Tithing

Did tithing pre-date the Mosaic law?

Perhaps the most prominent argument for modern day tithing is that tithing was commanded by God before the Mosaic law, and being outside the Mosaic law, still remains even though the Mosaic law was abolished.

There are only two examples of pre-Mosaic law tithing – Abram and Jacob.

Abram’s tithe

Abram’s tithe to Melchizedek is used as an example of tithing that predates the Mosaic law. Genesis 14:18-20 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

On the surface, this verse seems to support pre-Mosaic law tithing. The problem is that this verse is quoted in isolation, without considering the context. A fundamental rule of Bible interpretation is always to consider the context of Scripture. There are many verses in the Bible which if quoted out of context, can lead to illogical or ridiculous conclusions. For example, Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. This verse literally says that God creates evil, which seems to contradict the character of God as described in an overwhelming number of verses in the Bible. Context must be used to properly interpret this verse. Biblical context can include surrounding verses, the chapter, the genre and themes of the book, historical and cultural practices

Tithing was a custom of Abram’s time. Tithing was not a concept that originated with Abram or followers of God. There is historical evidence that tithing to religious leaders and kings was practised in some of the earliest civilisations with written records, including before Abram’s time.

It is likely that Abram’s tithe was based on the religious or social practises of his day. Abram had come from a pagan religious background in Ur of the Chaldees. Some writings indicate that Abram’s father Terah may have been a pagan priest in Ur of the Chaldees. The incident in Genesis 14:20 is the only time that Abram tithed according to Scripture. He may well have tithed on other occasions, but there is no biblical evidence of God commanding Abram to tithe anywhere in the Old Testament (“OT”). In contrast, there is clear biblical evidence of multiple promises and covenants God made with Abram/Abraham. If tithing is a pre-Mosaic law of God, there should be clear biblical evidence of it, but there is none.

The verse says that Abraham gave tithes of all. All does not mean Abram’s entire personal wealth. Abram travelled a minimum of 250 kilometres to the battlefield. He would not have taken all his possessions to the battlefield as he went out to fight. He would have just taken necessities for his servant fighters so they could travel as fast as possible, especially as speed was critical. This may be illustrated in the fact that Abram allowed his men to eat some of the spoils they captured, as they may not have even brought enough food to last them the whole journey. It would not make sense for Abram to take his substantial personal possessions (including gold, silver and cattle) on a journey to a battlefield when they would be at risk of being plundered. Hebrews 7:4 confirms that Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils of war, not his personal income, money or wealth.

Abram’s tithe vs Modern day tithing

Modern day tithing doctrine teaches that:

Income must always be tithed on. Abram’s tithe was likely voluntary because he gave a tithe. Giving is a voluntary act. If Abram was required to tithe, the verse would likely say he paid or made a tithe. There is no other record of Abram tithing again in Scripture, much less tithing regularly. The only other record of pre-Mosaic law tithing was Jacob’s tithe on a single occasion, and Jacob’s tithe was not compulsory, it was a conditional tithe.

Tithing is ten per cent of income. Abram did not tithe income, he tithed the spoils of war, which was not income. Abram did not go to war to earn income – he went to war to rescue Lot. Abram gave away all the spoils of war, apart from the food his servants ate, so he was left with nothing.

God only blesses people after they tithe. Melchizedek blessed Abram before Abram tithed, not after. Abram was very rich before he tithed in Genesis 14:20 and there is no evidence to indicate that his wealth was a blessing resulting from tithing.

Tithing is needed to support the church. If Melchizedek was a human king of Salem, then Abram’s tithe did not support him. Abram had no obligation to support Melchizedek, as Abram being a traveller residing in Hebron, was outside the jurisdiction of Salem (later called Jerusalem). If Melchizedek was a Christophany (Christ in human flesh), Christ does not need human support and therefore Abram had no need to give to Melchizedek. If Abram gave voluntarily, his giving was not then a tithe as a tithe is involuntarily giving. Whichever way Melchizedek is interpreted, there is no parallel to the New Testament church.

In summary, Abram’s tithe provides no support for the modern day doctrine of tithing.

Jacob’s tithe

Jacob’s tithe is the only other biblical example of a tithe occurring before the Mosaic law.

Genesis 28:20-22 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Jacob’s tithe was based on fear, not faith. Jacob was in fear of Esau killing him, and also a lack of food and clothing. Genesis 35:3 refers to Jacob’s time of distress at Bethel, where he made his conditional tithe vow to God.

Modern day tithing doctrine teaches that God only blesses people after they tithe. Jacob’s tithe was conditional. Jacob only promised to tithe if God blessed him.

If tithing was God’s law or principle before the Mosaic/OT law, Jacob would not have bargained with God. Bargaining with God’s law or principle would in fact be blasphemy.

Jacob’s tithe totally contradicts modern day tithing doctrine. To follow Jacob’s example, modern day tithers would be able to tithe after God has blessed them, not before.

In answer to the question – Is there a law of tithing that predates the Mosaic/Old Testament law? No. There were approximately 2,500 years between Adam and Moses. In all this time, there is not one single scriptural instruction of God to tithe. There are only two instances of tithes recorded in this time period, that of Abram and Jacob. These two instances have nothing in common with modern day tithing doctrine.

The Mosaic law tithe

Leviticus 27:30 – 32 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

The tithe was based on what the land produced. Only certain agricultural produce and livestock could be tithed. To argue that the modern day monetary tithe is the equivalent of the Israelites food and animal tithe is false. Money was part of the Israelite economy. Despite this, money was not allowed to be tithed. There is not a single instance in the Bible where money was tithed.

It seems that the reason why the tithe was land based is because God, not man, produces the fruit of the land. God wanted a crop and animal tithe based on what He created, not what man created. In contrast, money results from man’s efforts, not God’s efforts.

The tithe system operated on the Hebrew seven year sabbatical cycle. No tithes were collected in the seventh year.

There were three types of tithes – the Levitical tithe, the festival tithe, and the poor tithe.

The Levitical tithe

Hebrews 7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

Numbers 18:25-26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.

Only the Levites were legally allowed to receive the Levitical tithe. Some modern day tithers teach that the church has replaced the Levites. Under the Mosaic law, God never appointed anyone apart from the Levites to receive tithes. The Levitical priesthood no longer exists. No-one today can claim they have a right to receive tithes according to the Mosaic law.

The Levites did not inherit land in Israel, whereas the other 11 tribes did. Joshua 13:33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them. They were allocated 48 cities and a limited area of land around each of them. The tithe was a substitute inheritance God gave the Levites instead of land. This further explains why the tithe was land based and did not include money.

The high priest received a tenth of the Levites tithe, or one percent of the total tithe.

Only landowners with crops and livestock tithed in Israel. Non landowners did not tithe. This totally contradicts modern tithing which demands that all church members tithe.

The festival tithe

The Israelites celebrated Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Weeks every year. In each case, they brought agricultural produce or livestock. If bringing these items was too inconvenient, they could exchange them for money. However, they then were required to exchange the money back to food or livestock. Deuteronomy 14:24 – 26 confirms that money could not be used as a tithe, and the tithe was food meant to be eaten. The Levites did not receive this tithe, the Israelites ate it themselves.

Deuteronomy 14:22-26 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.

The poor tithe

Deuteronomy 26:12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.

Every third and sixth year of the sabbatical cycle, the tithe was not brought to the temple, it stayed in the towns for the Levites and needy people to eat. The poor tithe demonstrates that poor people who were not landowners did not tithe. Instead of giving a tithe, they received the tithe.

Malachi 3:8-11

Malachi 3:8-11 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

This is the most common bible passage used to justify modern day tithing. A proper examination of this passage reveals it does not support modern day tithing doctrine in any way. Not only that, it was actually the religious leaders who abused God’s system of provision for their own greedy purposes.

Much if not most of the book of Malachi was addressed to the corrupt priests of Israel.

Malachi 1:6-8 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 2:1, 7-8 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

The covenant of Levi included their inheritance of the tithe. Nehemiah was a contemporary of Malachi. Nehemiah 13 refers to Eliashib the priest turning the storehouse where tithes were normally kept, into a house for Tobiah. The priests at that time were stealing the tithes and not giving them to the Levites.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house…

A storehouse was literally a building to store physical goods. The storehouse referred to in Malachi was close to the temple but was not in the temple itself. It was primarily used to store the tithes (food). Malachi 3:10 refers to meat (food), not money, being stored in the storehouse. The storehouse is not an equivalent of a modern day church building used for worship. Modern day tithes are used to maintain church buildings. In contrast, tithes were never used to maintain the temple. Exodus 30:11-16 outlines how the tabernacle and later the Temple were primarily funded by atonement money.

Prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

In Malachi 3:10, the word window in Hebrew is associated with a lattice that is an opening. The word heaven in Hebrew refers to the sky. God is literally saying that He will open the sky and pour out rain. In contrast to modern day tithe teaching, this verse does not refer to money or other blessings.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

The Hebrew word for devourer in Malachi 3:11 usually means something that eats food. In this context it refers to livestock such as insects that eat agricultural produce. In contrast to modern day tithe teaching, the devourer destroying the fruit is not Satan destroying people’s money or possessions.

Does the New Testament teach tithing?

The only passages in the New Testament (NT) that mention tithing are Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42 (almost identical wording with Matthew 23:23), Luke 18:12, and Hebrews 7:4-9. The Matthew and Luke instances occurred when Jesus was still alive. Until Jesus died the Mosaic law still applied. The Hebrews 7 passage refers to Abram’s tithe to Melchizedek. Abram’s tithe was a once off pre-Levitical social or war booty tithe. The Hebrews 7 passage is discussed in the section above – Abram’s tithe vs Modern day tithing

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. The tithe mentioned here was food, not money. However, the Mosaic law did not require tithes of herbs. The scribes and Pharisees added to God’s law, as they had done in many other situations.

Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. This verse is sometimes used by modern day tithers to justify a tithe on all possessions. The problem with this reasoning is that this example does not overturn the clear requirements of the Mosaic law tithe. The Mosaic law tithe only allowed tithes of agricultural produce and livestock. The Pharisee would have been well aware of this. It is likely that the reference to giving tithes of all that he possesses refers only to tithable items. In the highly unlikely event that the Pharisee truly gave a tithe of all his possessions, then he would have been adding a man made law to God’s tithe law.

There are no NT verses that teach tithing after the death of Christ. This is despite many verses in the NT that discuss giving and money. If tithing is such an important mandatory scriptural command for NT believers, there would be evidence of it. The simple answer is there is no evidence because God never commanded tithing for NT believers.

How should Christians give?

Christians should only give cheerfully and without compulsion. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Paul was addressing Jewish and non-Jewish believers here. If tithing was applicable after Christ’s death, Paul would have explained tithing requirements to non-Jewish believers.

It is up to each person to determine how much he or she gives. There is no way a mandatory tithe can be part of free will giving.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. According to Paul, your first obligation is to provide for the needs of your family. This contradicts modern day tithing doctrine which teaches that the tithe is first priority.

Free will giving was not a new concept introduced in the NT – it was evident throughout the OT.

Here are just a few examples showing free will giving.

Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

Exodus 35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

Exodus 36:3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

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