Beware the Unholy Hook

# 31 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 2:13,14 And the priests' custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. (1 Sa 2:13,14) When people came to sacrifice, a certain portion of the meat that they sacrificed was designated for the priests. We read about this practice in Le 7:34, “For the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering I have taken from the children of Israel, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the children of Israel by a statute forever.'" There was no provision for the priests to go fishing for more and better cuts of meat. Yet somehow this practice had evolved to the point that they even developed a special tool to increase their chances of pulling out some prime rib! Kinda makes you wonder who the first priest was who came up with the idea and then pulled it off on some unsuspecting annual sacrificer. “Um, Mr Priest, how come you're taking more than the breast and thigh this year?” “Because the Lord has given me a holy hook and told me whatever I pull out of the stew is mine!” Well, it's a man-made unholy hook and we would do well to learn to keep our unholy hooks off of what belongs to God. Remember, in New Testament times, believers are all priests and I think it would be wise for us to rethink what we are pulling out of the pot that should be given to God. Are you tithing to your local congregation? Are you setting aside the firstfruits of your labor for God? Or have you come up with your own holy hook to deprive your local congregation of the funds necessary to operate within God's economy? Perhaps it's time to examine our own custom of giving to the Lord