DO YOU TITHE? (PART 1)
TEXT:
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." (Malachi 3 verse 8, King James Version)
There are many who are opposed to the idea of talking about finances as they relate to God's Kingdom. Personally, I don't think it's improper talking about money. Jesus talked about money. Otherwise, why would He, for instance, sit at the temple's treasury, observing and judging how people offered? (Mark 12 verses 41 to 44).
Recently, there's been much attack on tithing in the Church. To me, the proprietary of tithing is sacrosanct and incapable of being successfully impugned, even in this present dispensation! If there's anything amiss about tithing in the Church as it is today, it's about whether what is collected as tithes is indeed used for its designated purpose. Tithes are basically meant to meet the needs of the servants of God. The Bible says,
"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house." (Malachi 3 verse 10). Again,
"But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: ..." (Numbers 18 verse 24).
Here, we see that tithes are originally an offering unto the Lord, Who in turn gave it to the Levites for their inheritance. It's rather unfortunate therefore that with the enormity of what is collated as tithes in some denominations, most of their Pastors live in abject penury.
The commonly quoted Scripture on tithing is Malachi 3 verses 8 to 12. But a thorough study of the Bible shows that tithing and the principle behind tithing predates the Law of Moses, of which Malachi forms an integral part. The Patriarch Abraham was first to tithe (Genesis 14 verses 18 to 20). He paid tithes to Melchizedek, of which Christ is the anti-type.
Those that argue against tithing aver that since we are under Grace and no longer under the Law, tithing is done away with. To me, this is a complete fallacy; and at best, a departure from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4 verse 1). This is the same way that some arose in the Church a while ago saying that miracles and healing had ceased with the apostles. But thank God for the 18th/19th centuries revivals that He sent to put us back on track. To me, anyone preaching against tithing aims to set the Church against God and to keep it in perpetual curse and poverty. Satan's intention in all of these is to make Christianity contemptuous, odious and repulsive to men.
An understanding of the principles behind tithing will give you a completely different picture of tithing, giving out the present day antagonist of tithing as ignorant men "Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." (1 Timothy 1 verse 7).
First, let's look at the case of the city of Jericho. In Joshua 6 verse 17, God's Word to Joshua concerning Jericho was that "the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord:"
Now, what did the Lord mean by that? Other versions will help us to get to understand what is thereby meant. According to God's Word translation, it means that "The city has been claimed by the Lord. Everything in it belongs to the Lord. ... "
In the same vein, the Amplified Classics version puts it thus: "And the city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the Lord [for destruction]; ... ".
For a long time, so many of us have been tripped by the word "accursed". Used in relation to Jericho, it simply means that the city and everything in it had been dedicated to and belonged to the Lord (for destruction).
So, when Achan took and hid the
"Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight", he violated God's commandment as regards Jericho and all that was in it (see Joshua 7 verses 1, 10 to 11, 20 to 21). The result was not only that Israel lost God's presence in regards to the battle against the country of Ai, but Achan, the offender, was put to death together with his entire household (Joshua 7 verses 24 to 26).
Like the accursed things in Jericho,, tithes belong to God (Numbers 18:24). Any wonder why in Malachi 3 verses 8 to 9 when He saw that the people defaulted in tithes and in offerings, He asked:
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation."
PRAYER:
Father, thank You for giving me this understanding regarding tithing. Forgive me for my past defaults, in Jesus name.