For the last 10 years or so I have made the claim that is ordained by God. The origins for this claim can be found in a Deuteronomic History class I had as an undergrad in which the Professor painted a glorious picture of the Old Testament sacrificial system as a fellowship meal between God and God’s people. After some searching of my own through the Torah, I realized that it wasn’t the entire sacrificial system that painted this picture, but that the picture is indeed painted and nowhere better than in the 14th chapter of Deuteronomy.
22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. (NIV)
I’ve always found this text interesting on a couple of levels. First, it demonstrates an aspect of tithing that I never heard of in church growing up. The tithe offered here is not merely a surrender of 10% of what was produced. it is a sharing of what has been produced by the joint efforts of the family and God. Tithing in this passage is participatory. It is a thank you to God for provision and party to celebrate the increase. Look at the instructions:
if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish.
The purpose of this tithe is to celebrate the community we share with God and what has resulted from it. That is very different than dropping 10% in the plate on a Sunday, and it is also one of the reasons I like to bring food to share with my community of faith. They are my faith family enjoined with my physical family in the work God has called us to share in. The natural out pouring of this relationship in my mind is a participatory tithe with my community of faith.
The second reason this text peaks my interest is that it paints a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship between God and and God’s followers, a picture I think is recreated when families and friends gather around the yard or park for a BBQ. Take a moment to think about what BBQ is and what goes on during a family BBQ.
By definition, BBQ is the slow roasting of meat over low heat. Different regions have different preferences for meat and types of sauce, but common to all is a long cooking time during which there is ample time for fellowship of all types. Sitting around the BBQ pit/grill is perfect for reminiscing, talking about the future, celebrating a birthday, or mourning a loss in the family. When we BBQ we do far more than eat. We share ourselves, we share our possessions, we share our families and lives. BBQing with people is not just dining; its an honor because it lets you in at a level not everyone is allowed to experience. BBQing slows life down to a pace that allows us to celebrate the life we have with those we love and for a moment reorder our lives so that the world takes a back seat to our relationships.
This is why I see the tithe in Deuteronomy 14 as a BBQ. It is a process in which people are forced to slow down to a pace at which they can commune with God. It is not fast like grilling burgers or hot dogs, its time consuming and places things back in their proper place. The focus is no longer on the toil and stress brought about by production but on God and the relationship that blessed that stress and toil.
One of the beautiful things about food it that it draws us together, and there is something sacred about sharing life. Jesus said the two most important Laws in the Torah are love God with all of your heart and Love people as you love yourself; that all of the Laws are built on these two things. When we feast, when we celebrate, when we BBQ, we share in the sacred part of life on which God built the Law as we create the community for which we were created.
I hope you find some time soon to get together with your friends and family and share life together. BBQ don’t just grill, or if you choose to grill burgers and hot dogs, take the time to stretch the experience. Let the event slow you down so you can fully experience that sacred part of our lives. To help, follow the link to a recipe I posted in 2010 of a BBQ Sauce I created.
https://preludeandcoda.com/2010/09/19/tried-something-new-a-bbq-sauce/
Prelude and Coda 