Does the Bible call us to tithe or is tithing a cash grab for churches?

 

Show Notes

 

Verses used to justify modern day tithing

Malachi 8-10

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!” “How do we rob you?” you ask.“ By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. 9 You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.

Matthew 23:23

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

 

Origin of tithing

1. Levitical Tithe
2. The Festival Tithe
3. Welfare Tithe

 

Levitical TitheLevites

• Aaron became the first Levitical Priest and his role along with his relatives were to maintain service the Temple.
• They were also responsible for receiving the consecrated items dedicated to God, from the people of Israel.
• Everything that was not consumed by fire at the altar the priests were able to keep.
• All of this laid out in Numbers 18:8-20.
• Numbers 18:21-24 - God tells Aaron that he will not have an inheritance in the land of Israel and in return for the work of the Levites will receive a tenth of everything from Israel.

 

Numbers 18:20

20 The Lord told Aaron, “You will not have an inheritance in their land; there will be no portion among them for you. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.

 

Numbers 18:21

Look, I have given the Levites every tenth in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the tent of meeting

 

Numbers 18:24

24 For I have given them the tenth that the Israelites present to the Lord as a contribution for their inheritance. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.”

 

Festival Tithe

• There was a general tithe that was taken up annually that was classified as holy to the Lord. This was taken up as an agricultural. Each year the Israelites would make their way to the designated sanctuary and fellowship together; eating a certain portion of their tithe.
• This is an agriculture tithe

 

Leviticus 27:30-34

30 “Every tenth of the land’s produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man decides to redeem any part of this tenth, he must add a fifth to its value. 32 Every tenth animal from the herd or flock, which passes under the shepherd’s rod, will be holy to the Lord. 33 He is not to inspect whether it is good or bad, and he is not to make a substitution for it. But if he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute will be holy; they cannot be redeemed.” 34 These are the commands the Lord gave Moses for the Israelites on Mount Sinai.

Deuteronomy 14:22-23 (Festival)

Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the...