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• Question: Why is it that tithing is not recongnized as valid by grace believers today?
  • This question has to do with Tithing. When Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees he was a Gentile. As far as I understand it the nation of Israel did not come into existence until God told Moses that he would make them a Kingdom of Priests. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizidek. If Abraham the Gentile gave tithes to Melchizedek a type of Christ before the law, why is it that tithing is not recongnized as valid by grace believers today. I would like to make just these few points. Circumcision was introduced through Abraham the Gentile. Aniamal sacrifices were practiced by Abraham the Gentile. God specifically has told us that circumcision availeth nothing and that sacrifices ended with the one final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So the things that God specifically wanted us to stop he specifically told us to stop. However, He never said to stop tithing. Malachi mentions bringing the tithe to the store house and Paul mentions laying by him in store. That Ex-Pharisee uses the same terminology that Malachi used. Why is that? Why did God specifically tell us to stop circumcision and animal sacrifices but never told us to stop tithing? Why is it that grace brethren, which I am a part of, place such little emphasis on giving? Why do we hear so little on giving? Why is it that because we are under grace we think that we should give less to the work of the Lord than those under the law were required to give. I've always been astounded by the fact that grace brethren are so stingy. Should not the minimum we give be 10%? Should not we give even more than 10%?
  • In Christ,
  • Rodney
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Rodney,
  2. Tithing and the Will of God
  3. The oldest records about tithing, about the year 3500 BC, come from Egypt. Through the centuries the Pharaohs and the kings of Assyria are recorded to have paid a tenth of all their spoils to the gods. Dr. Sayce of Oxford wrote, "The temple and priests were supported by contributions of the people . . . . The tithes were contributed by all classes of the population, from the king to the peasant." Ancient Greece and ancient Rome has similar records. David McConoughy wrote, "Throughout the ancient . . . world (tithing) was well-nigh universally recognized, centuries before the time of Moses (and Abraham). Clay tablets of Assyria and Egypt, dating as far back as 3800 B.C., as well as fragments of Chinese tradition and the lore of India and other lands furnish conclusive evidence of this fact."
  4. From the evidence we know, tithing was practiced throughout the ancient world. What was the origin of this practice? I believe that tithing started in a certain place at a certain time. Then it was passed on to all those ancient nations. The oldest clay tablets do not tell us where tithing began. There is only one ancient record which tells us. That record is Genesis.
  5. Let's look at God's will about tithing in Genesis and the rest of the Bible. The first example seems to be in Gen 4: 3-7. "And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.'"
  6. God accepted Abel's offering and rejected Cain's. Why? According to the LXX the 7th verse was translated, "Didn't you sin if you brought it rightly, but did not rightly divide it?" Clement of Rome, Irenaeus (d. 202) and other early church fathers followed the LXX reading and connected Cain's rejection with tithing. Tertullian (d. 220) from the Latin, wrote that God rejected Cain's offering because he did "not rightly divide" that is, did not tithe his first fruits. Heb 11:4 reports that, "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent (pleiona comparative of polus, more abundant) sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks." Westcott wrote, "The fact that he offered 'a more abundant' sacrifice shows a fuller sense of the claims of God." So, it looks like God taught Adam's family about tithing, and Cain rebelled against His sovereignty right at the beginning.
  7. The next example of tithing is found in Gen 14:18-20 "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.' And he gave him a tithe of all.
  8. Two points stand out in this incident."
  9. 1. Abram recognized his dependence on God as "the most high God" (Gen 14:19).
  10. 2. Abram recognized his deliverer, "the Possessor of heaven and earth," and paid tithes to God's priest in (Jerusalem Gen 14:20).
  11. God had His representative in Salem (Jerusalem) even during this pagan time. It seems that Abram regarded the tithe as holy, consecrated to God. The next example of tithing is found in Gen 28:13-22, after Jacob's ladder dream: "And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: 'I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.' 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.' 17 And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!' 18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.'" Jacob couldn't think of any higher act of worship than paying the well known tithe. I would be surprised if he didn't keep this vow to Jehovah God.
  12. All of these examples were from the time before the dispensation of law began. Paul goes back to Abram for his gospel, justification by grace. As we will see, Paul also goes back to the law for principles of tithing for expressing devotion. Praise, worship and thanksgiving are wonderful expressions of our devotion to God, but that old adage, "Actions speak louder than words," is especially true in this materialistic society we live in. So, now, more than ever tithing testifies the earnestness of a person's real worship of God. How earnest are you in your worship of God?
  13. God's Holiness and Tithing
  14. The week that the church treasurer resigned because the giving was so poor, the church asked the owner of the local grain elevator to take the position. He agreed under two conditions: That no treasurer's report would be given for the first year and no questions be asked about finances during that year. The people were surprised but finally agreed since most of them did business with him and they believed he was a godly man of integrity. At the end of the year he gave his report:
  15. 1. The church indebtedness of $228,000 had been paid.
  16. 2. The pastor's salary had been increased 12%.
  17. 3. The missionary giving had been increased 200%.
  18. 4. There were no outstanding bills.
  19. 5. There was a cash balance of $11,252!
  20. Immediately the shocked congregation asked, "How did you do it? Where did the money come from?" He quietly answered: "Most of you bring your grain to my elevator. Throughout the year I simply withheld ten percent on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name. You didn't even miss it! So you see what we can do for the Lord if we're all willing to give at least the tithe to God, who really owns it?" And so the new treasurer had made his point. But that wasn't tithing. What is tithing from God's perspective? We have covered some of the principles in Genesis, but let's look at some of the detailed instructions in the law.
  21. The first mention of the tithe after Genesis is in Lev 27:30-34. But you'll notice, it takes for granted a knowledge of the tithe. It gives instructions on the details of something already in practice in Israel. Probably from the time of Adam, as we've already seen. Lev 27:30-34 "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. 33 He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. 34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai."
  22. This was to be Israel's way of worshiping God. God told them the purpose of this tithe in Num 18:21,24-32:
  23. "Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 25 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe. 27 And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the Lord's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest. 29 Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the consecrated [from qadash] part of them. 30 Therefore you shall say to them: When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. 31 You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die."
  24. It appears that there was another tithe which Israel made from the remaining 9/10. It was eaten at God's sanctuary every first, second, fourth, and fifth year. The third and sixth year it was stored for the poor, etc., and the seventh year the land was to rest. This is explained in Deu 12:17 & 14:22-29 "You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand." Deu 14:22-29 "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. 23 And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. 28 At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do."
  25. Even their prayer of rejoicing was spelled out in Deu 26:1-15 "And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. 3 And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us. 4 Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 And you shall answer and say before the LORD your God: My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me. Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God. 11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you. 12 When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year; the year of tithing; and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God: I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. 15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."
  26. The Holy Thing
  27. Right from the start of the conquest of Palestine, God put great emphasis on His holiness. It was unforgettably emphasized to the nation in the battle of Jericho. In Joshua 6:1,2 it says, "Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: 'See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.'"
  28. Jericho was the first city in the land that Israel would conquer. It would be the first fruits. You know what happened. Joshua 6:3-14 tells us all about it: "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him. 6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. 7 And he said to the people, Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord. 8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout. 11 So he had the ark of the Lord circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days."
  29. This brings us to the importance of seven. In Joshua 6:16, it says, "And the seventh time it happened". What is the significance of all these sevens? There were 7 priests, 7 trumpets, 7 days, now the 7th day it will be seven times around Jericho. This use of seven signifies the covenant between Jehovah and Israel. The word for seven and the word for oath were identical in the Hebrew because they were not pointed with vowel points when Joshua was written. Abraham's covenant with Abimelech in Gen 21:27-32, is a good example: "So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves? 30 And he said, You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well. 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines." The Hebrew for this place from The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament., Richard Whitaker, Editor, Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, is [b'v, raeB] (This is in HebraicaII font.). It means: (Edited) Beersheba (well of seven, explained as place of swearing by seven lambs, or, well of oath) - south from Hebron; mod. Biïr-es-Seba, 12 h. fr. Hebron; in phrase from Dan to Beersheba (i.e. all the territory of Israel from Beersheba to Dan.)
  30. The importance of all the seven in the Joshua account is this. God was dramatically calling to Israel's attention the importance of His covenant. God's things are holy. They belong to Him. Let's read Joshua 6:16,17 again. "And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: 'Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it [lit. the city and all in it are devoted [gheh' rem] to Jehovah]. Ghah ram' is a verb which means, ban, devote, exterminate; become or make sacred, consecrate. The secondary meaning is, destroy, exterminate. Gheh' rem, the noun, means, devoted thing, devotion, ban. For example, in Lev 27:21-23,28 it says, "but the field, when it is released in the Jubilee, shall be holy to the LORD, as a devoted field; it shall be the possession of the priest. 22 And if a man dedicates to the LORD a field which he has bought, which is not the field of his possession, 23 then the priest shall reckon to him the worth of your valuation, up to the Year of Jubilee, and he shall give your valuation on that day as a holy offering to the LORD. 28 Nevertheless no devoted offering that a man may devote to the LORD of all that he has, both man and beast, or the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted offering is most holy to the LORD."
  31. Basically, God told them, "Don't steal them." Joshua 6:18 "And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things [gheh' rem].' This was a warning about holy things, "Lest you become accursed [ghah ram'] when you take of the accursed things [gheh' rem], and make the camp of Israel a curse [gheh' rem], and trouble it." What should they do? Josh 6:19 "But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated [qodesh] to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD." Now, let's continue our narrative. Josh 6:20,24,27 "So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. . . . 24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. . . . 27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country."
  32. But there was a serious offense. Josh 7:1 "But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things [devoted, gheh' rem], for Achan . . . took of the accursed [devoted, gheh' rem] things." The ramifications of this disobedience were severe. God got angry, "so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel", and Israel was defeated in battle. Josh 7:2,4 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai . . . . 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai."
  33. Israel had the right response according to Josh 7:6. "Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads." And Joshua prayed to the Lord. God responded to the prayer in Josh 7:10-13: So the LORD said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For THEY have even taken some of the accursed [devoted, gheh' rem] things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 "Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction [gheh' rem]. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed [gheh' rem] from among you. 13 "Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: "There is an accursed thing [gheh' rem] in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing [gheh' rem] from among you."
  34. God explained the penalty in Josh 7:15,19-25. (When they find the man) "Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing [gheh' rem] shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.'" . . . and Achan . . . 19 Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it." 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
  35. Achan's sin was the sin of taking God's sanctified property. This act was similar to keeping God's holy tithe. For the tithe is the Lord's just like these devoted things were His. Here's what it says in Lev 27:30-32 "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD."
  36. Therefore we see that the tithe was the Lord's, one tenth right off the top. Is this applicable to us today? If so, what are you doing with His tithe.
  37. Tithing, its Positives and Negatives
  38. In contrast to the pagan gods, our God is different. The pagan gods were greedy and selfish just like the men who created them. Our almighty God is uniquely different. He expressed this in Isa 55:8,9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."
  39. Our actions influence Him. When King Saul disobeyed God by bringing back the best animals when he was supposed to destroy everything, God's reaction was: 1 Sam 15:11, "I repent that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." When Samuel confronted him, Saul replied: 1 Sam 15:15 "They have brought them [the cattle] from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."
  40. We can't bribe God. God's response was not like the pagan's gods. God admonished Saul through Samuel in 1 Sam 15:22,23, "Then Samuel said: 'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." God's attitude is different in tithing too. When tithing is just a religious obligation, God is not pleased.
  41. In the time of "Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake" (Amos 1:1), we find that God called a shepherd and fig tree tender to prophecy. In Amos 4:4 he sarcastically encourages the people to go on paying their tithes. "Come to Bethel and transgress, at Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days." At this time, Israel religiously tithed and gave but to no avail. Because their hearts were wrong, tithing could not win favor with God. Tithing had value only when it was done out of love for God.
  42. It seems to be a principle: When revival takes place, tithing follows. We'll read parts of 2 Ch 29:1-31:12. God blesses when tithing is done with the right heart.
  43. Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites. 30:22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers. 31:4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in heaps. 7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, "Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance." 11 Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them. 12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things.
  44. This is called storehouse tithing.
  45. When tithing lapses, the ministry suffers. When Nehemiah governed Jerusalem and had its walls rebuilt, according to Neh 10:35-39, he restored the worship of the Lord.
  46. And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD; 36 to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; 37 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. 38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse. 39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God. Neh 12:44, And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.
  47. But when Nehemiah went back to Babylon, the tithe lapsed and so did the worship of God. Here's his account in Neh 13:4-15:
  48. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. 5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. 6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. 10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. 11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
  49. These portions of scripture emphasize the importance of the tithe in the relationship between God and His people.
  50. Finally, we see God's attitude about His people when they are in a totally backslidden condition. Here's God's indictment through Malachi in Mal 3:7-10:
  51. Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?' 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
  52. The first sign of spiritual apathy involved the refusal to pay tithes to God, it's robbing God. But remember, if you give only out of compulsion, you ought to keep your tithe, even though it is robbery, because God won't bless you anyway.
  53. Christ on Tithing and Giving
  54. In our studies of tithing, we found that the tithe existed as early as Adam. We also saw that it was practiced by Abraham and Jacob about 400 years before the law. Then, we found how the tithe was spelled out in the law.
  55. Most scholars believe it was 20 to 23% of their income under the theocracy. We also saw that the tithe was God's. To keep it was robbing God.
  56. When we study the New Testament, we find that Jesus clarified and expanded Old Testament concepts in all He taught. He always drove home the weightier and more spiritual meaning. For example, He showed that God's laws on murder and adultery were broken in spirit by an angry word or a sinful look. Likewise, he explained the tithe, which represented the consecration to God of all that a man had. The tithe was fulfilled in spirit only when a man gave all he could, not the bare minimum.
  57. we must take notice that Jesus endorsed the tithe as long as it was given with the right attitude. Mat 23:23 shows this clearly: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."
  58. He commanded them to keep the law in Mat 23:1-3, "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.'"
  59. But Christ went far beyond the tithe. He wanted faithfulness and sincerity according to Luke 16:10-15.
  60. "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (material things - tithing them), who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's (God owns the tithe), who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men (greed) is an abomination in the sight of God."
  61. Further, He illustrated what He expected in Luke 17:7-10:
  62. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, "Come at once and sit down to eat"? 8 But will he not rather say to him, "Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink"? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."
  63. He wanted their all. In Matthew 19:21, "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'" That means He wants total commitment. That's why He said in Luke 14:33, "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Even though we can be saved and not forsake all, do you think He wants anything less form us?
  64. We find that it was not the amount of money that Christ was concerned about. It was the heart attitude. Christ's example of the widow and her mites in Mark 12:41-44 tells the whole story:
  65. Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
  66. This was the practice that Christ advocated. He endorsed tithing. But He emphasized free-will offerings beyond the tithe much more. By His rebuke of the Pharisees, He emphasized that the offerer should first give himself to God. Then he should give gladly and abundantly of what he possessed. Not only the tithe, but above it. As much as possible, perhaps even unto all that he possessed! The principle, then, was not "How much must one give," but rather, "How much can one give?" God sees the heart. That makes all the difference, not the actual amount.
  67. That seems scary to most of us. But God has taken care of that.
  68. He would take care of them when they followed what He said, according to Luke 12:22-34:
  69. Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old (That could only be by storing your money in heaven.), a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  70. These concepts pervade every dispensation, including ours. Proverbs 3:9,10 tells us, "Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. Ezekiel 44:30 reiterates that: "The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest's; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house." We find that it applies to us when we read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11:
  71. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
  72. The principle seems to be, you can't out give God!
  73. Tithing Under Grace
  74. I had six children. It wasn't easy to raise six children. The toughest one to raise was my dear son, Bobby. Bobby was a difficult kid for me to motivate. When I was attempting to motivate him to learn Greek, I tried many things. I encouraged him with basketballs, bicycles, and even $10 per lesson. That was 20 years ago when a dollar was worth more. I even resorted to stern commands along with the $10 - but all to no avail. But I only had to say once, "You don't have to do Greek son," and he quit. Maybe that's why God talks about tithing so much. I could preach and teach on tithing, but all you have to hear once is, "Tithing isn't for this dispensation," and some would be tempted to quit. (By the way, as an adult, my son took Greek and did well.)
  75. Now we have covered tithing in Adam's time, Abraham's, and Jacob's. We have seen that one tenth right off the top was the custom throughout the ancient world. We saw it could be as much as 23% under the law. And we saw that Christ endorsed the tithe. What about Paul under the dispensation of Grace? What did God inspire him to say?
  76. First, we find that Paul's alleged negative outlook on the law is fallacious. Paul showed that the law cannot justify, save, or enable. That's true, because of the flesh, it can only condemn. But in spite of this, Paul still appealed to the law in a positive way. Paul quoted the LXX of Isaiah 28:16 in the context of a salvation passage in Rom 10:8-12.
  77. But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." (Isaiah 28:16 LXX) 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
  78. He quoted it to support order in the church in 1 Corinthians 14:34,36,37: "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says." He transferred the law to today. He seems to be referring to Genesis 3:16: "To the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.'" For those who would reject his teaching, he responded with, 1 Corinthians 14:36,37, "Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. Paul said these Old Testament commands, backed up what he wrote.
  79. Paul was inspired by God to use the law for our example and admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12:
  80. Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
  81. Finally, we must see that Paul appealed to the law for tithing. He transferred the Lord's command to today in this dispensation in 1 Corinthians 9:4-14:
  82. Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?
  83. It's clear that Paul, here, referred to the tithe paid for the Levites and priests who directed the public worship in the temple. Numbers 18:21,24 "Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance." He argued that, as the tithe was the basic support of the ministry in the OT, in the same way, Christians are under obligation to tithe now. He continued in 1 Corinthians 9:14, "Even so [ouJtw", in the same way that they tithed in the O.T.] the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel [not the temple service] should live from the gospel." This would include missionaries and evangelists as well.
  84. Further, he applied the law for the priests and Levites to elders today in 1 Timothy 5:17,18, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.'"
  85. Paul's own inspired conclusion is found in Galatians 6:6-8: "Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."
  86. What is our conclusion? Paul showed in Romans 7:12 that "the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." So we Christians should recognize the law as an expression of the holiness of God and, therefore, what God desires of all Christians too. We are not under the law in its condemnation for sin. And we are not under the law for the power to live the way God wants us to live. God says Romans 8:1-4 is our way of life: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." We won't be condemned by the law if we don't tithe.
  87. As you look into your heart, is the fruit of the Spirit evident in your life? Is your life making an impact on your friends and associates? if you are loving God, there will be a Moral Restoration. Let God's word impact your heart by meditating on His word. Then, choose to return to Him. There will be a material restitution. With a motivation from your new heart, give God all that you owe Him - your life, talents, tithes, and offerings. There will also be a miraculous realization. The windows of heaven will be opened on your life, and you will experience a joy and peace that is unspeakable.
  88. In Christ,
  89. Bob
• Question: How can you grow and mature in Christ?
  • What does it mean to mature in Christ, and how can you grow in Christ? Please explain. Thank you!
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Gertrude,
  2. God gave us a number of instructions about how we can grow and mature in Christ. We see that it is important to be in a good church where you have gifted men who will equip the saints so they will do the work of the ministry and edify the body of Christ until we all grow into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
  3. This equipping of the believers is done by reading God’s word for right theology and a godly Christian life. This is done through Sunday School, Church, Bible study groups, care groups, prayer groups, and evangelistic Bible studies. Tow important passages are:
  4. Eph 4:11-16 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
  5. Phi 3:7-16 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as would be mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
  6. In Christ,
  7. Bob Hill