Sunday: Tithe Equals a Tenth
Dictionaries define tithe as “a tenth part of something” or “10 percent.” This definition is likely taken from the Bible narrative. Tithe is simply returning 10 percent of our income, or increase, to God. We understand that all we have belongs to Him in the first place. The tithing legislation given to Israel at Mount Sinai points out that the tithe is holy and belongs to God (see Leviticus 27:30, Leviticus 27:32). God asks for only His 10 percent. Our offerings of gratitude are separate from and in addition to the tithe. The tithe is the minimum testimony of our Christian commitment. Nowhere in the Bible do we find any indication that God’s portion is less than a tenth.
Read Genesis 14:18-20 and Hebrews 7:1-9. What was Abram’s response to meeting Melchizedek? What does this teach us about how far back in history the practice goes?
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The first mention of tithe in the Bible is in Genesis 14:1-24, which tells the story of Melchizedek’s meeting with Abram. The last mention of tithe in the Bible recalls the same encounter, but the words “tenth” and “tithe” are used interchangeably (see Hebrews 7:1-9). Note in the Hebrews story that neither Melchizedek nor Christ were of the tribe of Levi, so tithing precedes and follows the specialness of the Levites. Tithing is not exclusively a Jewish custom and did not originate with the Hebrews at Sinai.
Read Genesis 28:13-14, , Genesis 28:20-22. What did God promise to do for Jacob, and what was Jacob’s response to God?
When Jacob left home, running from his angry brother, Esau, one night he had a dream of a staircase that ascended from earth to heaven. Angels were going up and down on it. And God stood at the top and promised to be with Jacob and someday bring him back home. This single young man had a real conversion experience and said, “The LORD shall be my God. … And of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You” (Genesis 28:21-22, , NKJV).
| Why is it important to understand that tithing, like the Sabbath, was not something that originated in the ancient Israelite legal or even religious system? What message should we, who live after the cross, take from this truth? |
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It's a really an interesting concept that tithing, like the Sabbath, began in the beginning to encourage people to remember God as their Creator and Sustainer, to enrich their relationship with their Creator and turn their thoughts continually to Him in gratitude.
The Sabbath and tithing aren't just old covenant experiences that began with the Levitical system and ended with the destruction of the Jewish temple, they are for God's people throughout earth's history.
Yet, usually when we hear about tithe, it's about sustaining God's work; first the Levitical priests and sanctuary workers, and later the gospel preachers. Offerings to help the needy are considered to be in addition to tithe.
So I'm just curious as to who received the tithe from the patriarchs like Jacob? Were there more people in ministries and more priests like Melchizedik who were witnessing for God besides the Patriarchs? Even Melchizedik is rather a mystery figure.
Does tithe relate to money only?
How do I tithe on a gift such as a motor vehicle received?
Can you return a tithe in terms of time in volunteering?
Hi, Kirsja. Those are good questions. From the Old Testament narrative and laws, it is clear to me that the tithe does not relate only to monetary assets. They were supposed to tithe every tenth animal, without checking to see how good it was, but only perfect animals could be accepted as offerings. See Leviticus 27:30-33, for instance.
The tithe is on our "increase," that is, our income. If we receive a gift from someone else, is that income to us? Clearly, there are times and circumstances where conscientious individuals have answered this question in the affirmative. However, personally, I'm not sure that this is always the case. When my father had already tithed his income, I did not always tithe again what he shared with me, including a couple of cars, and then some land in one instance. Yet I did choose to tithe the inheritance that he left me. Maybe there is room for individual conscience on this question, besides the simple delight of giving? Volunteer work sounds like a great way of showing gratitude, in cases where tithe may not be required.
Perhaps someone else will have some thoughts to share on this.
I have always tithed my cash gifts, but I don't really know how you would tithe a car. You can't divide it into 10 pieces and if you tithed the value of the car, you might not have the money to return. Many gifts are like that and I'm not sure they're really an "increase".
If you look at the Levitical laws, they tithed grain, animals and so on, but it never says to tithe one's house etc. So I think God set things up to tithe what is obvious and easy to calculate. I think we use our best judgment in these cases.
such gifts are called non-tithe. Some people give something rather than in cash.
I don't have a direct answer to your question, but a thought. If you are blessed with a car, offer it back to God. Ask Him to show you how to use that car to bless others for His glory. That could mean volunteering your time to help someone get to church, picking up items for someone with no transportation, etc. That way, the giving does not stop and it is not limited to the church. If we are to seek and save the lost, everything we have must be used for the sharing of the gospel. This does not take away from tithing or volunteering at the local church. May God bless you in all your giving.
I love that suggestion!! All we own is God's anyway, but a gift like a car is a powerful reminder of God's care, and giving back by engaging the car in service certainly seems a good way to "tithe" that car!
Realistically, a gift car is definitely "increase." But, also realistically, sometimes the recipient doesn't have the cash to "tithe" the gift. Thus an alternative way of acknowledging such a gift seems appropriate.
Inge and rest of us really - help me understand this. “All we own is God’s “.
So God pretends to give us things but he really remains the owner? Can we discuss the biblical facts supporting this assertion?
Hi, Brian. First Corinthians 6:19 states that we are not our own. So, we don't even own ourselves. If we belong to God, how much more whatever He has entrusted to us! The children of Israel saw this, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:14.
Not only did God create us, but He bought us back, with the blood of Christ, when we had sold ourselves into sin.
Hi, Inge. When I read what you wrote,
It left me a bit uncomfortable. These lessons have been teaching us, from the Bible, that a tithe (literally 10%) of our "increase" belongs to God -- that this is the bare minimum required of the Christian, and we are thieves if we do not return it. With that in mind, I'd never dare resort to any alternative way of "tithing" anything that could properly be called my "increase" if that failed to contribute a full 10% of its value to the church treasury.
Consequently, if I considered the gift of a desperately needed used car to be my "increase," then lacking the cash to tithe its value, I'd have to sell it, leaving me without the necessary means of transportation, and thwarting the purposes of the one who gave me the car.
This thought leads me to reexamine the biblical concept of "increase." Its context seems to be agrarian. The ancient Hebrew landowner knew how much barley seed he planted, and kept track of how much he harvested. Subtracting the former from the latter, he could arrive at a quantity that represented his "increase." This was the fruit of his labour for the year.
A modern equivalent to this might be a business where the sale of goods brings in a gross revenue, but the proprietor incurs various costs of doing business (such as raw materials, labour, repairs, utilities, etc.) which he or she subtracts from that gross revenue to arrive at a "net income" figure. The Christian would tithe that net income, contributing at least 10% of it to God's cause in the world.
Today, it is also much more common for a person to be employed by others, earning wages or a salary, from which (in rare cases) employee expenses may be deducted for income tax purposes, and thus arguably for tithing purposes as well.
So, when it comes to gifts received, it's hard for me to see how these are the fruits of one's labour, thus representing one's "increase." While there may be times and circumstances where a particular Christian has reason to feel that a gift ought to be tithed -- or he or she just wishes to tithe it -- I can't really get comfortable with the idea of laying on anyone the burden of being told that all gifts are "increase" in the biblical sense.
I agree. If your business is cars and you gain cars, that is definitely an increase. But I don't think it's realistic for most people to tithe the value of a car. Odds are if they were given a car, they probably didn't have the money to buy it in the first place.
As DeeDee says, trying to tithe the value of every gift would likely become a burden and would probably lead to us refusing gifts. I don't think that's what God was trying to get us to do when He instituted the tithing system. Though yes, animals and so on were tithed, that really was the business for most people. It was not a gift by any means.
Most of us don't receive *that* many valuable gifts! But if we do, wouldn't it be good to return a tithe?
Ultimately, what we consider "increase" is up to us. I was just sharing my thoughts for the benefit of the original poster. The way I see it, if we are open to the Holy Spirit, He will impress us with what to do. And usually it's not the most "comfortable" route. But we can never outgive the Lord!
What does a poor person do in paying tithe and taxes when somebody gives them a needed, valuable but unsplittable gift, or when someone gives you something for less than its value? If someone pays for your lunch, gives you clothes, do you tithe that? Under some tithing rubrics, gifts could become a real burden. I am very reluctant to be more specific in my determinations to other people than the Bible is.
Really good questions.
“Increase” is what comes from the work that you do (that is, the net from revenue less expenditures made to obtain an “increase”), not from gifts received, and certainly not from an inheritance. I am not aware of any requirement in the Law that mandates tithing on an inheritance or gifts, although a person is certainly free to make “tithe” offerings any time that they want.
Just a thought.
While pastors and Bible workers rely on financial support, they also rely on your prayers and emotional support. Why not call your local pastors and Bible workers today and let them know you are praying for them, and maybe even pray with them? Let them know they are loved and appreciated.
Gift from someone can offered to the tithes and offerings ?
Fermas Membo, Do you mean: Should I pay tithe on gifts?
question regard on tithe on gifts, I know a pastor who gave tithe on gifts. He inquired the price of a gift he have received, and tithe it as per the price of it.
I would not like to encourage asking for the price of gifts!
It seems more appropriate to estimate the value of gifts and tithe that value. Sometimes a gift may be expensive but be of little value to the recipient. Other times, a gift may be very valuable to the recipient, even without costing a lot of money. For instance, hand-made gifts may be very valuable, but don't literally "cost" a lot of money. It would be a shame to value such gifts on the cost of materials alone.
I believe God leaves such judgments of tithing gifts to our judgments. Asking for the price of a gift seems crass and even rude, at least in our western culture, and courtesy and kindness should be a foremost consideration in Christian conduct.
Femas - my personal position regarding gifts given to a person - they are an expression of the heart of a friend and are received with thankfulness.
If someone would like to share one's thankfulness with our heavenly Father, he/she could express this in the form of increased goodwill, gratitude, and generousity toward this and other persons in response.
Ulrike, that's quite an interesting question. I have the same curiosity as to who received who received the tithe for patriarchs like Jacob.
We have witnessed tithe and offering mismanagement in our systems, and at times one would have rather tried to find a parallel structure of administering their tithes.
In Genesis 28: 20-22, Is that an example of a bilateral covenant from last weeks lesson? I noticed the "If/Then" language used.
Was Jacob saying that if God blessed him and allowed him to go back to his father in peace, then he would serve him and give a tenth?
20 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, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 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.”
Good day, This is what happens when we see tithing as a legal contract - We believe that God will not fulfil His promises to us, or will punish us if we don't pay Him His 10%.
So we are confused and come up with all sorts of rules and regulations about tithing and what is an increase and what is not. etc. According to the question at the bottom of Sunday's lesson, "Tithing, like the Sabbath, was not something that originated in the ancient Israelite legal or even religious system." On the contrary, tithing is a "part of the love/trust relationship" between God and His children. Let every man be persuaded in his own mind. (Romans 14:5 KJV)