OUR SACRED PORTION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the Lord your God: ‘I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all You commanded. I have not turned aside from Your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything You commanded me. Look down from Heaven, Your holy dwelling place, and bless Your people Israel and the land You have given us as You promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’"

Deuteronomy 26:12-15

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When something is considered sacred in biblical terms, it refers to something set apart to serve or honor a deity which in this case is the Lord God Almighty.

As we continue to look at Deuteronomy, chapter 26, we see God speaking through Moses to His people regarding the matter of firstfruits and tithing. In our passage for today, we see where the Israelites were to set aside “a tenth of all…produce in the third year”, a year known as “the year of the tithe”. This tenth was to be given to the “Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they (could) eat…and be satisfied”. This order becomes one of many that convey how the Lord expected the underprivileged in society to be cared for.

We should also note that there was a special name for the tenth of produce set aside. It was called the “sacred portion”.

Why was this portion called sacred?

Consider the following:

1. It was sacred because it came first from God.

Israel’s God was the God of all creation, the Maker and Master of all created things. Everything that the Israelites had belonged to God first because He made everything. He was the Origin and it was because of this that everything was divine in nature…or sacred. Israel was expected to provide a part of what God had provided to the less fortunate, a sacred portion of His goodness and providence.

2. It was sacred because Israel set it apart for God’s service.

God commanded Israel to set aside a tenth of the produce for those in need but Israel still needed to make the choice to obey what He commanded. Their obedience toward fulfilling the Lord’s expectations resulted in the donated portion being sacred as it was provided in service to Him.

So how does this apply to us today?

The same God of Israel is our God today and He provides for us abundantly according to His will for our lives. With this is an underlying expectation that we be good stewards of what He has given and this includes giving our own “sacred portion” to those who are less fortunate.

In the end translation, God is the One who is the sole Provider of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) and we are to honor Him by giving Him a return on His investment, whether it is time, talent, or treasure.

As we enter this weekend with a new week ahead, how can we set aside what He has given us for sacred purposes, actively looking to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.