Sunday, October 3, 2010

Tithing in the Old Testament

Tithing in the Old Testament looked very different than the tithing we are used to in our day and time. The Lord set up specific guidelines and regulations for the Children of Israel to follow in their tithing. So, what did that look like then, why did the Lord set it up that way, and how are we to take that with what we know of tithing now?

In Numbers 14 we find a very good outline of what instructions the Lord gave to the Children of Israel regarding tithing. The tithes were made up of a tenth of all the crops they harvested each year. This was grain, wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of their animals. They were to take this tenth each year to the place where the Lord designated for them to worship and they were to have a feast with their families their in the presence of the Lord. If they had such a big crop that year that their was no way to carry it all they were to sell it, take the money with them to the place of worship and buy whatever food or drink they liked and then have a feast with what they bought. How cool is this?

The Lord also told the Israelites in Numbers 14 not to forget the Levites - the priests of that day because they were not given any allotment of land to grow their own crops. So, every third year the Israelites were to take their tenths and give it to the Levites in their hometown as well as to the orphans, widows, foreigners and the needy among them.

The Lord had a purpose in teaching the Israelites to tithe. In vs. 23 of chapter 14 the Lord said to tithe because it would teach them to fear the Lord. The Lord also goes on to tell them that after they give that He would bless them in all their work.

Tithing in the Old Testament sounds very different from what we know but we can learn many principles from what the Lord taught the Israelites. We can take the examples and principles of giving in Numbers and apply it today. Such as giving to our church to provide for the needs of the pastor and leaders and giving to the needy and poor as well as using it to celebrate and worship the Lord for who He is with our brothers and sisters in His family.

We can also take the example of the tenth. Paul describes giving from the New Testament believers in 2 Corinthians as each man deciding in his heart how much to give, not giving reluctantly or out of response to pressure, but cheerfully because this is what God loves. So, we can give a tenth like the Old Testament believers but according to Paul the Lord may impress on you to give more than that or it could be less. Paul goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 8 that we are to give in proportion to what we have and to what the Lord has blessed us with.

As we give a portion of our gains to the Lord we,like the Israelites, will be taught to fear the Lord because,as Paul describes Him, the Lord is our provider and everything comes from Him. Looking at tithing in the Old Testament their are key principles to learn and apply to our giving in the church today and we will find that the results are very much the same - that the Lord would be glorified!

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