I will begin by summarizing a passage familiar to most that is a microcosm of what is going on in the whole of scripture related to our giving. The Pharisees send their followers at an attempt to trip up Jesus. They first try to flatter Him by telling Him how honest, truthful and impartial He is. Then, they ask Him whether or not they should pay taxes to Caesar. He knew their motives and asked them whose picture is on the coin to which they reply, “Caesar.” “’Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.’” This story is found in Matthew 22:15-22 (read it here) This passage exemplifies the two types of giving that are found throughout scripture: Giving to “Caesar” or the government through our taxes and giving to God. Let’s take a closer look at the nature of these two types of giving:
I know, I know some of you are already asking, “Will a man rob God?” or you might be asking, “How is Malachi 3:1-15 not compulsory?” Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, I will get there. Most of the modern confusion around church giving was caused by so many who misunderstand the Old Testament system of tithing. I am going to drop the first bomb now: Tithes were never chiefly intended as a GIFT to God, they were essentially taxes to the Israeli government, it was a Theocracy at first (Genesis – 1 Samuel 8:11-22) and later it was a Theocratic Monarchy (beginning 1 Samuel 9). Let’s define what I mean by those terms so there is no confusion: A Theocracy is a system of government in which priests or judges rule in the name of God. A Theocratic Monarchy is a system of government in which a King rules in the name of God. Tithes under the law funded the government: divided among the Priests, the Kings, the army, national festivals and the needy in the nation. Allow me to explain Leviticus 27:30-33 (read it here) and Numbers 18:1-32 (read it here) The Law says, 10% of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit belongs to the Lord; every 10th animal (10%) belongs the Lord. In the establishment of the Levite priesthood, the Lord tells Aaron (of the tribe of Levi) that he and the rest of the Levites will be responsible for the sanctuary and for the “violations related to the priesthood.” As priests, they will perform the sacred duties and rituals of the priesthood and they will be in charge of the offerings. The portions of the offerings not burned on the fire will belong to the priests as their provisions for food. Then, the Lord tells Aaron that the Levites will have no land or property for the Lord Himself is their inheritance and provision. Observations:
Deuteronomy 14:22-29 (read it here) Ahh, the details! Two out of every three years, the people of Israel are commanded to bring the tithe (10%) of the crops into the place of worship, but they are also told they can eat it there in the presence of the Lord. Again, they are told to feast and drink in the presence of the Lord. They are told not to neglect the Levites, so in the third year bring the entire tithe into the Levite’s storehouse and the Lord will bless them. Observations:
Other Offerings were also required by the law (Exodus 23 & Leviticus 19). All this food, livestock and money was used to fund the Israeli government’s operating budget. Any other giving in the Old Testament (Gen 4:1-16, Genesis 14, Genesis 28, Exodus 25 and others) was non-compulsory, charitable, voluntary, generous and was given freely based on what he had decided in his own heart, similar to what we find in 2nd Corinthians 9:7. Malachi 3:1-15 (read it here) Israel is filled with sorcerers, adulterers, cheaters and liars. Filled with oppression of the poor and needy, Israel is about to be put on trial. God says if it wasn’t for his covenant, they would have been destroyed. In verse 7, we see a Love that is hardly explainable. God says, “Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me and I will return to you.” Wow, even now he is offering redemption, reconciliation and restoration. He goes on to say they are robbing Him in tithes and offerings. He says they are under a curse for this theft. Again, lovingly He says if they will stop this robbery, He will generously bless them. God accuses them of saying terrible things about Him. The people say there is no use in honoring or obeying God but they will imitate evil men and get rich like them. Observations:
Here God is saying that they have stolen the tithes (taxes) that would help provide for the priests and needy. If you didn’t pay your taxes today, you would find yourself under threat of audit, with possibilities of fees, trial and even jail time (sounds like a curse). Yet, here God says if they would just start doing what is right, He would lovingly forgive them. So much better than the IRS, huh? Tithe was never a commandment for Christians under the new covenant. The only times that tithes are spoken of in the New Testament are concerning people under the law. (See Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42) We are no longer under the Law, (Romans 6:14-15, 8:1-16, 10:1-4 and Galatians 3) so the aforementioned curse cannot apply to us! With the exception of the IRS. If Tithing is supposed to be our commandment for giving, then why is it never mentioned in the New Testament as a commandment to Christians? However in the New Testament, there are many passages where we are compelled to pay our taxes (Matthew 22:15-22, Romans 13:1-7, etc.) just like they were compelled to pay their tithes in the Old Testament. In this blog, I am not trying to debate the efficiency of our government in running social welfare programs such as medicare, medicaid,TANF (temporary assistance for needy families, food stamps, etc. What I am saying is that our taxes are supposed to, in part, go toward the same things that tithe did in the Old Testament. I am pointing out that this is no coincidence, but rather intentional. So, if tithes were essentially taxes, what is God's plan to fund the work of the church in the world? Paul gives us our example for giving to God as Christians in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” Observations:
So, if I say 10% is a nice round number, why am I saying we shouldn’t we teach 10%?
And if that isn’t enough then:
In conclusion, does God bless your giving? Yes. Does He require 10% of Christians? No. Are you done giving if you give a full 10%? No, as Christians we are supposed to be generous and we are supposed to respond to the needs of our church and our community. Many examples in the New Testament, include believers giving anywhere from 'within their means' to 'beyond their means' and all the way to giving away everything they owned. Paul gave up his rights, his ambitions, and like many of martyrs he gave his life for the Cause of Christ. The only rule, is "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” Should you give regularly to your church? It doesn’t just seem like a good idea, it is exemplified in many scriptures to provide for the ones who work hard to preach, teach and evangelize. (Galatians 6:6, 1 Timothy 5:14-18, Philippians 4:16-19, and Acts 6:2) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” - Psalms 24:1 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” - Luke 6:38 So we should give freely. We should give from our hearts. The Lord in heaven sees what we do and rewards us (Matthew 6:1-4). Giving to the Lord is not always financial, it consists of a combination of your time, money and talent. If you are currently unemployed, you have your talent and some extra time that you can offer to the Lord through your church and community. Blessings are not always financial. I have been blessed in so many ways. I would not trade any of my non-financial blessings to simply be…..wealthy. Grace and Truth are always better together than they are separate. Click on the Download File link below to download a more in-depth Survey of Giving in the scriptures.
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