Behar/Bechukotaiבהר/בחקותי

“on the mountain”

“in my statutes”

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

The Torah of Finances

What does the Bible say about money?

•16 of the 38 parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. •In the Gospels, an amazing 1 out of 10 verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money. •The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.

Source- Christianity Today

Does God care about our money?

[Mat 6:19-21 NLT] 19 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.[Pro 23:26 NLT] 26 O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.[Jer 31:33 ESV] 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts…Is tithing in the Torah?

To Tithe or Not to Tithe?

[Heb 7:4-6, 9-10 ESV] 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ... 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

To Tithe or Not to Tithe?

[Act 4:33-37 ESV] 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

To Tithe or Not to Tithe?

•People are more likely to practice tithing when they begin the practice in their teens or early twenties.•People who tithe regularly typically have less debt than other demographics – 8 out of 10 have zero credit card debt and 28% of them are completely debt free, including not having a mortgage.

The Law of Firsts[Rom 11:16 ESV] 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

The Deceit of Riches

[1Ti 6:10 ESV] 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

[Ecc 5:10 ESV] 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

John D. RockefellerBy the time Rockefeller died in 1937, his assets equaled 1.5% of America's total economic output. To control an equivalent share today would require a net worth of about $340 billion dollars, more than four times that of Bill Gates, currently the world's richest man.

John D. Rockefeller was asked how much money is enough, and he answered, "Just one dollar more."

Does God Want us to be Poor?[Deu 8:17-18 ESV] 17 Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.[Psa 37:25-26 ESV] 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.1 Tim. 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Does God Want us to be Poor?[Pro 22:6-7 ESV] 6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. 7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.[Deu 28:12-13 ESV] 12 The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them,

Does God Want us to be Poor?Leviticus 26:3-6 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. 10 You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Does God Want us to be Poor?Leviticus 26:14 “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments…And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it…Those who hate you shall rule over you… 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. [Pro 10:22 ESV] 22 The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.-Abraham was wealthy-Isaac was wealthy-Jacob was wealthy-Joseph was wealthy-Israel was wealthy when they left Egypt-Daniel, Joseph of Arithamea, The Apostle Paul

Does God Want us to be Poor?[Pro 13:22 ESV] 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.Prov. 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.“Given that Jews comprise a mere 1/4 of 1% (13 million) of the world's population (6 billion) and that 99% of the world is non-Jewish, the following list of accomplishments by Jews is quite impressive. Of the 660 Nobel prizes from 1901-1990, 160 have been won by Jews. Jews have won more Nobel prizes than any other ethnicity. They have won 40 times more than should be expected of them based upon population statistics.”

Does God Want us to be Poor?[Mat 7:11 ESV] 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Where is the Balance?[Pro 30:8-9 ESV] 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Where is the Balance?[Phl 4:11-19 ESV] 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The Curse of Comparisons[Exo 20:17 ESV] 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

[Jas 4:2-3 ESV] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

The Curse of Comparisons[2Co 10:12, 17-18 ESV] 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. ... 17 "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Are You a Good Steward?Matt. 25:20-21 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

In the Land of Israel who owns the Land? The Crops? EVERYTHING?Who owns the Earth and everything in it? Everything we have God owns- It’s ALL His. We are only stewards of His possessions. What are we going to do with it?We are to live in Jubilee- DEBT FREE!!!

Are You a Good Steward?[Rom 13:1-8 ESV] 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Are You a Good Steward?5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Action Plan This Week!

1. Repent for going into debt2. Repent for not giving like you should3. Start budgeting4. Put emergency savings & giving at the top priority and work

backwards from there5. Make a plan to get out of debt as quickly as possible6. Cut out the wasteful spending and pray for wisdom and

discipline