Grace, Access, and Generosity.

In the Old Testament, God established tithing as a command for the children of Israel. Giving 10% was not a suggestion—it was codified in the Law of Moses, operating alongside the sacrificial system and ceremonial rules.

The tithe served a specific functional purpose: it supported the Levite priests who served in the tabernacle and temple. This was a system of worship under the Old Covenant, shaped by covenantal obedience within Israel’s national life—rather than the Spirit-led generosity emphasized under the New Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant, practices like tithing functioned within a system that helped preserve access to God through a priesthood and sacrificial structure. Giving played a role in maintaining proximity when intimacy with God was external and mediated.

Under the New Covenant, access to God is no longer maintained through systems, rituals, or financial obligations, but through union with Christ. Because access is now permanent and personal, giving no longer functions as a gatekeeper of blessing or proof of obedience.

Instead, giving becomes an expression of relationship. It flows from trust, gratitude, and participation rather than fear or requirement. Obedience under grace is not compliance to maintain favor, but alignment with a relationship already secured by grace. In this way, generosity is no longer a demand placed on believers, but a response that naturally flows from love received.

The writer of Hebrews presents a pivotal argument regarding the priesthood. When the nature of the priesthood changes, the law governing that priesthood must inherently change as well.

The cross did not abolish the concept of giving. Rather, it fundamentally altered the motivation. We give not out of legal obligation, but out of gratitude for the grace we have received.