Biblical Tithe Facts

Biblical Tithe Facts
by Ronald W Robey
(written May 04, 2019)

What is in the Bible concerning tithes:

a) the children of Israel were to tithe their agricultural increase. Leviticus 27:30-34
b) the children of Israel were not to take tithes to the House of God. Numbers 18:21-22
c) the children of Israel were to give a tenth of their agricultural increase to the Levitic tribe. Numbers 18:21-26
d) the Levitic tribe was to go to the farming communities to collect tithes from the children of Israel. Nehemiah 10:29,37-38
e) a Priest from the Aaronic bloodline had to be present at the time the Levites received their tithes. Nehemiah 10:29,37-38
f) the children of Israel could redeem (buy back) a portion of their agricultural crop tithe from the Levitic tribe. Leviticus 27:31
g) the children of Israel could not redeem (buy back) any of their flock and herd tithes. Leviticus 27:33
h) the Levitic tribe was to give a tithe of the tithe they received from the children of Israel to the House of God. Numbers 18:27-28; Nehemiah 10:29, 37-38
i) God only required the Levitic tribe to tithe to the House of God. Numbers 18:21-22; Nehemiah 10:29,37-38
j) the children of Israel were not required to tithe during times of war. Deuteronomy 12:10-11
k) the children of Israel were to go to Jerusalem years one, two, four, and five in a seven year cycle and eat a tithe in the city with all members of their household. Deuteronomy 14:22-26; 14:27-29; 26:12-17; Leviticus 25:1-6
l) the children of Israel were to give a tithe to widows, to orphans, to foreigners, and to the Levitic tribe in Canaan years three and six in a seven year cycle. Deuteronomy 14:22-26; 14:27-29; 26:12-17; Leviticus 25:1-6

What the Bible does not say concerning tithes:

a) that New Covenant churches are authorized Tithe Collection Agencies.
b) that pastors of New Covenant churches are authorized Tithe Collection Representatives.
c) that tithes are to come from man’s employment wages.
d) that members of the congregation of New Covenant churches are to tithe to the church they attend.

 

Questions for the Faithful Tither

Questions for the Faithful Tithe
by Ronald W Robey
(written February 26, 2018)

Malachi 3:10 (KJV) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].

Questions to Ponder:

1. If the Church is the ‘storehouse’ as many Pastors claim, why are the tithes they collect not stored in the Church?

2. If the Bank is the ‘storehouse’ why are the Pastors telling their congregations to bring their tithes to the Church?

3. If the ‘storehouse’ is the Bank and not the Church, why are Pastors not telling their congregations to take their tithes to the Bank?

4. Considering the promise by God that He will pour out a blessing so huge there will not be room enough to contain it, are those who have tithed faithfully for years more faithful in tithing than God is to His promise?

This leads us to the last question…

5. What faithful tither can honestly say he/she has received a blessing so huge it could not be contained?

 

Malachi, Rightly Divided

Malachi, Rightly Divided
by Ronald W Robey
(written January 08, 2019)

If members of the congregation would rightly divide the word of truth, they would know that Malachi

a) is not calling for people worldwide to tithe

Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

b) is calling for a return to God’s ordinances

Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

God’s ordinances concerning tithing say that

1. God’s tithe is to be agricultural, not monetary

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 unto the LORD.
Leviticus 27:31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
Leviticus 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
Leviticus 27:33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

2. God’s tithe must be given to bloodline descendants of the patriarch Levi

2Numbers 18:21 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.

3. The congregation is not to tithe to the House of God.

Numbers 18:22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

What is written in the ordinances proves that Malachi

c) is not saying money is to be tithed

d) is telling Levites to tithe to God’s House and no one else

Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
Malachi 1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

Malachi 2:1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

Summary: Malachi would not be calling for a return to God’s ordinances in Malachi 3:7, and then instructing transgression of the ordinances in Malachi 3:10. Those who use Malachi 3:8-10 as “proof-text” for a monetary tithe requirement are guilty of handling the word of God deceitfully.

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

 

Consider Your Ways

God says His tithe is crops and livestock.
Many preachers say, “Yea, hath God said…?  Tithe your money”

 

God says His tithe was restricted to national Israel.
Many preachers say, “Yea, hath God said…?  Tithe in whatever country you live”

God says His tithe was taken once a year to the Levites.
Many preachers say, “Yea, hath God said…?  Tithe weekly”

God says His tithe was to be eaten by the tither and his family once a year.
Many preachers say, “Yea, hath God said…?  Your tithe is not for you to keep”

God says His tithe was to be given to the widows, the orphans, the foreigners taking refuge in Israel once every three years.
Many preachers say, “Yea, hath God said…?  Your tithe is to pay the preacher and to keep the Church doors open”

Shortly after creation week, there was another that questioned God’s design.  Things didn’t fare well with Him

Yes, God did say He does not change.  Consider your ways.

 

The 90 Day Tithe Challenge

Has your Church introduced to its members the “90 Day Tithe Challenge”?  If so, don’t fall for it.  It is just another attempt to coerce you into departing with your money.

I have seen the form. Have a copy of it. It is a joke. The pastors who use this form can use any kind of excuse for not giving the money back after the 90 days is over. The challenge simply says, “we commit to you if you tithe for 90 days and God doesn’t hold true to His promises of blessing, we will refund 100% of your tithe. No questions asked.”

What was the blessing promised in Malachi? It was not money, so if the tither is not blessed with money, no surprise. The blessing promised is rain. The windows of heaven will open and I will pour out a blessing. Remember the first time the windows of heaven is mentioned in the Bible? Rain fell and flooded the Earth. God’s promise to faithful tithers was rain so that crops would grow in abundance. They promises were not for better business at the office, health for the family, wealth for the pocketbook. It was simply rain.

So if rain falls one time in those 90 days, the pastor can say that God kept His promise. You’ve lost your money.

That’s right… you’ve lost it. You fell for a con artist’s sales pitch that guaranteed he would walk away a winner and you would be left with the proverbial mud on your face.

Don’t fall for the “90 Day Tithe Challenge.” It is not of God. The command to tithe and the blessings associated with that tithe were for Israel… not your New Covenant Church in another geographical location. The tithe was never given to your Church. God never gave your pastor the authority to receive tithes… much less tithes of money. The monetary tithe doctrine being taught in Churches today is found nowhere in Scripture. It is an invention of man and not of God.

Psalms 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 

Things That Are Different Are Not the Same

Things That Are Different Are Not the Same

by Ronald W Robey

(written July 25, 2013)

 

When teaching their congregation that God expects them to tithe, many pastors will tell them to turn to Genesis 14 and see that Abram tithed before the Mosaic Law was established.

 

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Genesis 14:18-20; KJV)

 

After reading this passage, the pastor then tells his congregation that this means that since tithing pre-dates the Mosaic Law, and is found within the Mosaic Law, it is to be kept and observed today for it is an eternal moral principle for all people of all ages.

 

But is this true? Is it an eternal moral principle for all people of all ages? Let’s compare today’s monetary tithe to Abram’s tithe and see what the similarities are, if indeed there are any…

 

a) There is only one recorded instance of Abram tithing to Melchizedek found in the Word of God.

Do pastors teach that Christians only need to tithe once as Abram did?

 

b) That which Abram tithed was not wages earned for a day-to-day job. It was from the spoils of war.

Do pastors require tithes from day-to-day jobs? or from the spoils of war?

 

c) Abram tithed to Melchizedek only after he had been refreshed with natural food and drink.

Do pastors feed you natural food before receiving tithes?

 

d) Abram’s tithe included clothing.

Do pastors tell you to tithe clothing?

 

e) Abram tithed what did not even belong to him. He had promised God he would not keep any of the spoils lest Bera have the opportunity to say he had made Abram rich.

Do pastors expect you to tithe that which belongs to another man? or that which belongs to you? (yes, I know God owns it all, but the fact is, that which He owns, He gives to us. There are enough verses to show this as a fact)

 

f) Abram did not tithe to a Church or a Temple.

Does your pastor tell you you can tithe anywhere else other than the Church?

 

As the diligent student of the the Word of God can see, that which is being pushed off as “tithes” today nowhere resembles that which Abram tithed to Melchizedek. It is nothing short of nonsense to try to justify tithing by going to Abram’s tithe to Melchizedek.

 

Was Abram’s tithe continued in the Mosaic Law? When comparing the account in Genesis 14 with the tithe that God required under the Mosaic Law, one will see that Abram’s tithe didn’t even resemble God’s Holy tithe under the Mosaic Law. Notice:

 

Genesis 14:18-20 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

 

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 unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai. (Leviticus 27:30-34; KJV)

 

Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 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 thy God always. 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 thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 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: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. 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: 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. (Deuteronomy 14:22-29; KJV)

 

And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. (Nehemiah 10:37-38; KJV)

 

Scriptures pertaining to the Mosaic Law reveal that the tithe God required of the children of Israel and the Levites was strictly agricultural.

Is this the same as the tithe that Abram gave to Melchizedek? No! Abram’s tithe included articles of clothing.

 

Further, in Numbers 31, we read that God required far less than a tithe from the spoils of war…

 

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation: And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation: And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep: Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD. And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD. And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep, And threescore and twelve thousand beeves, And threescore and one thousand asses, And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him. And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep: And the LORD’S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen. And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD’S tribute was threescore and twelve. And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’S tribute was threescore and one. And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD’S tribute was thirty and two persons. And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred, (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep, And thirty and six thousand beeves, And thirty thousand asses and five hundred, And sixteen thousand persons;) Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses. (Numbers 31:25-47; KJV)

 

Again, the tithe Abram gave to Melchizedek cannot be likened to the tithe God required of the children of Israel.

 

Now, one may argue that Israel was strictly an agricultural nation while under the Mosaic Law. Many claim that money was scarce in that time. Yet the Word of God reveals just the opposite…

 

The fact is, there were men of many trades and occupations that came out of Egypt and much gold and silver was also taken from Egypt by the Israelites.

 

Psalms 105:37-38 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

 

Today’s monetary tithe does not resemble the Mosaic Law tithe, nor does it resemble the tithe Abram gave to Melchizedek. All three tithes are so much unalike in their elements and particulars that it is foolish to attempt to justify one by giving as an example another.

 

So, where did the monetary tithe doctrine come from? Not from the Word of God! Not one verse in either the Old or New Testament concerning tithing instructs one to tithe one’s money. Again, where does it come from? From the invention of man.

 

Sadly, so many have believed the invention of man and elevated it to the same level (if not higher) as the word of God itself.

 

Psalms 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

 

Tithing Was Resurrected and Modified by Man

God’s Holy tithe was never required of the New Testament Church. The New Testament Church has taken the tithe that was required of Israel, a tithe of crops and livestock, and modified it completely. These modifications did not happen during the lifetime of any of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. It was centuries later that a monetary tithe was adopted.

Leviticus 27:30-33 makes it clear that the Levitical tithe was of the seed of the land (crops) an fruit of the trees (crops) and every tenth animal to pass under the rod (livestock). There was never a command to tithe one’s money anywhere in Old Testament Israel. The Levitical tithe was taken to the Levites in the Levitical cities every year for six years in a seven year cycle. The tithe of crops could be redeemed at a cost. By redeemed, we mean ‘bought back’. The tither would take his crops to the Levite. The Levite would assess the value of the tithe and add a fifth of the value to the assessed value if the tither wanted to buy back the tithe. This proves that the tithe was not money. It would be foolish for a tither to take 20 shekels to the Levite and tell him, “Here’s my tithe… now I’d like to buy it back. You say it will cost me 24 shekels to buy it back? Fine… here you are!” Such a conversation would never have taken place. Money was not titheable in Old Testament Isreal. (Leviticus 27:30-33; Nehemiah 10:37-38)

Now, Nehemiah 10:37-38 sheds light on just who was robbing God in Malachi 3:7-11. It was not the children of Israel who were robbing God. Rather, it was the Priests. The children of Israel were to take their tithe to the Levites, the Levites were responsible for taking a tithe of that tithe to the storehouse. Now, while they were doing just that, the Word of God reveals that Eliashib the Priest had the tithes taken out of the storehouse chambers and moved Tobiah the Ammonite into the then empty storehouse. (Nehemiah 13)

Because he had removed the tithes from the storehouse, the Levites had to return to their Levitical cities so that they could survive… there was no food at the Temple when there should have been. The command given by the Lord to Malachi was to the Priest, telling him to bring the tithes into the storehouse so there could be food for the workers of the Temple. In robbing God by taking the tithes out of the Temple, the Priests were robbing the whole nation. Their actions caused God to withhold needed rain for the crops, and the nation was cursed.

There was a second tithe each year called a Festival tithe. This tithe was also of crops and livestock, and was taken to Jerusalem for one of three annual festivals. If the distance was too far for the tither, or the tithe was too heavy, he could sell the tithe for money. He was then to carry that money to Jerusalem and there spend the money on food and drink to celebrate the Festival with his family and Levites. (Deuteronomy 14:22-27)

A third tithe, called the Poor tithe, was kept by the tither on his property and used to feed the widows and orphans of Israel, the Levites living on the tither’s property, and refugees living in the land of Israel. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29) This tithe was to be observed and kept every third year in a seven year cycle.

The seventh year of the seven year cycle the land was to rest. No sowing, no harvesting. There could be no crop tithe that year.

After the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., there could be no more tithing. No Temple for the Levites to minister in, no sacrifices, etc. Tithing was no more… until the Church resurrected it and then modified it centuries after the Apostles had died. The Church had no business levying on Christians a monetary tithe. Our giving is to be voluntary, not of compulsion.

 

Is Tithing Required Today?

Is Tithing Required Today?
by Ronald W Robey

There is New Testament proof that we are not required to tithe today, and that the Church is not qualified to receive the tithe. But there is also Old Testament evidence that we are not to tithe.

Let’s look at the Old Testament first, shall we?…

The first time tithing is found in the Bible is in Genesis 14. There, we read the account of Abram, on his return from a successful rescue mission, who gave tithes of all the spoils of war to the king of Salem. Abram subsequently gave the rest of the spoils to the king of Sodom, telling him that he had made a promise to God that he would not keep any of the spoils of war for his own. Abram did not even claim those spoils as being his, though by war rights he could have.

Genesis 28 is the next passage to consider. Jacob vowed to give God a tenth of all that he acquired if God would meet certain conditions first. One of those conditions was that Jacob return to his father’s house in peace. That particular condition was not met until nearly twenty-one years after Jacob made the vow.

Neither of the above two instances can be said to be patterns we are to follow today, as there is no instruction in the Word of God that those tithes are to be imitated.

Then, we come to the Mosaic Law…

Leviticus 27:30-33 state that God’s Holy tithe consisted of agricultural crops, flocks and herds only.

Leviticus 27:34 reveals that God instituted the tithe for the bloodline descendants of Israel.

Numbers 18 reveals that God said the Levitical tithe (given the first 6 years in a 7 year period) was to be given to the Levites because they have no inheritance in the land of Israel.

Deuteronomy 14 reveals that the festival tithe (given the first 6 years in a 7 year period) was to be taken to the place God chose. (We later discover that the chosen place is Jerusalem) There, the tither and his family were to EAT THE TITHE and also give some of the tithe to the Levite to eat.

Deuteronomy 14 also reveals a third tithe that was given every 3rd and 6th year in a 7 year period. This tithe was given to the widows, orphans, Levites living in one’s city, and to foreigners visiting the city. This was called the Poor tithe or Charity tithe.

Concerning the Levitical tithe, the Levites were to travel to the farming communities of the other eleven tribes of Israel, and there…take the tithes.

The Levites, upon receiving the tithes of the children of Israel, were to take a tithe of the tithes to the House of God located in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 10:37-38

The seventh year in a seven year cycle, farmers were not to till the land, nor harvest the wild seed that the land produced. The land was given a rest, meaning… no tithe that year. (see Leviticus 25:1-6)

This seven year cycle would repeat for forty-nine years. The fiftieth year was the year of Jubilee. That year, the land rested as well, meaning … no tithes.

After the year of Jubilee, the cycle would start anew.

Malachi 3:7-11 reveals that the tithe was an ordinance. It also reaffirms the fact that the tithe was FOOD. Malachi 3:10 tells us, “that there may be MEAT in mine house”. The context of the entire Book of Malachi reveals that God is using Malachi to rebuke the Levitic/Aaronic Priests…not the congregation/children of Israel.

Tithe teachers today fail to tell their congregations that ‘money is never called meat in the Word of God.’

God said if the tithe was brought back to the Temple in Jerusalem, (not in America, nor any other country other than Israel) He would open the windows of heaven (speaking of rain) and pour out a blessing in abundance. He would rebuke the devourer (locusts) that was eating the crops and Israel would flourish with garden produce.

Again, it was the Levite who was responsible for taking tithes to the House of God. Israelites who were not of the descent of Levi could not take the tithe the House of God…they had to keep it in the farming communities for the Levite’s to collect it there.

Do you own a farm in the land of Israel? If not, according to the Bible you don’t have to tithe…no matter how much your pastor or spiritual leader claims you do.

And now, we get to the New Testament….

Jesus mentions tithing just three times in the Gospels. Once in a parable (Luke 18:9-14) and twice commending the Scribes and Pharisees for tithing spices and herbs from their gardens. (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42) Jesus said the Pharisees should be tithing for a reason… the Law required them to tithe.

The only other place in the New Testament that tithes are mentioned is in Hebrews 7. There, the author explains the tithe that Melchizedek received from the hand of Abraham. He is careful to point out that that tithe was of the spoils of war (Hebrews 7:4) In Hebrews 7:12, we read that there was a change in the law. That change was that man could not give a tithe to Melchizedek any longer, but had to give the tithe to the Levite. The Law specified that the tithe only went to the Levitical tribe, which Melchizedek did not belong to.

On to Hebrews 7:18… Hebrews 7:18 reveals that the tithe law has been disannulled. No one is authorized by God to receive God’s Holy tithe… it has been cancelled out!

But just in case that one verse doesn’t convince you, remember how Malachi said the tithe was an ordinance? Well, the Apostle Paul told the Colossians that ordinances were taken out of the way and nailed to the cross. (Yes, that is speaking of the ordinances that God set forth in the Law, even the ordinance of the tithe)

The NT certainly does give us verses that show we cannot tithe today.

 

God’s Holy Tithe

First, I do recognize that Abram tithed to Melchizedek before the Law was given by Moses to the Israelites. I have no problem admitting that, as it is in black and white in the 14th Chapter of Genesis for all to read.

I contend that that tithe, of the spoils of war as verified both in Genesis 14 and Hebrews 7, is not a tithe that we, as Christians, are to pattern our giving today.

Abram’s tithe was of the spoils of war, meaning he had to go to battle to attain those spoils that he tithed from. He promised God that he would not take any of those spoils unto himself, meaning he did not claim them as his own property. He did this because he did not want the king of Sodom, Bera, to have reason to say he had made Abram rich (Genesis 14:22-24) He did not even eat of those spoils as the men that were with him did… he did not want them at all. This is why, after giving the tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek, he also gave away the rest of the spoils. No room for Bera to say he had made Abram rich whatsoever.

Had Abram saw the tithe of spoils as his own, he would have been that much richer than he was when he started out on his rescue mission for his nephew Lot. Apparently, even Bera did not consider Abram tithing a tenth of the spoils as having made Abram rich enough to tithe the spoils he tithed.

We also glean from the text that the property Abram tithed was not his own property, his own assets.

Now, it can be argued that Abram was giving God His tithe. I am convinced that if it was “God’s tithe,” then God later amended His tithe when He gave the Law to Moses for the Israelites. For, in Leviticus 27 we read:

Leviticus 27:30-34 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 unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

Notice God stated specifically that His tithe was of the seed of the land, the fruit of the tree, and the tenth of the herd and flock that passed under the rod. If God’s tithe was what Abram tithed to Melchizedek, it certainly was amended to a specific people, (the Israelites) a specific possession (crops, flocks and herds) and a specific purpose.

The specific purpose can be found in the book of Numbers, Chapter 18. There, we read:

Numbers 18:20-24 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 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. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an 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 specific purpose for the tithe was to provide for the Levites who had no inheritance in the land of Israel. The Levites received the tithe from the remaining tribes of Israel. That tithe was crops, flocks and herds; meaning that the only ones God said were to tithe were those who had produce and livestock.

Under the law, God required far less than a tithe from the spoils of war. (see Numbers 31)

The Word of God continues with the same tithes throughout the Bible, even in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees tithed mint, cummin, dill, anise… things grown and required in the tithe as per Leviticus 27:30-34. There was never a tithe of money taken to Levite or Temple in the Bible.

In Deuteronomy 14, we read that the festival tithe could be sold for money if it was too great a burden to carry, (animals were capable of walking, so this is speaking specifically of the crops tithe) but when the tither arrived at the place God wanted him to tithe, he was to buy back the tithe and there eat the tithe.

It’s all there in black and white, folks. I’m not making this up. The tithe was to be eaten… it was food, not money.

I submit that , in order for the Church to teach a monetary tithe, the Church must present Scripture that states that God amended His Holy tithe to

1) no longer be food, but money
2) no longer be from Israelite farmers and herders only, but from everyone who is a child of God
3) no longer be a yearly tithe of 20% every 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th year of a seven year cycle and 30% every 3rd and 6th year of a seven year cycle with no tithe being given the seventh year as the land was to rest the seventh year, to a weekly monetary tithe of 10% year in and year out without a rest.
4) no longer be to the Levites because they had no inheritance, but to Church leadership who have inheritances.

It is my contention that the monetary tithe that Church leadership teaches today is either due to
1) lack of proper study of the Word of God and therefore, ignorance of what God’s Holy tithe was
2) knowing what God’s Holy tithe was but teaching a monetary tithe to get money from the congregation for the purpose of maintaining the Church operation and upkeep
3) personal greed
4) a combination of the three previous reasons stated.

At any rate, the monetary tithe doctrine is unsanctioned by God, it is unscriptural, it is unsubstantiated and and its teachers are unscrupulous.

 

Will A Man Rob God? – by Ronald W Robey

Will A Man Rob God?


On any given Sunday, there will be Pastor’s who will stand behind the pulpit and will preach a well-known message out of the 3rd Chapter of the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi.

“Will a man ROB GOD?,” will boom through the air with emphasis on ‘rob God.’ Many preacher’s will put the emphasis on ‘rob God’ to instill an automatic guilt into the very minds of the hearer. It causes the automatic cringing of the people the preacher wants to put in a spirit of condemnation.

“Yet YE HAVE ROBBED ME. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for YE HAVE ROBBED ME, even this whole nation.”

Every single believer in the congregation who is not placing money in a tithe envelope and placing it in the offering plate is automatically pointed out by this man, (figuratively) who is supposed to be speaking for God, as being robbers and are therefore under a curse which will NEVER BE LIFTED as long as one is disobedient to God.

This is why it is important for each and every person who has been adopted into the family of God by faith in the substitutionary blood of Jesus Christ on the cruel cross of Calvary to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Jesus said in John 17 during His prayer to His Father acknowledging all that the Father gave Him these wonderful words that we all need to embrace and realize that He wants us to study diligently; “Sanctify them through Thy Truth; Thy Word is Truth.”

Once we learn that it is God’s Holy Word that sanctifies, that sets us apart from the world, that separates us from false teachings, then we have a responsibility to study that Word and begin to apply its truths to our walk. When we walk according to the Word of God, we will not be so easily swayed by preachers who do not study as they should.

Oh, but the preacher has doctorates given him by a famous seminary that has turned out many wonderful men of God! Don’t be fooled, Brethren. The only thing that will turn out a wonderful man of God are the Word of God and the God of the Word..

The best place to go to learn who God is and what He expects of man is to the very Word of God… The Holy Bible.

In the accusation of man robbing God in today’s Christian community, a charge is generally given out of Malachi that not only was not speaking of money, but it was not speaking of the Gentile nations at all.

The Gentile nations were not required to tithe according to God’s Word.

Let’s begin to look into the passage and learn what God is truly addressing when the prophet Malachi said “Will a man rob God? But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.”
First off, we must address who is being spoken to in the passage. It will shock many to realize that it was to the Priest’s of Israel.

Look at Malachi 2:1:

And now, O ye Priest’s, this commandment is for you.

Now, look at Malachi 3:5:

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

Clearly, God is speaking about specific people here that are doing the robbing! The Priest’s who oppress or defraud the working class, who defraud the widows, the orphans, and turn aside the stranger from his right. To see exactly what is meant here since it is speaking of tithes, we must go into the Book of Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 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 thy God always. 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 thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 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: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. 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: 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.

Here, we learn more than just one wonderful truth.

1. We learn that the tithe was “all the increase of thy seed, (agricultural produce) that the field bringeth forth year by year.” The tithe was a yearly event, not weekly.
2. We learn that the tithe was to be eaten.
3. We learn that the purpose of the tithe is that the children of Israel learn to revere the LORD their God.
4. If the tithe was too heavy to carry to the destination that the Lord had chose to place His name, or if the distance to the Feast was so far that the food might spoil before arriving at the location that the Feast was to take place, the tithe could be sold for money. This tells us the tithe was not money, contrary to what many have been taught in Churches around the world.
5. Once the tither arrived at the destination that the Lord had chose to place His name, the money was to be used to buy the tithe that was to be eaten there before the Lord.
6. On every 3rd year, the tithe was not to be taken to the Levite’s, nor to the Feast, but the tithe was to be kept in one’s own city to feed the Levite that was living In that city, the widow, the orphans, and any stranger that happened to be in Israel at the time of the tithe. These people were fed the third year tithe.
7. The Levite’s, widows, orphans and foreigners were the only one’s who were qualified to receive the tithe of the tither.

If the principle set forth in the Book of Deuteronomy was followed, the LORD God promised to bless the one who tithed.

When one reads Malachi 3:5 in light of Deuteronomy 14:22-29, we see that the Priest’s were not allowing the tithe to go toward feeding the less fortunate.

When God said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”, He was telling the Priest’s to take the tithe of grains and meats, foodstuff, into the Temple storage chambers so that there would be food for themselves and for others in need.
If the tither would do this, God would cause the windows of heaven to open, the rain to fall, and the crops to increase in such a way that the tither would have more than he needed for his own self.