Numbers 18:25

Numbers 18:25 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-six adds, Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.  Even though the Levites were to have the tithe of the rest of the people of Israel to use as their inheritance from God, He still expected them to offer a tithe of it to Him. We cannot exempt ourselves from obeying God's laws because we are serving Him and living by His provision for us.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’s heave offering to Aaron the priest.  The tithe given to Aaron the priest would be counted the same as an offering of grain or wine for the Levites, since they did not grow things themselves.  I believe God still expects us to tithe on all that we have.  Verse twenty-nine states, Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.  The Levites were to offer the best to the LORD, which Matthew Henry says was likely used to maintain the high priest, since there is no mention of any other way of providing for him.  Verse thirty adds, Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.  Verse thirty-one continues, And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.  After the Levites offered their tithe to the LORD,  they could freely eat of the rest of the offerings, even though they had been offered to God.  I believe that God still expects us to use His tithes and offerings to support His work.  Those in full time ministry should pay their tithes and offerings to God, but they should also have their needs abundantly met by the congregation.  Verse thirty-two concludes, And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.  If the Levites obeyed God's commands concerning the use of the tithes and offerings, they would bear no guilt in using them.  As followers of Christ today, we must use the things that God blesses us with in accordance with His will and for His honor and glory.