Tithe. For some, it’s a dirty word. For some, it’s controversial. For some, it’s irrational. For some, it’s a principle. For me, it’s central to my relationship with God.
What is the tithe? In simple terms, it’s a tenth of one’s increase (Deuteronomy 14:22).
A few of my thoughts on tithing:
- – It is one-tenth of any increase in our house.
- – It lays a foundation for God to bless my family.
- – It honors God.
- – It is an act of obedience.
- – It does not make me immune to financial struggles, but it does give me a platform when I appeal to God to meet a need in my life.
- – For me, not tithing is the equivalent of robbing God.
- – It’s the first check Kris and I write.
- – It is not based on “what is the church gonna do with it?” question. It’s a Kingdom principle. Scriptures do not give stipulations or exceptions on tithing. Neither should I.
- – My heart is where my wallet is. For my sake, it better be with Him.
I get seriously excited when Kris and I tithe. We don’t just give “every once in a while.” We give upon every increase. We get to tithe.
Some people argue that they cannot afford to tithe. I argue that I cannot afford not to.
Tomorrow, I’ll give some personal examples of how God has blessed our family through honoring Him with ten percent.
What are your thoughts?
DustyTakle.com 
Oh, I so agree. Very nicely written.
Well done.
I believe that is the most powerful and concise explanation of tithing I have ever read. If people could ever get a vision that giving to God what He says belongs to Him, and giving to others opens the door for you to receive all that you need and even more abundantly. Joe and I made the decision to tithe more than 30 years ago and we have been truly blessed!!!!
Dusty,
I trust God, and I agree God blesses the obediance of tithing. I also get a thrill when i tithe. I soon hope to tithe more! Blessings!
The word “tithe” is Hebrew for “tenth” (not first). The biblical definition always includes only food from inside Israel. That is a fact which never changed although money was essential for worship. It is definitely controversial because it was never given to the Church and was never used to suppoprt missionaries.
For many the tithe is a principle which cannot be clearly stated from God;s Word. In the OT only farmers and herdsmen were required to tithe food from inside Israel. Jesus, Peter and Paul did not qualify as tithe-payers.
I have a solid relationship with God and probably give more than 10% but do not look at percentages. Such was true of all non-state Protestant churches in the USA before the 1870s.
The tithe of Deuteronmy 12, 14 and 26 was the second festival tithe and was totally eaten in the streets of Jerusalem during three annual feasts. The increase was provided by God’s miracle of harvest and animal reproduction instead of man’s achievements.
According to Galatians 3:10 tithing cannot lay a foundation for God to bless unless one obeyed all 600 plus commandments of the law. Expecting God to bless through tithes actually puts one under the curses of the law of Deuteronomy 28 and Nehemiah 10:29.
We have no authority to appeal to God becausse of tithe-paying. We appeal to God as born-again adopted children who are covered by the blood of Jesus.
Not tithing is not robbing God. Malachi 3 was addressed specifically in 1:6 and 2:1 to dishonest priests who had stolen the Levites’ portion of the tithes (see Neh 13:5-10).
While it is commendable to give the first check to your local church, it is not taught in the Bible. Firstfruits and tithes are not the same thing. Compare Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 26:1-10 and Nehemiah 10:35-39.
Scriptures do not give stipulations on tithing at all. According to Hebrews 7:5, 12, 18 tithing “changed” to be “annulled” because of the new covenant principles (v19).
You wrote: My heart is where my wallet is. For my sake, it better be with Him.” There is nothing wrong with that comment.
I could give you thousands of examples of poor ghetto dwellers who have been tithing for generations without any change. The tithe is not a lottery and it does not replace education, motivation and hard work.
Dusty, you don’t know this but it was on one of our girls trips that you were talking about tithing and I have to say that I have not heard that word much and called my mom later that evening (without ANYONE KNOWING) to ask her.. I felt so embarrassed that I didn’t completly know what it was… I give to my church and commit to them but didn’t hear that word.. Anyway, I have not been as good as you by all means but give to the church no matter what church I might be visiting. I am imbetween them right. I will never forget my friend telling me that she and her husband were newlyweds and they didn’t think they had enough money to pay the mortg but scraped together the money to tithe and gave. The next week they got enought money to pay rent. God is good and you should give..
Russell,
I absolutely agree that we appeal to God because of the blood of the cross. Otherwise, it is all by works. I meant that I feel that I am able to call on the seeds that I have sown (e.g. tithes, offerings, etc.), when I am in need.
I also never expressed that the the tithe was a “lottery”. I actually explain that tithing does not make one immune to financial struggles. If you tune into tomorrow’s post, you will see that I explain that we virtually control our own finances, and they can be affected by our personal financial decisions….good and bad.
In Malachi 3:10-11, God says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.” The ‘storehouse’ is the Old Testament picture of the New Testament church. So as New Testament believers, we worship the Lord with the tithe; or the ten percent.
We give first because it takes faith to give first and God wants us to trust Him. He tells us in Proverbs 3:9-10 to “honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops and then your barns will be filled with overflowing.”
I understand that giving 10 percent can be very difficult for some, even frightening. For those who disagree with the concept of the tithe or who are fearful in it, I would encourage them to seek His guidance in how much you should give, and he will honor your faithfulness and obedience.
I do not believe we serve a vengeful God who is waiting to strike if we disobey His commands or do not give to the Body or to others. Obeying His Word and giving (whether you call it tithing or “giving”) is for our benefit and for the benefit of others in need – not God’s. He doesn’t need my money.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to the post. And, while I disagree that tithing is not bibilical, I appreciate that you embrace giving.
One more thing….LUKE 11:42 says “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone . (NIV)
Jesus was not telling the Pharisees not to tithe, quite the contrary. He was telling them they should also understand judgement, mercy and His love. And, this is the New Testament.
Dusty,
I posted about this subject a couple of months ago; I received a lot of intersting and heartfelt comments. I look forward to your next post.
If you want to check it out you can do so at:
http://bigisthenewsmall.com/?p=318