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YEHOVAH’s Tithe in Scripture 73

ferings, whilst the closing scene of the book of Judges show us, that, even at that time, there was
held in Shiloh a yearly feast to YEHOVAH.

When we come to the days of Eli, religious affairs seem to be more settled. Shiloh is still the
appointed place of worship whither Elkanah and all his house went up yearly to offer his sacrifice
and his vow, I Samuel 1:21. We learn, too, that it had become the priests custom with the people,
that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a
flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand, and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all
that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself, I Samuel 2:13-14.

This was done to all the Israelites who came to Shiloh; and since Eli and his sons were re-
proached for “making themselves fat” with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel, it would seem
to hint that the number of offerings and the multitude of people attending the feasts were large.

Under Samuel the Ark was for some months in possession of the Philistines, who sent it to
Beth-shemesh with a trespass offering of golden tumors and mice, giving glory to the God of Israel,
I Samuel 6:4-5. At Beth-shemesh the Ark was taken form the cart by the Levites, and the wood of
the cart, and the oxen that drew it, were offered as a burnt sacrifice, besides which the people of
Beth-shemesh offered on that day burnt offerings and sacrifices, I Samuel 6:15. The Ark was then
taken to Kirjath-jearim, where Eleazar, the son of Abinadab, was appointed to keep it, and where it
remained for twenty years, the people meanwhile falling away to the worship of Baalim and
Ashtaroth, but at the same time lamenting after YEHOVAH, I Samuel 7:2-3.

Accordingly, Samuel gathered all Israel to Mizpeh, took a sucking-lamb, and offered it for a
whole burnt offering, and cried unto the Lord for Israel, after which Samuel returned to Ramah,
where was his house, and where he built an altar unto the Lord, I Samuel 7:9-17.

Whilst, therefore, the period from Joshua to Samuel was one of religious unrest, of oppres-
sion by foreigners, and occasional and partial defection to strange gods, we see sufficient indica-
tions to show that the Ark was set up, that the worship of YEHOVAH was retained as the
established religion of the people, and in accordance with this we may conclude that the claims of
the Levites were more or less recognized and the tithes paid.

We come next to the period of the Israelitish monarchy, beginning with Saul, who is intro-
duced to us whilst seeking his father’s asses, and who is advised to ask direction of Samuel. Saul
recognizes the standing custom that an offering must be made to the man of God, I Samuel 9:7, to
which end his servant proposes to give a quarter of a shekel of silver; and there happened to be a sac-
rifice that day on the high place to which Samuel had been invited, I Samuel 9:12.

Soon after, at Gilgal, they made Saul king before the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings,
rejoicing before the Lord, I Samuel 11:15.

But we do not learn much concerning divine offerings from the annals of this unsatisfactory
monarch, though it is stated that some at least of his spoils won in battle he dedicated to repair the
house of the Lord. Samuel had so done before, as afterwards did Abner and Joab, the generals of
Saul and David, I Chronicles 26:27-28.

The Berean Voice July-August 2002