shawnethomas

Although Christians are not under obligation to keep the Law, Exodus 23:19 shares a principle which surely applies to those of us under the New Covenant as well: “You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.” Understanding, again, that this is NOT a “Law” we must keep, still yet we find some good principles for the way we are to worship God through giving:

— Giving to God should be first in priority: “the choice FIRST fruits.” We should take out what we will give to Him FIRST, not from what is left over.
— We are to bring the gifts “into the house of the Lord your God”. There is not now a literal “Temple” such as Israel was obligated to, but we still have the opportunity to bring our offerings to the place where God’s work is being done today, which is His church.
— Although not prescribed in this passage, we find the principle of the “tithe”, the “tenth” throughout the Old Testament. Again it should be emphasized that New Testament believers are not obligated to “tithe” in order to keep the Law, but surely the tenth – the amount prescribed in so many passages — gives us a good starting principle of an amount to give. Indeed, given that we are not under the Law, but under grace, should we give LESS under grace than under the Law? Surely we should give MORE if possible, but the principle of a tenth would be a good starting place for all believers.

No, Christians today are not obligated to keep the Law, and as such, Exodus 23:19 is not “binding” upon us. But we would be shortsighted not to recognize some principles for giving there which still challenge us today: “You shall bring the first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.”