Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Malachi 3:10
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are onebody, so it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12: 12
We were recently discussing tithing in my small group. There are a whole range of opinions about tithing in the church, from those who believe it is no longer something God wants or requires, to those who do. Then there are those who want to publish who tithes (and therefore, presumably who doesn’t), and those who tithe to charity rather than a church, and those who give a “double tithe” of 20% rather than 10%.
One thing that my friend Kallie noticed in the discussions about tithing is that the verse from Malachi is usually brought up. If you tithe, God will bless you. And if you don’t tithe, then… well… you get what God gives you. But don’t be surprised if it’s a pocket full of holes.
This then can become either superstitious, or form an entitlement mentality. We gave, now God had better give us something good in return. And this is not the way God works! We deserve nothing but wrath from Him, and He gives us so many wonderful things, all by grace!
But God does exactly what His Word says. And tithing is no exception. God will pour out His blessings on those who tithe.
But as we the church are one body, that blessing might not be seen with our physical eyes. The tithe I give may pour out a blessing on a widow in India, who comes to know the LORD. Or it might be poured out on an orphan in Uganda, who receives physical and spiritual food from Christians serving where he is. Or it might be for a pastor in Russia, who has been toiling for years without breakthrough, or to the backslider in Europe who renews his relationship with God.
God has nothing but good gifts for His children. And when we are obedient, the blessings become even more abundant. And one day, when we see Him face to face, we will know what all those blessings were, and what part of our body saw them in the physical.
1 comment:
NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE pays the Biblical tithe today.
THE FIRST TITHE
Leviticus 27:30-33 defines this tithe as a tenth of crops and animals in herds and flocks.
Numbers 18 gives the ordinances, or instructions, for this tithe, and commands this tithe be taken to the Levites.
Purpose of this tithe: to support the Levitical Priesthood.
SECOND TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: aka The Festival Tithe - a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.
Purpose of this tithe: “that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always”
THIRD TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe - a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Purpose of this tithe: to feed the poor.
Now, tell me. Which of the above three tithes commanded by God does anyone follow today?
1 - The Biblical tithe was NEVER money, yet money had to be used to pay the Temple Tax.
2 - The Biblical tithe was ALWAYS eaten by the tither, his family, plus the Levites, priests, orphans, widows, and stranger. (Deut. 14:22-29).
What the church teaches today about tithing your money to the church in NO WAY even resembles the Biblical tithes commanded by God.
Today, ALL born-again believers are priests. ALL of us are called to be deciples of the Lord. No one of us is higher than another. Our bodies are the Temple where the Spirit dwells. According to the scriptures, priests do not tithe.
If you claim you tithe today, you are denying what Jesus did on the cross, and you deny that you are a part of a Royal Priesthood.
The New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving, from the heart, according to our means. For some, $1 might be a sacrifice, while for others, even giving 50% of their income might not induce a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, ONLY the farmers tithed, and it was equal percentage (a tenth). The New Testament teaches the principle of equal sacrifice instead of equal percentage. Equal sacrifice is much harder to achieve, if not impossible, than giving ten percent.
When will pastors start teaching the truth??!!
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