These past few weeks at church, our preacher has been talking about tithing.
What's funny about tithing is that for some reason I never thought it applied to me. I was always taught to give to God, but the 10% thing wasn't mandatory. I was always under the impression that when you give to God, you give what you can. And stories like the one about the lady bringing her two copper coins in, while the rich guy brought his handfulls of money sort of fell in line with what I always thought. I don't have much, so God must understand when I give to him when I am able to.
That's how I thought things worked until a couple years ago. Now mind you, I still never believed tithing really ever applied. However, I came to the realization that when I trusted in God to provide for me, it was foolish to not give to him out of my blessings. And when I gave back to him, he seemed to continue to provide. It was a pretty sweet deal. It was nice to see a connection between suddenly having enough money to give because I had given trusting that I would be provided for.
This lesson got even a little deeper last year when I encountered God's providence on more than one occasion as a direct result of praying for it. You can read a little more about it here: http://pancakesandtea.blogspot.com/2007/07/short-and-sweet.html
But still, in my church background, the tithe wasn't ever talked about.
These lessons Mark has been preaching about tithing have been SO good! I have been eating them up! I was lucky enough to already have come to the conclusion through my personal blessings and experiences that giving my money to God shouldn't really be optional. And when I hold back, I limit my own ability to be blessed. But now that I realize and understand that God expects my tithe, it sheds a whole new light onto my giving. Now that I relate my money actually belonging to God to scripture (Malachi 3:8-12), it makes much more sense to me. And it makes me excited to know that God wants to bless me and provide for me.
I think what I take away from all of this new information on tithing is the way I will look at my giving. Instead of just gratefully accepting these random monetary blessings as God's way of providing for me, or answering my prayers; I also need to consider tithing these gifts too. They, also, came from God--just like my paycheck--and therefore belong to him.
I can't wait for next Sunday when our church collectively brings in the tithe. I can't wait to see how much God is waiting to bless us, and what he will do with Quail in his kindgom.
If you are interested in listening to the sermon series online, go to:
http://quailchurch.com/cgi-bin/MediaList.cgi?section=&cat=In%20God%20We%20Trust
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Friend, May I offer an alternative interpretation of Malachi for your study.
From: Tithing is not a Christian Doctrine
www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com
Russell Earl Kelly, PHD
Malachi 3 is the Most Abused Tithing Text in the Bible. The “whole” tithe never was supposed to go to the Temple!
A. Malachi is Old Covenant and is never quoted in the New Covenant to validate tithing (Lev. 27:34; Neh. 10:28-29; Mal. 3:7; 4:4).
B. In Malachi 3:10-11 tithes are still only food 1000 years after Leviticus 27:30-34 and Numbers 18:21-28.
C. Malachi’s audience had willingly reaffirmed the Old Covenant (Neh.10:28-29). The blessings and curses of tithing are identical to and inseparable from those of the entire Mosaic Law. The rain in Deuteronomy 28:12, 23-24 and Leviticus 26:1-4 is only obtained by obedience to all 613 commandments. Galatians 3:10 (quoting Deu 27:26) “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Trying to earn God’s blessings through tithing only brings curses for failure to keep all of the law. See also Galatians 3:19.
D. Beginning in 1:6 “you” in Malachi always refers to the dishonest priests and not the people (also 2:1-10; 2:13 to 3:1-5): “Even this whole nation of you --priests” (3:9). In 1:13-14 the priests had stolen tithed animals vowed to God. In Nehemiah 13:5-10 priests had stolen the Levites’ portion of the tithe. God’s curses on the priests are ignored by most tithe-teachers (1:14; 2:2 and 3:2-4).
E. Point #12 of the essay. The Levitical cities must be included in a correct interpretation of Malachi 3:10. Most tithe-recipients lived outside of Jerusalem.
F. The 24 courses of Levites and priests must be included in a correct interpretation of Malachi 3. Normally only 2% of the total Levite and priest work force served at the temple one week at a time. Subtract wives, males under the age of 30 and daughters. Therefore 2% did not require all of the tithe. See 1 Chron 23-26; 28:13, 21; 2 Chron. 8:14; 23:8; 31:2, 15-19; 35:4, 5, 10; Ezra 6:18; Neh. 11:19, 30; 12:24; 13:9, 10; Luke 1:5.
G. Nehemiah 10:37-39 is the key to understanding Malachi 3:10, The people were commanded to bring their tithes, not to the temple, but to the nearby Levitical cities. Verse 38 says that the priests were with the Levites in the Levitical cities when they received the tithes.
H. According to Nehemiah 13:5, 9 the “storehouse” in the Temple was only several rooms. The real “storehouses” were in the Levitical cites per Nehemiah 10:37b-38. Only the Levites and priests normally brought tithes to the Temple (10:38). Two rooms in the Temple were far too small to contain the tithe from the entire nation and 98% of the Levites and priests lived too far away to eat from them.
Therefore, Malachi 3:10’s “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” only makes contextual sense if it is only commanding dishonest priests to replace the tithes they had removed from it or had failed to bring to it.
While the 3:10 of the Law in Malachi is so important to tithe-teachers they ignore the 3:10 of the Gospel in Galatians and 2nd Corinthians. Perhaps those wanting to enforce the 3:10 Law of Malachi should also enforce the 3:10 Law of Numbers. They share the same context.
Christian giving is freewill, sacrificial, generous, joyful, regular and motivated by love. That is enough to provide the needs of the Church.
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