Musing – Why tithe?

Hebraic Musing – Why tithe?

Tithing is a surprisingly controversial topic, but why?  Do people have a hard time giving up ‘their money’?  Have you ever heard these questions or arguments re tithing?

·      Wasn’t it an Old Testament law, abolished by the NT. Didn’t Yeshua question the scribes re tithing on mint and dill and cumin?

·      Should I tithe on the gross or net?

·      Can God really expect me to tithe if I’m struggling in my personal finances?
   (Hmm…why are you struggling?)

·      I “tithe” my time to the church. Isn’t that enough?

·      What if my ‘storehouse’ is somewhere else?

·      To avoid being legalistic, I’ll just round it up to the next whole dollar. Isn’t that being generous?

These questions show we may have missed the point.  Are folks calculating to determine the least they can give and still receive God’s blessings?  Do they want a 10% blessing or a 100% blessing?  And that question has an underlying selfish motivation because they are saying “I want…”?  Shouldn’t they instead be recognizing who He is, Jehovah Jireh.   Doesn’t a Husband appreciate being told “You are a good provider”?

I think the oft-quoted verse, Malachi 3:10, is for beginners – Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.  That should not be the ‘end all’ of the tithing message?

Tithing is first mentioned in Genesis 14:17-20  After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer  … Then Melchizedek … blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, …who delivered your enemies into your hand."  Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.     Melchizedek did not ask for it – Abram volunteered it.  What happened next?  Gen 15:1-4   After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram …I am your shield, your very great reward."  But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless … "  Then the word of the Lord came to him: "… but a son coming from your own body will be your heir."   NIV    So Abram received a gift of life, an opening of the womb, as his reward – the ultimate gift of life as the reward for tithing!  I’ve heard that the ‘tenth’ that Abram gave to Melchizedek was the top ‘tenth’ of the pile of booty which would be the most valuable items – jewels and precious metals.  Clothing and hides, etc. would be lower in the pile).

Shouldn’t we want to give it all to God who gave His all to us – His Son?  All God asks for is a 10% deposit as a token representing ‘all of me’.  Are we bartering with God to see how little we can give and still be obedient?  Ask your local church treasurer how many tithe checks are made out to the penny (like $47.32)?

I like the story of ‘The Widow’s Mite’ in Mark 12:42-44   And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, ….  And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.   For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."  ESV   Yeshua is not impressed by the amount given, but He commends the widow for trusting God to provide with what little she had left.  It seems that the widow did not consider calculating 10%.  And Jesus counted and commended her on what she had left, not on how much she gave.

Points to ponder

Should I be asking “How much should I give?”  or   
“What does God really want?”   (Answer – Your heart)

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                                   March 18, 2014

Author of two books “Hebraic Insights” and  “Biblical Marriage”
And weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings” 
Yosef1@cox.net  or  www.InsightsByYosef.com