Featured Should I tithe?

It depends on what you did for a living.........

If, for instance I were a tanner or a fisherman or a blacksmith, I was not to tithe because I HAVE no agricultural products to tithe with......INSTEAD, I paid a temple tax!! not a "tithe".

Moses instituted that in Exodus 30
Exd 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Exd 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
Exd 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, (that's not a percentage is it?) when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
Exd 30:16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.


If you are lucky, Jesus will provide you with that cash from a fish's mouth in rough times.....as a carpenter...he had to pay one too, but he didn't "tithe". It was a Flat-Tax!!

 

Even under the law there was no compulsion to give gifts and free will offerings to the Lord.

On the other hand there was no limit either.

Leviticus 23:
37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.​

HankD​

 

I have been enjoying the discussion on this thread.

As one who is so near death I wake up in the morning wondering which side of the grass I will see when I open my eyes, I question the concept tithing as I have heard it preached over the decades.

Perhaps it is better that I place the question(s) in three scenarios:


Scenario:

Retired, living on the money set aside during the "working" years.

The interest doesn't keep up with the inflation rate, so that isn't an "increase."

The "tithe" has been paid before setting the money aside.

Does one pay a second "tithe?"


Scenario:

Social welfare payments are made to sustain life at poverty level.

There is no "increase" and no true "income" for it is welfare.

Does one pay a tithe on what is not theirs?


Scenario:

A person has faithfully given far above the "tenth" and considered it honoring God.

Now, in a church were "storehouse tithing" is preached and accountability of giving is tied with political voting of the assembly.

Does the person demand a refund for over paid tithing?

 

So, this person should be satisfied that they have given all that is necessary?

Welfare is not an increase or income.

Does not the Scripture principle discuss the tithe is on the increase?

How is living off someone else an increase - do children tithe a dime from every dollar of allowance when the tithe has already been paid on that allowance by the parents?

Actually, "storehouse tithing" is to the local assembly and not specifically giving to God.

In the scenario, there was a contractual agreement that the tithe was part of the voting privilege in the assembly. Those who had no or inconsistent records of giving were not allowed to vote.

So, if in that situation, it follows that over payment should oblige some refund with no loss of privilege.

>>>>>>


For those who think the last scenario is unreal, back in the day, the church would hand out cards to the membership in which the members would "commit" a certain dollar amount for "the support of the ministry."

Often a church ruler would visit the home of those who "fell short" of the commitment and extend pressure that the amount be brought current - voting privileges was more often used to squeeze or press the issue.

 

We need to get to the mind set, which I have not yetaccomplished, to where we give abck and offer to God all things, and let Him decide how much we get to "keep!"

 

Indeed the tithe is mentioned on two occasions prior to the giving of the Law. Other than the tithe of the spoils that Abraham gave Melchisedec there is no record of anyone receiving the tithe.

A question for those who argue that the tithe preceded the Law. Who received the pre Law tithe?

 

If you REALLY want to know...I just preached on this subject last week.

SPOILER: I am very tired of preachers preaching "Tithing" in the church....or even worse, "Your financially unstable, because you don't tithe". What a load of legalistic....hogwash.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1029131443345

 

Actually, storehouse tithing as describe in scripture was to bring your tithe to the “storehouse”. Our term would be warehouse and perhaps food bank. It was set aside for widows, orphans, strangers and Levites. I know it is common to equate storehouse with Church or local assembly in our times when and only when we discuss tithing but that is not what the Bible taught. We have redirected "Storehouse Tithing' to "Synagogue Tithing". Our local assemblies are modeled after the synagogue system. The problem is scripture gives no example of bringing tithes to a synagogue.

 

I would refer you to my post on the other, similarly developed thread:

http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=89695&posted=1#post2045652

Your problem in comparing the church to the synagogue is that the synagogue system was designed to support the Levites as they served God on behalf of all Israel. The church is designed to serve the believer, without thought of how much benefit that gives the pastoral and administrative staff.

 

Perhaps, I should have made it clear that I DO NOT hold that tithing - storehouse or otherwise - is appropriate.

The believer is to withhold nothing from God.

As the believer is to give the heart, mind, soul, strength (body), it naturally follows that the believer will consider all they have as a loan from God to be used as He desires.

As a result, even the purchase of the pleasures of this world should be held as an offering to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did not the widow give more than any at the temple?

It isn't a percentage given that matters, it is what the believer considers theirs to keep and what is rightfully God's.

To the true believer - All is rightfully God's and he gives to us as He desires.

And, are we not more beautifully adorned and adored than the lilies of the field?

 

When our kids were at home we used to give them an allowance.

One of my girls saved up all her allowance for quite a while and bought a fishing rod and reel for me for my birthday gift.

I learned from that.

HankD

 

She might have gotten the idea from the reruns

HankD

 

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Being led by the Spirit means what to you? Does it mean you just FEEL your way through life and call your feelings the Spirit of God?

That's what I think it means to most people.

They conflate "feelings" with "leading of the Holy Spirit."

The Holy Spirit gave us the Bible. To exclude and ignore HALF of it is NOT to be led by the Spirit.

The law is not a burden to the child of God. It is a blessing. The real child of God raises his voice with David and cries from his SPIRIT- OH!! HOW I LOVE THY LAW!!

No where does Jesus say he eradicated the moral law of God. He fulfilled the ceremonial law for us. That's it.

What you are advocating is antinomianism.

It is not good.

Holy days and ceremonial law which Christ fulfilled is ALL that Paul is saying the Gentiles should not pursue.

Paul was not saying, "Oh all that "thou shalt not commit adultery stuff- don't worry about that!"

Paul was not advocating that people "feel" their way through life.

WRONG!

Paul had to die daily because there still WAS part of him that LONGED for sin.

There is a part of you that has the same longing. And EVERYONE else on earth too.