God doesn't make arbitrary rules!

A lot of people talk about God as if He is the giant kill joy in the sky, making rules - not for our benefit but to hurt us, limit us, and just because he can. 

Well obviously - I don't believe that, but there have been things over the years that I wondered "Why did you make that rule? It just doesn't make any sense to me at ALL, and while I try to obey - it is easier to disobey (I think) a rule that you don't understand - especially when so many teachers will teach "that rule doesn't apply anymore" (I guess they never read Malachi 3:6 6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change...")  or they say "because God said so" because they don't understand it either.

So I learned something yesterday - the why behind a "rule" and that rule makes so much more sense to me - and I understand it, and can obey it completely =]

My mother is a nurse, she is a great nurse!  She is also a Christian and having the scientific mind of a nurse she told us things that prove the Bible, and helped to instill the knowledge that God is fair and He doesn't just make up arbitrary rules.  When I was a child she shared this with me -
Leviticus 12:1&3
1 The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.
3 On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised.
Eeeeewww!
Why such an arbitrary rule?
Well, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics - it isn't really so arbitrary.
This process reduces infection. std's, cancer, and all kinds of other problems. 
Alright - but why the 8th day?  Why not the first day or on their first birthday?
Again the American Academy of Pediatrics points out that infections are most common and serious in the first few years of life - without antibiotics many babies would die - but why day 8?
Because by the 8th day your body has naturally developed Vitamin K

Today Vitamin K is given as a precaution as some infants are born with a deficiency. This can prevent blood from clotting and cause unexpected hemorrhaging. To be on the safe side, doctors give this booster to infants to prevent this from happening. (Read more at Suite101: Newborn Tests and Screenings: The Evaluation and Screening of Potential Newborn Health Risks http://infant-toddler-health.suite101.com/article.cfm/newborn_tests_and_screenings#ixzz0fd8Kx84w)

God doesn't make arbitrary rules.

So here are some - non arbitrary rules for you
Exodus 13
2 “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”
12 you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to him. 13 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.


14 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. 15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’ 16 This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”

(A brand - A mark - that sets all the Israelites apart from the rest of the world.)

Leviticus 23:9-10
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest.

Let's skip ahead
John 1:29
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
1 Corinthians 15
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

When we become Christians we are born again - we become sons and daughters of God. 

Who was the first son of God?  Jesus Christ Himself - and He was sacrificed - just as the Old Testament requires a first son to be.  Jesus then is the firstborn among all Christians. 

What does Jesus' death do for us? 
Romans 8:1-4
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Jesus death removes the curse of sin - we are re-born - new creations in Christ - part of the lineage - the first born has been given, so the curse of sin is removed from the rest of the line - all Christians - and we are branded "PROPERTY OF GOD"

So back to the non-arbitrary rules -

Exodus 23:19
19 “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God.
and
Malachi 3:10
"10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies."

Here it comes - Why?  Why should I give a tithe (literally a tenth) of my hard earned money to a church?  Can I give it to a poor person?  Can I give it to some cause I like?   I understand being grateful for all Christ has given me - but does it have to be 1/10?  I have bills to pay - mouths to feed - surely God being loving and merciful understands that!

God does understand that - 100% - But Yes you have to give 1/10 and Yes you have to give it to the church/God - WHY?  Because it removes the curse.

The Earth, since the days of Adam and Eve, has been under a curse - it has been under the curse of sin and it is ruled by Satan himself - look back at what obeying that Arbitrary rule about your sons did - it BRANDED them "GOD'S PROPERTY"  God isn't the enemy here - Satan is - God WANTS to put HIS brand on ALL people - God wants everyone to be saved. 

Here is the bad news
Malachi 1:14
14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

Malachi 3:8-9
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!

“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me."

If you don't tithe - your stuff doesn't get branded "GOD'S" and so it is still under the curse - God doesn't protect your stuff, your money, your investments - because you won't let Him.   Just like God doesn't arbitrarily save you - You have to accept the gift.

I know this is long - Part 2 is shorter.  We have all read or heard - God loves a cheerful giver.  I have often struggled with this.  Sometimes you can obey what you see as an arbitrary rule - but it is often hard to be joyful about it. Understanding the curse helps - I don't think I will have a problem being a cheerful giver anymore - How can you be upset about removing the curse?

Amanda