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But he brought his people safely out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick or feeble people among them. – Psalm 105:37

 

Think of the transition from rags to riches! The Israelites had lived in squalor and filth, yet suddenly they were draped in the gold, silver, and jewelry of the world’s richest nation.

God has a plan of financial blessing for His people. The blood of Jesus paid the price for our deliverance from the land of bondage. Consequently, we can expect our inheritance of provision. That provision begins with the giving of the tithe (Hebrews 7:2). Just as Abraham gave the tithe, or one-tenth, of the spoils of battle to Melchizedek, we give our tithes to the One who “lives on” (v. 8).

God always had His priests collect the tithe. Because we no longer have an earthly priesthood, Jesus, the great High Priest, is collecting the tithe. We give our tithes to the local church, referred to as the storehouse in Malachi 3:10, and Jesus receives them. Then, like Israel of old, we come under the covenant of God’s blessing.

Can God bless in any circumstance? Israel received an abundance of quail, manna, and water in the desert (Psalm 105:40-41). Can’t He meet our needs as well, if we are obedient with our tithes?

2020-12-31T10:53:30-07:00

But he brought his people safely out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick or feeble people among them. – Psalm 105:37

 

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2020-12-31T10:47:38-07:00

Sodom’s sins were pride, laziness, and gluttony, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. – Ezekiel 16:49

Three basic factors contribute to the destruction of a society, and Sodom had them all! Sodom was destroyed because its citizens were proud, lazy, and gluttonous.

When a people become proud, their intellects excuse them from standards of basic decency. The Sodomites grew so proud and arrogant that they thought they could leave the natural order of sexuality and engage in homosexuality. God, however, viewed their perverted ways as “loathsome” (Ezekiel 16:50).

In addition to being proud, the people of Sodom were lazy and unconcerned about others. Being so self-centered, they had little to do with their time. People who are bored and unconcerned about others gradually begin to live for pleasure.

Finally, the inhabitants of Sodom were overfed gluttons. They had so much bread and food that their entire lifestyle revolved around eating and pleasure. Though, of course, we need food, it is never to be the focus of our lives. As Christians, we should “eat to live,” not “live to eat”!

How can we guard against these three deadly diseases of society? We must continually humble ourselves in prayer before God. We must then work for the Kingdom of God, showing concern for and compassion to others and not just living for pleasure. We must regularly fast to remind ourselves that man shall not live by bread alone.

Prayer, godly work, and fasting are the “salt” that will preserve against the rot of condemned societies of the past.

2020-11-07T00:00:00-07:00
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