ON
THE TITHE
Tithing is a subject that has many Christians' full attention when it is mentioned from the pulpit or in the Sunday School class. The reason is obvious: This is about our money. Money represents our labor, and it is the exchange medium we use to convert that labor into both the necessities and the luxuries of this life. Whatever our income, a tithe is so much of it that we want to be sure about the propriety of giving it and about the uses to which it will go.
Both the Hebrew word maaser (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Hebrew 4643) and the Greek apodekatoo (Strong's, Greek 586) are translated tithe. Both mean one tenth. The portion of income that constitutes the tithe is clear. This verse states the principle of tithing that underlies the practice outlined in Numbers 18:24-32 and Deuteronomy 12:5-18. "All the tithe...is the Lord's." His ownership of this tenth of His people's income is symbolic of His ownership of the earth (Psalm 24:1), which is His by right of creation (Ps. 24:2). When a Believer gives the tithe to God, he acknowledges this ownership.
If the tithe is not a charitable gift, what is it? I have heard some say that the tithe was a tax paid in support of the Jewish Temple. Lapses in tithing during periods of apostasy seem to have been common, and revivals restored the practice (see II Chronicles 31:4-5). A tax would have gone to the government, and Israel's spiritual condition would not have affected it. Government supervision of tithing might have taken place under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 12:44-47); it is not clear whether those who supervised collection and guarded the storerooms were religious or civil officers. The tithe was considered a civic obligation by those who saw obedience to God as the foundation of good citizenship. Government was not authorized to punish those who did not tithe.
If the popular notions of a tax or a charitable contribution do not describe the tithe, what is a good description?
Did the tithe lose its validity when Jesus died and rose again? Many say so. They claim that He fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17-18), thus doing away with it as a guide for Christian practice.
Actually, when He was crucified, Jesus became the sacrifice that had been symbolized by animal sacrifices until that time (see Hebrews 9:11-14). Indeed, His crucifixion fulfilled the requirement for a sacrifice for sin (Heb. 10:10). Did that abolish all the Law, or did it leave some parts intact?
Some say that the tithe is no longer needed because it supported the Levitical priesthood. If the Temple and the Levitical priests are no longer with us, is the tithe that supported that system still appropriate?
In addition to paying clergy, a part of the tithe in Old Testament times was used to provide for the poor (Deut. 26:12). This is a legitimate use for money given to God. However, the whole tithe was to be dedicated to God first, no matter how it was eventually used. It was to be given at the Temple (Deut. 12:6). In the same way, the whole tithe should be given where a Christian worships God in person. Other ministries and charities may be supported with offerings above the tithe.
You might ask, "What's in it for me?" That question doesn't surprise God at all, and no one will blame you for asking it. God has promised to make the tithe affordable in two ways. He will bless you materially with more, and He will slow or stop the forces that drain your assets (see Malachi 3:10-12). Personal testimonies to this are everywhere among God's people. He gives enough, not to those who give for the purpose of getting, but to those who honor Him from their material wealth.
If you are a Christian, God's claim on your tithe is legitimate. His work is to be supported by His people. Purchase of buildings and land and payment of professional staff are among the necessary expenses of doing His work. Given the tithing mandate (Lev. 27:30) and the blessing promised for obedience (Mal. 3:10-12), why should any Christian withhold God's tithe?