Written by Webby Oct 12, 2005 at 06:06 PM Tithing-What does God say about Tithing?

Old Covenant, Mosaic Law, Tithes

The bible speaks of four types of tithes. I will address all of them in their context.

The people paid a tithe to the poor, orphans, widows, etc. (Deut.14: 28,29; "at the end of every third
year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and deposit it in your town. And the
Levite, because he had no portion of inheritance among you, and the alien, has no portion of
inheritance among you, and the alien, and the orphan, and the widow who are in your town, shall come
and eat and be satisfied, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand
which you do"). <If this was done once every three years then it was a tithe of about 3.3% annually
paid to the community, this was not a gift it was paid by the Israelites. In the US we would call this
social security>.

The people paid a general tithe to the Levites. All the tribes of Israel had designated geographical areas
as their "inheritance", except the Levites-in return for all their work with the nation-received income
tax of ten percent from the rest of the population. (Numbers 18:21; "I give to the Levites all the tithes in
Israel as their "inheritance" in return for the work they do while serving in the Tent of the Meeting").
<This was done as a tithe of 10 % paid by the people of the Nation of Israel. The Levites functioned as
Health Inspectors, Police, Justice department, and Education department. To put it simply the Levites
were the Public Service in Israel and they were supported by a system called "tithes">.

The people kept a tithe to pay for pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It was for their own personal use and was
kept by them for consumption or traded and used when traveling to a far away place of meeting of
Gods choosing. (Deut. 14:22-26; "Be sure to set aside a tenth of all your fields produce each
year……..to be consumed in the presence of the Lord your God….. or it too distant, to be exchanged to
silver to be taken with you to the place the Lord your God will choose." )<This was set aside and kept
by each family for the purpose of traveling to worship God, not paid to anyone else.>

Tithe paid by Levites to the Priesthood (Malachi 3:10; "bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that
there may be food in my house and test me now in this "say's the Lord of Hosts. If I will not open the
windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows"). < This was not money
collected from people of the Nation of Israel, it was money already paid by the people to the Levites,
and Malachi was rebuking the Levites to pay the "whole tithe" ( a tenth of the tenth of what was paid to
them by the people over to the priesthood {that would be a tenth of a tenth or one percent}>.

Curse to those during Old Covenant times if failed to follow the Law (Galatians 3:10-12; "For as many
as are in the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written: cursed is everyone that contuith not
in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them.")

Now in vs. 13 of Galatians it says. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law". Now as we
move to the New Testament we find that nothing has changed. In (Romans 13:7 "Render to all, what is
due to them, tax to whom the tax is due; custom to who custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom
honour.") We still pay taxes to finance a Public Service and Social Security System.
Below is a list of the Old Covenant tithes;

1. Tithe paid by people for needy 3.3% annually

2. Tithe paid by people for services 10% annually

3. Tithe kept by people for travel/worship 10% annually

4. Tithe paid by Levites to Priesthood 1% annually (not additional tithe but taken from item
number 2. above) Neh. 10:38,39 And the priest the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when
the Levites receive the tithes and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of
our God to the chambers of the storehouse. For the Son of Israel and the sons of the Levi shall
bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the chambers there are the
utensils of the sanctuary. The priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers, and the singers. Thus
we will not neglect the house of our God. NASB Key area above shows witnesses to the collection of
the tithe, and a son of Aaron who is a priest taking a tithe (tenth) of the tithe collected for the priests.
(Remembering that this was a tithe already paid by the Israelites to the Levites, then the Levites would
pay a tenth of the already collected tithe to the priests for their services ). This is the tithe that today's
pastors of spiritual systems take out of context and use spiritual blackmail to try to convince their
membership of two things. One) They try to convince you that the tithe is an actual tenth when the
tithe to pay the priesthood at that time was a tenth of a tenth, or tithe of a tithe. Two) They also try to
convince you that this tithe is in effect today. The truth is that the system of tithes is a act of the Law
Covenant of The Nation of Isreal, It is Old Covenent Law, we now live under New Covenent of Grace
and Law does NOT abound.

Today when we pay our taxes we are obeying (Romans 13:7 admonition to render to Caesar what is
Caesar's. Today it comes in the form of approximately 30 to 50% depending on income level. Hebrews
7 mentions tithing, but only to illustrate Paul's argument that the priesthood of the Levites was replaced
by the priesthood of Jesus Christ. This chapter in no way indicates that the Old Covenant tithing law
was altered so that tithes were to be paid to the church.

(Under the New Covenant there is no Caesar in church government and no Levite or clergy in God's
order. All members of Christ's body are priests of God and no human fills this role for us. The preacher
is not a Levite and he is not the priest of the church.)

You can not give to God. As the Creator and the sustainer of the Universe, he already owns everything.
The very beating of your heart-is itself a gift from God.

Ps.24: 1 The Earth, the World, all belongs to God

Ps.50:7-12 Hear Oh my people….. for the world is mine…….

Haggai 2:8 Silver and Gold is the Lords

*Romans 11:35 Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? (You can't place God indebted
to you)

Galatians 3:13,14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Give according to what you have

2 Cor. 8:12 For if the readiness to give is present, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not
according to what he does not have. If you have ten dollars but owe ten dollars to someone, but rather
than pay your debt you give the money to a religious organization, God does not find your offering
acceptable. Don’t ever give what you don't have.

1 Tim. 5:8 But if a man does not provide for his own, especially his own flesh, he has denied the faith,
and is worse than an unbeliever. * You take care of your family first, then if you have extra and a
willing heart, the cheerfully give as it say's in 2Cor.9:7.

Whatever a local congregation collectively decides to do may be good and scriptural. However, to
demand that one tithe and reject the input of the "tithers" is spiritual domination. The following
summary says it all:

To impose any commandment of the Law is to be "obligated to obey the WHOLE Law, Galatians 5:3.
There are 613 rules and regulations that one is required to keep if they obey any point of Law. "No one
will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the Law," Romans 3:20. The very faith that unites
us with his Son, "is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast," Ephesians 2:8-9. When
we obey Christ's command to "love one another," we actually fulfill all of the righteous requirements of
the Law, for "love is the fulfilling of the Law," Romans 13:8

Some churches teach: The House of God, the temple, is now the church and the clergy or Pastors and
their staff are acting as the modern day counterparts of priests delivering the Word of God to the people
saying we should support them with tithes as the Levites and Priests were supported by tithes. (Church
of the Nazarene Manual, 1997-2001, E. Christian Stewardship, 38.1. Storehouse tithing).

The Bible says: The Priests and Levites were set apart from the tribes of Israel by God's command. It
should always be remembered that after the Pentecost the Holy Spirit of God came to the world to
reside within the believers. The Temple of the Lord or the House of God is now actually the physical
body of the believer. The one and only Priest that resides in our Holy of Holies (Heart) is the Spirit of
God and He is also the High Priest, Jesus Christ. He was sacrificed on our altar for the gift of Salvation.

For anyone to compare himself to an ancient priest in the Temple is now the same as identifying
himself as God! Many four walled churches are sadly forgetting who they are in Christ and are
subjecting their members to legalistic bondage of the Law. This is especially true when churches allow
tradition and mysticism to creep into the Gospel.

Let me ask you a question. If a church collects money in the name of a tithe and doesn't follow all the
guidelines of tithing as set forth by the Lord, (i.e., giving all the tithe to the poor on the 3rd and 6th year
of the Shemittah Cycle, observing the 7th year sabbatical and therefore not require a tithe, and allows
the one who tithes to partake in the eating of the tithe in the presence of the Lord at the place of the
Lord's choosing) then who is, according to the Law of Moses, really robbing God? The church! Refer
back to Malachi 3: 6-12 about not tithing correctly.

Churches, who collect monies in the name of tithes and use scripture to enforce it, are opening up a can
of worms that may condemn them before the Lord. When observing the Law, ALL the law must be
observed, not just parts that are of benefit to some people.

But thank God, churches are also no longer creatures of the law. Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not be
master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace". Therefore churches should reject "tithing"
and accept money only from spirit led givers. The word "tithe" should not be incorporated in any
church doctrine because it carries with it some very heavy baggage, the Law.

Churches Must 1) Worship the Lord 2) Seek financial support through giving, not tithing. 3) Reject all
legalism. 4) Give more aid to the needy - focus outward instead of inward. 5) Listen to the
congregation, the Lord may be trying to tell you something. 6) Remember who we as Christians are in
Christ (Priests). 7) Promote joyful giving through exciting ministries and showing appreciation to the
givers.

The book of Malachi discussed using Historical, Grammatical, and Critical Hermeneutics. Malachi was
a prophet; his writings are the book of Malachi. Many of his prophecies have come true proving the
divine authorship and inspiration of his writings. His writings were completed after 443 BCE. He was
most zealously devoted to God. Upholding his name and pure worship, also felt a strong indignation
toward those who profess to serve God but who really only served themselves. Malachis prophecies
indicated that the religious zeal and enthusiasm aroused by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah at the
time of rebuilding the temple had passed away. Priests had become careless, proud, and self-righteous.
Temple services had become a mockery. Tithes and offerings had lapsed because of a feeling that God
was not interested in Israel. How could the people of Israel living under Old Covenant Law be made
aware of their true state and become awakened to return to righteousness? In Malachi 3:10 the Israelites
had been robbing God, this rebuke from Malachi was to a people under the Law Covenant with a curse.
It does not apply to people who live now under the New Covenant of Grace.

While " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2Tim 3:16), not everything in the Bible is a command to
Christians. Much of scripture is our family history. In Proverbs and elsewhere, we find counsel, which
if heeded could make our lives easier. We have the Law as a standard for right and wrong. We have
Christ's teaching which can free us from the Law, and spiritual guidance to help us in our stumbling
walk of faith.

We who are in the body of Christ are freed from the impossibility of satisfying the Law. The Law
remains, to be the standard against which all those not in Christ will be judged. (Matt 5:18)

Sure, we may decide to collectively do many things as "members one of another." This does not give
minister's power to rise to the top of the heap. It does not allow anyone to "make a law" out of a
collective decision.

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they, which preach the gospel, should live of the gospel. (1Cor.
9:7b) Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of it? Who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the
flock?

Ministers have the right to make a living and it seems the decent thing to do if a body of people desire
to be shepherded by the minister to aid in support of him. He should be a shepherd with spirit of truth
and love. God will watch over the house of the righteous and it will prosper. If the shepherd motivates
with love the flock will respond in like kind. It would be a shame for the body to not meet the needs of
the shepherd. It would also be a shame for a shepherd to not meet the needs of the flock. Last Updated
( Oct 12, 2005 at 06:15 PM )