TUESDAY, JUNE 24
Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:13-18

Deuteronomy 26 records the law of the tithe. Verse 13 reveals what every giver was supposed to say as they were giving their tithe, “Then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the holy tithe from my house, also given that to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, According to all Your commandments which you have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them.’” In verse 15 givers were to declare, “…Look down from Your holy habitation from heaven and bless your people Israel and the land which you have given us just as you swore to our fathers, A land flowing with milk and honey. “ It is interesting that in verses 16-18 we have the following statement, “This day the Lord your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice. Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments,…” The Lord brought me to this passage when my ministry costs had doubled and I did not have the faith for it. The key to understanding this passage is the Hebrew hiphil causative verb in verses 17 and 18. Verse 17 says, “Today you have proclaimed/avouched/declared the Lord to be your God…” Verse 18 says, “Also today the Lord has proclaimed/avouched/declared you to be His special people…” The Lord impressed me to look up this passage and to discover what a causative verb means. On page 61 of the Gesenius Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, the Baker Book House Edition, says of this verb, “To cause, to say; Deuteronomy 26:17, “Thou hast this day made Jehovah to say, or promise,” etc..; Verse 18, “And Jehovah hath made thee promise,” i.e. Ye have mutually promised, and accepted, and ratified(accepted) the conditions of each other.” “Causative” here means: When I listen to God, and give where He tells me to give, my act of obedience causes God to listen to what I ask and agree to perform it. But it is essential to seek His Heart and only ask for what is His revealed purpose. When I listen and obey what God asks me to do, He listens and performs what I ask Him to do. God is the One who challenges us to walk in this causative covenant. He is the one who made it a Hebrew hiphil causative verb. Our obedience to His voice causes His obedience to our voice. Page 61 of the Baker Book House Edition of the Gesenius Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament records this truth. That wasn’t our idea – it was His. This becomes a foundation for every withdrawal we will ever make from our Heavenly account. The faith to make a withdrawal from our Heavenly account comes from these three verses in Deuteronomy 26. Get to know them, get to understand them and read them over and over again until they become a part of how we think. This is God’s idea of covenant. We give what He tells us to give, when and where and He gives what we ask Him, when and where! That is God’s covenant terminology. It does not get any clearer than that. It doesn’t get any plainer than that. It is no wonder that God challenges people, “Test Me now in this and see if I will not open Heaven for you. Put me to the test! See if I am not a Covenant-Keeper.”