Types of Giving

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine."
We give gifts all the time.  Birthday presents.  Christmas presents.  Baby shower presents.  Wedding presents.  The list goes on and on.  These are said to be gifts, but in society it is assumed that there will be reciprocity.  If I attend your baby shower and give a “gift” then it is expected that you attend mine and give a “gift”.  We have a rather skewed understanding of “gift” and take this concept into our understanding of giving to the Lord.
With the Lord, there is no quid pro quo.  He needs nothing from us.  We should not give to the Lord expecting in return.  That is not a gift.  Doing that is an investment.  The Scriptures explain two types of giving to the Lord:  Lordship giving or tithes and offerings.  Tithes are our giving of our first fruit or first income.  These gifts recognize that the Lord is the provider of all that we receive.  The tithe predates the Levitical offerings.  In Genesis when Abraham meets the high priest of Salem (to be Jerusalem), Melchizedek, he presented to him 10% of all he had recovered in his battle with Kedorlaomer and all his allies (Genesis 14, Hebrews 7).
The offering giving is giving beyond, giving from our source of “true wealth”. Grace giving.  There are two promises we have when we give:
  1. Promise 1: Your barns (Storage places) will be filled with plenty ( souls of men)
  2. Promise 2: Your way of earning will be blessed.

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