“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10 NIV
Haven't you wonder? They say tithe was practice before the law. Even if they are aware that the law ended with Jesus (Romans 10:4), since it was practice before the law and since grace is better before and during the law, tithing should also be practice in the dispensation of grace. Yet, in every short edification before the giving of tithes and offering, for most, the verse above is always quoted to which was part of the Law and here I thought they said, the law ended with Jesus? Why still quote this verse when this was mentioned within the boundary of the law - the law that ended with Jesus Christ? Are we trying to mix grace with a bit of the Law? Galatians 5:9 AMP says "A little leaven (a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers) leavens the whole lump [it perverts the whole conception of faith or misleads the whole church]." On top of this, not only like we seemingly mix a 100% grace that was freely given with a bit of the law, we also did not follow the instruction of what to tithes that were acceptable to God. And here I thought, they preach that God does not change. From Malachi 3:10 itself it says, " ...that there may be FOOD in the house", how is money equate to food? Even the Pharisee themselves who were not farmers give tithes of mint, dill and cumin (Matthew 23:23). Not to mention that Jesus consider their tithe to be not as important as justice, mercy faithfulness.
The truth is, money was already invented at that time yet, it was not acceptable as a thing that are God's. In (Matthew 22:17-21), before Jesus said, render to Caesar's the thing that are Ceasar's and to God the things that are God's, He ask first to show the tax money and asked, who was the man inscribed in the money? And when they answer Ceasar's, He proceeded to say, then give it to Caesar's as it was a thing of Ceasar's. Here, Jesus clearly identified that money is a thing of Ceasar's, a thing of Man, it is not a thing that belongs to God's. The things that are God's are not man made hence, tithes and offering acceptable and holy to God were all products made by God Himself such as the fruit of the trees, herds, crops, animals and not those products that were made by a man. No where in the bible we can find that offering or tithes to God was money even though money was already invented at that time. God does not change. Even if time changes, His word will remain the same hence, money will never be acceptable as a payment of tithe. Money is a thing that is made by a man, it's not holy to God, it's not tithable. Remember we are not giving FOR God rather we are giving whats already His and, whats His is not something made up by a mere human thus, cannot replicate. Though everything are from and rooted from the land and the land is created by God, not all that comes or rooted from the Land are holy to God thus, not all are tithable. What is holy and tithable to God was clearly specified in Leviticus 27:30
Moreover, these tithes and offering were instructed to be receive and consumed by the levites only. Unfortunately, due to them being imperfect, they were change to Jesus Christ whom having a priesthood that last forever. He is alive today, tomorrow and forever and what belongs to Him was not instructed in the new testament to be receive by us-people who are subject to death. Its holy and it should be respected as such and the rightful owner is alive in midst of us. Its kinda insulting really to our High priest who is alive that, what belongs to Him is being collected by us people who die when He did not gave any instruction in the new testament to do so. On top of this, the kind of tithe that is being given in His name is not what He required as mentioned in the bible yet, quote His word to support the claim.
Once it was receive by Melchizedek whom without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, He remains a priest forever (Hebrews 7:3), to which Jesus Christ priesthood is in the Order of Him, they might be actually the same, just in different name. The order of Melchizedek priesthood can never be reach by us mortal, this order of priesthood is already and can only be occupied by Jesus Christ Himself, He is irreplaceable, unchangeable and is living today, tommorow and forever. In the law, it was permitted by God to receive by people who die through levitical priesthood. And in the grace, it never was mentioned that again it can be receive or collected by people who die in fact it was annulled or was ceased to be collected by mortal in Hebrews 7:18 due to its weakness and unprofitability. Remember the righful owner of the tithes is living perpetually, a man who collect the property of the owner who is not dead yet and did not give anyone permission to collect what belongs to him, that man might be accused of stealing.
Remember also that sin as defined in the bible is as simple as violating the word of God.
To those who practice tithing, you are really clueless that you are wasting your 10% income for nothing as a matter of fact you are like paying to sin. Might as well give that 10% to those who really in needs, the poor, orphans, widows etc. This was the instruction actually in the new testament, pay forward to those in need not paying God back. God does not need our money but our neighbours who are poor, orphans, widows, strangers needs it.
I do hope you realise that this deception has been going on for centuries. If you don't study your bible in regard to this matter, its possible that you might pass this faulty belief to your children children's. Their might be a point in yours or your childrens life where you or they prefer to give their 10% income to the church for the wrong reason yet, at the same time struggling to provide for their own family. You or your childrens will like try to obey a law in the expense of the other (1 Timothy 5:8). By that time, you'll realise or your children will that, they are in a bondage of the tithe doctrine made up by men. You will or they will feel so guilty that they'd rather give the 10% income to church than use it buy food for their family or payed the debt owed or give to the poor.
“Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect–being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).” 1 John 3:4 AMP
To those who practice tithing, you are really clueless that you are wasting your 10% income for nothing as a matter of fact you are like paying to sin. Might as well give that 10% to those who really in needs, the poor, orphans, widows etc. This was the instruction actually in the new testament, pay forward to those in need not paying God back. God does not need our money but our neighbours who are poor, orphans, widows, strangers needs it.
I do hope you realise that this deception has been going on for centuries. If you don't study your bible in regard to this matter, its possible that you might pass this faulty belief to your children children's. Their might be a point in yours or your childrens life where you or they prefer to give their 10% income to the church for the wrong reason yet, at the same time struggling to provide for their own family. You or your childrens will like try to obey a law in the expense of the other (1 Timothy 5:8). By that time, you'll realise or your children will that, they are in a bondage of the tithe doctrine made up by men. You will or they will feel so guilty that they'd rather give the 10% income to church than use it buy food for their family or payed the debt owed or give to the poor.
Thank you for this perspective. The trend I've noticed in recent years is for church leaders to water down or discard traditional doctrine but the one they never touch is tithing.
ReplyDeleteEvery denominational church whether a trinitarian or oneness debate their doctrine which is which is biblical truth but never debate the soundness of tithing doctrine. Why is that? because they both practice it. It guess this verse is true
Delete“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”Matthew 7:3 NKJV
They try to prove to one another which is which is the true biblical doctrine but cannot see that small speck on their own doctrine either purposely or not. Or, perhaps this is what money can do, it can make the lie seemingly and sound so true. It maybe small but we are not suppose to add or subtract even a bit of what the bible really say. Any violation or malpractice of God's word however it may seem insignificant is considered a Sin.
I hope people who are caught up with this lie wake up already. I kinda realise that, the root of all those abusive leaders, pastors, ministers, televangelist, the root of all of it is the practice of tithes and offering in a not so biblical sense yet quote biblical verses.