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76 YEHOVAH’s Tithe in Scripture

The schismatical Jeroboam found it politic to imitate the law of Moses in ordaining a feast
like that held in Judah, and in sacrificing and placing priests at Bethel, I Kings 12:32. When, how-
ever, his own son was ill, he sent to inquire of the prophet Ahijah, at Shiloh, by his wife, who, in dis-
guise, took as a present ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, I Kings 14:3, a suitable
religious offering, presumably, at that time for a well-to-do woman of the country.

A little later, in Asa, king of Judah, we have a godly man, to whom is vouchsafed victory
over the Ethiopians, and thereby much spoil:

And they sacrificed unto the Lord in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, 700 oxen
and 7,000 sheep . . . . And Asa brought into the house of God the things that his father had
dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels ( II Chronicles
14:13, 15:11-18; I Kings 15:15).

This, however, was of the nature of a reformation; for Azariah, the son of Oded, reminded
Asa that for a long season Israel had been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and
without law, II Chronicles 15:3. Furthermore, a similar work of reformation was carried on by
Jehoshaphat his successor, who sent out teaching princes, Levites, and priests. “And they taught in
Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them," so that “the fear of Jehovah fell upon all
the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah" (II Chronicles 17:7-10).

This brings us to the days of Elijah and Elisha, in connection with whom we have several in-
stances of pious beneficence in private life. Foremost among them is the widow of Zarephath, who
had but a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse, but who, nevertheless, made thereof,
first a cake for the Lord’s prophet, I Kings 17:12-15.

Then follows the case of the godly Obadiah, who, although connected with Ahab’s heathen-
ish court, yet feared YEHOVAH greatly, and took a hundred prophets, persecuted by Jezebel, and
hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water, I Kings 18:4. We also read in the
same chapter of the sacrifice of bullocks to Baal and to YEHOVAH, respectively, on Mount Car-
mel, I Kings 18.

As for Elisha, we remember the kind hospitality afforded him, as a man of God, by the
woman of Shunem, who prepared for him a little chamber on the wall, II Kings 4:8-10. It seems also
to have been customary for the people to bring offerings to Elisha: for “there came a man from
Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and
fresh ears of corn," with which Elisha furnished a meal for the people, II Kings 4:42.

The present which Naaman brought to Elisha was evidently intended to be a valuable one,
consisting, as it did, of robes and talents of silver — a typical acknowledgment of expected help
form the prophet in the cure of leprosy, II Kings 5:22-23. Benhadad also, when sending Hazael to
inquire whether his master would recover of his sickness, sent forty camel-loads of every good
thing of Damascus, II Kings 8:8-9.

The last-mentioned two instances of religious offering are by Gentiles from outside the land
of Israel. Another instance of religious dedication is that of Mesha, king of Moab, who, in a belea-

The Berean Voice July-August 2002