What is the tithe? / tee up Matthew’s Gospel about hearts and treasures (NOTE: Jesus came not to do away with the Old Testament, but to fulfill it)

God is working towards creating a new people, living within a new covenant relationship, having new hearts made alive in Christ Jesus through the work of His Holy Spirit.

God’s plan is to give His people a new heart with a new Spirit. Consider a look back to David’s prayer in Psalm 51 where he asks God to give him a clean heart. David also asks that God not remove His Spirit from him.

The first mention of heart in the Bible is God seeing how the inclinations are evil all the time. His plan is to create in His people a new heart. This shows God’s heart for His treasured people. From the very beginning (Genesis 1 and 2) God has had a heart for His people to be made in His image, having His heart.

From the first verse to the last, Psalm 18 is all about how God gives us the strength to face anything. Psalm 18 begins: To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said… Psalm 18, like so many of the psalms, repeatedly calls God a refuge, because we so constantly need it. When David says in the opening words of the psalm, “I love You, Lord,” he uses an unusual Hebrew word that conveys deep emotion and passion. May we, like David, consider how God delivered us (and continues to deliver us) through Christ our redeemer. Lord, help us to remember that our salvation in Christ is complete. The great work is already done. The great debt has already been paid. No matter what we face, may we put our trust in You. For this we praise You, O Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.