THE TENTH- PART IN THE COVENANT OF PROSPERITY

By Rev.  Michael Benson Ajayi  
Gen 8:5 KJV “And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.”
        Noah was a descendant of Seth the man who led the first ever revival after the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden (Gen4:26). He was the first person to institute the act of worship and passed it on to his son Abel and down to Abraham.
        Noah lived in an era where there was no written moral code: people did as they pleased and wickedness thrived . There was a heightened demonic influence resulting in genetic mutation and the birth of giants with extraordinary capabilities threatening to destroy humans (Gen 6:1-7) thus the flood which was meant to restore law and order
             Noah understood God's purpose for humanity and this qualified him to be the symbol of authority needed to institute law and order . Authentic authority demands loyalty.Tokens or symbols of honour  are required as proof of one’s loyalty to a superior authority just as a wedding ceremony authenticates a marriage. This is the reason behind the acts of obeisance by subjects before a monarch and it requires the sacrifice of valuable assets which may include, time, money, provisions and energy through duty or service .
              The flood was a demonstration of God's saving grace through faith . The ark was an antitype of Christ but unfortunately, the majority rejected the message of grace and perished except Noah, his wife ,three sons and their wives (Gen7:1-24).
                 Noah had two of each species of animals with him in the ark and after 150 days of rain, there was need for the ark to be rightly positioned for easy exit . Five months in a confined space with wild beasts is enough to put a man under so much stress testing Noah's faith and loyalty. He ran the risk of the ark being in the high seas away from solid ground and that would have spelt doom . He built an ark by faith and required same to land on dry ground, this was demonstrated when he gave the tenth- part of his provisions as a token of his loyalty to God. Scriptures says  in Gen 8:5 “… until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month..”   The Hebrew interlinear dictionary reads “in the tenth the tenth month “ the phrase “in the tenth “ is the Hebrew word ‘asar’  a word which means ‘ tithe’ or to give the tenth part. This was over a thousand years before Abraham . Abraham repeated same as a sign of being under divine authority after his encounter with Melchizedek (an antitype of Christ). Most Africans have an ancestry traceable to the dark-skinned son of Noah (Ham); and practice the tradition of setting apart a tenth part of food to the most high God after harvest and before eating meals as an acknowledgment of his preeminence.This is the origin of oblation .The tenth part is symbolic of the hand of God ( Ecc.2:24) with ten fingers (Ex8:19) it is strictly an act of devotion that gives confidence .
                  New Testament believers are not expected to tithe according to Moses’ laws but like Noah, Abraham (Gen14:20), Jacob (Gen28:22) who were not under the law .We are not cursed when we don’t tithe because we are not under the Mosaic law. Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of not tithing according to the law of Moses (Gal 3:13, Gal 2:16). The New Testament church did not mention tithe but it was inferred in 1Corinthians 16:1-2, 2Cor.8:3-5,Phil4:15-18 and its purpose is for the needs of the poor to be met, spread of the gospel and proof that a person was under spiritual authority; it teaches humility (Deut14:23). This is God’s formula for the eradication of poverty among Christians. God’s kingdom’s economic principles discourages ownership but encourages commonwealth (Acts4:32,Acts 2:44-46). It was after Noah  gave the tenth part out of his provisions in his heart that the mountains he sought for appeared. Faith is demonstrated through solemn vows. He was quick to demonstrate his faith as soon as he disembarked (Gen8:20) with a divine endorsement in Gen8:22 AMP. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. “. The power to prosper is in yours hands (Joshua1:8 ,Ps 50:14). As you read this receive freedom from the cycle of poverty in Jesus name. Prayer/counseling +234 809 853 6911,+234 803 553 6911 Email : michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com 

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