A battle resulted in the taking of the goods of Sodom including men and one man taken was Lot, a kinsman of Abram. When Abram learned of Lot’s trouble he took men of arms and went after him. Being victorious Abram met the king of Sodom in the Valley of Shaveh. Melchizedek, king of Salem, came to Abram and blessed him, and he gave him a tenth of all one time. Abram kept nothing of the goods recaptured. Abram gave nothing of his own wealth, only from what was reclaimed from the battles, to the King of Peace. Abram did not give according to law that was to come.
Of the law it was written that a man may be cursed and a man may steal and for other reasons be under a penalty. But Melchizedek did not receive by law from Abram, and not under a curse or accusation of thievery. How will a man steal when there is no law? We see how Abraham offered sacrifices of burnt offerings and the blood of animals, but not according to the law of Moses, if we read all that is written of Abram and Abraham. Did Abraham obligate the Church to continue to sacrifice rams, lambs, and doves? We see that the Levite received the tithe according to law as their portion in the land of Canaan. They did not receive it in the wilderness, nor did Moses receive it to build or care for the Tabernacle. Nor did David or Solomon, being of the tribe of Judah, receive it to build the temple in Jerusalem.
We have but one priest of the Most High and He gave us gifts to serve one another, not a priesthood of Levites to offer the blood of animals and exercise curses over one another. The phrase, “Give and it will be given to you,“ is speaking of judgement and forgiveness. Giving to the one who teaches is sharing in all good things. If your gift is giving, give generously with liberty. Do not curse the giving of any or you curse the gift, the seed. Why do you judge one who would speak the words to damn someone using the name of God, but do the same in your own heart to receive a gift? Did not God bless you so that you might bless others? Why do you count your gift as a reason to curse another?
Can you claim a right to take by law that which was given to another and accuse another of thievery? It is only by law that you can accuse and curse. You may not curse anyone using the end of the curse of the law, or accuse anyone without the law as a witness. According to the law something was given to the Levi as his portion. You cannot receive out of the law without the witness of a Levi. What is given to you is yours. What is given to another belongs to another. What is extorted with accusations and threats is not yours. If you judge another of thievery, how do you judge yourself for receiving what is not yours? Do you give yourself grace?
So what do we have to give? We have what God has blessed us with already, for we cannot give from what we have not. Where do we give? Where there is a need, where God shows us a need, and where God instructs us to give. Now there are some who want you to pay to them the Levi’s portions under penalty of a curse, under the law. But when Abram gave he did not give out of obligation or obligate his children. Abraham’s grandson gave out of an oath, again a onetime gift. Be careful that no one tricks you into making an oath based on their misunderstanding or misuse of Abram’s gift, Jacob was not so tricked. Give from your heart with cheer, not out of a curse or obligation. Receive with cheer and thankfulness, and not with accusations and breathing curses.