Devotional – 37 – Rebekah listens to grandpa
It was the coldest day of the ‘FALL’ season. Valentine had told his wife that grandpa and he would have a bowl of soup for lunch; they were over an hour late; she was wondering about them. She finally looked out the side window toward the barn. The work truck was parked a few feet from the large barn door; it was opened about three feet. “Maybe the two of them were in the barn checking on something,” she thought. She took two of the midsized thermos bottles and filled them with the warm soup. She intended to walk to the barn and deliver the food.
As Rebekah walked through the barn door she could hear the men talking. Grandpa was talking about tax receipts being due to his accountant, Chip, after the first of the year. He commented, “After you are back from your vacation I would like you to go line item by line item with Chip. We also need to make a capital investment within the month and have it hit this year’s taxes.” He told Valentine the oldest of the tractors was on its last leg and needed replaced. “I was thinking you and I needed to spend Monday trying to find a deal.” Valentine asked, “What is the price of a new tractor now days; I hadn’t thought about something like that needing purchased.” Grandpa told Valentine that a farmer had to think big; it is like everything else we purchase; we get what we pay for. “Close to two-hundred-thousand, for one with some quality accessories included, would be a ball-park figure.”
Rebekah heard the voices and was mesmerized, her last vehicle before going to Israel was a shade over twenty-five-thousand and a tractor was almost ten times more. She almost dropped the sack she was holding the soup in.
She finally spoke, “Is there anyone hungry for a thermos of soup? I was beginning to think you men were on a diet but then I saw the truck.” Valentine walked toward where her voice was coming and was next to her just moments later; taking the sack from her hands.
Later that evening while Valentine mentioned that he and grandpa were going shopping Monday, she interrupted, then asked, “Can I go with you for the day and see what farmers do when they shop?” He laughed and told her it wouldn’t be much fun but if grandpa didn’t mind it would be ok.
Monday afternoon Valentine and grandpa were talking over the pros and cons of the two tractor supply stores. Both of them were just about in agreement on which to purchase when Rebekah commented, “I like the green one with the glass enclosure. I would like to purchase it if you don’t mind?” She told them that she had saved some money and wanted to help with the cost of the new tractor. Grandpa looked at her a minute before he explained profit; cost such as capital expense items; wages; and how they needed expense to offset the profit each year. He gave her a smile then commented, “My tax man already told me that we need to spend some money out of my account, on a capital investment, or taxes will be high.”
Later that evening Rebekah asked Valentine, “How do farmers figure their giving to the Lord?” Valentine told her that everyone had their own theory from what he gathered. “Grandpa had a business degree and then went to seminary in Dallas before he came back to the farm to work; he uses the number the tax man tells him as the adjusted gross to give to the church; he does cut his farm expenses in calculations but he also gives offerings when he determines an additional need in the church.” Valentine told Rebekah that some give ten percent unto the Lord, “Corinthians uses the term of ‘giving cheerfully’ so if a person is a strict legalist and begrudgingly gives an actual tithe, where is the blessing?” Valentine told her that money was often referred to as the root of all evil. He told her that it was not listed in the Ten Commandments or as one of the two greatest commandments. She replied, “The one place I know of where the tithe was spoken about, very much, is when Moses is referencing the “Sons of Israel’. God spoke to Moses and told him that the eleven tribes were to tithe to the tribe of Levi; who were designated as the Priest of Israel.” She told him that the Priest of Israel disappeared in AD 70 and that Jesus was now the only High Priest. “Hebrews, tells the Christian that the covenant God had with Moses was a temporary; as far as the Priest; they are now obsolete so as a Christian should I use the standard that the Apostle Paul gave the Corinthians using verses in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7?”He nodded and then replied, “Are you a believer in the words presented by Paul to the Christian?”
Valentine commented, “Somewhere, maybe around ten years ago, just prior to Rach’ being murdered, my dad gave a month of Sunday evenings to the subject of money. Several people in the church were upset that the Trusties were approving and spending money unwisely; the church almost split because of it.” He told her his dad had covered several passages but finally after one of the elderly deacons stood up while dad was speaking; commented, “What was it that the Jerusalem church leaders agreed on; that is, for Gentile converts to live by?” My dad replied back, “Let’s check Act’s the fifteenth chapter.” They discussed the passage for almost the entire evening; finally dad pointed back to the deacon and remarked, “Thanks; tell me why you think Moses was given the commandment, from God, to the Jews of that day?”
The old deacon, a former Pastor, stood and commented, “Check Leviticus 27: when the Lord spoke to Moses; the children of Israel were the addressed; Aaron and the tribe of Levi was told to become the ministers of the faith so that became their job. The tithe was to support them.” He smiled for a moment and looked back at my dad before he continued, “Remember, many of the priest in Jesus time wanted attention and praise from the people; they often spent the storehouse tithes unwisely. You need a couple of poor men on your trustee board who know how to budget on a dime.” He told his pastor that ancient Israel and the gentiles of America live by a different code. In 1400 BC, when Moses led them, the LAW of God came from the words of the Mosaic covenant to the ‘Sons of Israel’.
Valentine told her that his dad has used the advice ever since then. “Then he commented, “My dad does tithe his paycheck as his standard but he has allowances, which are separate. I think he gets a housing and vehicle allowance, paid by the church, since he has to visit elderly and sick people.” He told her if there were ten people in a room discussing money there might be ten different angles on how people looked at the subject. He asked, “As a Jew, what do you think?”
She responded, “I think many Christians miss the understanding of the TORAH. It was given by God to the Sons of Israel, not the Egyptians, Greeks, Babylonians’, or for that matter the gentiles of America. In the days of Moses; the people lived on ninety percent. In today’s world; it would be like comparing apples to oranges.” then she paused a moment before continuing, “If a person reads Hebrews 8:13 it pretty much tells the layman of the church that everything Moses taught about the Priest of the Levitical Covenant is obsolete.” She told Valentine that she, very much, liked what the Holy Spirit said as HE spoke thorough Paul. “Check it out; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 and tell me what you think it means?” She told him that N.T. scripture uses Faith, Hope, and Love; not legalism as was the way of the old covenant.
She continued, “As a Jew, my parents earn two-hundred-thousand dollars a year, after taxes and expenses; they write different checks for twenty-thousand to different Jewish organizations; they still use the Mosaic standard.” Valentine nodded in acknowledgment, then asked, “Does my dad pay you for working at the church?” She told him the arrangement was that I get one-hundred dollars a month budget, for supplies, for the girl events so that it did not come out of our household expense. Valentine smiled; then commented, “What household expense? Grandpa said we would talk about my wage before Christmas this year.”
*
The next afternoon grandma invited Rebekah over for the evening meal. It was homemade chicken & noodles. Cherry pie was the freshly baked desert and a favorite of Valentines. Grandma cleared the table when they finished eating and grandpa picked up a large envelope from the small desk; then took a seat back at the table.
When all four were seated again grandpa spoke, “This is our partnership agreement Jaye; there is a little legal mumbo jumbo but the details are specific in that we are equal partners on this farm.” He told his grandson that the farm would have an end-of-year operating balance of several thousand dollars for future payroll etc., you know, before our farm income is in the bank each ‘FALL’; then you and Rebekah get half of the profit and grandma and I get the other half. “Invest wisely but keep a reasonably good sized savings account for unexpected things.” Grandpa looked at his grandson, then slid a check from his hand toward Valentine and commented, “This ought to keep food on the table for a while.”
Valentine looked down at the check and then up at Rebekah and said, “A generous offering will be given to our church.” Grandpa commented, “I like to hear that son.”
Attachments
2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [Does it mean an eternal deposit?]
Acts 15:28-29, “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. [The minimum expectations for the Gentile converts; money was not an issue with James as he spoke; he’s the New Covenant Church Leader in Jerusalem]
1 Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. [They put more emphasis into becoming rich, than having anything to do with the Lord]
Hebrews 8:13. When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. [AD 70 the Temple and the Mosaic High Priest became obsolete.] [Jesus is the New Covenant & the only High Priest. He resides in the Holy of Holies.]
A Comment, Are you a New Covenant believer or an Old Covenant legalist? Is money a challenge with many people? The thief on the cross is a non-example; he didn’t give a dime, let alone worry about a tithe to the Rabbi priest who ran the local synagogue; giving money does not get you into heaven but the church in today’s world needs the gifts or donations from its members to effectively further the gospel of Christ. In many cases there is ‘stuff’ done and money spent to extreme. But there is also ‘good stuff’ accomplished. Try to have an attitude of; “What I do or what I give; it is unto the Lord”.
People tend to have their own side of the tithe or donation story when calculating from their income. [O.T. is Mosaic Legalism verses N.T. is to cheerfully give generously. That’s it.]
My comment or maybe opinion is that Jesus and no one else is our example; He was not a LEGALIST as many people like to be in today’s world. While he was on earth; was he rich in the things of earth; was he served or did he serve; did he live in a 4-BDR large home with granite counters; did he teach on the side of a hill or was it in a multi-million dollar sanctuary? A Question; if some of the preachers today had to live in a 2 BDR mobile home and eat hotdogs and beans four nights a week; would many of them stay in the ministry? How many of our Baptist church pastor’s talk similar to the Sanhedrin legalist; as they judge members with their sermons?
The greatest of sermons, some might say, was spoken by Jesus. Matthew 5, 6, 7 is known as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ and it is mind boggling. The many words cover a multitude of topics but never the topic of tithe; he does tell the people not to store up TREASURES on earth because they can be stole by thieves; store up treasures in heaven instead. It doesn’t just mean a dollar amount. Your ‘Good Deeds’ etc. count. [Time-Talent-Treasure]
The ‘Old’ covenant stretches from Genesis thru Malachi; the ‘New’ covenant begins with Jesus; he is the CROSSOVER point between the Old and the New; the scriptures used are Matthew thru Revelation. In scripture; the ‘New’ uses words like Saved or Born Again; Faith and Love; salvation is only accomplished thru Jesus; nothing in the ‘Old’ provides God’s GRACE and forgiveness thru FAITH. Read John 3:3-7; a person must be born twice or they will die twice. Only by following the ‘New’ covenant will a person get into the Lord’s presence; in that eternal place called Paradise.
DG