10 Jun 08 - Some Thoughts About Tithes

Abram gave the first recorded tithe to God in thanksgiving for his victory in war (Genesis 14:14-20). This was about 1800 years before Christ was born. The “last word” on tithing from the Bible is found in Malachi 3:20. Malachi was a Prophet speaking for God about 450 years before Christ. He challenged us to “bring the full tithe into the storehouse…and thus put Me to the test.” Yes, that’s right, God is challenging us to challenge God. And why? So that we can see “if God will not open the windows of Heaven for you and pour down an overflowing blessing.” (Scripture quotation is from the NRSV.) So, the first word of the Bible on tithing says we should tithe because of what God has already done for us. And the last word says we should tithe because of what God will do for us.

Jesus accepted these teachings and made no changes to them. His only concern was that the religious leaders of his time were tithing to their advantage and not the faith’s. For example, the Pharisees would pay tithes on the seasoning for food but not for the food itself. (See Matthew 23:23 for another example.) Jesus was accusing them of being stingy and ungenerous. He was also accusing them of missing the point.
What then can we say about tithing? It is a way of life, a part of our relationship with God. We should tithe in recognition of who God is for us, and what God does for us. We also do not want the Living Christ to say, “You are being stingy,” or worse, “You’re missing the point.” Like any other investment, the more one invests, the more one receives. It may not be what we expect, but it is what God wants us to have. It may not come today, but it will come someday. In the meantime, tithing helps to keeps us focused upon God. And that is true whether our tithe is money, time, or talent.