Have you been deceived with modern day myths about tithing?
Here are the facts:
Tithing didn’t come into the Church until many centuries after the New Testament was written.
Why? Because by the 6th century, an increasingly self-serving ecclesiastical hierarchy began needing to fund a host of unbiblical prerogatives they had started assuming for themselves.
For those, however, who nonetheless insist on shoehorning this Old Testament practice – which was part of God’s provision for funding the nation of Israel under the Old Covenant – into New Testament life, I only ask that you be consistent.
In the Old Testament, the tithe was limited to 10% of a farmer’s or herder’s produce from the land, such as fruits, crops and livestock. See Leviticus 27:30-33.
It was never, ever instituted anywhere in the Old Testament on monetary income, or non-agricultural products and tradesmen …
Such as carpenters, metal workers, stone masons, and the like.
Furthermore, only 1/3 of 1% of the agricultural produce – rather than 10% – was tithed to the temple and the temple priests. Yet today, pastors and churches want to claim a full 10% tithe!
In fact, under the Old Testament, the tithe was given over a three year cycle.
In one of the three years, the tithe went to a local Levite, who was forbidden under the Mosaic law from owning land. Instead, they served – as we see throughout the Old Testament – as a local community adviser, judge, peacemaker, teacher, charity administrator and civic leader. See Numbers 18:23-24 & Deut. 33:10, among many other verses.
And even then, there was no absolute right to the tithe by any particular Levite. Rather, the tithing farmer or herdsman gave 10% of his produce in year one only to those Levites who were actually doing their jobs well.
Thus, there was no entitlement.
Nope, not, nada, just ain’t there.
Interestingly, in the various census counts in the Old Testament, the Levites were always about one-thirtieth of the total population in Israel. So getting, in effect, one-thirtieth of the produce of the land (10% every third year) came out just about right.
Sorry if the math is confusing, but in essence, this meant that the tithe given to the Levites equaled the average income of the people they served – no more and no less.
No one got wealthy or lived above the average income level from the tithe!
Nope, not, nada, just ain’t there.
The Levite, in turn, was required to give 10% of his 10% to the temple storehouse to fund temple operations and to support the temple priests. See Numbers 18:35-28.
Again, sorry if the math is confusing. But this meant that the temple and the temple priests got only 1% of the farmer’s produce every third year.
Or, to put it another way, only 1/3 of 1% of the total tithe went to the priest and the temple.
I bet you never heard about that in any sermon telling you to tithe!
So what about the other two years out of the three year tithing cycle?
In the second year, the farmer was to tithe 10% of his produce to support the poor, the landless, widows, orphans and destitute aliens. See Deut. 14:28-29 & 26:12-13.
In the third year of the tithing cycle, the farmer was required to spend his 10% tithe on partying.
Yes, you read that right!
He was to use the tithe to take his family on a vacation, where they would go to Jerusalem for a week of eating, drinking. and partying. See Deut. 14:22-26.
So next time some preacher tries to guilt you into tithing, tell him “yes, sir!” …
Then take a vacation! 😎
In summary, should we now give cheerfully as God directs based on actual ability?
Yes! That’s the new standard for giving in the New Testament, which says:
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7
But require God’s people to pay 10% of their non-agricultural income to a church or pastor???
Nope, not, nada, just ain’t there!
Plumbline Faith 