Counsels on Stewardship
357
left free to the conscience, a plan has been laid out definite enough for
all. No compulsion is required.
God called for men in the Mosaic dispensation to give the tenth of
all their increase. He committed to their trust the things of this life,
talents to be improved and returned to Him. He has required a tenth,
and this He claims as the very least that man should return to Him. He
says: I give you nine tenths, while I require one tenth; that is Mine.
When men withhold the one tenth, they rob God. Sin offerings, peace
offerings, and thank offerings were also required in addition to the
tenth of the increase.
All that is withheld of that which God claims, the tenth of the
increase, is recorded in the books of heaven against the withholders,
as robbery. Such defraud their Creator; and when this sin of neglect is
brought before them, it is not enough for them to change their course
and begin to work from that time upon the right principle. This will
not correct the figures made in the heavenly record for embezzling
the property committed to them in trust to be returned to the Lender.
Repentance for unfaithful dealing with God, and for base ingratitude,
is required.
Whenever God’s people, in any period of the world, have cheerfully
and willingly carried out His plan in systematic benevolence and
in gifts and offerings, they have realized the standing promise that
prosperity should attend all their labors just in proportion as they
obeyed His requirements. When they acknowledged the claims of
God and complied with His requirements, honoring Him with their
substance, their barns were filled with plenty. But when they robbed
God in tithes and in offerings they were made to realize that they were
not only robbing Him but themselves, for He limited His blessings to
[277]
them just in proportion as they limited their offerings to Him
The man who has been unfortunate, and finds himself in debt,
should not take the Lord’s portion to cancel his debts to his fellow
men. He should consider that in these transactions he is being tested,
and that in reserving the Lord’s portion for his own use he is robbing
the Giver. He is debtor to God for all that he has, but he becomes a
double debtor when he uses the Lord’s reserved fund in paying debts
to human beings. “Unfaithfulness to God” is written against his name
506
Testimonies for the Church 3:393-395