Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this says the Lord of hosts If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing that there will not be room for you to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field says the Lord
- Malachi 3:8-11
Everyone in the church knows these verses, and many can quote them word for word. These are the premiere verses used to explain the tithe, and why many preachers and parishioners believe we are obligated to “pay” it.
I will submit to the reader that these verses have been grossly taken out of context – totally divorced of their original meaning, to mean something the prophet Malachi never intended. I was taught long ago that when a text is removed from its original context, you develop what is called a pretext. The meaning of pretext is: a reason given in justification of a course action that is not the real reason. The word pretext comes from two Latin words: Prae, which means before, and texere which means to weave. Combining the two you get pratexere which means to disguise.
So, when someone is using a pretext to drive a point across, or to get what they want, they disguise their actual intent. It's deception, a ruse or pretense. Unfortunately, plenty of preachers (especially televangelists)[i] create pretexts out of Holy scripture to get their point across to unsuspecting parishioners to siphon them out of their money in the “name” of Jesus.
The aforementioned passages are the ones they butcher the most.
Now, that I have written a small introduction, let's examine carefully Malachi 3:8-11.
The word tithe in the Hebrew is āśar. The Greek word is dekatoō. Both words mean tenth or a tenth part. Most people believe when they see the word tithe(s), that simply means to give a tenth of their income to the church when they get paid. In other words, if you receive $500, you pay $50 in the collection plate. If you receive a $1000, you pay $100. Not to do so, is to rob God, and be subject to a curse. Many believe a financial curse. If they become ill, they believe is because they stopped tithing. If they lose their job, they believe is because they stopped tithing or never tithed. There are others that believe if they pay their tenth, they will receive a one-hundred-fold return on their giving. For example, you give $100, you will eventually receive $10,000 down the line; 100x100=10,000. This is also what is known as name-it-and-claim-it, or the prosperity gospel.
Sounds more like the lottery to me.
Disciples of this new age type of philosophy believe through positive confession which they believe is biblical faith can get God to do what they want; like for instance make them wealthy. The means is through tithing their money in order to get more money. Here’s a shock for many of you; OT tithing was never money. I’ll explain that later in the article.
Some of the popular tithing phrases used in churches are: “You cannot afford not to tithe!” “Tithe your way out of debt!” “Have a need, plant a seed!”
I have even heard of churches that will pray a special prayer over those whose pay their tenth, and pray for the rest of their congregation separately (i.e. those who do not tithe). It’s a sort of back of the hand prayer for the have-nots; once again, those who do not tithe (according to their definition of it).
Next, God through the prophet says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food or meat in my house.”
What was the storehouse? Many believe it to be the local church where one worships. That is not true. The storehouse was the place in the temple of God where goods were stored like fruit, grain, herbs, etc.
In Nehemiah 10:37-39 we read, “To bring the first fruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit of all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God to the rooms of the storehouse. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.”
It should be clear to all that the tithes belong to the Levites. The procedure was this, The 11 tribes of Israel were to gather the first fruits of their increase to the priests along with the tithes of what they produced from the ground to the storehouse. The Levites then were to give a tenth of the tithes (or a heave offering) they received from the people to the descendants of Aaron. The descendants of Aaron were priests.
This was not happening during the time of Malachi. That is why he commanded them to bring the tithes and offerings into the house of God so that there would be food in my house. Not to bring the first fruits and tithes was to deprive the Levites and the priests their income on which to live on. This was, in essence, robbing God. The tithe was taxation to their theocratic government.
The windows of heaven is where God stored the rain. Once Israel supplied God’s house with what He demanded, God would cause the rain to come down and give life to their ground and yield its produce blessings. The devourer is not the devil as I was taught years go; the devourer in this context were locusts who would eat everything in their paths. The Lord said He would rebuke these pests so that the harvests would come in their seasons.
The first mention of the tithe in Mosaic Law appears in Leviticus 27:30-33, “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord. If a man wants to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
Notice all the tithes mentioned are seed, fruit, and herds. The tithe was never money! Shocked? It’s true. We just read it here. The children of Israel, not the church were to tithe the seed of the land, and the fruit of the trees and every tenth animal to God for it is holy. In addition, if anyone desired to buy back his tithe, he was required to pay an additional twenty percent redemption tax. The animals were not redeemable; you were not allowed to buy them back. This was the Levite’s tithe.
Israel paid three different tithes, not just one
In Deuteronomy 14:22-29 we read, “You shall surely tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. 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 learn to fear the Lord your God always. 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 God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 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.
You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.
At the end of every third year[1], you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite because he has no inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
By way of review, Moses talks about three different tithes here. 1) The tithe for the Levites. 2) A tithe for the annual religious festivals. 3) Every third year a tithe for the Levite, the alien, fatherless and the widow; sometimes called the poor or welfare tithe.
So every year two tithes, for the Levites and religious festivals, twenty percent. Every third year three tithes, thirty percent. So on average Israel paid 23.3% per year in tithes-taxes.
Sounds very much like taxes in America, doesn’t it?
Two important matters to point out: 1) tithes were paid annually, not every week. 2) For those who claim to tithe according to the Bible are not tithing nearly enough. Remember not only were tithes obligatory, so were certain offerings that were required every day. (Read Leviticus 1-7) There is no way we can tithe according to the Bible. The Israelites were farmers, an agrarian community who grew their own produce, and raised their own flocks and herds. We do not have those resources in the church.
Four other important texts regarding supporting the Levites with tithes and offerings are: Numbers 18:8-32, Deuteronomy 26:1-15, 2 Chronicles chapter 31, and Nehemiah 13:10-13. Notice in Numbers 18:20 God told Aaron that he and his children had no inheritance among the people, that is the other tribes. The Lord said He was their inheritance. What that means is the Levites whole life was that of purely worship and service. They were the priestly tribe and therefore owned no land. They were not farmers so they had to be compensated for their work on the tabernacle of meeting. The gifts received from their brethren was what they had to live on and take care of their families. Working on the tabernacle and handling the day to day responsibilities of God’s house was their occupation, and how they earned their living.
What about tithing before the law?
There are only two accounts of tithing pre-law. Both appear in Genesis. Abraham in Genesis 14:20 gives a tithe to Melchizedek king of Salem after Melchizedek blesses him after Abraham and his allies win a war in the valley of the kings. Abraham does not give the king a tithe of his personal property, but a tithe from the spoils of war, a war-tithe (Heb 7:4). Tithing was obviously a custom where Abraham lived, Ur of the Chaldees. It’s been reported that tithes were often given to kings and to false deities whom the people of the fertile crescent area lived. The area back then was called Mesopotamia which means land between two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates). Today it is Iraq. There is no indication in scripture that Abraham (Abram back then) was required to give a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek.
In Genesis 28:20-22 we read, 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 a pillar shall be God’s house, and all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”
We find out later in Jacob’s life that God blessed him abundantly with wives, children, flocks, and herds. It is not recorded that Jacob tithed, but it would be safe to assume he did. God answered his prayer, so Jacob I’m sure kept his vow. An important point to make is Jacob put a condition on his tithe; if the Lord met his needs, he would give back a portion to the Lord as an expression of thanksgiving and worship. Also, if Jacob actually tithed it would have taken him twenty years to do it. From the time Jacob left his father's house until the time he returned home from his uncle's was a period of twenty years (Gen 31:38).
Jesus mentions tithing in NT so that means we are required to do it right?
Jesus operated under the law. The new covenant was not in force until Jesus died. Scripture tells us this. Hebrews 9:16-17 says, “For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Testator in the Greek is diatithēmi. It means one who makes a testament or covenant. Jesus’ death culminated the Old Covenant and ushered in the New.
We assume the gospels are NT because that is the way our Bibles are constructed. The gospel records are accounts still dealing with the Mosaic law. The first book under the New Covenant is the book of Acts starting in chapter two, the birth of the church.
In Matthew 23 Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint, anise, cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice, mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (vs 23).
Jesus said to them you are tithing the smallest herbs and spices, but the matters that are most important you have failed to, and because of their lack of compassion for others they were hypocrites. According to James 2:10, they had violated the entire law although they tithed.
Know anyone that will brag about their tithing, but has a jacked up lifestyle? There are many in the church. As long as they pay their tithe, they assume their lives are okay. That is what I call the hypocrites-tithe or the deception-tithe.
We have one more tithe Jesus mentions. It’s the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I possess.” And the tax collector standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14).
Jesus taught this parable to present a reality. This was not a true story, but an illustration his audience could relate to. The Pharisee was smug and arrogant because he tithed and fasted. He was a legalist who no doubt believed he was in the kingdom of God because of his “good works”. He was not humble. The tax collector on the other hand never mentions tithing because he was a thief; tax collectors always collected more taxes than they were supposed to which made them rich through extortion. He knew he was a sinner, and pleaded to God for mercy for his soul. Jesus said the tax collector went home justified because of his humility and unworthiness to be in God’s presence. The Pharisee who was of the religious elite was not justified because of his self-exaltation. Point being, many believe their works, whether its tithing or anything else is acceptable to God alone. Rather God is looking for a contrite and broken spirit.
These are the only accounts where Jesus mentions tithing. Both are under the OT not the NT.
Are there commands for New Testament Giving?
Giving in the NT is about attitude and heart, and not obligation. Make no mistake, giving is commanded in the church, and we should be willing and eager to do it. It is a privilege, and a blessing to give for the work of the ministry. It’s the least we should do in light of what Jesus did when He gave His life for our wretched souls (Rom 8:32). Any church leadership that tries to put you into bondage about your giving, and commands you tithe, or get involved in $20, $50, $100 lines, you should challenge them to prove their position biblically. If they refuse to submit to prescribed NT giving, you should seriously consider leaving that church.
No one should be forced to give due to compulsion from church leadership.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says, “But this I say, he that sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart give, not grudgingly or out of necessity for God loves a cheerful or hilarious giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always have all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
Our reaping is in direct proportion to our sowing. If one cannot give freely and cheerfully, keep your money
I Corinthians 16 said that on the first day of the week (Sunday), those that were supporting the poor saints in Jerusalem were laying aside their contributions. This is when most people attend their worship services and is a great time to give your free will offerings to the Lord. Once again, no percentage or prescribed amount is required. Everyone gives based on their own convictions and how the Lord has prospered them.
That is what grace giving is all about. Jesus said to His disciples, “Freely you have received, freely give”
(Matt 10:8). We need to follow that example. Paul said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Another reason we must give is to support our spiritual leaders. They have families they need to take care of as well. The scripture says, “Those that preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (I Cor 9:14).
Our leaders need the support of the flock God has entrusted them with. If they are providing your spiritual needs; meaning they are feeding you God’s word, we are in turn to support them with our material resources (I Cor 9:11). This is their livelihood, and they must be compensated for it. A word of caution here: If someone is not teaching God’s word properly, you should NOT support that Pastor or their ministry. You are misusing God’s resources for an unworthy cause. Let us be discerning and prayerful what ministries we support.
The church is under grace, not under the law. Therefore, the tithe does not apply to the church. I have attempted in this article to prove that Biblically. Once again, the tithe had a specific purpose; first to pay the Levites for their work and ministry, and to finance their government. Secondly, to provide for their annual religious festivals; a national party. And third, to take care of the strangers, the orphans, and the widows; those who had nothing. Notice the poor in their land did not pay tithes, they received them. Those among us who are poor are in no position to support the church financially, but can with their time and talent. Once again, law tithing was never money (i.e. coinage).
If someone desires to give (not pay) a tenth of their income every time they get paid, that is fine. It is not the OT tithe, but more of what I would call a freewill tithe. I heard a message recently where the pastor called it, “Tithing Under Grace”, or “Grace Tithing”. I agree with both descriptions.
Today, we can give whatever we want. If we give less than a tenth of our income, we are not robbing God because we’re under grace. If one gives more than a tenth, that is fine also. It is a matter of our minds and hearts that counts, not the amount.
And finally, if one is going to subject themselves to the law-tithe, you must obey all the other 600 or so commands in the law which no one can do. If you offend in one area of the law, then you are guilty of all of it (James 2:10). What good is it if one brags they tithe, but neglects to pay their phone bill or worse you cannot pay your rent because you been brow beaten about making sure you pay your tithe? What type of witness are you giving the world as a Christian if you do not even meet your contractual obligations to your creditors; All for the sake of the tithe?
Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.”
It is unfortunate for so many to believe that many in the church are under a curse due to not law-tithing when we have been made free in Christ. The tithe was taxation. We do not pay taxes to the church.
Therefore, if the Son has made you free, you shall be freed indeed (John 8:36).
There is therefore now (italics mine) no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free (emphasis added) from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:1-2).
[i] I will give a few preachers the benefit of the doubt that they are preaching the law-tithe with good intention; not because they are greedy. They believe this is God’s ultimate plan for giving. Their ignorance of the scriptures in this matter is still astounding because as a minister of the word you are required to study to show yourself approved (2 Tim 2:15). There are others that are manipulative, and will go through any gyration to loosen someone’s pockets and separate them from their money: prayer cloths, “healing waters” from the Jordan River, anointing oil, touch the screen for a healing when you send a faith-seed-offering, and the list goes on. Let’s pray for our leaders; that they exercise discernment in teaching correct giving. We also need to expose the charlatans and false teachers that prey on the flock. How someone handles a parishioner's hard earned money often times determines if one will continue to attend any church or never return again.