The Tenth
© 2005 Adam Mayer
Artist: Guitar Adam Mayer
Download Music
The Tenth
Introduction:
In September 04, I set off on a search to find out what the Bible had to say concerning the “tenth”. I have never been interested in numbers, even though I knew that there were methods of scripture revelation that used numbering systems, and I vaguely acknowledged the numerical basis of physics as applying to Gods’ creation.
As a working musician, I worked with primes, thirds, fifths, sevenths, (ninths, and thirteenths in jazz) on a daily basis. I knew that the 10th was of the same frequency but a doubled vibration of the 3rd, and that the third was the note that gave everything its color. It could take your soul into despair or joy by its artful use.
Spiritually the only thing that I knew about the tenth was that it applied to financing The Kingdom of God. People were supposed to pay tithes. When they did, their lives were blessed. Now, finance was something else that I knew little about. So I decided to check this one out with the big Boss.
What I found was a richness in this number that extended into the moral and judicial realms of a physical and spiritual universe, especially in issues of judgment and preservation. Multiples of it were used for blessing. Kingdom principles were taught with it. The priesthood was financially supported on it, and more importantly, offerings based on the tenth, were what God required in His worship. God liked ten. I began to like ten. Maybe you will like TEN. jane
__________________________________________________________________________
The Tenth Jane Snyder Sept.2004
The Moral Code
The Ten Commandments given by Moses, are the basis for civilization and government.
Judicial Rulership
Judicial Rulership (of the moral code) was organized by multiples of ten.
Under Moses these men were selected with righteous qualifications —- able men, who fear God, men of truth, who hate dishonest gain, and were placed over thousands, hundreds, fifty and ten’s. Exodus 18:21,25; Deut. 1:15
Judgment (to keep from)
God said HE would spare the city of Sodom from deserved destruction for ten righteous souls. Gen 18:32
In Isaiah’s commission (Is 6:8-13) he was told in verse 13 that the inhabitants of the land would not be able to see, hear, or understand, until the land was utterly desolate, yet there would be a tenth portion left in it, that is the holy seed. This is one of many cases where God keeps a tenth from judgment. He also calls it seed, which means that it contains life for reproduction.
Zechariah 8:23 prophesies redeemed Israel being a tenth in the earth, Leading the nations of the earth to God, in a ratio of one redeemed to ten unredeemed.
Judgment (completion for)
God uses ten as an indefinite number representing completion for judgment, see Genesis 31:7; Leviticus 26:26; Numbers 14:22;
So far in our study we see ten represented in morality, governmental justice,
and judgment. Next we will look at its’ use in Blessings, and the Kingdom.
Blessings
Most of the blessings are based on the hundredth. Lets look at these next, as they show the line of blessing to be in perfect multiples of ten.
Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundred–fold. And the Lord blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy. Gen.26:12-13
Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for my sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. Mark 10:29-30
Parables using the tenth
Jesus’ parables were examples using everyday situations, to illustrate principles of the Kingdom that are heart issues.
Ten slaves were each given 1 minas to do business with while the master was gone. One slave brought a 10 fold return and was given ten cities to rule over. The slave who hid his one minas had it taken away and it was given to the one who had ten. This parable has multiple meanings beyond money, but notice that money in tens was used for the illustration of reproduction, with authority as reward. Luke 19:12-26
Everything that we have been given (spiritual or physical) is from God and needs to be exploited (by faith) for the Kingdom.
The Kingdom is about REPRODUCTION.
Parable of the ten virgins Matt 25:1
The Kingdom is about PREPARATION.
Parable of the lost coin Luke 15:8 (One coin of ten is lost.)
The Kingdom is about INDIVIDUAL VALUE.
Parable of the seed Matt 13:3-8
(The seed in good soil produced 100 fold.)
The Kingdom is about OVERCOMING.
In Matt 23:23 Jesus talks about hypocrites tithing physical things and neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness which He calls the weightier matters of the law. Just in case you might think that He does not care about the physical, act of tithing, He says not to neglect either one!
The Kingdom is about both spiritual and physical matters.
Luke 17:11-19 highlights one foreigner (out of the ten healed lepers) who turned back to give God glory and thanks for his healing. Could this be a ratio representing those who partake of the Kingdom, (10 were healed) and those who actually enter, as shown by a response?
The kingdom is about your RESPONSE.
The Priesthood
First record of a tenth being received as a tithe, is in Genesis 14. Abram Paid tithes to Melchizedek from the spoils of war. Melchizedek was, by Name and type, a representative of Christ’s Eternal Priesthood (Hebrews 7:2-8); and Abram was the type of all who believe God by faith.
Consequently the tithe becomes a principal of the eternal Kingdom, since it predates the law, and applies to all of the nations, past, present, and future, in Abraham. Gen 12:3
Look what happens when “faith” (Abram) and “priesthood” (Melchizedek) meet.
A tenth from one (Abram), and a blessing from the other (Melchizedek), produced a covenant of ETERNAL promises.
The Temple and the Tithe
The physical temple, given by pattern to Moses, is a representation of the body of Christ today. Eph 2:22, 1 Cor.12:28.
The temple housed the Shekinah glory of God in the Most Holy Place where The Ark of the Covenant was kept. The different courts went around this Most Holy Place. Each of these courts were further and further away from the presence of God. Today, everyone who confesses Christ dwells in one of these courts. Each one has a gate of Baptism. I will address the courts of the Lord in a later teaching.
The question to be answered is: “How far into the temple did the tithe go?” This will give us the pattern of sacrifice for today too.
We find in Num 18 that tithes were offered in every court except the Most Holy place. Only blood was offered there, and that once a year, by the High priest. In Num. 18:28 we find that Aaron and his family ate of the tithes. This is very interesting because as the type follows through, it
shows that Christ, (ministering in the heavens) and us, (His earthly family
of priests), also get to “eat” of the tithes of the various courts.
Just as Jesus brought in a higher standard in fulfillment of the law, so there are heart issues we must embrace in regards to tithes. Does this higher standard do away with the law? No. The higher standards fulfill the law.
Jesus’ Higher Standards are always Heart Issues.
That is why all of the parables are ultimately about the values held in a heart.
Heart qualities for giving tithes (and beyond!) to God:
1. Without ostentation Mat 6:1-4
2. Regularly 1Cor. 16:2
3. Liberally 2 Cor 9:6-15
4. Cheerfully 2Cor 8:11
Priesthood heart issues produce righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
As we keep our faith focused upon the promises that extend from the covenants, then, our faith will agree with His will, and we will bring forth with those heart qualities of the Kingdom.
Judicial Rulership & Morality has the heart issues built right into the Law. Go to the top and read them again. This is true ageless Kingdom material.
Next
