Bible Truth

Tithing Part 3

Jacob promises to tithe

The second of the two examples is when Jacob promises to tithe.

Gen 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.

This scripture places Jacob at the place he named Bethel, just waking up after the epic Jacobs ladder dream and making a conditional promise to tithe, but does this second example match up to the tithe under law any better than Abrams tithe to Melchizidek? Let's see...

Jacob was not commanded to tithe and was not fulfilling any obligation.
Jacobs tithe was conditional.

If we follow this example, we need to present God with a list of what we require, and if he comes through, we are to give him 10% of it. So this example doesn't match up with the Mosaic tithe either, although it would be fairly popular with the people who are convinced it's more blessed to receive than give.

 

Are you a God robber?

Mal 3:8 - 9 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.

Without doubt, this is THE most quoted tithing scripture. It is commonly used to teach that you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams if you do tithe and cursed beyond your worst nightmares if you don't. But before you run to get your wallet, let's take a look at this scripture in a little more depth.

The text here is reprimanding the Levite officials for not properly tithing of the tithes they had received from the people. The Levites were supposed to tithe only the best of what they had received from the people to the priests, but they had been sending in animals which were imperfect and the priests had been offering them to God as a sacrifice which He would not accept.

In chapter 2 we have a clear definition of who is being spoken to and exactly who is about to be cursed if they don't mend their ways;

Mal 2:1 - 2 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

And in chapter one is one of the main reasons for the sorry situation they are in;

Mal 1:7 - 8 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.

Once you have had a quick read through of Malachi, you will see the context isn't what it's often made out to be. Malachi is very modest in size being only 4 chapters long and the whole book can be read in less than 5 minutes which would be 5 minutes of your time very well spent.

Another good point is that the curses listed in Malachi 3 for not keeping the tithing part of the law are the same curses prescribed in Deuteronomy 28 for anyone who does not keep the WHOLE of the law, not just the tithing clause.

Why do tithing scriptures only ever mention food?

That would be because the tithe was only to be given of plants or animals. Every single tithing scripture in the Old Testament that relates to the law only mentions crops or herds and all related blessing is also mentioned in terms of agriculture.

Cash money tithing is never required in any of the scriptures although silver, gold and precious stones were all commonly used commodities in the day.
Tithes were not used as money in the old testament, nor was money used as a tithe. The word "Money" occurs 44 times before the tithe is mentioned in Leviticus 27 and they are two distinctly separate things.