Deuteronomy 23:18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.
The principle contained in this passage of scripture teaches us that offerings that are made unto God must not be tarnished with evil-doing of any kind, neither should the revenues brought into the Lord's treasury come from forbidden, or questionable sources. To do so would be the equivalent of bringing a lame offering to The Most High God, very similar to the scenario in which someone might steal from another person, in order to give the president of the United States a gift. The principle does not only cover prostitution and other similar activities such as child-trafficking, and the sale of pornographic literature, it also includes revenues gotten by any type of fraudulent dealing, the sale of tobacco and other products that are known to be serious health risks to our fellowmen, money derived from playing the lotto, and also drug dealing. The general over-arching principle which should guide us in these matters, is that we should not do evil in order to do good.
One area in which many people may be affected by the above passage is that of bringing thank offerings to God after winning the mega-millions jackpot, or any other type of gambling activity, that is contrary to sound doctrine. When wealth is procured by winning the lotto, God does not desire us to bring either the tithe or a thank offering to Him, for He has already stipulated in His word that those methods of obtaining riches do not meet with His approval. Let's read:
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. 22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Another area in which this principle must be applied is that of the sale of soul-destroying drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, crack, and heroin. Most of the notorious drug lords in Mexico and south America are devout Catholics, and many of them return huge offerings to their local church. Others have established charities and schools that help the local residents, in return for cover from the drug enforcement agencies seeking them, a practice known as paying hush-money.
Any offering that is made to God should never be tainted with any evil, for even though they may be brought into His treasury, they will never be accepted by a holy God. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encapsulates the principles we just studied, and it is the will of God that a practical application, adjustments, and changes be be made wherever necessary. Let's read:
Malachi 1:12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. 13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lordof hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. 14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
May God grant us His grace so that whatsoever we do and whatever we bring, may be done in sincerity and in truth. "Good night" and God bless!