Deuteronomy 12:5-7 AMPC
5 But you shall seek the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His Name and make His dwelling place, and there shall you come;
6 And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering of your hands, and your vows and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock.
7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
In this time in which we observe the feast of Purim, we remember the deliverance the Lord provided for the Jewish people who were under the oppression of Haman the descendant of king Agag. King Agag (1 Samuel 15:20) was an Amalekite, a tribe that was a declared enemy of the Jewish people. They came sometimes by themselves and other times with other enemies during times when the Israelites, who were on their journey out of Egypt and into their promised land, were most vulnerable and weak and then they would come to steal from them and wipe them clean (Judges 6:33). Due to this spirit of terror and its utter aggression against God`s chosen people (sometimes because of their disobedience), God declared that every generation would fight this enemy and overcome it because He, (God Himself) would fight the battles for them (Exodus 17:14-16).
This spirit is manifested through the works of the Antichrist spirit. A spirit that not only wants to replace Christ—the anointed one and those who represent Him on the earth, but wants to completely remove them from their places of assignment and many times even remove them from the face of the earth as was the intention of Haman during the times when Esther took her position as queen. But, just as God promised, deliverance came for His beloved people in that generation, whom He also called to be a peculiar people unto Him. Through His intervention in their lives, He demonstrated great wonders that would bring the fear of Him in the hearts of the people of the land and cause them to turn to Him and become part of His family of Believers (Esther 8:17).
For this reason, God gives us sanctified favor (grace) in this season (which gives us the wisdom to understand why God is giving us this favor and how to respond), like when the king extended his scepter to queen Esther to spare her life. This had to be done for her because she came before the king unannounced which was against the law. But Queen Esther dared to go before the king fully aware of the possible consequences because she had a great cause to uphold. And that was to appeal to the king on behalf of her Jewish people who were under the threat of evil Haman, who had plotted and set a date for their annihilation.
But Esther`s cause of exposing the enemy of her people and her plea for protection turned successful and the enemy was hung on the same gallows he had raised for Mordecai, Esther`s cousin, who refused to bow to Haman`s pride and arrogance. Haman`s ten sons were also hung in the gallows. Afterwards, Queen Esther received a reward for being willing to die in order to defend her people and Mordecai also received a reward for not bowing down to the wickedness of Haman. Thus, to celebrate the victory, King Xerxes laid a tribute (taxes) on the land and all his kingdom. This translates to the passage above in which God is asking His people to bring a tribute (first fruits sacrificial offering) for the victory obtained and to sanctify their coming provision for the next seven years).
Also, observe that a similar situation happened during the time of Joseph when Pharaoh was warned about the seven years of plenty followed by a seven year famine. And Joseph, who represents Jesus and the Church, was able to have a place of prominence because of his administrative and governmental abilities that made him prosper in the midst of a dry and weary environment where others were losing, but he caused those around him to prosper (See Genesis 41).
Therefore, another important reason this sacrificial giving is done is to remove the influence of the Mammon spirit from our lives because living under its influence can cause a great famine to come during the time of the shaking that is coming. This is a shaking of the influence of the Antichrist spirit (the spirit that rules the world). God does not want His people to suffer lack and poverty because He takes great pleasure in the prosperity of His people (Psalm 35:27). But He also wants them to not be subjected to the spirit of Mammon (part of the spirit of this world that works with the spirits of Jezebel and Religion which form the trinity of the Antichrist spirit) and anything that becomes an idol in our lives like the worship of the work of our hands. Instead, the Lord wants us to learn to seek first His Kingdom and all His righteousness so that the things we desire and want can be added unto us free of the influence of this spirit (Matthew 6:31-33). No one can serve two masters—God and riches (Mammon) (Matthew 6:4).
What is more, God wants to remove poverty from His house. He wants His people to have the abundance of the riches of His glory that will help us advance the Kingdom of God through our lives and have everything needed to dedicate time of intimacy with Him and to be able to fulfill our callings without worrying about not having the finances and resources needed for life and godlines. This was seen in the book of Acts chapter 2 and 4 when God intervened in the lives of the Believers and once they understood this principle, brought their possessions at the feet of the Apostles to be distributed so no one among them would be in lack.
Acts 2:43-45 says,
43 “And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).
44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;
45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.” AMPC
And Acts 4:33-37 confirms,
33 And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all.
34 Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales
35 And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need.
36 Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, which interpreted means Son of Encouragement,
37 Sold a field which belonged to him and brought the sum of money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.” AMPC
This is a mandate for the Church in this hour and those who understand and obey this principle will reap the benefits of avoiding a financial famine among other things that will come when the shaking of the spirit of this world is released to remove its influence from the land and from the lives of God`s people because our God is a Jealous God who will not share His glory with idols in the hearts and the lives of His children (Exodus 20:4-6; 34:13-16).
To Him alone be all the glory ▪
To Him alone be all the glory ▪
© 2016.
Images by Google Images
