TITHING

FOR AND AGAINST

For a long time now there have been two schools of thought about tithing. There are those who say that it is Scriptural, and therefore a command from God, and others who say that it is of the law and we are no longer of the law. I hope to look at these arguments and look at a sensible solution.

THE LAW

It is true that tithing was initiated under the law.
Heb 7:5 And truly they who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priest, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, from their brothers, though they come out of the loins of Abraham.

Also, Malachi had this to say:
Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, In what have we robbed You? In the tithe and the offering!
Mal 3:9 You are cursed with a curse; for you are robbing Me, the nation, all of it.
Mal 3:10 Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. And test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, to see if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you, and pour out a blessing for you, until there is not enough room.
Mal 3:11 And I will rebuke your devourer, and he shall not decay the fruit of your ground against you; nor shall your vine miscarry against you in the field, says Jehovah of Hosts.
Mal 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed; for you shall be a delightful land, says Jehovah of Hosts.

The tithe consisted of a tenth of the crop, not silver or gold, nor of the currency of the time.

Malachi was, of course, under the law.

TITHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

So what is the tithe? The New Testament gives this account of the Pharisees tithing:

Mat 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and you have left undone the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith. You ought to have done these and not to leave the other undone.

The Pharisees were still under the law. Jesus said that they should have done the “weightier matters” but should not leave the other undone. Note that the Pharisees tithed mint and dill and cumin, all herbs. There was no money tithed!

FREEDOM

It is true that under Grace the law has been done away with. We have been set free from the law and this includes the law of tithing.

Rom 7:6 But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Now, instead of a tenth belonging to the Lord, all that we are and all that we have belongs to Him. Because all belongs to Him we should spend money wisely and ask Him what He would like us to give

GOD TOLD ME TO TITHE

When I was a new Christian the Lord told me to tithe my income. I remember a young lady in the church came up to me with apprehension all over her face just after this and said to me "Les, the Lord has told me to tell you something that are probably not going to like." When I asked her what it was she told me that the Lord wanted me to tithe. I was able to tell her that He had told me the same thing and that I had already started. She was greatly relieved! I tithed faithfully over the years that followed.

AND RELEASED ME FROM THE TITHE

That was His choice for me at that time. Later on when I got married He released me from that tithe. Ever since then I have given as He directed me, both to the church and to others. It is His money, not mine. Having said that, He knows my needs and my needs are met. The only time I have found myself in real financial trouble is when I have tithed as under the law, out of a sense of obligation because the church told me to. My giving was still joyful, but God did not bless it because it was under the law and not what He was asking me for. I constantly found myself short of money during those times.

In the relationship I have with God now I am free to give as He directs and sometimes more if I so desire. This gives me a real sense of freedom, which is what you would expect when following the Lord. He died to set us free!

I remember a pastor telling the congregation that he had always tithed faithfully, even when he couldn't afford to feed his family. He also said that if you tithe faithfully God will pour out a blessing from Heaven. This just didn't add up to me. You could say he was being tested, or did he just get it wrong? As I said earlier, the times I found myself most short of money is when I tithed as under the law.

DO NOT JUDGE

The bottom line is, if God tells you to tithe, then tithe, but don’t judge those whom He hasn’t told to tithe for not doing so. And likewise, those who don't tithe should not judge those who do. Regardless of whether God has told you to tithe or not, surrender all of your money (along with all of your possessions) to Him and give as He leads. There is freedom and blessing in this.

CONSIDERATION

Jesus commended the woman who gave the mite. She gave all that she had as it is written below.
Mar 12:41 And sitting down opposite the treasury, Jesus watched how the people threw copper coins into the treasury. And many rich ones threw in much.
Mar 12:42 And a certain poor widow came, and she threw in two lepta, which is a kodrantes.
Mar 12:43 And He called His disciples and said to them, Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than all those who have cast into the treasury.
Mar 12:44 For all cast in from their abundance. But she, out of her poverty, has cast in all that she had, all her livelihood.

It costs money to run a church, pay the pastor/s, support missions etc, and it is a good thing to have some money on hand to support the needy. All this takes money and it is all part of supporting God's kingdom. Therefore be generous in your giving, but let it be just that, giving. Do not expect a reward for your giving because it is not your place to make demands on God. Do not give so that you might receive, but give out of the goodness of your heart and as led by the Spirit because you can and because you want to bless God.

Should God choose to reward you He will do so, but that should not be an expectation. To expect a reward or blessing for giving is not giving at all in the true sense of the word.

Be cheerful in your giving. If you can't be cheerful, then don't give, but ask God to give you a right attitude.