They Didn't Tell Us The whole Story
As I conclude these articles on my thoughts on tithes, I hope we can come to an understanding of what the word teaches on this matter. If I have learned anything over the years, is that when there is a doubt don’t just trust in man, but, go back to the word and search it out. There will always be those who will disagree no matter what is said, so love must be shown and felt. I have been in that place where I felt they never told us the full story. When tithes was taught for some reason the complete story was left out, but if one was to read it for themselves they should raise questions or find answers. So let’s look at what is said in the Old Testament.
I know that there are those of you that will bring up Abraham, and Jacob, saying they gave tithes before the Law (Gen. 14.20). If one is to use this argument, should it also not apply to other things we no longer do, but was before the law. Such as sacrifices and burnt offerings, these were done before the law and we have many more records of such. If you will read Abraham’s giving closely you will find that for Abraham this was only once and it was not for the same purpose as under the law. There is no other recorded reference of Abraham giving, and then it was not from anything but the spoils of war. There is no recorded giving of Abraham from his own livestock or crop. Then Jacob made a promise to God to give, if He would bring him back home safely. (Gen.28.22) I guess we should assume Jacob kept that promise but there is no record of such. If we follow their examples then we need to only give once and from what we take in war, or promise God we will, if He does what we need him to.
Then there is the famous Malachi 3. 8-10, but once again we are not told the whole story. Context is everything in the teaching of Malachi to understand what is being said. The better question should be who is God is talking to in these scriptures. Then we should understand what was happening at the time God was speaking. To answer the first you will find the key in the previous chapters.
(Mal 1:6 NIV) "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
(Mal 2:1 NIV) "And now this admonition is for you, O priests.
God is talking to the Priest and temple leaders who were corrupting the worship and sacrifices of the temple, and tithe was a part of their duties. Now let’s look at what was happening at the time God was upset with the Priest. Malachi was written about the same time as Ezra and Nehemiah, so we can go to their writings and see what was happening. Read Nehemiah chapter 5 and you will find how that the leaders were taking advantage of the poor. Then in Ezra chapter 2 the priesthood was not even worthy to handle the things of God. There had to be a cleaning and rededication to the service of the Lord. Another key to this whole story is in the same chapter in Malachi 3. The storehouse is mentioned and we need to understand what the storehouse was for, it was not just the preacher’s paycheck. Dealing with the storehouse is also mentioned in Nehemiah 10, 12, and 13 as well.
The first time the term storehouse is used, is in 1Chr.26, when David was setting up the plans and order for the Temple Solomon
Notice why this tithe was stored up and to whom it was to be given. So we should be able to conclude that in Malachi chapter 3, God was rebuking the Priest for not doing their duties. They were not storing up for the people of Levi and the poor. They were mishandling God’s affaires. This was not a rebuke to all the people of Israel
Let’s look at the law of tithing. Before I give any scriptures I want you to know that even though tithe is preached today it is not according to the Law. In the laws of Mosses there were several types of tithe. In all there was about a 33%- 40% tithe in all when added up; this was basically a temple tax. There was tithe of all the increase of their livestock and crops. (Lev.27). Then there is the tithe to the children of Levi which was offered in heave offerings (Num.18.24) There were various offerings and commands to provide for the poor and the Levites. (Deu 14:22-29 NKJV) "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.
In all my study I found that most of the tithing was sort of a storehouse and a savings program for the commanded feast. It seems that every time there was a festival and sacrifices made there was eating involved and the Priest had his share, then the Levite, poor, and then the giver and his family ate the tithe. We could go on an on and each time you will find that many benefited from the tithe. It was only the Sin offering that nobody ate, not even the Priest. (Ex.29)
(Deu 12:12-19 NIV) And there rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. {13} Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. {14} Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you. {15} Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the LORD your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. {16} But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. {17} You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. {18} Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns--and you are to rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you put your hand to. {19} Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
(Deu 16:6-7 NIV) except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt
Then one day in study I got out my calculator out and started adding up numbers according to the commands of God given in Exodus and Leviticus. All the offerings that were commanded by the Lord to be given at certain times multiplied by possible households based on the number of men came up at an astronomical number. Using any common sence and logic one would have to conclude that it would be humanly impossible to sacrifice that many animals. I then studied Hebrew structure and the family unit and found that a family could be a large unit of people several generations, by tribe and fathers. Land was owned more often than not by a whole family consisting of several brothers, uncles, direct family members and their families. So, a family unit could easily consist of several hundred people, and their giving was done as a family. Now this would make these numbers more manageable for the priest to sacrifice such animals. (Read Numbers chapter seven)
There is so much more we could talk about and show in scripture. You need to sit down and read carefully the Word of God. Take off your orthodox religious glasses and mind set, divide the word of truth. Ask the tuff questions and don’t let anyone stop you from finding the truth. If you read the scriptures and only ask questions from those you know that will agree with you then you may not find the truth. Step out of your box take a deep new breath of life, look beyond your sphere and find that there is a whole lot more to God’s word than what we have been told.
I know there will be some who will defend the tithe no matter what is said. I have been told if we did not teach tithe people would not give, and I found this to be the opposite. I myself will only take time once a year to teach giving and God’s principles in good stewardship. I will go as far as teach budgeting and a good understanding that everything we are and have is the Lord’s. If I am asked how much I should give, my response is always, seek the Lord and then in faith according to your ability give. If you need an amount to start with then I say 10%, its just easier math. To some that may be too much of a burden, and to others that may be not enough.
Every church should be a storehouse ready to meet the needs of those in their midst first then to others, no mater if they have given or not. If I may get a little political, if every church was teaching giving right and did their part there would not be a need for the Government to provide for the poor. God speaks very loudly and often about taking care of the poor in the Old and New Testaments, as a matter of fact God looks very hard at those who abuse and take advantage of the poor.
There were times I wish I learned what I now know earlier in my life, but like many I was hard headed at the times when I was confronted with truth. Let’s talk about this.
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