Numbers 18:8-19:22
Dear RTB’ers,
Two items from today’s reading – tithing and the red heifer. The red heifer account is straightforward (just to read), but unusual. The red heifer is a female, not a male; is a cow, not an ox; is slaughtered, not sacrificed; and it happens outside the camp, not at the altar. Unusual. As to the use of the red heifer’s ashes for cleansing, we could read commentaries or use our imagination – how could these ashes be associated with cleansing? Remember the rough texture and cleansing properties of “Lava soap”? Similar…?? Go figure!
As to tithing and first fruits… The first fruits go to Aaron and his descendants, tithing to the rest of the Levites. I can remember my dad taking rabbits and chickens (slain and cleaned) and my mom baking fruit cakes for the priests and nuns. It was always the best that they had. Whether they knew it or not, here is the origin for those activities. And tithing… Today’s reading is one of the longer passages in the Bible regarding tithing. God makes it clear that the Israelites are to tithe their grain and animal production to the Levites as the Levites’ “salary”, since the Levites have no inheritance in the Promised Land. Then the Levites are also to tithe from what they receive, a “tithe of the tithe”. We have the tithe as the standard for giving in Christian circles. I recall that tithing is asked (but not demanded) of all Vestry members (I could be wrong on that) and is encouraged of all members of our church. If you are not tithing, start thinking seriously about doing so. I recall Father David commenting on the difficulty of tithing for someone who had not been doing so: “If tomorrow you had your take-home salary cut by ten percent, you would figure it out.” So again, if you are not tithing, think hard about doing so.
Blessings!