Tithe with other than money?

sacrifices were not tithes.

Tithes consisted of two things:

1. corn, wheat, etc., i.e., food grown in the ground
2. sheep, cattle, etc., i.e., livestock

Tithing was never anything else.

Tithes were edible objects, and were to be eaten.

 

realistically we are called to be good stewards of everything about us...that includes our money, our schedule, our abilties, and gifts.

I would suggest that for someone to truly tithe we should be giving in all of these areas and not neglect any of these areas.

 

Yes, and as such we should be giving a portion of our time to the Lord as well on His day.

 

Didn't Ray Boltz ask, "But what if I give all?"

The tithe is the law, and the law is dead. We are bought with a price and should give all we have. What part of your money, time, talent, etc. is it that you want to keep from God?

If I give God 2 hours and 20 minutes can I spend the rest of the day anyway I want? If I give 10% of my paycheck can I spend the rest any way I want? I don't think so.

 

Yes I think we can. If you have a garden for instance you might make sure you give away at least 10% of your harvest.

Preacher friend of mine went fishing one day. At the dock we met a guy from our church. Looking at a fine stringer of fish (bream) the preacher says, now you know you need to tithe on those fish. (hoping to get some of them for himself)

The guy with the fish did not miss a beat. Oh we already did preacher, we throw every 10th one back.:laugh:

 

Fishermen were also not required to tithe, so the preacher was wrong... even if he was joking.

 

Oh, he really wanted to get some fish alright.

 

I am sure he wanted the fish. I probably would have loved some too.

I used to kid my members who missed services to hunt bear or deer that they would have to pay a steak fine to be accepted on the same pew as last month. lol

 

Tithing would not be based on the fish he caught, but rather every tenth that passes under the ROD. Depending on how long a rod he used, that count sure wouldn't be easy.

 

"Realistically" does not suddenly change Bible truth.

The "increase" of the tithe came from God's miracle hand from what HE produced and not from what man made.

Carpenterfs could not tithe because it came from wood and not food and becasue it came from that which they made instead of what God increased. Freewill offerings only.

Fisherment could not tithe. Show me where salted fish were brought and sold in the Levitical market place at the Temple or anywhere else as tithes. Freewil offerings only.

Tentmakers could not tithe because it was not food from inside Israel. Paul made his tents on unclean pagan soil. Think about it. Freewil offerings onlty.

Forget percentages. They are not for the church. While most Christians should give more than 10%. some cannot even do that. The "equality" principle of 2 Cor 8:12-14 works fine for both and God accepts our freewill offerings.

 

Black Bass?? Bream?? White Perch??


Nobody quote me on this but----some years ago I had arranged for the late, great comedian---"The Mouth of Mississippi" Jerry Clower to come speak at the church I was pastoring at the time

His booking agent told me that Mr. Clower's speaking fee would be free of charge to our church----Mr. Clower's way of tithing his talent & time to the Lord Jesus, whom he served!!

I liked that!!!!!

 

Any that swam under the rod, I suppose. Just like the livestock counter surely also gave any tenth insect that passed under, hoping he didn't see a line of army ants.

 

Here is the one that gets me: How do we tithe grace and mercy?

 

Tithe with something other than money?
You mean like food stamps!!!

 

When I was still in the Arminian Baptist circles, I have heard stories from fellow pastors who pastored in areas in the countryside and up mountain villages and how their members would sometimes come in with sacks of rice, which represented a tenth of their harvests, or sacks of lettuce, red and green bell peppers, legumes, all of which were carefully measure to be a tenth or more of their harvests.

Sometimes somebody came in with a squealing piglet, or twenty bottles of water buffalo milk. This was on the Sundays after the first harvest, because on the Sunday of the first harvest, some (not all) of their members would come with the day's harvest, in full. Yes. They taught the practice of First Fruits.

 

Trouible is----nowadays---the church can't pay their electric bills with a sack full of lettuce----I mean, think about it!!! Suppose you gave the church that sack full of lettuce and the preacher took the sack over to the Electric company----pulled out a head of lettuce and said---"Here ya go!!! This ought to about cover it--wouldn't you call it about even???"

He'd get back to church and

--click, click!!

--click, click!!

"Whats wrong with the lites???"

 

That's another good story of how tithing is for an agrarian society in a system of temple worship that requires thousands of priests/Levites who do not have lands [crops and livestock] of their own.

 

You're right, but, hey, this is in the countrysides and mountain villages of a supposedly advanced asian country with a plantation economy where those areas are still in the 19th century.
Oh, I forgot to say, now that you've mentioned the lights, one member came in with coconut heating oil to light up the parsonage instead of using kerosene.
Before then, the pastor had to walk a mile or so to the "store" to buy kerosene for his lamps.