Bible Foundations: Subject: Tithing and Giving Lesson 21

 

Bible Foundations: Subject: Tithing and Giving Lesson 21

When we begin to speak about money and giving to the work of God, many people immediately close their minds. Tithing is considered such a radical approach to the support of God's work that most people who call themselves Christians reject it.

To tithe is to give 10% of one's gross income. The Bible says to bring in the “first fruits of all your increase”

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase.

Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

If people tithed on their net, after taxes, utilities, rent, payments, etc, were taken out, most would have nothing left to tithe on.

1. Tithing was before the Law was given and did not begin with the Law.  It was instituted before the Law and continued over into that period as a part of the Law.

Abraham tithed to God by giving to the High Priest. –

Genesis 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And Abraham gave him a tithe of all.

We should remember that we are not under the Law - - but we are the children of Abraham.

Galatians 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

Jacob tithed. This son of Abraham continued to tithe even though he had almost mothing. Abraham tithed when he was rich, and Jacob began to tithe when he was poor.

Genesis 28:20-22 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.”

Tithing was a part of the Law given through Moses to Israel.

The 10th of everything belongs to the Lord. 

 Leviticus 27:30  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. 

The tithe was given to support the tribe of Levi as they performed the ministry of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. Numbers 18:20-21 Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them;  I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. “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.

Jesus commanded tithers and givers.

He spoke highly of a widow woman who gave two mites, (her all) Mark 12:41-44

Jesus also spoke against those who “PAID GOD” and didn't live right.

Matthew 23:23 “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.

What the New Testament says about giving unto God's Work.

Paul uses Abraham and the priest as an example;

Hebrews 7:4-10  Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the  spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;  but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.  Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.  Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.  Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Our giving should be systematic and be as God has prospered us. Many believers give offerings in addition to 10%.

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Our tithing supports the work of God which includes the ministers that are working for God as Pastors, evangelists, teachers, leaders.

1 Cor 9:8-14 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 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?  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.  If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 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.

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?  Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

Notice this means that as the Levites in the Old Testament were supported by the tithes of Israel under the Law, the church leaders of today are to be supported by the tithes of the church.

Luke 10:7 and 1 Tim 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.”