2 Chronicles 31:5-19 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of corn, wine, and oil… I. THE IMPOSITION OF THE TITHES. Done by the commandment of Hezekiah (ver. 5), not, however, acting in his own name and by his own authority, but merely publishing the Law of Jehovah for the maintenance of those who conducted the temple service. Under the old economy Jehovah was the sole Head of the Church, as Christ is under the new. For the Hebrew Church the exclusive source of legislation was not the sovereigns or prophets of the nation, but Jehovah; as for the Christian Church it is neither kings nor parliaments, neither Church dignitaries nor Church courts, but Jesus Christ. That which gave binding authority to Hezekiah's commandment was not that it was "the word of a king" (Ecclesiastes 8:4), but that it was the ordinance of Jehovah as declared by Moses (Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:12, 13, 21, 24; Deuteronomy 26:2-4). That which lends weight to human legislation in the Christian Church is the circumstance that it accords with the teaching of Christ in the New Testament Scriptures. II. THE PAYING OF THE TITHES, ETC. 1. Promptly. "As soon as the commandment came abroad," the children of Israel began to pour in their contributions (ver. 5). The absence of delay, showed their zeal was not fanatical, but religious, and not seeming, but real - the last thing to be affected by a man's religion being his purse; perhaps also it proved that the king's liberality had been not without its influence (2 Chronicles 30:24), as certainly it imparted additional value to their gifts. Qui cito dat bis dat. 2. Faithfully. Nothing was omitted or evaded that the Law enjoined. The people presented "the firstfruits of corn, and wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field;" paid in the tithes or tenth parts Jehovah had assigned as a portion for the whole tribe of Levi (ver. 5), as well as the tenth parts of such things as were dedicated to the Lord (ver. 6); and rendered free-will offerings to Jehovah over and above what had been directly commanded (ver. 14). 3. Unweariedly. It was no sudden fit of liberality which had overtaken them and quickly expended itself. The firstfruits presenting, tithe-paying, and free-will offering went on for four months (ver. 7). Many can do a generous deed when seized by a momentary impulse, but are wholly unable to bear the strain of continuous giving. That these ancient givers grew not tired of their liberality was a proof that it proceeded from principle rather than from impulse - showed they were acting more from respect to the Divine Law than from a desire to gratify their own feelings. 4. Abundantly. So extraordinary was the outburst of liberality, that not only had the priests and Levites obtained the most ample maintenance, having had enough to eat and plenty over (ver. 10), but so fast came the people's offerings in that they were obliged to be piled up in heaps (ver. 6), while so liberal had they been that, when the tithe season ended, so great a store remained (ver. 10), that the priests and Levites were guaranteed against want throughout the rest of the year. The Christian Church might herein find an example. It is poor policy, besides being unscriptural (Luke 10:7; 1 Corinthians 9:14), for Churches or congregations to starve or underpay their ministers. 5. Generally. Most likely there were those who refused to comply with the king's commandment, acting from a spirit of avarice which could not bear to part with their goods, or a spirit of unbelief which secretly hankered after the false gods they had formerly worshipped, or from a spirit of indifference, because they had no real interest in religion; and doubtless there were those who gave grudgingly and of necessity, adhering strictly to the letter of the Law, never going beyond the bond if they could help it, and certainly never throwing in any free-will offerings; but manifestly also the main body of the people, in the northern kingdom (ver. 5) no less than in the southern (ver. 6), yielded obedience to the king's commandment, and fell in with the order of the day. III. THE STORING OF THE TITHES. 1. The chambers for their reception. These were prepared in the house of the Lord (ver. 11), in accordance with instructions from Hezekiah, but whether they were old cells or new cannot be determined. 2. The officers for their supervision. (1) Two superior - Cononiah the Levite, and Shimei his brother (ver. 12). (2) Ten inferior-Jehiel and Azaziah, Nahath and Asahel, Jeri-moth and Jozabad, Eliel and Ismachiah, Mahath and Benaiah - who acted as subordinates and assistants to the two chiefs, who derived their authority from Hezekiah the king, the chief magistrate in the state, and Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok (ver. 10), and ruler of the house of God (ver. 12). IV. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE TITHES, ETC. 1. The distributors. (1) The chief - Kore, signifying "Partridge" (Gesenius), a name borne by the son of Ebiasaph (1 Chronicles 9:18), and here by the son of Imnah. By descent a Levite, he was by occupation "a porter towards the east," i.e. keeper of the king's gate on the east side of the temple. (2) The assistants, six in number, named Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, resided in the cities of the priests in different parts of the country. 2. The distribution. (1) Kore distributed to those priests and Levites who served in the temple, first of such things as were required for the maintenance of themselves and the male children over three years of age who accompanied their parents (being priests) to Jerusalem when the turn came for these to serve, and secondly of such things as were necessary for any portion of their temple service. The distribution to the priests was according to fathers' houses (ver. 17) - so much for every house, according to its size; that to the Levites was to individuals from twenty years old and upwards, according to a carefully prepared register. (2) The assistants distributed necessary portions to those priests and Levites who resided in the priests' cities, not being at the time engaged in active duty at the temple, and to the families of these as well as of those who were engaged (vers. 15-19). Both parts of this work were performed with scrupulous fidelity (ver. 18); the distributors "acted in a holy manner with the holy gifts," distributing them "impartially and disinterestedly to all who had any claim to them" (Keil). Learn: 1. The duty of Christ's people to support the ministers of religion. 2. The voluntary character of all acceptable payments towards religion. 3. The necessity of order and system in Church finance. 4. The excellence of Christian liberality. - W. Parallel Verses KJV: And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. |
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