mean in context.

Hebrews 9:3-5
3 Behind the second curtain, the tabernacle was called the most holy place.
4 It contained the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which there was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
5 The cherubim of glory were above it overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.

One day I asked Holy Spirit what the ark of the covenant might mean in light of the new covenant we have in Christ.  I believe I heard the following answer:

“The ark is a metaphor for your heart.”

Why?  Your heart is a container.  It was created to be in the presence of God 24×7.  The ark was to be found in the Holy of Holies where the presence of God was found.  Whereas in the Mosaic covenant, only the high priest could go in once a year, in the new covenant, the presence of God has been made available to all through the door which is Jesus.

Jude 1:24
24 “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy…”

The ark along with your heart were created to bring glory to God and be pure both inside and out.  The ark was coated with pure gold both inside and covering the ark.  Gold is a symbol representing purity and high value.  Gold is a weighty substance (Kavod in Hebrew), and its luster shines to magnify its owner.  Gold is a symbol of glory.

Let’s take this a step further.  What is inside this ark?  According to scripture, three things: a golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of covenant.  All three of these signs were supernatural.  The manna was bread that supernaturally rained from heaven, the rod was a supernatural budding of an almond branch, and the tablets were written by the finger of God.  These three items in the ark were to be kept as a testimony for all generations.  In other words, they were to be eternal.

I’m going to develop the symbols of manna, the rod, and the tablets in future blogs, but let me provide a teaser as to where we are heading.

According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13, the things that are of eternal value are faith, hope, and love.  They are all divine gifts and not man-made.  The gifts point to the nature and character of the giver.  They are to be carried in your heart.

Manna is a symbol for faith
The rod is a symbol for hope
The tablets are a symbol for love

Carrying these in your heart brings glory to God.  It’s a miracle to have them in your heart.  They point to Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

To be continued (part 1 of 5) …

The Truth about Tithing

 

Tithing is one subject that churches in America normally have to talk about at least once a year. It is also an area that causes many Christians to stumble. We are often quoted from the book of Malachi that we must give generously if we want to blessed. Yet, Jesus was curiously silent on making tithing a commandment. While making a principle of sowing and reaping is important, grace flies in the face of principles. The message of the gospel is that God saves. We love and forgive because we realize how much we have been loved and forgiven. I have learned to be suspicious of Mosaic covenant teaching overlaid onto the new covenant that Jesus offers. That is a mixture.

What do the scriptures originally say about tithing? You might be surprised. The first occurrence of the term occur in an exchange with Melchizedek. Melchizedek means king or righteousness in Hebrew (melek – king, tsedek – righteousness). In context, Abram has just rescued Lot and his household from Sodom and was given victory over king Chedorlaomer (meaning handful of sheaves) and the kings that were with him.

Gen 14:18-20 (NET)
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.)
He blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth.
Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

A high priest brings a covenant meal of bread and wine, pronounces a blessing over Abram and lets him know that God is his deliverer. Salem in Hebrew means peace. Sound like anyone you know? In Hebrews 7:3 we’re let in on a secret that Melchizedek typifies Christ, “having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God remains a priest forever.”

Abram gave his tithe (a tenth) after having been blessed, not before.  Abram gave out of a place of gratefulness, not out of command or obligation.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7:

“Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.  Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Is there a principle of generosity here?  Sure.  Do we give in order to get?  That doesn’t seem to be of the right spirit.   Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 13:3, if I give all my money away to the poor, but don’t do it out of love, it counts for nothing.

Remembering that God loves a cheerful giver has been one of my guiding principles behind tithing and giving in general.

Giving teaches our hearts to be generous. When I first began going to church, I didn’t want to part with “my” money. I now understand that everything I have came from him. While my willingness to be generous cycles up and down, I have learned to listen, be in unity with my wife on quantities, and to give when my heart is willing.

Love is the fulfillment of the law. Who needs your generous heart this season?