Of all that you give me
I will give you a tenth.
—Genesis 28:22
Jacob had cheated his brother and deceived his father, so he was hightailing it out of town. Bedded down for the night at his campsite, he had a dream, and God was in it. So Jacob made a vow: if God would be with him, protect him, and prosper him, he would give God a tenth of what God gave him (Gn 28:10–22).
“Transactional Theology,” someone called it—envisioning that we meet God on negotiable terms. God has something we want, and we have something God wants—so let’s sit down and negotiate a deal.
That theory supplants a predominant God, to whom we are accountable, with an equivalent God, who is equally accountable to us.
That’s flawed theology! Negotiation is out. We can’t come to the table to barter, only to submit.
Grace is a gift, not a bargaining chip.