Daily devotion for August 14th The Need To Belong So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. Nehemiah 7:5a It was necessary to ensure that only true Israelites lived within Jerusalem. There follows a list of names of all the families of those who came back from Persia to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra, some thirty years before the time of Nehemiah. These were among the ones who helped him build the wall. He is not only giving credit to them but is also recognizing that they will be responsible to carry on what he has begun. So having appointed leaders who would succeed him--men of integrity, courage, and faithfulness--he now sees to it that their followers are also true Israelites. The spiritual application is that we need to know that we really belong to God. You will never be a successful servant of Christ nor ever faithfully work for Him and serve Him until you are assured that you know Him and belong to Him. This is not only necessary for leaders but for the common people as well. We all need to know our spiritual pedigree; otherwise, our service will be weak and largely ineffective. Verse 61 lists some who could not prove their ancestry and were therefore not permitted to live in the city of Jerusalem. Certain ones among the priests were denied the right to minister because they could not prove their ancestry. Many try to minister in the church of God today who are uncertain that they belong to God. Sometimes pastors, seminary professors, and leaders in the Christian community do not themselves know that they are true Christians. These always wreak havoc in the churches they seek to serve. The reference to the Urim and Thummim is interesting (Nehemiah 7:65). These were two stones (their names mean lights and perfections) that the high priest wore on his garment by which he could discern the mind of God. No one really knows how they worked. Nehemiah says these suspect priests were not allowed to minister until a high priest arrives who has the Urim and Thummim. I think this is a hidden reference to our Lord Jesus. In the book of Hebrews, Jesus is said to be a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20), meaning one who lives forever and who fully knows the mind of God. He can restore suspect priests to a place of assurance in their ministry and give them back their office. He can bring them the assurance that they belong. Father, thank You that I can rely on the promise of Your Word that I do belong. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

Psalm 82:8 Explained Psalm 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. This is where the Psalm turns. Everything from verse 1 to 7 was the problem. Verse 8 is the prayer and the solution. 1. The Background: The sons of God Failed In verse 1, God is standing in the congregation of the mighty. He is judging among the "gods." These are not earthly kings. These are the sons of God, the earthly angels that were assigned to watch over men. Verses 2 to 4 list the charges. Judge not unjustly. Defend the poor. Deliver the needy. They failed. They became complacent. Then in verses 6 and 7 comes the sentence. I have said, Ye are gods, But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. God is stripping them of office. Their tenure is over. By the time we reach verse 8, the watchmen have failed. Evil is prospering. There is no justice on the earth. 2. Arise, O God, judge the earth Now David speaks. This is no longer God talking. This is a man crying out in the spirit. “Arise” means stand up. Take action. Intervene. It is what Israel always said when delegated authority failed and they needed God to fight for them. Why is David saying this? Because the sons of God refused to do their work. When the watchers become complacent, God Himself must come down and do what they refused to do. So verse 8 is David saying: God, if they will not judge, YOU judge. If they will not defend the poor, YOU defend them. 3. For thou shalt inherit all nations. This is prophetic. “Inherit” means to take possession. To own. To rule as King. David is seeing that the system of delegated rule to Earthly angels has failed. The nations were supposed to be governed through righteous sons of God. But they fell into folly. So now God Himself will take direct ownership of the nations. There are two fulfillments here: A. Immediate God will remove those corrupt gods and raise up new order. New men. New nations. Righteous judgment. B. Messianic This points straight to Christ. Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Revelation 11:15 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. Verse 8 is David prophesying: The failed priesthood of the sons of God will be replaced. God will inherit the nations through the Son. That Son is Jesus Christ. The true King of Righteousness and King of Peace. Greater than Melchizedek. 4. Why This Verse Matters Psalm 82 begins with God judging His judges. It ends with David asking God to judge the whole earth. The movement is clear: Failed Earthly governance by the sons of God → Divine intervention of God directly → Global inheritance of all kingdoms on Earth and in heaven through Jesus Christ the Son. It is a prayer for regime change. Not just in heaven’s council, but here on earth. David is saying: The experiment of committing the earth to fallible sons has failed. Now God, take the throne Yourself. And God answered that prayer. Jesus came as the perfect Son of God. He did not commit folly. He defended the poor. He executed justice. And now, all authority in heaven and in earth has been given unto Him. Matthew 28:18 Bottom Line Psalm 82:8 is both a lament and a prophecy. Lament: The watchers failed us. Prophecy: But God will arise and inherit the nations. Psalm 82 is the failure report of the sons of God. Verse 8 is the prayer that finds its answer in Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God.

*Revised Version: "Psalm 82 Explained - Excerpt"* Earthly angels are prone to complacency. This is why God rebuked those David called “gods” in *Psalm 82:1* for failing to execute justice or defend the poor. The word “gods” refers to the _sons of God_ — those who present themselves before the Lord in *Job 1:6*. They are the angels God assigned to watch over mankind, to ensure that evil and violence do not completely overrun the earth. Among them were the earthly angels who accompanied the Lord to Sodom and Gomorrah in *Genesis 18*. Unlike the Seraphim and Cherubim whose duties are confined to heaven and the throne, the sons of God have an assignment that is earth-bound. Yet in *Genesis 6*, they abandoned that post. They took wives for themselves and neglected their duty to watch men and report back to God. As a result, evil multiplied. Violence filled the earth until only Noah was found righteous. If there had been 15 or 20 righteous people, perhaps God would have spared the world for their sake. But with only one left, God chose to rescue the righteous rather than allow him to be swallowed by wickedness, or destroy him with the nation. *The Contrast: Melchizedek* Earthly angels are meant to be watchers and mediators. A perfect example is *Melchizedek, King of Salem*: *Hebrews 7:1-3* > _1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;_ > _2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;_ > _3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually._ Not many earthly angels are as remarkable as Melchizedek. Most received the rebuke and judgment David records in *Psalm 82:2-6*. Melchizedek was called _King of Righteousness_ and _King of Peace_. He was also a priest of God — a mediator. He represents what the assignment was supposed to look like. *The Charge of Folly* While some earthly angels and righteous men on earth served faithfully as mediators, many others watched complacently as evil prospered. That is why *Psalm 82:1* says _“God judgeth among the gods.”_ Verses 2-6 list the charges. *Job 4:18* confirms it: > _Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly._ The folly here is specific to the earthly angels. While men like Melchizedek stood as examples, others abandoned their post. God has every right to bring charges. When evil men prosper unchecked, a nation can be overtaken. In the worst case, one righteous man is all that remains — and God must come down, verify, and bring judgment on that nation to save that one. To prevent this, God assigned the sons of God as watchers and mediators among men. This is what they failed to do in *Genesis 6*. They saw that the daughters of men were fair, took wives, and abandoned their duties. For 5 centuries the earth grew more corrupt and full of violence. By the time of Noah, only one righteous man remained, and the sons of God were still present, doing nothing. After Genesis 6, God took a stance. He began to judge earthly angels who were negligent. That judgment is recorded in *Psalm 82*. That is also why *Job 4:18* says God _“charged his angels with folly.”

Psalm 82 Explained. Does God charge His angels with folly? Yes. That is what David saw and wrote about in Psalm 82. He saw this in a vision because God allowed him to see the judgment of angels. Eliphaz also mentions God charging His angels with folly in the book of Job: Job 4:18 Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly. God seemed to be unsettled about the complacency of these gods who walked and lived among the sons of men. They had watched the evil deeds of men go unpunished right in front of their eyes. Why I believe that God was rebuking angels and not men is because of Psalm 82: 1. The scene is related to heaven, and not Earth, and Job has revealed to us that the sons of God always go before God to present themselves continually, after a long time sojourning amongst the sons of men. Psalm 82 expressly shows how God is often displeased with the negligence & lack of compassion shown by these angels towards those who face injustice the most - the poor, the widowed, the fatherless, and the afflicted or disease-ridden. 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Angels are not perfect beings from the least to the highest ranking, not even Lucifer, who was the most beautiful and wisest of the angels. Isaiah said Lucifer was the sum of all beauty and wisdom, which means, of all the angels that God had made, he was the wisest and the most beautiful. Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. The gods of Psalm 82: 1. The "gods" in Psalm 82 refers to angels of the lowest hierarchy. They are the sons of God that continually go before God's throne to present themselves after a long time sojourning on Earth. They are the watchers of mankind. These angels are not like the higher-ranking ones such as the Seraphim and Cherubim, who by their proximity to God and the throne of mercy are expected to worship God in the purest form of holiness and perfection, by maintaining the purest thoughts and holiest intentions. This is why the bible said Lucifer was perfect from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. Iniquity by definition is the manifestation of any thought or intention that falls below the purest & holiest admiration for God and His throne, which is not the same standard for the lowest ranking angels that are farthest away from God and his throne. For the earthly angels, like the gods, as Psalm 82 calls them, God saw the fault in the dispensation of their Earthly duties and judged them for their inability to do rightly by the sons of men. The gods in Psalm 82 are the earthly angels who work closely with the human race. They are not angels of worship like the Seraphim or angels of God’s presence like the Cherubim. In Psalm 82:2-7, God stood among the host and judged between who did wrong and who did right, considering that heaven is a place of perfection, and holiness. No iniquity is allowed in heaven. Any detection of iniquity leads to immediate eviction and judgment, which we read in the case of Lucifer. For a Cherubim like Lucifer, his eviction happened like a flash of lightning due to the thoughts of his heart. It was the first iniquity that was ever recorded in heaven. Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!... For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the most High. He was evicted while the thoughts were still running through his heart, nowhere does the bible say he led a rebellion afterwards. The Bible says he was perfect from the day he was created till iniquity was found in him. That iniquity was his thoughts, and nowhere did the bible say he ever carried out the desires of his heart. All of heaven’s hosts including the 24 elders worship the Godhead, but Lucifer thought within himself to exalt his throne above every other throne, which means, there are still thrones above his station. Heaven is a place of order, you don't break ranks, and are expected to be faithful in the office that you have been called to serve. As the highest ranking angel, he has a throne, except that he is still outranked by higher levels of authorities that are non-angelic beings, such as the 24 elders. Lucifer was not called before God to be judged for his iniquity, he was evicted from heaven at the instant. The sons of God, however, must go before God to present themselves after they have completed a milestone in their assignment, primarily to watch over the sons of men, and do what is right in God's eyes. These sons of God who sojourned among men were also the class of angels that were ensnared by the beauty of the daughters of men in Genesis 6 and decided to take wives for themselves, which indicates just how closely they interact with the human race. They walk among men, disguised as regular human beings, and some probably become kings, rulers and judges etc like Melchizedek, King of Salem. Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Psalm 82:6-7 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. These are consequences they can relate to. The sons of God share the same fate with mortal men they work closely with. The mighty ones fall and become like territorial princes, like the Prince of Persia that Archangel Michael had to fight to free Gabriel. Daniel 10:13, 20 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me… Then he said, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. Mind you, Gabriel mentioned he would return to "fight his way out." Michael is still actively fighting the prince of Persia until Gabriel’s message is delivered to Daniel. Gabriel could not prevail against the Prince of Persia alone because the prince of Persia is a fallen host from the class of the mighty ones — princes of war and deliverance — while Gabriel is a messenger. The prince of Persia is one of the fallen hosts God referenced in Psalm 82:7 when He warned: you shall fall like one of the princes. God was talking to no human rulers. Gabriel is not primarily a warrior, but that doesn’t mean he cannot fight. The prince of Persia was a mighty one who outranked Gabriel, but not Michael. This is like a non-combatant officer trying to break through an enemy’s frontline. They can defend themselves, but lack the expertise. Michael has that expertise. He is the one who broke through the blockade of the Prince of Persia, and the one who fought the dragon and cast him to the earth in Revelation 12. So Gabriel was stranded with the Prince of Persia. He fought well enough to defend himself and hold his ground until Michael came and broke through. Who Are the Mighty and the Gods? Psalm 82:1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods. Who are the mighty? They are the princes - the angels God assigned to war and the deliverance of His people. Isaiah 13:3 I have commanded My sanctified ones, I have also called My mighty ones for Mine anger, even them that rejoice in My highness. God pronounced judgment against Babylon in Isaiah 13 and called His mighty ones to depose the prince over Babylon. This coincided with the Medes overthrowing Babylon in one single night. Joel 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. This is a prayer request from Joel pleading with God to send His angels of deliverance to deliver Israel from his enemies roundabout. Who were the gods that God was judging amongst in Psalm 82: 1? These are the angels called the sons of God. Their role is to monitor and watch over the sons of men and the Earthly realm, the Earthly angels, who also by appearance can blend perfectly among the sons of men without raising suspicion. Oftentimes, they work their way up among the peoples, nations and kingdoms where they sojourn and become their rulers, judges and nobles. I believe that this is the case of Mechizdek, King of Salem, who met Abraham on his way back from rescuing his household from captivity. The sons of God are the lowest ranking angels in God's kingdom, and are the ones right above mankind in the divine ladder. Just like Adam was called the son of God in Luke 3: 38, these angels are called the sons of God because they were created in the image and likeness of God. They have no father nor mother, and no beginning nor end of days, like Melchizedek. They are the closest beings in resemblance to the image of God before man was created. Luke also refers to Adam as the son of God - made in the image and resemblance of God. Luke 3:38 The son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. The higher you go in the angelic ladder, the lesser angels look in resemblance to God's image. The lowest ranking angels can blend into the human world perfectly while the highest ranking angels will be very frightening for humans to behold. The word "gods" has a broad meaning. It can refer to God’s angelic hosts or fallen angels. Psalm 82:1 says God standeth in the congregation of the mighty, He judgeth among the gods, these gods is a reference to God’s angelic host, and not satanic hosts. In Exodus, God said He would execute judgment upon the gods of Egypt: Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt tonight, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Here, God identifies the gods of Egypt as devils: Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not. The witch of Endor saw "gods" ascending out of the underworld: 1 Samuel 28:13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. The gods whom she saw are the satanic hosts and pagan deities which the heathen nations worship and make graven idols & groves to honour and worship. The term “gods” was also used for the Spirit of wisdom in Daniel: Daniel 4:8 In whom is the spirit of the holy gods The term "holy gods" is used four times in Daniel to refer to the Spirit of God. The Judgment in Psalm 82:2-7 In Psalm 82, David sees God standing in the midst of a heavenly host of princes (the mighty ones) and watchers (the gods). God is judging among the sons of God for letting evil go unpunished when they had the opportunity to act, but refused. So, technically, God has two categories of angels assigned to work on Earth, one to preside over nations and kingdoms spiritually, and the other to blend in perfectly among sons of men. If there are fallen princes, then God must surely have his own active host of princes to mark, reclaim and depose fallen princes from spiritual territories as well. I believe this is a constant spiritual war behind the scenes. This would mark the era of angelology, rather than christology where the sons of men have now been given power to become the sons of God. In the era of angelology, God assigned angels to spiritual war and deliverance, and there is war constantly in the heavens, which explains why there was war constantly on the Earth also, among warring factions of fallen princes and between God's host and the fallen hosts categorically. In the book of Daniel, Greece fought against Persia and deposed it, which is reminiscent of the vision of Daniel about the goat with one notable horn that smote the ram with two horns. This also brings to remembrance the spiritual battles of angel Gabriel while in the realms of the kingdom of Persia. Psalm 82:2-7 Psalms 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Who was God addressing? This was never and address to the sons of men nor earthly rulers, judges and princes but the sons of God who that were tasked with watching over the sons of men. Verse 1 had already made it clear that God was judging among the gods. The sons of God are compare to gods among men, because they neither age nor die, they're immortal, divine and angelic compared to humans. Some people would say, angels are not the ones being addressed in verse 2 - 7 because they are perfect and holy. Here's my answer, well, we know from Lucifer's Story that they are not, insomuch as there is present in them the knowledge of good and evil, which God himself admitted to in Genesis 3: 22 Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: If God were addressing the sons of men, how do we reconcile Psalm 82: 6 where God also called the people he was rebuking “gods” and children of the most high? God would never call wicked earthly rulers "gods" and "children of the Most High" after accusing them of injustice. Psalm 82: 7 But thou shalt die like men. It seems as though God is saying that he is able to subject the sons of God to mortal death. Their nature must be so close to that of humanity, that they can also lose their immortality, just the way Adam lost it. It would seem impossible but seeing Adam also could have lived forever like Melchizedek if he had abstained from eating the forbidden fruit but chose to eat from the tree of the fruit of life instead. These sons of God are also the angels that took wives in Genesis 6 and gathered giants with the daughters of men, indicating that they are not just angelic hosts, but are also biologicals to an extent, which also explains why they are the lowest in the angelic ranking prior to God creating Adam. If Adam had not fallen, and the death that God warned him about never took power from him, Melchizedek would have been the absolute blueprint of God's design for Adam and his race. He would have eaten from the tree of life and lived forever, he and all of his seed. Earth would have been the material replica of God's kingdom in heaven. As angels that live forever to serve and worship God, so would mankind live forever to serve and worship God. Man will be like the angels in heaven, like the sons of God to be precise, except in a lower form, and as biological beings that have a responsibility to marry and reproduce, where angels in heaven cannot. Psalm 82: 7 Thou shall fall as one of the princes. Examples of such fallen princes referenced are the princes over Persia and Greece. The prince of Persia delayed Gabriel for 21 days. He broke through only with Michael’s help. These are examples of fallen hosts previously among the class of the mighty ones. The angels Charged with Folly Job 4:18 Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly. Folly means God expected them to carry the banner of righteousness wherever they went, but they failed to act. They were supposed to supernaturally confront evil doers when they had the chance, but they didn’t. They let evil go unpunished. Their assignment is not to circle the earth like superheroes vanquishing all evil, but to watch the sons of men, as the eyes and ears of God. This doesn't mean they are expected to do nothing, or act as though there is a non-interference policy in their work. It's that when they sojourn in a place, they are expected to flip the tables so that righteousness reigns rather than evil. It doesn't mean all the Earth will be righteous nor does it mean all the Earth will be evil either. It only means that if there are a handful of nations that are righteous in God's eyes, it's most likely because there are righteous men & sons of God present there. An evil nation or kingdom will probably mean there is no son of God or righteous man sojourning in that nation. Let's take a look at the conversation of Abraham with God as he journeyed towards Sodom & Gomorrah. Genesis 18:24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 18:26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. Genesis 18:31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. God said that if he had found twenty righteous people in Sodom, he would have spared it for the sake of the twenty. This doesn't even mean the righteous nations are “righteous” in the real sense, it only means that God won't destroy the wicked with the righteous, so for the sake of the righteous, God would spare those wicked nations. Sodom was just as wicked as every other nation, but there was not within it a single soul or son of God that sojourned there except for Lot, which means one righteous person is not enough to save Sodom, but if God had seen twenty righteous souls, he would have spared it. This is the reason why God came down to see the wicked deeds of Sodom for himself. The same thing goes for Noah, he was the only righteous man on Earth, God decided to save both Noah and Lot alive, while he wiped out everyone else and everything associated with them. The sons of God that were supposed to do righteousness behind the scenes in Genesis 6 decided to take wives instead and somehow, they abandoned their duty post instead of preventing God’s judgment from coming upon the sons of men. They let evil go unchecked and when not so much as one righteous man was left in God's sight, God decided to close that page in human history, visited Noah as a means to rekindle human civilization after the first world has been destroyed. So, this is why God was angrily rebuking the gods in Psalm 82. From what I can discern, they are prone to negligence in their work. Genesis 6 was the worst case scenario where they went too far by taking wives, while abandoning their duties to watch over the sons of men, and in that process men became more and more evil, because there was nobody to do the check and balances. Evil spiralled out of control and God called it. Same pattern, same wickedness.

What Tithe Is, and What It Was Never Meant to Be I want us to look at tithing again, because I believe most of us have never asked the real question. We ask how much. We hardly ever ask why. And until we answer why, the how much means nothing to God. Let me start with the word itself, because it tells us something we often skip. In Hebrew, the word is ma'aser, and it simply means a tenth part. In Greek, the word is dekate, the same root that gives us the word decade, meaning ten. The word carries no promise in it. No formula. No key. It is just a portion. A tenth. That is all the word says on its own. The meaning was never in the word. It was in what the tenth stood for, that everything already belongs to God. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 24:1). "Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10). Before God ever commanded anyone to tithe, he was already the owner. Tithing did not make him owner. It was you agreeing that he already was. What tithe is Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek before the law even existed (Genesis 14:20), and he gave it out of worship, not because anyone told him to. Under the law, the tithe belonged to God as holy (Leviticus 27:30), and it was there to support those who ministered before him (Numbers 18:21-24). David understood this well when he said, "all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (1 Chronicles 29:14). We did not give God something that was ours. We only gave back what was already his. That is what tithe is. Obedience. Acknowledging him. Worship that says, I trust you as the owner more than I trust what is in my own hand. What tithe is not Tithe is not a payment to unlock a blessing. It is not a trade where you give ten and expect God to owe you more. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for exactly this kind of religion, they were tithing down to the smallest herb and still missing "the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith" (Matthew 23:23). They had perfected the giving and lost the heart behind it. And that is possible even today. You can tithe correctly and still miss God completely, because he was never after your ten percent. He was after you. Jesus made this even clearer with the widow who gave two mites. He said she gave more than everyone else, not because of the amount, but because she gave out of her lack, not out of what she could easily spare (Luke 21:1-4). God has never measured giving by the number. He measures what it cost you, and what it shows about who you actually trust. What Malachi was really saying This is the verse everyone quotes and hardly anyone reads properly. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). But read what comes just before it. God was not opening a transaction with a faithful people. He was speaking to a people who had robbed him, who doubted him, who held back because in their hearts they believed that if they gave, they would remain with nothing (Malachi 3:8-9). That is why he said test me. It was not an offer. It was a challenge to their unbelief. He was saying, you think giving will leave you empty, you do not trust that I am able to provide, so test that doubt against who I really am. The blessing was never a reward waiting at the end of your obedience. The blessing was already there, in his nature, in who he already is. What God wanted was not the tithe itself. He wanted their trust to be strong enough to act like he was real. The real question, what is your intent When God gave, he gave with intent. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16). The giving was never separate from the love. He did not give to get something back. He gave to save us, to restore us, because that is who he is. So I ask myself, and I ask you too, when you give, what is really in your heart. What is the motive behind the hand that gives. Tithing was never meant to be a key to unlock God or to provoke him to move on your behalf. It was meant to build in us a heart of obedience, discipline, and a life in submission to his word. If your giving is transactional, seed for a harvest, obedience for a payout, then you have missed what tithing was for, even if the amount was correct. This is why many give and never see anything change, not because they lacked faith in the way we usually think of it, but because the posture was wrong from the beginning. It was never relational. It was a trade they were hoping God would honour. God is not looking for your ten percent. He is looking for a heart that says, all of this was already yours, and I am only giving back what you trusted me to hold.

In the ancient Book of Jasher, cited as history twice in the Old Testament, it is declared that Shem, Noah’s son, was Melchizedek. Also, it says that Abraham lived with Noah’s family for a season as a refugee from the evil designs of the Babylonians. It is amazing to consider that Noah talked with Adam and that Shem, obviously, talked with Noah. Abraham, then, even though removed from the event by eleven generations, would have experienced a firsthand account of God’s salvation in Noah’s family. (Book of Jasher)

The Mercy Seat Numbers 7:89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him INTRODUCTION: The Mercy Seat was on top of the lid of the Ark of Covenant. It was described by Martin Luther in his German Bible as the mercy seat because YHWH “sat” enthroned over it in mercy, invisibly present where the wingtips of two cherubim met above it, guarding the divine presence. So, the Ark represented for Israel the localized presence of YHWH in judgment, mercy, forgiveness, and love; and because it contained the Ten Commandments, it was a visible reminder that their life was to be lived in obedience to the expressed will of YHWH. The Showbread table was in the Holy Place. The Ark along with Mercy Seat was in the Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place. I. THE VEIL The manifest presence of YHWH is beyond the veil which separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Only the High Priest could go into the Most Holy Place once a year AND only with the blood. Mark 15:38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. We have access to the Manifest Presence of YHWH because the power of Messiah’s death, BUT only with and through the power of Messiah’s Blood. Messiah is our High Priest now. Hebrews 6:19-20 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. I enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Messiah, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in order of Melchizedek. II. DANCING IN FRONT OF THE VEIL Sometimes we get into the Holy Place and get to the Veil, BUT we are satisfied with this. We don’t want to go any further. WHY? Several reasons come to my mind: 1. We are ONLY want the emotional high, not the life changing experience of YHWH, 2. We are AFRAID of going beyond where the veil was - we’re not sure what is in store for us OR better yet was what YHWH has in store for us. Occasionally somebody accidentally falls past the veil and then comes back with a wide-eyed stare. We get so overwhelmed with His Manifest Presence we can’t handle it. One of the reasons is sin. I believe we can go into the Holy Place (a little bit of His Manifest Presence) with sin in our lives, BUT not into the Holy of Holies. The High Priest had to prepare himself for a period of time with ceremonial washing. He, and what he wore, had to pure before entering. One reason we like to linger in the anointing is that it makes the flesh feel good. On the other hand, when the glory of YHWH comes, the flesh doesn’t feel very comfortable. III. THE ANOINTING Isaiah 6 The Purpose of the anointing is to help us make the transition from flesh into glory - the transition from the Holy Place to the Holy of Holies. When the glory of YHWH comes, we become like Isaiah. Our flesh is so weakened by YHWH’s presence that it is unnecessary for man to do anything other than behold Him in His glory. When we come into His Presence, we are: 1. convinced of His Holiness, 2. At the same time, we are convinced of our unholiness and our need to repent and live holy before Him, 3. We are aware of His worthiness to receive praise and worship, AND 4. we are seized by a driving desire to dive deeper and lead others into His presence! The Manifest Presence of YHWH makes changes in our lives - to live holy lives before Him. Jacob prayed and wrestled for a blessing, by what he received was a “changing.” His name, his walk, and his demeanor were changed. Isaiah received the hot coals on his lips, we receive the hot bread of His presence and are forever changed. When more of our flesh dies, more of our spirit lives. There is a cost of receiving YHWH’s Presence.  Jacob received the blessing, BUT he also received a bum hip.  Isaiah received hot coals to his lips.  They had to tie a rope around the High Priest’s ankle before he passed through the veil. They knew that if he entered YHWH’s presence in sin, then he wouldn’t be walking out of there. CONCLUSION: Exodus 25:22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. Mark 15:38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. We have access to the Manifest Presence of YHWH because the power of Messiah’s death, BUT only with and through the power of Messiah’s Blood. Are we going to be satisfied with the Holy Place and the occasion blessing from the Presence of YHWH? OR Do we want the Manifest Presence of YHWH? If the Manifest Presence of YHWH is what we truly want, then we NEED to remember that we can’t go into this Presence with sin.

Sabbath keepers, those who insist that the entire body of Christ must still comply with the old covenant given to Israel try hard to prove the unprovable. Here's the truth. 👇👇👇 God rested on the 7th day and sanctified it as the day he rested. We are not told that he sanctified the 14th day, the 21st day, the 28th day. No one was told to keep the Sabbath until Moses told the children of Israel to do it in the book of Exodus chapter 16. There is no record of God telling Adam to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Enoch to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Noah to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Abraham to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Melchizedek to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Isaac to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Jacob to keep the Sabbath. There is no record of God telling Joseph to keep the Sabbath. If the Sabbath that God enjoyed resting from his work of creation was so important to God that everyone should keep it perpetually after he did, why isn't there a record of anyone keeping it until Moses? It is true that God gave the 4th commandment to the Israelites in the desert to rest one day after working six days, and, for them, it was a law after that. That though was then. Then, they were under the old covenant. Now, we have a new covenant that Jesus sealed with his own blood. There is no record of Jesus ever telling anyone to keep the Sabbath. Instead, he sternly criticized the legalistic demand of strict adherence to Sabbath observance above other more weighty human concerns. Sabbath keepers are wrong about their spiritual snobbery in considering those who see all days the same as somehow inferior and unacceptable to God. They even raise the 7th day of the week to a level of idolatry by suggesting that Sabbath keeping is the seal of their salvation, thus replacing the Holy Spirit of the living God with a day. We are clearly told in Colossians 2:16-17 NASB, "Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘆 — things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Now, the Bible asks in Romans 14:4-5 NASB, "Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝." Also, remember that when the Apostles met in Jerusalem to consider the matter of how the gospel should be taught to the gentiles, those people who were never under the law that was given to the Israelites in the desert, they DIDN'T say that Sabbath keeping was something to require. Look 👀 👇👇👇 Acts 15:19-20 NASB "Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols, from acts of sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood." That's it. There was no mention of Sabbath keeping. Notta. Nothing. If Sabbath was something important for gentile converts to Christianity to remember and participate in, it would have been mentioned in James' statement above. The apostles decided not to Judaize the body of Christ, and we shouldn't either.

Catholic Bible. Psalm 109:3-4 [3] It is with you from the beginning, in the day of your virtue, in the splendor of the saints. From conception, before the light-bearer, I begot you. [4] The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

SHOULD NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS PAY TITHE? There are 10, 10 percents in your earning. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. It is not every 10 percent that is your tithe. It is the first 10 percent that is your tithe. There's a movement that has begun to recover Christianity from chalice. Hello, welcome. How are you doing today? I'm Alathia, your host. Here we tackle some of the Church's most controversial topics with honesty, clarity, and compassion. My goal is to offer clear guidance and meaningful insight for believers seeking understanding, thoughtful perspectives for critics, and a welcoming space for those curious about faith. Let's seek truth, deepen our faith, and explore these questions together. The fundamentals of the Christian faith is subtly being eroded by diverging doctrine from what the first generation of believers once held dear. Join Apostle Arame Osayi as he brings clarity and meaning to the doctrine of tithe and consecration. There are some things that are due God. First thing that is due God is your tithe. It is needful for me to say at this point that even though your tithe is 10 percent, there are 10, 10 percent in your earning. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. It is not every 10 percent that is your tithe. It is the first 10 percent that is your tithe. So if you're earning $100, your tithe is what? $10. How many $10 are there in $100? There are 10, $10. I'm saying that your tithe is the first $10. That means if you spend money out of that arrangement, maybe you spend the first $10 at Walmart, and then you now came to church and gave the second $10. That's not tithe. That's not tithe. You have violated the principle of that which is due to God. There is no way you can stay in America, and you have a job, and you are not paying taxes. IRS will come to your house in the night. You have obligations to the territory. It is only in church that the average believer believes, thinks he doesn't have any obligation. And indeed, the pastor will not chase you to your house for you to fulfill your obligation, because your obligation is to God, so he will not chase you. But by refusing to give God his due, I will show you the consequence. The second 10 percent is not tithe. It doesn't have that hallowed place, that sacred place. It doesn't have it. It means that there's something in your life that is of more value than God. So you don't know what it means to worship God with your finances, because God doesn't have the place of preeminence in that arrangement that you have. You know my duty is to tell you the truth. You may not like it, but at least I have fulfilled my part of the bargain. I don't need to take you to the book of Malachi to show you God's complaint. No need to go there. And to show you how God felt dishonored. The reason why he felt dishonored was because of the way tithes and offerings were handled. So when we come to the issue of the things that are due God, we are touching on the principle of honor. And God insists that he be honored. So you cannot dishonor God and expect that God will facilitate your enlargement. What is the spiritual significance of tithing? One, tithing is a proof, it's an act of faith, which reveals the fact that God is my source. A lot of people in this congregation tonight believe that their job is their source. And so when someone, maybe someone that is in a position to determine whether you keep your job or not, now comes into your space demanding you to do something that is contrary to your conviction, the way we'll know if your job doubles as your source is whether your conviction will triumph in that circumstance or not. And it happens to be that in most cases, the believers seem not to have the capacity, the ability to stand their ground, even if it will translate to disfavor. God is my source. That's the first meaning of tithing. When you pay your tithe, you are demonstrating it, that God is your source. Then number two, you're also demonstrating that God has first place in your finances. Has first place in your finances. And the reason for which we need to give God first place in our finances is because there are two things according to the Bible that have the capacity of commanding human worship. One is God, and the second one is mammon. Mammon is a good fighter. Mammon wants to be enthroned in your life. And mammon will fight to secure that position in the life of every human being upon the face of the earth. Your tithing is a statement that mammon has not yet been able to succeed with your soul, because you have given God first place. Number three, your tithing is a demonstration of the fact that you have been delivered from greed, which is one of the very strong symptoms of the manifestation of the fall of man. Number four, your tithing is a demonstration that you seek to be in alignment with God, because you have given him his due. So the first thing that is due God is tithe. Don't expect to break spiritual principles and prosper. Prosperity is a sign of alignment. It's a sign of alignment. It's a sign of alignment. According to the principle of tithing, we all owe God a minimum of 2 hours 40 minutes every day of devotion, where the subject of those 2 hours 40 minutes is God, not your husband, not what is in the kitchen, not the yogurt, not the children. For 2 hours 40 minutes every day is God. It is easy for you to limit tithe to your earnings and not understand that even your time is a resource in your hands. You start becoming serious with God when you can spare 2 hours 40 minutes every day for a devotion in his presence. I'm not talking about a congregational effort. I'm talking about a personal effort. Oh, I want to show you how the covenant of God works for people. You think you run around every day, you are on the streets, you are on everywhere, the freeway for 24 hours. And then you come on Sunday morning panting and you pay tithe and you think you are okay. No. What we are doing is not tax collection. God will accept your person, accept your heart before he accepts something from your hand. And that's why there were efforts those days, people that had issues with other people wanting to bring offerings to God, he said, no, you go, hold on, put the offering by the altar, then go and reconcile because your heart is displaced. This offering will not be accepted. Number 2 thing that is due God. You will notice that in the land of Egypt, God killed the firstborn of Egypt, of man and beast. Are you there? The angel of death came to survey the land, Moses by the instrumentality of the gift of the word of wisdom, knew that if he puts blood on the lintels and the doorposts of the house, when the angel of death comes into Egypt and sees that blood, the angel of death will conclude that the firstborn of Israel has already been killed. And that's the reason why he will go over Israel and go and implement that judgment all over Egypt. That means that substitution took place. The animal that died was a substitute for the firstborn that was supposed to die. Are you there? Now, when the man left Egypt and came into the wilderness, God now demanded the firstborn that enjoyed that wisdom, that all of them need to be dedicated to him. They don't have a life of their own anymore. They must be dedicated to him, to serve his will, to serve his purpose. Are you there? Unfortunately for all of us, according to the economy of God, we are all firstborn. Because the Bible calls us the church of the firstborn. So we all have firstborn status in the eyes of God. And the implication of that is that the only reasonable thing that we can do under such circumstances is to be consecrated to serve the will of God. The next thing that is due God is your consecration. One of the laws of the spirit says that to whom you yield yourself as a servant to obey, the servant of him you shall become. So if I decide to yield myself as a servant of the Holy Ghost, I will eventually become a servant of the Holy Ghost. And even though you now market sin around me, it will become unnatural for me to respond to sin because I am a servant of the Holy Ghost. The more I serve the Holy Spirit, the more anything outside of the Holy Spirit becomes more foreign to my ecosystem. It will be unnatural for me to respond to that thing because it's not where I live. Do you understand what I'm talking about? So it happens to be that Adam received a suggestion that came from the devil, and he obeyed that suggestion. The implication now became that Adam became a servant of Satan. The authority of Adam now passed on to Satan. Satan became the one that began to wield Adamic power. Like I said in the book of Malachi chapter 1, chapter 2, one principle is being explained is the principle of honor. So God now reveals to us in Scripture how we can honor Him. In honoring God, we must give God that which is due His name. Are you still with me? One of the things that is due to God is tithe. Many might argue that the tithe is no longer applicable to the New Testament believer. That is because of lack of knowledge. We have two priesthoods in the Bible. One is the Levitical priesthood, and the other is the Melchizedek priesthood. In the days of Abraham, Abraham paid tithe. You know, he paid tithe, and he paid it to Melchizedek. That was the first priesthood that actually manifested. So Melchizedek accepts tithe. Do you still remember that Jacob made a promise to God that if God should support him, protect him, and bring him back again, he would give God a tenth of all he has. And Jacob and Abraham existed before the law came into existence. It was the Melchizedek priesthood that they operated, and they gave tithe. In the Levitical priesthood, the system through which tithe can be received is established in that priesthood. But the concept of tithing existed way before that priesthood was established. And by the time you go to the book of Hebrews, you will see that we are operating under the auspices of the Melchizedek priesthood. And the Melchizedek priesthood took tithe in the days of Abraham. He would take tithe now, and he would still take tithe in the world that is to come because that's the shape and the nature of his priesthood. So one of the things that we do in honor to honor God is to give him his due. I did a teaching on this, and I mentioned all the dues of God. Just like you pay Nepal bill, you pay tax, that's your due as a Nigerian. So in the kingdom of God, there are also things that are due God that will come from your life. The least among them is your tithe. And by the time you come into the New Testament, you give God more than tithe. The Old Testament, the requirements was tithing. The New Testament, the requirement is consecration. So what you have and what you are is his. But you see, God will not take what is his. And the way for you to practice consecration is to begin from tithing first. And after tithing, you will now have a sense of responsibility that there are actually things that belong to God. Then God can now come and say, resign. I want to use you as a minister behind the pulpit. Stop the work you are doing. You cannot obey that voice if you have not been obeying in tithing. Tithing is like the ordinary level requirement. So the Bible says in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10, it says, Bring ye all the tithes. And you know, I said it's the principle of honor that is revealed here. Into my storehouse that there might be meat in my house. And put me now herewith, saith the Lord, if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sins. I will rebuke the devourer for your sins. There are some deals that God will ask you. Give me this. One of the things you will enjoy by complying is that God now takes the responsibility to rebuke the devourer. Thank you for watching. If today's discussion stirred questions, take a moment to reflect on your own beliefs and study the scriptures that address tithe and consecration. Meditate on what the Bible says about giving and stewardship and journal any insights or questions you'd like to explore further. https://youtu.be/FC2iAMtBz1w?si=cNb4-dCroevFA1v7 By: Apostle Arome Osayi