Tithing: ARE we Robbing God? Part I

by Leisa Garcia

I was taught when I was very little from the first time I was given any money of any kind that I was to first pay 10 percent to God, that it belonged to Him.  I never questioned it and assumed the Bible specifically required this, even though I never looked it up for myself until much later.  I was surprise to learn after I had become an adult, that no where in scripture does it say that believers/members of the body of Christ are to pay ten percent of their income to the Lord.

The passage in Malachi which was God speaking to the nation of Israel under the Law is used by many pastors to shame their congregation into giving 10% of their income.  Making them feel guilty that if they don't pay that 10% they are ROBBING GOD!  

I can find no where in Scripture where it instructs believers to tithe of their finances  But don't take my word for it, let's search the scriptures and see if this is so. (Acts 17:11)

What is a tithe?  The Levitical Law gave very specific instructions regarding the "tithe."

1. The first tithe was that 10% must be given to the Levites, which was the ministerial, priestly Tribe of Levi, in order to maintain the Temple worship.

Numbers 18:21-24 "And behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

v22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

v23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity, it shall be a statute FOREVER throughout your generations that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 

v24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit:  therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance."
 

The Levites were given this 10 percent as their inheritance, whereas the rest of the tribes of Israel had specific land given to them as their inheritance.

2) The second tithe Israel was required to pay was to support the Festivals and Sacrifices.

Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 10-19 "But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: 

v6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: 

v7 And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee... 

v10 ...But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

 v11 Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there (which turns out to be Jerusalem) thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord." 

v17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of they vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand. 

v18  BUT thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and they maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates..." 

They were to bring tithes of their corn, wine, oil and firstlings of their herds or flocks.

Another passage regarding the same tithe is in Deuteronomy 14:22-26: 

"Thou shall truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 

v23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord they God always. 

Notice, there is NO mention of money of any kind, and whatever the tithe was had to be edible, because you were to eat it in the presence of the Lord.

In fact verses 24-26 makes this very clear:

v24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord they God, shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: 

v25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: 

v26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lustesth after, for oxen, or for sheep or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth and thou shall eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.“

If the way was too long to transport all of their produce and livestock, they were to turn it into money to make it easier to carry, but when they arrived at their destination, they were to use it to purchase produce and livestock and any other consumable items (even strong drink), and to eat and drink it before the Lord.

3. The third tithe was that 10 percent must be collected every third year for the poor according to Deuteronomy 14:28-29: 

"At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates. 

v29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest." 

This third tithe was similar to what we would call a food bank.  It was for the poor.  The poor did not pay any tithe.

So, the 1^st and 2^nd tithe were given once a year, but the third tithe was given every three years which equals a tithe of 33.33% per year--Not 10%!

 

Summary of Tithing According to the Mosaic/Levitical Law

1. The instructions for tithing only allowed for edible tithes, produce from the harvest, and new life from the livestock.  Money was NEVER given as a tithe.
2. The 1^st 10 percent was to provide for the Levites; The 2^nd 10 percent was enjoyed by everyone in the Lord’s presence!--THE FIRST POTLUCK! 
3. The 3^rd 10 percent was for the poor—the strangers, fatherless, widows, etc.  The poor NEVER paid a tithe they were the RECIPIENTS of the tithe!
4. Each tithe had a very specific purpose, and no human being decided how to distribute the tithe, God said exactly what to do with each tithe.
5. The first two tithes were only paid ONCE per year at the end of harvest. (not every week or every month)
6. The third tithe was paid ONCE every three years.

Let me ask you this--If you pay your tithe, do you follow ANY of the directions above? 

(GO TO: Tithing: ARE We Robbing God? Part II)