Tithe and Offering

Tithe and Offering One thing to appreciate and accept is that as human beings we are stewards of God’s possessions. A steward is a person who manages property or possessions of someone. The earth is full of God’s riches says the psalmist. Even us, we are His creatures. God in His wisdom instituted tithe and offering in order to help us understand that we are not creators but creatures who rather must bow down to Him. The purpose of this article is to unveil the rationale behind tithing and offering system and to see whether this authentic system still binds. Tithe is a tenth of one’s income or increase whilst offering is whatever amount one chooses to give to God within the 90% left after tithing. Tithe is returned but offering is given. God claims tithe as His own but offering is my chance and opportunity to show much how I love Him. Tithe and offering have got different roles. One key thing to be cognisant of is that the bible addresses all of us as farmers. That should not worry us, we only need to appreciate that your harvest is the salary or whatever you are getting. Therefore, tithe and offering is from that income. It is crucial and important to understand that worship starts and ends with tithe and offering. Without tithe and offering, there is no worship. Let’s consider the following verses from the book of Genesis. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: Genesis 4:3-4. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Genesis 14:1820. And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee (Jacob on his way to Laban’s place). Genesis 28:20-22. The texts above help us to appreciate the fact that God did not design the system of giving for the Israelites but for everyone who wants to worship Him in truth. Returning of tithe and giving of offering started way back before the children of Israel. No one should then associate the giving system to the Jews as if it (system) was designed for them. The above mentioned patriarchs such as Abel, Cain, Abraham and Jacob participated in this system before the coming of Israel as a nation. 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. And if a man will at all redeem [ought] of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth [part] thereof. 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. Leviticus 27:30-32. So according to this text tithe belongs to God. It is God who then determines where it goes and how it should be used. If we don’t return tithe we will be silently telling God that we are also gods. As far as I know its only Satan who claims to be god, as such if we use money without returning tithe we will be backing the devil. On tithe our loyalty and obedience is to be tested. As opposed to tithe, on offering God will be testing us to see whether we serve Him out of love. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. Exodus 25:1-2. Offering seeks to test our growing love for God. If one loves he or she gives. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. God showed us love through giving His Son, we in turn need to show love to Him through giving part of what we have. When we return tithe, we show that there is a covenant with God but when we give an offering we are showing how much of God’s character is within us. The process of giving is for restoration to a godly people. God uses the system of giving to get rid of selfishness in us. It is selfishness that causes many of us not to return tithe. Selfishness makes one think the money s/he has is not enough. Money will never be enough as such we need to teach ourselves to give and return to God what must be given and returned. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer [as] an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. Numbers 18:24. God commanded that the children of Israel return tithe as an inheritance to the Levites who happens to be the ministers at the tabernacle/temple. Before the coming of the Levites Abraham gave tithe to the priest of God, Melchizedek. So the concept and principle we are seeing is that tithe is used by priests or Levites. Who are Levites today? Levites today are pastors and all church workers who are employees of the church organisation e.g. Accountants, Treasurers, Finance Officers and many more. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation. 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]. Malachi 3:8-10. God designed the system of giving such that there would be resources to fund His work in the church. When it comes to tithe and offering, God commanded us to return these to His house and we were not given the role of overseeing how they are used. The greatest question we need to ask ourselves is whether we are in Jesus’ church or not. If we are really certain that we are in the true church we need not to worry of how tithe and offering funds are used. Our duty is to return and not to determine how it is used, God is alive and still in control. Get my article entitled The True Church 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. Matthew 23:23. Jesus in this text is not saying the Pharisees were wrong in returning tithe but He is rather warning of the importance of doing all that was necessary. It is pretty clear that returning of tithe and offering is still there. Throughout the New Testament, the system of giving is evident and visible. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Luke 18:10-12. The Pharisee is testifying that he was returning tithe. The reason why he went without cleansing is because he did not acknowledge that it was God who was giving him power to do so. The Pharisee also did one of the most evil abominations, to compare himself to another human. He (Pharisee) was supposed to compare himself to God. As long as we are still on earth we must appreciate that we are not yet holy hence the need to strive doing right things and not boasting. Fasting and tithing are good acts which God recommends but the thinking that when you do them you are better than others is wrong. It is God who must tell you that you are better than others. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things [which were sent] from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. Philippians 4:15-18. In this scripture Paul is positively commending the Philippians for the act of giving they had done. The church of the Philippians had sent gifts through Epaphroditus as Paul was in prison. The gifts were to address the inadequacies and deficiencies of the servant of God. But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2Crinthians 9:6-7. We must not give out of cohesion or force. The man of God gave this important admonition so that we may not give grudgingly or out of fear but cheerfully rather. The cardinal concept when it comes to giving is for one to give out of love towards God and not any other reason. The system of giving has never been designed to enrich a certain individual but the church. All of God’s true prophets did not take anything from people. They (prophets) did not encourage people to give out of benefits but out of love for God. Elisha, the prophet of God refused a gift from Naaman, the Syrian, when he healed him of his leprosy. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that [there is] no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, [As] the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take [it]; but he refused. 2Kings 5:15-16. Samuel one of the mighty prophets in Israel did not anything from the children of Israel though he was a prophet and a judge at the same time. And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: [they were] judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 1Samuel 8:1-3. The whole salvation system is premised upon giving. Recalling Abraham as the Father of faith, it was the act of giving his only son to God that made him (Abraham) His (God) friend. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me. Genesis 22:10-12. It is by giving yourself and myself to Jesus that we can have pleasing lives to Him. We cannot keep all the commandments and do all God had commanded if we have not given or surrendered totally to Him. Giving remains the back born of the system of worship. We cannot claim to be Christians when we don’t give both to God and to others. Take note, its offering that can be shared between God and men but tithe you have to return it to God through giving it to His church. Whether you go to church or not, if you accept that you are a creature and God is the creator you have to return tithe. We don’t keep the Sabbath or return Tithe because we feel comfortable with it but we rather do it because God is God to us. Sabbath, Marriage and Tithe are three holy institutions that God gave us as human beings. Keeping these three in the way God intended them to be means we are acknowledging Him as our creator. That’s the reason why there is much havoc on these three wherever you go under the sun, Satan hates these three like leprosy because they depict and distinguish God’s true people. Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1John 3:16-17. Sharing and giving to others defines our love to them. We need to give as God gave, however, we don’t give our lives literally but we lay down our lives in the name of sharing what we have. Giving is part and parcel of a Christian DNA. Christianity is all about giving, sharing and caring for others. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, 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. Matthew 25:37-40. If we don’t return tithe and give offering God consider us as robbers. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation. Malachi 3:89. Its robbery because God is always awake, we use tithe and offering whilst He sees us. The unfortunate part is that we become cursed. Many of the misfortunes we think are inherent and from our patriarchs may not be true, it may just mean we are not returning tithe and offerings to God. We must return tithe and give offerings or we choose to become the enemies of a God we claim to serve. May you be blessed as you ponder upon starting returning tithes and offerings. If you were doing it already continue with the right system. Written and compiled by Godwin Chipunza~0775390551/0775125751