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72 YEHOVAH’s Tithe in Scripture

(Joshua 21:1-2; I Chronicles 6:57), etc., and if they thus put in their claim for places to dwell in,
which was allowed to the extent of forty-eight cities, it is not likely they would have failed, had
there been need, to ask for their tithes also.

As for other kinds of offerings, when Joshua was directed to divide the land, it is expressly
mentioned that “only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the offerings of the Lord, the
God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance" (Joshua 13:7-14).

Under the Judges we have an unsettled time, both politically and religiously. “There was not
a king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6). The priesthood
no doubt suffered in common with others from this lawlessness, as indicated, perhaps, by the young
Levite departing from Bethlehem-Judah to sojourn where he could find a place, and on coming to
Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, was content to remain there for food, clothing, and shelter,
coupled with the annual pittance of ten shekels of silver, Judges 17:8, etc.

Again, the foul treatment, at Gibeah, of a Levite and his concubine shows the men of
Benjamin to have sunk at this period to a very degraded condition. Nevertheless, we observe indica-
tions both here and throughout the book of Judges, that the worship of YEHOVAH was still main-
tained; for when an angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and reproved the Israelites for not
throwing down the altars of the inhabitants of the land, we read that the people wept and sacrificed
to YEHOVAH, Judges 2:2-5.

Also, when, under the oppression of the Midianites, some of the people fell away to Amorite
gods, we find Gideon building an altar, calling it Yehovah-Shalom, and offering thereon the bull-
ock of the altar of Baal, Judges 6:10, 28.

Next we have Jephthah delivering Israel, after making a vow to his God that whatever might
come forth out of the doors of his house to meet him on his return from victory, should devoted to
YEHOVAH, and offered as a burnt offering, Judges 11:31.

So, too, when Israel was oppressed by the Philistines, and Samson was to be raised up from
the house of Manoah, it was to YEHOVAH that Manoah presented his burnt offering, Judges 13:16,
just as when Samson, having fallen into the enemy’s hands, the lords of the Philistines gathered to
offer a great sacrifice, and to rejoice before their god Dagon, Judges 16:23.

Further, when Israel was collected from Dan even to Beersheba to punish the Benjamites for
their wrongdoing at Gibeah, to the Levite and his concubine, the people gathered as one man before
YEHOVAH in Mizpeh; the tribes presented themselves, we read, in the assembly of the people of
YEHOVAH, Judges 20:1-2. And when the punitive force sent against Gibeah was twice repulsed,
the people came to the house of YEHOVAH, wept, fasted, offered burnt offerings and peace offer-
ings, and inquired of YEHOVAH before the Ark of the Covenant, by Phinehas, grandson of Aaron,
who stood before it in those days, Judges 20:26-27.

Once more, when Gibeah had fallen, and wives were lacking to the surviving Benjamites,
the people rose early, came to the house of YEHOVAH, and offered burnt offerings and peace of-

The Berean Voice July-August 2002