Wednesday – January 22, 2025
SPECIAL EDITION – TITHING
TO TITHE OR NOT TO TITHE THAT IS THE QUESTION
Video link: https://youtu.be/lbIaY0cRdXo
Greetings dear ones, fellow believers in Christ Jesus. Recently a precious brother in Christ sent me an inquiry concerning Tithing. So, I thought rather than simply answer his question I would do a teaching of the Truth concerning tithing. I have heard it said that tithing is under the Old Testament and we New Testament believers are not required to tithe. This is a devilish lie of well Biblical proportions. The other lie is that we are not under the law but under grace usually follows right along with that demonic reasoning. It seems to me that the terms Old and New Testament are unfortunate names for they imply that the Old Testament is passed away and the New Testament has supplanted it. That is not true. The Old Testament is simply older than the New Testament having come before it. The Old Testament is no less relevant today than it was in the time it was lived and written.
The word “tithe” means tenth. When we tithe, we give a tenth of our increase or income back to God, it is His. The tithe existed before the Law from the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree belonged to God, and they were not to partake of it. This was the tithe. They partook of the tree of good and evil, of the tithe and look at the havoc to follow, even to this day. The same will occur in anyone’s life that robs God. Abraham, who was before the giving of the Law tithed and his children after him.
Genesis 14:18-20 (KJV)
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Now, let’s look and see when God had Moses codify (methodize, systemize) the Law of the Tithe.
Leviticus 27:30-33 (KJV)
30 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.
31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 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.
33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
Here we see the command given, written, as part of the Laws of God given for all that are His. This was not new; it just became a part of the written Word. The tithe started in the Garden, Abraham and his descendants were tithers. This brings us to the most commonly quoted or read Scripture concerning tithing.
Malachi 3:7-12 (KJV)
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 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.
11 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.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
What is robbery? It is the taking of something that does not belong to you. In this case the tenth (tithe) of your increase that belongs to the Lord. Notice that withholding the tithe brings the curse into ones life. I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of the curse. The curse is stealing, killing, and destroying in our lives because we gave the thief (Satan) an open door. The purpose of the tithe is to provide sufficiency for the House of God.
This is part of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. What happens when we bring the tithe into the storehouse? First, we are empowered for greater things, He rebukes the devourer (evil spirits) for our sake, and we become a glorious testimony to all. This brings us to or rather back to what I believe to be one of the most powerful verses in Scripture and certainly one that should erase any doubt as to whether it is the will of God to tithe. It is the will of God for all of His children to tithe, it has been His will from the Garden of Eden to this day and beyond.
Malachi 3:6 (KJV)
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
When Jesus had the opportunity, He did not tell us the tithe was passed away or passing away. The will of God changes not.
Matthew 23:23 (KJV)
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.
This brings us to the Book of Hebrews and the final points of the Truth that the tithe is an eternal command.
Hebrews 7:8 (KJV)
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
This is talking of the ascended Messiah. He, Jesus, receives our tithe through His under shepherds. Again, we are reminded that God changes not. Jesus has been around forever and has never changed and will never change.
Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Remember the first chapter of John where we are told that Jesus is the Word, and we know the Word changes not and that is confirmed in the preceding verse.
John 1:1 (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
TAKE HOME:
- The tithe was commanded in the Garden of Eden in the form of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- Abraham tithed before the Law of Moses.
- Not tithing is robbing God, the tithe belongs to God and keeping it is robbery. How many think that is a good idea?
- Jesus our High Priest in Heaven receives our tithe today.
I hope this teaching as brought clarity, enlightenment, and consolidation of faith for each reader with ears to hear and eyes to see. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
REMINDERS
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