Tithing 101
Notes
Transcript
It is important to give God the best.What is tithing?
It is important to give God the best.What is tithing?
Tithe = Tenth Part. Hebrew: Ma aser
Tithes are holy!
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.
What we give the lord is important for the operation of the church and for the saint’s relationship with God. It is not about being religious (as the world views religion).
Tithes do not include unholy things. We do not give unholy things to God for tithes.
Money is not holy or unholy. Stolen money is unholy. Items gotten by lying, trickery or other nefarious methods are unholy. God know how people get things.
Its that act of us giving something (not unholy) we find valuable or important to the Lord…something that we worked for... something that we would be happy to keep.
We should be careful not to use what is holy to support unholy things.
Tithing is a part of our dedication and worship of God. It is part of giving God so many large parts of ourselves.
Its is not a ritual, penance or function of a religious enterprise.
Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord:
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them by heaps.
Notice the reference to “firstfruits”.
We first give to God, then sort out the rest for our needs.
It is also important to give God the best of our harvest…not the less desirable bits and pieces.
How much?
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.
At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
Where does it fit with other devotional actions?
And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord:
Why?
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;
And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.
When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
Least one should not understand the Lord’s approach to the stranger, the fatherless and the widow...
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
The Lord preserveth the strangers;
He relieveth the fatherless and widow:
But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
Learn to do well;
Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed,
Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves:
Every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards:
They judge not the fatherless,
Neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
What did the King say to those on the left hand?
How does God view not giving tithes?
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.
But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings.
We do not pay tithes. We give tithes.
All the good things associated with giving tithes can not be bought.
The Wrong approach regarding tithes.
We can not buy salvation with tithes.
God does make promises for those who obey his word. That is because he is good and faithful…and what he gives is holy and appropriate to our salvation. Not to our monetary based desires, pride, ego’s, etc.
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.
But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
What did Luke do?
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.