And as soon as the commandment was published, the children of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of corn, new wine and oil and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all [things].
Hezekiah had called on his people to provide for the priests and Levites who served in holy things. The answer came at once, and it came in abundance — which raises two questions: what moved them, and what does such giving ask of us today?
Two things stand out: how fast the people moved, and how far the giving reached.
There was an immediate and generous response to this thoughtful call of the king… The people of Jerusalem were not the only ones who woke up to their duty towards those who served in holy things. It spread through the whole kingdom… The offering continued from the third month to the seventh — right through their harvest and vintage.
The king invented nothing new. The verse names two old duties: the firstfruits, the first and best of a crop, and the tithe, a tenth of everything.
To support the priests and Levites in their service, nothing more was needed than to put the ancient provision back in force — firstfruits, tithes, and firstborn animals (Ex. 23:19; Num. 18:12, 21; Lev. 27:30-33). These, together with "the tithe of dedicated things," were now offered in such quantity that they more than met the needs of the priesthood. They left a large surplus, to the thankful joy and surprise of Hezekiah and the princes… The collecting of this store began in the third month — the month of Pentecost — when the people had finished the wheat harvest. It ended in the seventh month — the month of Tabernacles, which closed the fruit harvest and the vintage.
The verse says firstfruits. The people did not bring what was left after the household had taken its share.
Scripture brings out this principle again and again. Long ago the people of Israel gave the first and best of their time and energy to gathering the manna God provided for them. Proverbs says, "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce" (Prov. 3:9). When God provided for the support of the priests, He gave them parts of the various offerings. He also said, "All the best of the oil, all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you" (Num. 18:12). That is another example: we are to give God the first and best of all we are and have. When we judge our own state, we can hardly overrate this question — are we in the habit of giving God our first and best?
Generosity like this has a root. One writer traces it to what the people felt before they gave anything.
When all were completely happy before the Lord, they began to care about the Lord's interests. The people brought in the tithe of all things "abundantly," and the priests and Levites were "encouraged" (2 Chr. 31:4-5, older wording). When they began to give, the Lord began to bless. As joy in the Lord rises, interest in and care for His things break out, and "heaps, heaps" (2 Chr. 31:6, 12) meet the eye of the gladdened king.
There is a sober lesson underneath the abundance. What God's servants lived on was tied to something the people could not fake.
When the people attended to the altar of God with care, warmth and devotion, the priests and Levites had a rich portion, an abundant supply. When they treated the Lord and His altar with cold neglect, or served only in a barren routine or heartless formality, they neglected the Lord's servants to the same degree. In a word, they stood closely identified with the worship and service of the God of Israel.
Does this bind Christians to give a tenth? One writer answers from what Christ's sacrifice has done for us.
When the truth of God touched people's hearts, they did not count tithes a hardship. Under grace there is no commandment to tithe. But the sacrifice of Christ for us has blessed us beyond measure, so our giving is to be voluntary and spontaneous. "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).
- Joy — Giving grew out of gladness. When hearts were happy before the Lord, His interests became their interest.
- Response — The people obeyed the moment the command went out, and the giving spread through the whole kingdom.
- First — They brought the firstfruits, not the leftovers. The test still stands: does God get our first and best?
- Overflow — The gifts came in from the wheat harvest right through the vintage. They met every need and left a surplus that surprised the king.
- Servants — God's servants fare as His altar fares. Today the measure is not a fixed tenth but a cheerful, willing heart.
And the children of Israel and of Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to Jehovah their God, and laid them by heaps.
Hezekiah's reforms ended with a practical question: who would feed the priests and Levites who kept the temple running? This verse gives the answer from the towns outside Jerusalem — tithes of cattle, sheep and dedicated things, piled up in heaps.
The tithe named here was already fixed in the law. One writer explains how the tenth of the herd worked, including the rule against sorting good animals from bad:
As to the tithe of land, whether seed of the land or fruit of the tree, all was Jehovah's, holy to Him. And if a man wanted to redeem part of it, he had to add a fifth as a forfeit. Again, in the tithe of herd or flock, the tenth was holy to Jehovah. And the rule was strict: he was not to search out good or bad, and he was not to change it. Jehovah accepted it just as it was.
Hezekiah invented no new system. He put the old arrangement back in force, and the result went far past what the priests needed:
To support the serving priests and Levites, nothing more was needed than to put the ancient provision back in force: firstfruits, tithes and firstlings. These, with "the tithe of dedicated things," were now brought in such quantity that they more than met the needs of the priesthood. They left a large surplus, to the thankful joy and surprise of Hezekiah and the princes.
The verse names two peoples living in one place. That detail shows who had come back:
These contributions, or dues, came not only from Judah, but also from "the children of Israel" (verse 6). That is, they came from those in the northern kingdom who had returned with their brothers to the service and the law of their Lord.
The heaps were not the work of one collection day. They grew through a whole season of harvest:
They had laid the holy things in heaps. At the end of four summer months of gathering, there was a great over-abundance. Hezekiah and the other leaders of Judah came to see the heaps. They were so impressed that they gladly blessed the Lord and the people too.
And the heaps did more than cover the bill. One writer sees in them a generosity that overflowed the need:
How truly refreshing all this is! And how encouraging! The deep, full tide of devotedness flowed around the altar of God, carrying an ample supply to meet all the need of the Lord's servants, and "heaps" besides.
This giving had a root. One writer traces it back to knowing God's grace:
Knowing this precious grace of God is what gives the strength to bear fruit... It was so in 2 Chronicles 31. The sacrifices were finished. The soul was filled with joy — the joy of communion and worship. The idols are broken to pieces, and then there is abundance of fruit.
The tithe passed through the Levites' hands, but it was never treated as a wage paid by one person to another:
Suppose you asked the children of Israel, "To whom do you give the tithes?" The godly would answer, "We give them to the Lord." Suppose you asked the faithful Levites, "From whom do you receive the tithes?" They would answer, "We receive them from the Lord."
Does the tithe still bind readers today? One writer draws the line, and names what takes its place:
When the truth of God touched people's hearts, they did not see tithes as a hardship. Under grace there is no command to tithe. But the sacrifice of Christ for us has blessed us beyond measure, so our giving is to be voluntary and spontaneous. "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Another writer traces where that giving flows, and what it shows about the giver:
"The rich tide of God's grace and provision had flowed to them. Then it was to flow through them, out to the servants of the Lord and the needy." This is what the work of grace in our hearts produces. Giving as the Lord had commanded was evidence not only of material prosperity, but of prosperity of soul as well.
- Grace first. The sacrifices, the joy and the broken idols came before the heaps. Fruit grew out of communion, not out of pressure.
- Nothing new. Hezekiah only put the old rule back in force: firstfruits, tithes and firstlings. Even the tenth of the herd went in as it came, good or bad.
- Wider than Judah. Northerners who had returned to the Lord's service gave alongside Judah, so a reunited people built the heaps.
- More than enough. Four months of gathering left far more than the priests needed, and the king and princes blessed the Lord at the sight.
- Flowing on. What grace pours in is meant to pour out again, to the Lord's servants and the needy. Giving measures the soul as much as the pocket.
In the third month they began to lay the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
Hezekiah had asked the people to provide for the priests and Levites at the temple. This verse marks how long their giving ran: from the third month of the year to the seventh.
The third and seventh months were not random points on a calendar. Each one sat at the end of a harvest, and not everyone who gave lived in Judah.
The firstfruits, tithes, and firstborn animals, together with "the tithe of dedicated things," were now given in such quantity that they more than met the needs of the priesthood. There was a large surplus left, to the thankful joy and surprise of Hezekiah and the princes. They began to collect this store in the third month, the month of Pentecost, when the wheat harvest ended. They finished in the seventh month, the month of Tabernacles, which closed the fruit harvest and the grape harvest. These contributions, or dues, came not only from Judah but also from "the children of Israel." These were people of the northern kingdom who had joined their brothers in returning to the service and the law of their Lord.
The piles kept growing for four months. More than the priests were glad about them.
How truly refreshing is all this! And how encouraging! The deep, full, silvery tide of devotion flowed around the altar of God. It carried an ample supply to meet every need of the Lord's servants, and "heaps" besides. We are sure this pleased the heart of the God of Israel. It pleased the hearts of His servants too. They had given themselves to the service of His altar and His sanctuary, at His call and by His appointment.
Notice what came first. Before the heaps, there was a people glad in God.
You find, too, that when all were thoroughly happy before the Lord, they began to occupy themselves with the Lord's interests. The people brought in the tithe of all things "abundantly," and the priests and Levites were "encouraged." When they began to give, the Lord began to bless. As joy in the Lord rises, interest in and care for His things break out, and "heaps, heaps" meet the eye of the gladdened king. The Lord has given us a brightening up many a time, but how soon we sink down.
Grain, oil, and livestock are ordinary farm produce. The king looked at the piles and saw something else.
"And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel." And it was fitting that they should do so. In these material fruits of the land they saw the fruit of God's Spirit in His people. The king then questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps. The chief priest answered him, "Since the people began to bring in the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have plenty left: for the Lord has blessed His people; and what is left is this great store." Sad, that it should ever have been otherwise with them.
The king's gladness was not about full storehouses. Paul knew the same feeling about gifts sent to him.
When Hezekiah appealed to the people about the needs of the house of Jehovah, he was delighted with the result. The godly king's feelings were similar to those of Paul in Philippians 4:17 — "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit."
- Season. The giving ran from the third month to the seventh — Pentecost through Tabernacles, the whole span of grain, fruit, and grapes.
- Steady. This was not one collection. The people kept bringing for four months, and that is how piles grew into heaps.
- Surplus. The gifts met every need of the Lord's servants, and still left "heaps" besides.
- Source. The chief priest traced the plenty to God's blessing on a people who had begun to give. Giving came first; blessing followed.
- Sign. The piles were the fruit of God's Spirit in His people. That is why the sight moved the king to praise God, not to count his stores.
And Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, and they blessed Jehovah, and his people Israel.
Hezekiah had called the people to give the priests and Levites the portion the law required, and the gifts poured in until the surplus lay in heaps. The king and his officials came, saw the heaps, and blessed God — and then blessed the people who had given.
These heaps were built from the dues the law had always required. One writer names them, traces their timing, and reports what the high priest told the king.
The people now brought in the firstfruits, tithes and firstlings the law required, together with "the tithe of dedicated things." There was so much that it not only met the needs of the priesthood but left a large surplus. This brought thankful joy and surprise to Hezekiah and the princes. The king asked where it had all come from. The high priest Azariah explained that the large store had gathered because the Lord had given special blessing to a willing and obedient people. They started collecting this store in the third month, the month of Pentecost, when the wheat harvest ended. They ended in the seventh month, the month of Tabernacles, which closed the fruit harvest and the grape harvest. These gifts came not only from Judah but also from "the children of Israel" — from those in the northern kingdom who had come back with their countrymen to the service and the law of their Lord.
So the heaps were not a single collection. They grew through every harvest of the year.
Giving like this has a root. One writer finds it in the grace of God, known and enjoyed.
It is the knowledge of this precious grace of God that gives strength to bring forth fruits. The wandering child has no more power to bring forth fruit than the dead sinner. Fruit can only spring from a spirit that is not grieved, a spirit in communion with Christ. It was so in 2 Chronicles 31. The sacrifices are finished. Joy fills the soul, the joy of communion and worship. They break the idols to pieces, and then there is abundance of fruits.
One writer describes what a scene like this means to God, and to the men who serve Him.
How truly refreshing is all this! And how encouraging! A deep, full tide of devotion flowed around the altar of God. It carried an ample supply to meet every need of the Lord's servants, and "heaps" besides. We feel sure this pleased the heart of the God of Israel. It pleased, too, the hearts of those who had given themselves to the service of His altar and His sanctuary, at His call and by His appointment.
Hezekiah's gladness was not the gladness of a treasurer with a full storehouse. One writer sets his reaction beside Paul's words to the Philippians.
When Hezekiah appealed to the people about the needs of the house of Jehovah, he was delighted with the result. The godly king's feelings were like those of Paul in Philippians 4:17 — "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit."
Hezekiah lived in a divided, broken nation. Ruin did not cancel what the word of the Lord asked of him.
True, the nation's visible unity was gone. Things looked most discouraging when he began his blessed work. But the word of the Lord applied as truly, as really, and as directly in Hezekiah's day as it did in the days of David or Joshua... Were the priests and the Levites to starve because Israel's national unity was gone? Surely not... Circumstances might change. An Israelite might end up somewhere he could not keep every detail of the ceremonial law. But he could never end up anywhere that it was not his high privilege to give full expression to his heart's devotion to the service, the altar, and the law of Jehovah.
One writer carries the same arrangement into our own day.
The Levites who did the work of God depended on support from the rest of the people. The house of God and all its needs also depended on the people's offerings. So also in our day. Then, as now, when the giving of tithes and offerings fell off, it affected the Lord's servants and held back the work of the Lord. More generous support would mean much more work done for the Lord.
- Cleansed first. The heaps came after the sacrifices, the joy, and the broken idols. Fruit grows out of communion with Christ.
- Commanded, then willing. Hezekiah asked only for what the law already required. Willing people turned an old duty into an overflow.
- Blessed by God. Azariah traced the surplus to its source. The Lord had blessed a willing and obedient people.
- Enough and over. The gifts met every need of the Lord's servants, and "heaps" remained. That pleased God's heart and the hearts of those who served at His altar.
- Blessed twice over. The king blessed God, then blessed the givers — glad not for the gift but for the fruit credited to them. God's work still leans on His people's giving today.