A question about the tithe

[BJClark]

Because I'm not sure, and it's actually a really good question...

Is the tithe spoken of in Malachi 3:10 the same tithe as the third year tithe found in Deuteronomy 14:28 and 26:12?

I am a firm believer in the giving of tithes and offerings and my financial situation allows me to do so without want, yet there are those that live check to check and will give before they take care of their obligations, thus hurting. The Christian Church uses the Scripture in Malachi to support Tithing and will go futher and say that you are robbing God by not tithing and the giving of offerings. They will futher state to tithe first and trust in God to take care of their needs. If in my studies, I am correct in the two tithes being the same, then I would like to ask the Church to every third year give all the tithes to the Levite (ministry retirement funds), the stranger (illegals), the fatherless (orphanages), and the widow (resthomes) and depend upon God to provide for their financial needs for that year (though I don't see this happening). I just get tired of all the intimidation going on concerning this subject.

 

[BJClark]

bump...for any responses...

 

[Mushroom]

I believe the tithe mentioned in Deu. 14:28 and 26:10 is a a 'second tithe' above the first collected for the Levites. It was to be used for feasting before the Lord for two years, and on the third was to be given to the poor, fatherless, widow, & etc. It was for the benefit of those who earned it, both in their own rejoicing before and in God, and in showing mercy to their less blessed neighbors.

It was another 10% above the first, which was for the maintenance of the priesthood.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

The Law is just and holy and good. The tithe is part of the Law of God so it is good.

But, that said, I have a problem with the way the tithe is preached in many non-Reformed circles because it treats the tithe as a "do this and be blessed", which is the Law.

The Gospel says we have received every rich blessing in Christ. We have a full inheritance and every blessing in the heavenlies we can possibly imagine.

Why, then, in Christian Churches is the tithe preached as if the Gospel is not true?

In other words, are we tithing to be blessed or do we give out of the abundance of the blessing we have received already?

Man owes God everything and there is nothing bad about giving 10% to the Lord but a Pharisee tithes everything perfectly expecting to be blessed as a result and finds, in the End, that he has missed the Savior because he tried to climb up to a God who came down from heaven and died on a Cross.

When people tell me of friends who stay away from Church because they don't want to hear "Stewardship series" telling them that God commands their stewardship I tell them to invite that friend to come hear the sweet news of the Gospel instead. All concerns of what God demands of slaves will be replaced by the News of what Christ has done for those to be adopted into the family of God.

Saints don't ask about minimal levels that they can answer back their love with. Sons don't worry about giving enough so they can be accepted by their Father. They already have been accepted.

I give a regular amount out of spiritual discipline because discipline is like anything else: it mortifies the flesh and the grip on things that we desire in ourselves to give to our Father. I'm able to give abundantly when called upon because over time I'm learning to mortify my love of the things of this world.

But, first and foremost, we begin with the Gospel and if a friend is asking minimal levels to be blessed then don't point them to the Law but point them to the Cross and let them discover anew what the Law is on the other side of belief in the Savior!

 

[TimV]

Is the tithe spoken of in Malachi 3:10 the same tithe as the third year tithe found in Deuteronomy 14:28 and 26:12?

No, it would be more general. When it says tithes and offerings the second word is Strong's H8641, and different from tithes. It would include even the lesser know examples like the 4th years harvest of fruit from a new orchard.

There's no indication that one particular tithe is singled out, and the context is robbing God, so any skipping of any tithe would count as robbery, at least in the OT.

 

[Scott1]

Scripture speaks much about the way we handle material things (money) and "tithing" is a part of that.

My general (non-theological) understanding of this is that the tithe was a part of the civil law given to Old Testament Israel. Strictly speaking, it does not apply to us today but equitable principles flowing from it do.

The Levitical law required tenths of the fruit of one's land, the fruit of one's animal's, even a tithe on an increase from year-to-year. It was a very specific system, more complicated than giving one-tenth of one's gross income. Remember also, that under that system, the Levites (who were not given a land inheritance as the other tribes of Israel) were supported.

Today, giving as a testimony of God's ownership of everything we possess is a basic part of the Christian life with many implications.

It involves the broader application of moral law (E.g. second, eighth, tenth commandments).

In my understanding, learning to live on less than you make, beginning with ten percent as a "tithe" is only a starting point of a life that is submitted and thankful to God.

 

[KMK]

If in my studies, I am correct in the two tithes being the same, then I would like to ask the Church to every third year give all the tithes to the Levite (ministry retirement funds), the stranger (illegals), the fatherless (orphanages), and the widow (resthomes) and depend upon God to provide for their financial needs for that year (though I don't see this happening). I just get tired of all the intimidation going on concerning this subject.

I agree with Rich that the law of the tithe is often misapplied in modern churches and actually does harm to the Gospel. If this is what you are experiencing, I can see how it would be 'tiresome'.

Although I encourage you to bring your concerns to the elders of your church, consider the following:

Your application of OT law might be a tad rigid.

1) Ideally, NT Levites (Gospel ministers) should be supported by the contributions of the saints. But retirement funds are useless if the preacher is not meeting his daily needs.
2) I don't think OT 'strangers' would be modern day 'illegals'. 'Illegals', because they do not obey the laws of the land, would not have received portions of the tithe in the OT.
3) I don't think orphanages even exist anymore and the state pays for the foster system. It takes real creativity and spontaneity to help the fatherless these days.
4) Unfortunately, rest homes are filled with people who have been disenfranchised from their own families. They are not 'widowed' necessarily but their families are not doing their God given duty. When we support retirement homes how many disobedient families are being encouraged to continue in their disobedience?

I appreciate your zeal to follow God's Law, but because we do not live in an ideal world, we must look diligently to apply the general equity of the tithe and not the letter of the law itself.