Tithing is the modern day catch cry from many if not ever pulpit known to believers.

Give said the little stream is a constant cry to the faithful who are made guilty if they do not give one tenth of their income to the "church". They are told how blessed they are when they do and cursed if they don't.

I recently watched a TV program in which one faithful person exclaimed how blessed she felt because, despite the difficult times, she could maintain her tithe for the work of the Lord. That was an indoctrinated response because if she loved the Lord and gave willingly she would be blessed whether she gave a tithe or not. Since when did feelings confirm a truth?

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he reminded them that the Lord loved a cheerful giver;
2Co 9:7 Each one, as he purposes in his heart, let him give; not of grief, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 I suggest there are many today who have not the freedom to "purpose in their hearts" since the churches sure make it clear what they think should be in the heart.

It must be pointed out that this context of giving cheerfully was not about supporting the local church but destitute believers in Jerusalem. The money was not used to build a bigger, brighter, higher church building, nor to support a higher paid pastor or leader.

Nevertheless, in the matter of giving, the believer is free to decide what they can give in such matters and a tithe may not be a cheerful choice, nor a choice they can afford to make.

I am certain that every believer reading these pages will have heard the plea for more money based upon the tithe principle given by God to Israel. Here is a passage greatly abused;
Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, In what have we robbed You? In the tithe and the offering!
Mal 3:9 You are cursed with a curse; for you are robbing Me, the nation, all of it.
Mal 3:10 Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. And test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, to see if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you, and pour out a blessing for you, until there is not enough room.

Despite the fact that this passage refers to Israel, it is applied freely to the church today and the curse is threatened on those who don't tithe and the blessing promised to those who do. The Lord's house is no longer the Temple but the church building and the rain promised is spiritualized to mean abundant blessing in whatever form it may or may not come.

The command to tithe in  Malachi is not a demand from God to the common people. In Numbers 18:26-28, the Levites were to take a tithe of the national tithe and offer it to the Lord who passed it along to the Priests. The Malachi passage is not about the common people tithing, it is the Levites who were not bringing their tithe of the tithe into the storehouses. See Mal.3:1-3 and 3:12 which is about the tribe of Levi in a delightful land, not about Christians destined for Heaven. Notice the word "storehouse" in Malachi 3:10 is the exact same word in Nehemiah 10:38 which is about the Levi's tithe, not the people's tithe. This is why demanding Christians to tithe from these passages is Bible abuse.

I suspect there are many tithers out there who have not been abundantly blessed according to the smulchy teaching from these passages and the reason why we are not blessed is because these promises were not given to us. Many however, remain silent because they are doubly threatened with the "unconfessed sin" stick and are intimidated. What an arrogant and holier than thou attitude to accuse anyone of unconfessed sin.

Lets be frank, any believer who disagrees or is obviously not blessed like the rest of the members of their congergation has some unconfessed sin. The fact that everyone falls short of the glory of God every day and possesses unconfessed sin is beside the point.

What else did God demand according to His statutes (Mal.3:7) of Israel in the matter of tithing? It would shock believers to hear a sermon on the following passages, but these passages exist and need to be presented in any balanced teaching on tithing;
Deu 14:22 You shall truly tithe all the increase of your seed that the field brings forth year by year.
Deu 14:23 And you shall eat before Jehovah your God in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the first-born of your herds and of your flocks, so that you may learn to fear Jehovah your God always.

Oh dear! Did God indeed tell Israel to eat another tithe (gathered every three years) THEMSELVES? It certainly seems so. Has this tithe been promoted and observed in Christendom? If not, why not? Its the same Bible, the same God to the same people? I think the tithing proponents just love the pick and chose approach to Bible use for abuse. Have you been told to tithe every three years and consume the tithe yourself?

Lets read some more from Deut. about this other tithe;
Deu 14:24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, or if the place is too far from you, which Jehovah your God shall choose to set His name there, when Jehovah your God has blessed you,
Deu 14:25 then you shall turn it into silver and bind up the silver in your hand, and shall go to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose.
Deu 14:26 And you shall pay that silver for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul desires. And you shall eat there before Jehovah your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household

Yes indeed, the man was to convert his farming goods into cash if the journey to the Temple was too long for him and he was to use the money to buy anything his heart desired. In consuming this tithe he and his family were to rejoice before the Lord. He could even enjoy some strong drink. My goodness!!!! How can we spiritualize that? Why not take the family to a theme holiday park and blow the tithe in joyous family fellowship. What about a new car? Renovations for the house? New clothes for the wife and children? Food packages for the poor and needy in the community? Guide dogs for the blind? The local school? Remember "whatever our soul desires".

I doubt many pastors and teachers will be clearly teaching about this tithe since it doesn't end up in the church plate.

The fact remains, Christians today know of many who teach the Word for filthy lucre's sake. See 1Tim.3:2-3, 8, Titus 1:7, 11, 1Pet.5:2, and 2Cor.12:17.

What we give to a denominational system is our choice, not the system's. Do not be intimidated with the tithing abuse of Scripture.


 

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