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GOD'S HAREM (05.16.04)
(Leviticus 27:28-30)

I want to speak to speak for a few moments today on a subject I know we're all at least partially familiar with. Hopefully after we look at God's Word we'll all have more insight into God and ourselves; insight that will cause us to exclaim “Aha! That's what's been going on!”

Today I want to talk about God's harem. How many of you knew God had a harem? We'll come back to this in a moment.

There are some things we need to agree on before we begin today:
1. We need to agree, understand and believe, that the commands of God are not arbitrary rules He made up just so He could tell us what to do. God is not into power trips.
2. God's rules are always for very good reasons, and those reasons are always for our highest good.

Thus, when we understand these two things about God, we know that:
- When we choose to obey His rules, which are always for our highest good, we'll always be glad.
- Likewise, when we choose to disobey God's rules, which are always for our highest good, we'll always be sorry.

The mathematical is:
- Obedience = Gladness
- Disobedience = Sorrow

It may cost us something here and now to obey God, but I guarantee that in the Big Picture we'll always be glad we did. Why? Because God's pretty smart; a whole lot smarter than we are.
- He knows all about us; He created us, and knows best how we're to tick. He's not only read the Instruction Book, He wrote it!
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THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF, THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO DWELL THEREIN….
(Psalm 24:1 – p. 458)

Everything belongs to God; everyone belongs to God. People may act like they own something, or act like they belong to themselves, but God, through Scripture, tells us otherwise.

FOR EVERY BEST OF THE FOREST IS MINE, THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS. I KNOW ALL THE BIRDS OF THE HILLS, AND ALL THAT MOVES IN THE FIELD IS MINE.
(Psalm 50:10-11 – p. 473)

God not only owns all the people and all the animals of the forest, hills, mountains and fields, He also own the forest, hills, mountains and fields. Everything belongs to God.

In Scripture we also see:
THE SILVER IS MINE, AND THE GOLD IS MINE, DECLARES THE LORD OF HOSTS. (Haggai 2:8 – p. 791)

Look at that name for God in Haggai 2:8 – LORD OF HOSTS (LORD ALMIGHTY – NLT;
LORD ALL-POWERFUL – NCV)

This name for God (Yahweh Sabaoth in the Hebrews) tells us that God not only owns the people, the animals, their homes, and the stuff beneath their homes, He also owns the armies of heaven.
- This particular name for God is the most powerful name for God.
- When we see this name is Scripture, we're to take it to mean that we should take seriously, and not be messing with, the God Who owns all things, even the armies of angels in heaven.
- If we do mess with Him or what belongs to Him, we will have to live with the consequences.

28 “BUT NO DEVOTED THING THAT A MAN DEVOTES TO THE LORD, OF ANYTHING THAT HE HAS, WHETHER MAN OR BEAST, OR OF HIS INHERITED FIELD, SHALL BE SOLD OR REDEEMED; EVERY DEVOTED THING IS MOST HOLY TO THE LORD. 29 NO ONE DEVOTED, WHO IS TO BE DEVOTED FOR DESTRUCTION FROM MANKIND, SHALL BE RANSOMED; HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH.
30 “EVERY TITHE OF THE LAND, WHETHER OF THE SEED OF THE LAND OR OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREES, IS THE LORD'S; IT IS HOLY TO THE LORD.”
(Leviticus 27:28-30 – p. 106)

This is where we see God's harem.
- The word in the Hebrew language for devoted is CHEREM – pronounced HAREM.

What do you think of what you think of a harem?
- I've always thought of the large number of wives belonging to a wealthy sheik, or to a king.
- And, even though that sheik or king may have hundreds of wives, surely enough to share, you better not try to take what belongs to them unless you're ready to pay a heavy price; even your head!

These verses from Leviticus show us how possessions, even people themselves, can be devoted to God for His sole possession and use.
- Once things or people are devoted to God, they're not to be messed with or taken back.
- If they are, in essence the one violating God's harem falls under a curse.

Look again at verse 30: In the context of cherem, God says through Moses – a tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belong to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
- One tenth of all increase to our wealth, folks, is CHEREM; it is most holy to the LORD.
- Not only do the things we willingly give to God become CHEREM, but likewise one tenth of all that come to us is automatically CHEREM; it belongs exclusively to God and is not to be messed with.

In Joshua 7 there's a story showing the results of messing with God's harem:
- God had given he Promised Land to the children of Israel. They were taking over the land of the Canaanites (a punishment for the sins of the Canaanites), which included ten prominent cities. However, the first city they would come to, Jericho, was to be given over to God; it was CHEREM. It was in essence their tithe of all the increased wealth they had gotten from God. All of Jericho and everything in Jericho was to be destroyed.
- But, there was a man named Achan, however, who thought God's laws didn't apply to him. So, while the rest of the Israelites were destroying Jericho, Achan was looting God's CHEREM.

Because Achan messed with what belonged exclusively to God, a curse came upon him AND the nation of Israel as a whole. This curse was in the form of their being defeated in what should have been a minor battle against the enemies in the land.
- We live in a very individualistic society. But in God's eyes we're all connected.

IF ONE MEMBER SUFFERS, ALL SUFFER TOGETHER; IF ONE MEMBER IS HONORED, ALL REJOICE TOGETHER.
(1 Corinthians 12:26)

So, the tithe, the one tenth of all that is increased to us, belongs to God to use as He desires.

10 “BLESSED ARE YOU, O LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL OUR FATHER, FOREVER AND EVER. 11 YOURS, O LORD, IS THE GREATNESS AND THE POWER AND THE GLOYR AND THE VICTORY AND THE MAJESTY, FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE HEAVENS AND IN THE EARTH IS YOURS. YOURS IS THE KINDOM. O LORD, AND YOU ARE EXALTED AS HEAD ABOVE ALL. 12 BOTH RICYHES AND HONOR COME FROM YOU, AND YOU RULE OVER ALL. IN YOUR HAND ARE POWER AND MIGHT, AND IN YOUR HAND IT IS TO MAKE GREAT AND TO GIVE STRENGTH TO ALL. 13 AND NOW WE THNAK YOU, OUR GOD, AND PRAISE YOUR GLORIOUS NAME…

14 “BUT WHO AM I, AND WHAT IS MY PEOPLE, THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE THUS TO OFFER WILLINGLY? FOR ALL THINGS COME FROM YOU, AND OF YOUR OWN HAVE WE GIVEN YOU.”
(1 Chronicles 29:10-14 – p. 357)

The question: Why does God need our tithe if everything belongs to Him anyway?

The answer: He doesn't need our tithe. The need is for us to recognize God as our Provider and Protector; not the material wealth He gives us.

Giving God His CHEREM in my mind is primarily our saying to God, “I'm trusting You, Father, first and foremost, to take care of me and mine however You choose.”

But secondarily, God used and uses His CHEREM to (no time to document today):
1. Take care of the Levites then, and ministers today;
2. Take care of the Temple then, the church building and ministries today;
3. Take care of the needy (definitely not through the very flawed welfare system in our country!)

And, there's a fourth thing God does with His CHEREM.

22 “YOU SHALL TITHE ALL THE YIELD OF YOUR SEED THAT COMES FROM THE FIELD YEAR BY YEAR. 23 AND BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD, IN THE PLACE THAT HE WILL CHOOSE, TO MAKE HIS NAME DWELL THERE, YOU SHALL EAT THE TITHE OF YOUR GRAIN, OF YOUR WINE, AND OF YOUR OIL, AND THE FIRSTBORN OF YOUR HERD AND FLOCK, THAT YOU MAY LEARN TO FEAR THE LORD YOUR GOD ALWAYS. 24 AND IF THE WAY IS TOO LONG FOR YOU, SO THAT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO CARRY THE TITHE, WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD BLESSES YOU, BECAUSE THE PLACE IS TOO FAR FROM YOU, WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD CHOOSES, TO SET HIS NAME THERE, 25 THEN YOU SHALL TURN IT INTO MONEY AND BIND UP THE MONEY IN YOUR HAND AND GO TO THE PLACE THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD CHOOSES 26 AND SPEND THE MONEY FOR WHATEVER YOU DESIRE – OXEN OR SHEEP OR WINE OR STRONG DRINK WHATEVER YOUR APPETITE CRAVES. AND YOU SHALL EAT THERE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD AND REJOICE, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD. (Verses 24-26 don't apply to us since we're able to come to God's house) 27 AND YOU SHALL NOT NEGLECT THE LEVITE WHO IS WITHIN YOUR TOWNS, FOR HE HAS NO PORTION OR INHERITANCE WITH YOU.”
(Deuteronomy 14:22-27 – p. 158)

God also uses His cherem…
4. To throw parties for His kids! (Watch out for the wine and strong drink! – see verse 26)

“But, tithing is an Old Testament concept; it doesn't have validity for us today.”
- Jesus would disagree:
“WOE TO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YOU TITHE MINT AND DILL AND CUMIN (the tiniest part of your income – NLT), AND HAVE NEGLECTED THE WEIGHTIER MATTER OF THE LAW: JUSTICE AND MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS. THESE YOU OUGHT TO HAVE DONE, WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE OTHERS.” (Matthew 23:23 – p. 829)

- Besides, don't we quickly accept the Old Testament when it tells us things like, THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT. 2 HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES. HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS. 3 HE RESOTRES MY SOUL….” (PSALM 23:1-3A – P. 458)?

“Should I tithe on my net income or gross income?”
- You tell me; do you want God's net blessings or His gross blessings?

Tithing, giving God His CHEREM, isn't to be the ceiling of our giving to God; it's just the floor; it's just the starting place.

Just a few years ago a study revealed:
- The average American Christian gave just 2% of their income to God.
- Only 10% of people in evangelical churches in America tithed their income (Nazarenes were twice as good at 20%).
- A Nazarene pastor friend of mine shared how, from what he could discern, almost 50% of his congregation tithed. But, he didn't know if that was good news or bad news because that meant over 50% of his people were messing with God's CHEREM.
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A message on tithing wouldn't be complete without reference to Malachi 3:

7 FROM THE DAYS OF YOUR FATHERS YOU HAVE TURNED ASIDE FROM MY STATUTES AND HAVE NOT KEPT THEM. RETURN TO ME, AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. BUT YOU SAY, 'HOW SHALL WE RETURN?'
8 WILL MAN ROB GOD? YET YOU ARE ROBBING ME. BUT YOU SAY, 'HOW HAVE WE ROBBED YOU?' IN YOUR TITHES AND CONTRIBUTIONS. 9 YOU ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE, FOR YOU ARE ROBBING ME, THE WHOLE NATION OF YOU. 10 BRING THE FULL TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE. AND THEREBY PUT ME TO THE TEST, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS, IF I WILL NOT OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN FOR YOU AND POUR DOWN FOR YOU A BLESSING UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE NEED. 11 I WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER FOR YOU, SO THAT IT WILL NOT DESTROY THE FRUITS OF YOUR SOIL, AND YOUR VINE IN THE FIELD SHALL NOT FAIL TO BEAR, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. 12 THEN ALL NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED, FOR YOU WILL BE A LAND OF DELIGHT, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.
(Malachi 3:7-12 – p. 802)

Folks, here's what it boils down to:
- we can worship, fellowship, study God's Word, minister to one another and reach out to the lost. BUT, if we're not being obedient to God by giving God his CHEREM, that which rightfully belongs to Him (as does everything else), then all those other things will be worthless.
- The Wheel of our Christian lives consists of the Spokes of God's five purposes, and has Christ as the Hub, but if it doesn't have the Rim of Obedience, we'll go nowhere in God's Kingdom.

Not only that, but when we mess with God's CHEREM, He will not REBUKE THE DEVOURER.
- Breakage, dumb purchases or investments, losing things, sickness, accidents, unexpected bills, etc. will be more common than not.
- As a pastor you don't know how hard it is for me as I've watched people over the years go through so many unnecessary trials and struggles as the devourer quite literally was “eating their lunch” (i.e. defeating them spiritually).
× I've felt guilty many times for not confronting people about their lack of tithing.

No one will ever be able to ultimately say, “That's mine because of the tithe I kept from God.” You can't get ahead by stealing with God's CHEREM.

It doesn't make logical sense from the world's view to take a minimum of 10% off the top and give it to God through the storehouse of the local church.
- It's a God thing!

God knows what He wants to do through our church, and He's already got all the resources here to do it with. But because many people don't tithe (I have no idea what percent in our church), showing they don't trust God, or showing they trust money more than God, there's not enough to do what God would have us do.
- “It's not God I don't trust, it's the leaders in the church.”
× That's not your problem; God's CHEREM is His problem, and He'll take care of it as He sees fit.

Are you messing with God's CHEREM?