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Deuteronomy 12:17-18. "You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstlings of your herd or of your flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the offering that you present;  but you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite who is within your towns; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake."

 

Deuteronomy can sometimes seem such a drudgery, with its long lists of rules and statutes. But if we look at it with the right perspective, it really is a window into how much God loves us. God's rules are not about keeping us in line, nor about Him demanding our praise, they are about love. God wants every single person to have a relationship with Him, the only place we can find true happiness. He wants us all to attain Heaven, and while we are here, He wants us all to be cared for.

 

These verses of Deuteronomy deal with tithing, the requirement for the Jews to give God their first fruits, the best ten percent of everything. Tithing can seem onerous and unreasonable. Why should I deprive myself of the best of what I have grown or earned or produced? Shouldn't I get to decide what to give back to God? Shouldn't I have some say in how these things are distributed? That is prideful thinking, putting myself in the place of God as to the distribution of my gifts. God is not asking the Jews to give their first fruits as they see fit, He is telling them they must give them to Him. But here He reveals one reason why He tells them to do that. He is not seeking the tithes for His own sake, God needs nothing. Rather, He wants His people to share and enjoy the best of His gifts in His presence, with His other children, including the priests who rely on that sharing to live. It is about communion with Him and with others. It is a foretaste of Heaven!

 

All of God's laws are for our good. He wants us to be in right relationship with Him, the source of all goodness, so we can be happy and healthy here, and with Him in eternity. So when we feel burdened by one of God's commands, we should stop and think why He might be asking it of us. He is never trying to make us sad or overwhelmed, He is always trying to bring about a greater good for us and for others. Looking at His commands this way makes them so much easier, and even joyful, to obey. It's all a matter of perspective.