KFLCC Kingdom Economics

F INANCIAL S ECURITY IN THE L AST D AYS

from their work for an entire year, and bring supernatural harvest and prosperity to families owning farms. However, it actually brought the disfavor of God upon the nation for lack of obedience. If the people did not allow the land to rest, then God would force a rest by removing the people from the land. This was the theme of Malachi’s warning to the people: If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. M ALACHI 2:2 A BRAHAM ’ S T ENTH Genesis 14 records that, in the time of Abraham, five foreign kings invaded the southern portion of Israel in the Dead Sea region and took captive all the people of the five cities of the plain, including Sodom. Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family were also taken captive. Abraham organized 318 fighting men on camels and attacked the kings, taking back the people and the possessions of Sodom. Abraham carried the goods or spoils from the war to Jerusalem (then called Salem according to Gen. 14:18), and offered the tithe to God’s priest and king, Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20). The word tithe means the tenth, thus one tenth of the spoil was given to the King-Priest of Jerusalem. Most casual readers assume that the tithe Abraham gave was from his own wealth. However, this is not the case in this narrative. After carefully examining the text, we see that it was the goods and possessions from Sodom that Abraham used for tithe. As this event unfolded, the king of Sodom told Abraham to keep all the possessions of wealth, and just release to the king the people of the city (Gen. 14:21). But Abraham refused to take the wealth, as he desired that his blessing come from God, and for no man to receive personal glory for his financial and material blessings (Gen. 14:22-23). Abraham was able to defeat these kings with a small group of trained servants (Gen. 14:14). Abraham was God’s personal covenant man, and according to Genesis 15:1, God promised to be Abraham’s shield (defender in war) and reward (financial provider). When the five kings from the area of Shinar (near Babylon) chose to attack Sodom, they were unaware that God’s covenant man, Abraham, had a nephew named Lot living in the city (Gen. 19).

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