08065130593!!

Hmmm

Cyprian of Carthage suggested it, however it still wasn’t really accepted by anyone until the fourth century. Even then it was a tiny minority. In fact, it wasn’t common practice till the 8th century and was not law until the 10th century. That’s right a full 900 years after Jesus!

It took the church 900 yrs after Jesus ascended to make tithing a requirement.
CLICK TO TWEET

The history of how it even came into place is fascinating! It could easily become a couple of blog posts in and of itself!

If you are interested in the history of tithing and how it came about in the church I’d suggest Stuart Murray’s “Beyond Tithing”. It is an excellent resource and doesn’t skimp on the details!

I won’t go into this in any more depth, I think covering the first 1000 years should suffice. I hope you can see that the tithe is not something that was common place for a very long time in the church. And it most certainly was not something the early church ever felt obligated to adhere to!

So why give?

First things first, let me say this – if you want to give 10% of your income to your local church, please by all means do!

I’m not against us supporting the work of the local church in the community. Nor am I against supporting pastors as they help disciple God’s people in a full-time capacity.

However, it is absolutely paramount that you do not think of it as a requirement from God. What you wish to do with your money is your choice.

I don’t want to tithe – so should I stop giving to my church?

As I said above, I think its important that you understand it’s not a requirement for you to be a “good Christian”. God doesn’t need you to give a certain amount to the local church.

With that said I would urge you to think about this long and hard.

Just because you don’t have to do something doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea.

Not only that – giving is very different to tithing.

Giving is a natural response for the believer.

The church’s role is to equip you and serve you. If you benefit from what it provides for you then I believe it’s only natural that you are going to want to support that financially. Not only financially but with your time and other resources too probably.

Why should I support the church and ministries

This topic revolves around the areas God calls people.

Others often give their time to serve the body of Christ in a way and to the degree that they can’t financially support themselves. I think it’s a great idea to give and help support them with what God has called them to. When our present call allows us to make money.

This is an extremely Biblical principle as I mentioned above. I’ve listed these scriptures again for your convenience.
(see Acts 15:3; Romans 15:23-24; 1 Cor 9:1-14, 16:5-11; 2 Cor 1:16; Phil 4:14-18; Titus 3:13-14; 3 John 1:5-

Shouldn’t pastors and itinerate ministers get a tent-making job like Paul?

I personally find myself in a place that requires others to support me. So let me speak from my personal experience first.

When I worked in the business world I worked in a lucrative field and made more than ten times what my wife and I currently live on.

However, God asked me to put that aside and work full-time in this ministry. Both working in the business world and travelling to preach are valiant calls of God. God has just asked me to focus on one of them in this season.

I now find myself working at least 60hrs a week often a lot more and so I can’t work a “tent making” job. Trust me I wish I could! From the financial side of things it would make our life a LOT easier!

The truth is many people simply don’t have this opportunity. Most pastors and itinerate speakers aren’t in it for the money, trust me. Aside from the occasional person you see on the TV most of us are living off well below the average income.

To give you an idea I’ll be very transparent.

I made about €11,000 ($15,000) last year.

Try living of that for a year in the second most expensive country in the European Union and tell me that ministers are “in it for the money”

Pastors and travelling speakers give up a lot to serve the people around them. It often requires a great degree of sacrifice from them and their family!

Should they get a tent-making job? If they can, absolutely!

When Paul was in Thessalonica for an extended period of time and the people weren’t able to support him did just that. But, it would be foolish for him to have tried to run a full-time business at other points in his ministry!

It’s important we understand the season that we and others are in and act accordingly.

Trust me – the second I get a chance to do some tent-making and have God’s permission I’ll jump on it!

So all that to say, if people are working tirelessly to serve the body of Christ it’s absolutely Biblical that we come around them and support them!

Why would I want to give still if I don’t have to?

Because it’s your nature. Jesus has made you righteous, perfect, spotless. A new creation. You are Christ-like. Your identity is as God’s image and likeness.

So why wouldn’t you want to give?

It’s who you are! You are a generous, giving being.

I understand why, but how should I give?

There are no real rules. I’m not going to tell you a percentage to give or where to give.

I will however share some guidelines we can find in the scriptures.

These help us see if our beliefs about giving are healthy or if they are needing some mind-renewal.

Give whenever these things are true:

1) You can give cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7)
2) You can help another in need (Matt 25:34-35)
3) You are being equipped and served (2 Cor 9:10-11)
4) You feel God asking you to (duh!)

Don’t give whenever these things are true:

1) You are wanting to give to get something from God (Acts 8:20-21)
2) You feel an obligation to give (2 Cor 9:7)

Never give under the law always give in the freedom of Grace.

Jesus doesn’t look at how you give but why?

Giving $10 because you want to, or you feel the Spirit leading you to give, is better than giving $1000 because you feel you have to do it!

Give out of the abundance of who God has made you to be and the riches you possess in Him. Never from a place of lack to try to earn more!

Giving $10 because we want to is better than giving $1000 because we have to!
CLICK TO TWEET

So who should I give to?

As I’ve already covered above, I think supporting people who devote their time to equipping the saints is a worthwhile cause. Particularly if they are not in a place to support themselves.

However, I believe that this is only a tiny part of what we are to do with our finances.

We’ve got to start helping the lost, broken, downtrodden and poor.

We all know in our cities there are people who are poor, hungry, homeless, orphans, widows – heck, all the above!

Not just in our cities… in every city.

All over the world there are people who need you to be you – your generous self!

Maybe you aren’t in a place to practically help these people yourself. You should at least be talking with God about the possibility of putting some finances in that direction!

There are plenty of great charities and ministries that are doing great work in these areas. Almost every one of them desperately need more resources and people’s time. Consider providing one or both of these things.

This is something Jesus really wanted people to understand.

He said when we helped these people we were to consider ourselves personally helping Him!

Ultimately the best litmus for where your giving should go is – where is there need?

I want to be generous to people who aren’t in need, don’t get me wrong, we want to be able to bless everyone around us. But, we have to be looking for those in need around us and acting out of who we are in Christ to come alongside them and help!

Let me finish by saying one last thing…

Basically giving boils down to this:

Give from the heart.

Check the fruit.

Is there love, joy and peace in your giving?

If not, you need to ask yourself “am I giving out of an obligation?”

Because if so, you are no more free than simply tithing.

What do you think?

Do you tithe?

If so, are you tithing because you are following the word of God or because you were taught to tithe?

God tells them that if they give according to the law then He will start blessing them again. He will also take away all negative effects in their lives that have come from not tithing as He instructed.

Now again. What was this tithe?

Food. Not to a church but for people to celebrate God’s goodness together and care for the needy.

Furthermore when we look at Malachi 3:5 we can see why God’s anger is raised. The people are not caring for the “stranger, fatherless and widows.”

We don’t have a record of how they gave, so we have to read between the lines here. Either they were not giving at all, or they were giving incorrectly. If they were giving, they were not giving the way God intended. They were neglecting those with no means to provide for themselves!

Doesn’t it say “Tithes AND offerings”

I’m so glad you asked.

Many preachers use this passage to encourage people to give more than their 10% into the church.

The truth is that offerings here isn’t to do with an extra 5% on top of your 10% or something like that.

The offerings referred to here are the “first-fruits” offerings. Which occurred at the harvest. During the harvest the people would give a the first fruits of the produce to thank God.

Again. This is not relevant to us today in the same way and should not be taken out of context to coerce people into giving more.

As a side: I’m sure by this point you’ve got to be starting to think “I’m glad this tithing thing isn’t for me after all!” I mean 20-30% every year AND a first fruit offering!

What did Jesus have to say?

Did you know the gospels talk about money more than any other topic. In fact 1 out of every 7 verses in the gospel of Luke talks about money. 11 of the 39 parables talk about money. Jesus didn’t shy away from the topic.

It might be surprising then that Jesus only mentions tithing twice.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Matt 23:23

This same passage can also be found in Luke 11:43.

When we look at this we can see that yet again tithing was food.

Not only that but He’s not commending their giving but pointing out how hypocritical it is to give under the law and not keep the whole law!

This is exactly what we run the risk of doing. Knowing we are not under the law but keeping certain laws because we feel obligated to. Or worse, because we think it gives us a better standing before God!

Jesus is saying in this passage – if you are under the law you have to do it all, not just the easy things like tithing!

The only other time Jesus mentions tithing is in Luke 18:11-13

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

In this passage he is merely pointing out the fallacy of thinking that tithing makes you any better than a sinner. While it does not condemn tithing it condemns the system to which it belongs. It’s a statement of the laws inability to change the heart!

What did the apostles have to say about tithing

Do you know how many times the New Testament mentions the tithe after the gospel of Luke?

Once.

That’s right, and it’s not even talking about us tithing! It’s talking about the fact Abram tithed to Melchizedek.

It is frequently taken out of context and quoted as a single verse. The reason for this is that without it there is no New Testament precedent for tithing.

Here is the verse in question out of context:

Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

Hebrews 7:8

The way this is typically used is to say:

Here [in the New Covenant] mortal men [pastors] receive tithes [from New Covenant believers], but there [in Heaven] he [Jesus] receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

More accurately when we look at the context of Hebrews 7 and Hebrews as a whole the passage is saying in no uncertain terms:

Here [in Israel that the time Hebrews was written] mortal men [priests under the Old Covenant] receive tithes [from Old Covenant Jews], but there [2000 years ago in Abram’s day] he [Melchizedek] receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

I know… it’s unfortunately this is the only other scripture that mentions the tithe in the New Testament!

A history lesson – what did tithing look like after Jesus

Now we’ve looked at the scripture lets look at the early church and what history can tell us about their giving habits and the tithe.

The early church was renowned for their generosity. They made sure nobody lacked anything in their midst. This is both documented in scripture and, even more so, in many historical writings.

Two primary ways they gave were:

To assist their brothers and sisters in Christ. (see Acts 6:1-7, 11:27-30, 24:17; Romans 15:25-28; 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8:1-15, 9:1-12; 1 Tim 5:3-16)

To support those who preached the gospel / planted churches to the extent they couldn’t work additionally. (see Acts 15:3; Romans 15:23-24; 1 Cor 9:1-14, 16:5-11; 2 Cor 1:16; Phil 4:14-18; Titus 3:13-14; 3 John 1:5-

Before the 3rd century priests had no form of income. The people supported them of their own volition. If that was not possible they worked alongside their ministerial roles to support themselves.

It was actually Constantine who introduced the idea of a priestly salary which was a pagan idea. He took money from the municipal and church funds to pay those serving as priests in the empire.

Deut 12:17-18

“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.”

Deut 14:22-26

“At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.”

Deut 14:28-29

“When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year — the year of tithing — and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me;”

Deut 26:12-13

Here are some things to take away from the tithe under the law…

1) It was never money.

2) It was always food.

3) There were 3 tithes!

a) Supporting the Levites
10% of your produce (not money) went to the Levites who did not own land and ministered to the people of God

b) The festival of the tithe
A further 10% of your produce went to having a feast in Jerusalem once a year. This is the only time these passages mention money. If you had too much food to carry then God permitted you to sell it before travelling to Jerusalem. You could then repurchase food in Jerusalem for the festival. Note well: The tithe still had to be food! Money wasn’t acceptable!

c) Supporting the local priests, orphans, widows and poor
Every 3 years you had to give an additional 10% of your produce to the poor and needy in the area.

4) The tithe was NOT 10%. It was 20% every year and 30% every third year!

Today’s tithing is not Biblical – Biblical tithing was 20-30% a year!
CLICK TO TWEET

But what about Malachi? Won’t I be cursed?

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; 12 “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts.”

Malachi 3:8-12

First of all, the premise you can be cursed based upon what you do is an extremely offensive statement. Considering Jesus became the curse (Gal 3:13) so we could be blessed. Jesus died on a tree to free you from the curse.

You are neither blessed nor cursed for what you do in the New Covenant. You are free from the curse and completely blessed because of the work of Jesus on the cross.

To say ‘you will be cursed if you do not tithe’ is to mock the work of Christ on the cross!
CLICK TO TWEET

Is that extreme language? Perhaps… but it is true none-the-less.

So back to Malachi.

The context of this passage is extremely important.

Let’s look again at what we know.

1) The tithe was a gathering of food and produce

2) It was for a celebration and to look after the poor and needy.

3) More-over – the Israelites were under the law!

Malachi starts a new train of thought in his address to the people of Israel in Chapter 2. Look how he starts it…

“And now, O priests, this command is for you.”

Malachi 2:1

He then goes on to say what the main issue is…

“But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the Lord of hosts. 9 “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law.”

Malachi 2:8-9

We can see here some of the immediate context of Malachi leading into chapter 3.

The priests were the primary issue in the nation. This was because they were not teaching the law properly. They were picking and choosing what parts they would teach.

Because of this the people were ignorant of the fact they were robbing God by not correctly giving their tithes and offerings. Remember how they asked “In what way have we robbed You?”

God is reminding them of the truth and telling the priests to teach the whole law. Under the Old Covenant for God to bless his people they had to obey the whole law! (Praise God we are blessed because of Christ and not our ability to adhere to the law!)

Christians Are Not Under The Law

If you don’t have time for either of these? Here are just a few scripture to help you understand just how clear the scriptures are that as Christians we are not under the law.

(I know I’ve posted this list a few other places on the blog so if you’ve read this feel free to skip over this section.)

The law is an unbearable yoke. (Acts 15:10)

The law reveals sin but cannot fix it. (Romans 3:20)

If the law worked then faith would be irrelevant. (Romans 4:14)

The law brings wrath upon those who follow it. (Romans 4:15)

The purpose of the law was to increase sin. (Romans 5:20)

Christians are not under the law. (Romans 6:14)

Christians have been delivered from the law. (Romans 7:1-6)

The law is good, perfect and holy but cannot help you be good, perfect or holy. (Romans 7:7-12)

The law which promises life only brings death through sin. (Romans 7:10)

The law makes you sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:13)

The law is weak. (Romans 8:2-3)

The strength of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56)

The law is a ministry of death. (2 Corinthians 3:7)

The law is a ministry of condemnation. (2 Corinthians 3:9)

The law has no glory at all in comparison with the New Covenant. (2 Corinthians 3:10)

The law is fading away. (2 Corinthians 3:11)

Anywhere the law is preached it produces a mind-hardening and a heart-hardening veil. (2 Corinthians 3:14-15)

The law justifies nobody. (Galatians 2:16)

Christians are dead to the law. (Galatians 2:19)

The law frustrates grace. (Galatians 2:21)

To go back to the law after embracing faith is “stupid”. (Galatians 3:1)

The law curses all who practice it and fail to do it perfectly. (Galatians 3:10)

The law has nothing to do with faith. (Galatians 3:11-12)

The law was a curse that Christ redeemed us from. (Galatians 3:13)

The law functioned in God’s purpose as a temporary covenant from Moses till Christ. (Galatians 3:16 & 19, also see… Matthew 11:12-13, Luke 16:16)

If the law worked God would have used it to save us. (Galatians 3:21)

The law was our prison. (Galatians 3:23)

The law makes you a slave like Hagar. (Galatians 4:24)

Christ has abolished the law which was a wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:15)

Paul considered everything the law gained him as “skybalon” which is Greek for “poop”. (Philippians 3:4-

The law is only good if used in the right context. (1 Timothy 1: (see next verse for the context)

It was made for the unrighteous but not for the righteous. (1 Timothy 1:9-10)

The law is weak, useless and makes nothing perfect. (Hebrews 7:18-19)

God has found fault with it and created a better covenant, enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:7-

It is obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish. (Hebrews 8:13)

It is only a shadow of good things to come and will never make someone perfect. (Hebrews 10:1)

If you must live under the law

OK, now that we’ve established that, everything I’m going to say next should be irrelevant to you.

Yet, I know many will still want to desperately argue for the tithe. So here we go.

Here are the scriptures in Leviticus and Deuteronomy referencing the tithe:

“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 to the Lord. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’”

Lev 27:30-33

“There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.”

Deut 12:6-7

“You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands.”

Tithing – The GREAT Commission
My journey with tithing
Growing up we were pretty poor. In fact, we made the poor kids look pretty wealthy sometimes.
My dad was a pastor and he and my mum were firm believers of tithing.
In fact my dad was so serious he once tithed the value of a book of stamps somebody gave him!
Yet, that didn’t change the fact that we were poor.
Because of this, when I started earning money I had no desire to give 10% of my hard-earned cash to the church.
Especially since I felt most of the money was poorly distributed. (I was a pastor’s kid and my family certainly didn’t ever see much of this cash. Nor did the poor, sick or broken… it all went to bills and the costs of running endless meetings.)
Unfortunately, as time went on I found myself in some debt. I was finding too often there was too much month left after my paycheck had run out.!
Now – truth be told – most of this was because I was never properly taught to budget. If you find yourself in this situation I’d honestly just recommend you read Dave Ramsey’s book “Total Money Makeover”
Around this time in my life I was deeply impacted by quite a few prominent Christian leaders. All of them it seemed were teaching that I should be tithing.
In fact, the person I most looked up to at the time told me that tithing was my rent to live on God’s Earth. If I wasn’t paying God my rent, I was robbing God, I would be cursed and what’s more the enemy would have every right to attack me.
Well a strong message like that from people you really respect and look up to will do the trick.
I started tithing immediately.

I put all my faith in God blessing me if I would tithe and you know what… he did.

The problem I had however was I was constantly feeling guilty if I was struggling to pay my tithe.

Or I’d start second guessing myself.

Did I give enough? Do I give pre or post-tax? What about offerings? How much on top of the tithe should I give? Do I tithe my student loans?

It took me many years to discover I wasn’t alone in this.

Not only that, I’m embarrassed to admit, it took me many years to read what the Bible has to say about this topic for myself.

I took people’s teaching for granted for far too long!

So without further ado I want to present to you what the Bible has to say about the tithe. Or as I like to call it “the great commission” – because lets face it, getting 10% of everything your congregation earns isn’t half bad!

Disclaimer

I’m well aware that many people will struggle to receive this message. For that I am genuinely sorry. I’ve done all I can to keep it simple, to the point and stand on nothing but the Bible.

We all have our own experiences with tithing. I’m not saying it doesn’t work.

God’s law when done perfectly always works.

I’m just wanting to challenge should we be teaching tithing the way we are today.

I know this especially makes pastors nervous, I know – I meet with hundreds of pastors a year in person and we often talk about this matter. All I ask is that you consider what I’m saying and go to God with any questions it brings you to about your church.

I can’t speak into your personal situation but all I would ask is you read this article with an open mind. Ask the Lord to speak to you about this topic anew.

I fully believe that the truths in this article will radically bless you and catapult you into a new degree of freedom in Christ to give generously.

Before the law

Abram:

“Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. 21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’ — 24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

Gen 14:14-24

Things to ponder…

1) It seems Abram gave of his own volition not according to any rules. God never asked him in the scriptures to give anything.

2) Abram never gave from his own wealth. It was from the spoils of war he gave. He literally killed a bunch of people and then gave their stuff away.

3) Yes he gave 10% to Melchizedek. However, he also gave 90% to the king of Sodom. So if you want to tithe like Abraham that’s 10% in the church and 90% to the local strip club or something. (I’m not honestly sure what the direct parallel would be for a modern-day king of Sodom.)

4) The Bible records this happening once. There is no evidence he gave ever again in his life. Given he lived 175 years that’s not all that impressive!

Abram tithed before the law. But he gave the other 90% to the most evil man on the planet.
CLICK TO TWEET

Jacob:

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Gen 28:20-22

Things to ponder…

1) Notice that Jacob never once said he would give to receive. It was simply a gift back to God to thank him for what he received. A sacrificial thank you. This is how we should give, not greedily to get more but generously and sacrificially because we have received an abundance from God.

2) It was food and clothing he was receiving, this was produce not money.

3) Who did he give to? There were no priests and God doesn’t have a bank account to setup a monthly transfer. He presumable gave in burnt offerings or to the poor. We simply don’t know.

In the New Covenant

First things first we must acknowledge that Christians are NOT under the law. If you are confused by this I highly recommend you read this article:

The Role Of The Law In The New Covenant

Or, even better, watch this video if you have time: