Tithing is an Act of Worship
Our world has some serious problems. Humanity seek to solve them through better technology, better distribution of material goods… and lots of wishful thinking. The real answers to humanity’s quest for meaningful and joyful living are spiritual not material. Those answers are available within the message of the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ.
The creator makes that knowledge available in a written document [bible]. Understanding of what that document is actually there to teach us is darkened, confused, seemingly contradictory, seemingly discredited. God has allowed it to be so.
God has provided a beacon of right teaching, true doctrine, and spiritual understanding to cut through the fog. That beacon of light in a darkened world is the church. Not a nation, not an organization… a spiritual organism drawing from all humanity. A body of people commissioned as servants of Jesus Christ to take the message of the kingdom an of Christ to the world. Matthew 28:18-20.
It is God’s will and purpose to work through humans as partners. At one time He worked through a physical entity… a nation, Israel. At present He works through a spiritual entity… the church of God. A spiritual entity operating in a very material world.
A Tithe is a 10th of Your Increase or Net Gain
Leviticus 27:30-33 a tenth part
Deuteronomy 14:22 on the increase, gain, or profit
The reality of life on earth is that everything belongs to the Creator. God just lets you use it for a while. When you are gone it passes to another.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 we are wrong when we think it belongs to us
Deuteronomy 28:47 we are to serve Him willingly, which includes showing honor towards Him with our material goods by giving 10% back to Him [of what is really His anyway].
Tithing is a Form of Worship
Tithing is a form of worship that exists outside the bounds of the covenant God made with Israel. Abraham tithed hundreds of years before the covenant was put in place with Israel. Abraham gave 10% of what he gained. He gave it to the high priest of God… which at that time was Melchizadek. Abraham honored God with his material goods and gave thanks for the blessing from God [the blessing of victory]. Genesis 14:18-20
Genesis 28: 20-22 when God reaffirms the covenant He made with Abraham through Jacob [Abraham’s grandson]… Jacob responds with a declaration of loyalty and a dedication to tithing… I will worship you through titihing. [to Melchizadek?]
Tithing is part of the covenant of faith that began with Abraham and which remains today for the people of God.
Tithing in the Sinai Covenant
God established Israel in the land of Canaan to perform His great work in the world. To act as a living demonstration of His way of living among the nations which they could admire and imitate. With this new method of revealing Himself to humanity there was also a change in the administration of the priesthood. Instead of the order of Melchizadek the tribe of Levi were set apart to do the priestly work of God on earth [the role of high priest was delegated specifically to the family of Aaron].
Numbers 18:21-24 the priests would not work the land to make a living, they would do the work of God… temple service… sacrifices… teaching the word of God to the people.
Numbers 18:26-28 they in turn tithed to the High Priesthood
Tithing Badly Neglected in Israel
When Judah was expelled from the land for violating the terms of the national covenant they were condemned by God to 70 years of exile in Babylon and Persia. Once the 70 years were up a small group headed by Ezra and Nehemiah were sent back to re-establish the nation.
Neglecting God’s commands had become a way of living and thinking for these people and it would take some hard work to get the people set back on the right path. A lot the responsibility for making this restoration happen would depend upon the priesthood.
Things were going badly… the people seemed to be slipping back into the same old habits of neglect that had caused their national defeat and exile. Toward the end of the book named after him Nehemiah puts his finger on why the program was falling apart.
Nehemiah 13:10-13 the priests were not doing their job… the people were not funding the work of the priesthood with their tithes. Instead of properly managing the temple service, administering sacrifice and teaching the people from God’s word… the priests were out plowing in the field to earn a living.
The need for steady funding for the work of God was not a surprise to Nehemiah. He had planned a system for collecting, storing and distributing the tithes… and written it into a legal agreement with the remnant settlers.
Nehemiah 10:37-39 Nehemiah 12:44
The Same Principles [and Expectations] Are At Work Today
- Personal worship – honor God with our material wealth
- Acknowledgment/Thanks – recognize and appreciate God’s authority over, and ownership
- Funding – God allows us to partner with Him in the work He is doing on earth
We saw Nehemiah’s view about the importance of tithing and the bad results from neglecting to tithe… what is God’s view?
Malachi 3: 7-12 failure to tithe is a serious issue with God
Matthew 23:23 Jesus reaffirmed the need to tithe
Tithing in the New Covenant
After Jesus’ death and the establishment of the new covenant there was once again a change in the administration of the work of God on earth.
God would no longer perform His work through a physical nation… Israel. The new covenant would be established with people from all nations and backgrounds whom He would call to form a spiritual nation… the Israel of God… the church of God.
Galatians 6:16 1 Peter 2:9-10
With this new administration the institutions of sacrifice, priesthood, and temple were not done away with… they have been re-aligned and re-applied to a world forever changed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
In Ephesians Paul spoke of himself as a servant of God within this new administration but in the same epistle also confirmed that it was built on the foundation of the Old Testament writings yet with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.
Romans 15:4 this should be our attitude toward the OT writing and instructions
Many of the changes in the administration of God’s work in the world under the new covenant are explained in the book of Hebrews. The high priest is now the risen Jesus Christ… the office is not done away with it is completely changed and improved. This change in the administration of the priesthood is discussed from many angles [sacrifice, temple] and in chapter 7 the change in the administration of tithing to the priesthood is addressed.
You now tithe to Jesus Christ the High Priest of the new covenant.
Hebrews 7:1-10 Abraham [the father of the faithful] gave his tithes to Melchizadek [who was the one who later became Jesus Christ the son of man]. Levi is the lesser by comparison.
Hebrews 7:11-12 there is a change in the administration of the priesthood and therefore a change in the instructions on tithing. They are still to be given to the priest of God but the administration of the priesthood is forever changed.
Hebrews 7:15-22 Jesus is that new High Priest which is to the Melchizadek administration. Although it too is better and improved since it now also encompasses the perfect and complete sacrifice for sin. The following verses 22-28 discuss that in greater detail.
Under the new covenant administration you tithe to the living Jesus Christ your high priest. The living Jesus Christ is also the head of the spiritual organism… His church. The work of God in the word is now performed through that church. As head of the church Jesus Christ delegates to those who minister.
1 Corinthians 9:13-14
Tithing is an Act of Worship
Through tithing you honor God with your material goods.
- Teaches you the attitude of thankfulness, humility, and giving
- Funds the work of God on earth and allows you to partner with Him in what He is working to accomplish
As befits an act of worship… tithing is something you do willingly. The church does not check up on you or attempt to enforce tithing [nor lying, adultery, theft etc for that matter]. In the new covenant administration the assembly of God has neither power of enforcement or of punishment. Those prerogatives are left to the nations and states in which we live to whom God has given the power and authority of government.
The worst the church could ever do is say we don’t want to associate with you.
Is There a Penalty For Not Tithing?
As just mentioned the church does not enforce nor punish. But disregarding God’s instructions does have personal consequences. Failure to tithe could:
- Diminish your potential for effective service to God through godly stewardship of your wealth. You are effectively saying “I love you God… but I don’t want to help you perform the work you are doing”.
- Neglect to tithe and you will probably miss out on the blessings God promises
- You may bring God’s curse upon yourself
Tithing is an act of Faith
You may think you only have enough for yourself. You earn so little that whatever you give would be a drop in the bucket.
All I can say is step out on faith. God has promised He will bless those who act upon their faith. God does not evaluate based on hoe much you give but on how faithfully you give. Your tithe is not a drop in the bucket.
Do not ignore you opportunity and calling to partner with God in the work He is performing on earth.
Worship you creator through tithing!
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