In Deuteronomy 14:25-27 we read, “You shall turn [your tithe] into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire… And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.”

Sometimes we need reminders to rejoice. Photographers taking a group shot often have to remind everyone to say “cheese.” Perhaps you have needed a reminder, at a family gathering or celebration, to get into the spirit of the occasion!

In a similar way, God reminded Israel to have a joyful spirit when they worshiped him in their giving. He did not want their tithe to become perfunctory. Much less did he want them to develop a sour attitude about having to support Levites, orphans, and widows. So God actually commanded them, in Deuteronomy 14, to use part of their tithe to eat in his presence and be glad!

If we compare our situation to that of the Israelites, we can see that we differ from them in a couple of important ways. First, God gives us more freedom in the New Testament about how to dispense our tithes and offerings. Second and most importantly, God has now revealed that all our giving and rejoicing is ultimately grounded in his Gift to us. Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for us, has become the source of all God’s bounty to us and the root of all our thanksgiving to God.

With those differences in mind, we can see how otherwise our situation is much the same. Like Israel, we can clearly see that in our giving, we merely offer back to God what came from him. The Israelites understood this keenly – they knew that they carried a tithe in their hand to give to the Lord only because he had given them rain and had put his blessing on their crops and animals. This is no less true for us today, although we may be less aware of it. If God stopped the rain, or struck us with some other calamity, we would have very little to give. With that in mind, we should rejoice in our ability to give generously, since we recognize it to be an echo of God’s generosity to us.

God’s generosity also becomes evident in his instructions to Israel about how to spend their tithe by feasting in his presence. In Deuteronomy 14:26, he encouraged them to spend their tithe money on meat – a relative luxury – or wine, or whatever their hearts craved. God encouraged lavishness and great celebration, because he is not a bread-and-water kind of God. He gives us over-the-top blessings, even to the point of giving us his only begotten Son. He wants his people to revel in his rich goodness by giving rich thanks.

Today God no longer makes lavish feasting a part of our New Testament worship. But he does want you, like Israel, to celebrate as you give, putting your heart into it. How can you do this? Share your home with those who need a home. Give your possessions to those who need them more than you do. Lend your things out without worrying so much about whether they come back with a scratch. Support the ministry of the church with a free hand and an overflowing heart – not just with your check book, but with your labor and with your perseverance in doing good. God has been so lavish in his blessings to you. Respond to him with joyful giving!