ECONOMY 19 – Tithes - English Bible Study

ECONOMY 19 – TITHES

Word Search 'tithe', H4643 (maasar), tenth H6224 (asiri)

Ge 14:17-21, He 7:2, 7:4 Abraham tithing to Melchisedek

Melchisedek … a priest of God most High … “Blessed by Abram by God Most High … And Abram gave him one tenth of everything.

Abraham, carrier of the promise and the calling, recognizes in Melchisedek a spiritual leader and naturally / spontaneously / according to culture (?) tithes to him.
Earliest mention of tithing … older concept? Where from? Or here started by Abraham by God’s guidance? It’s at least a happening with no mentioned precedent in the Bible. Maybe the concept of ‘Giving to the Higher being’ is written in our hearts? Like the concept of sacrifice?
Here it’s the priest getting 10% of the increase (loot of war) … later priests will not get the tithe, the Levites will. Here no Levites yet? Or is it simply ‘10% to spiritual leader?’
Hebrew 7:5-9 interprets this to signify the Levitical priesthood being inferior to the Melchisedek priesthood, Jesus’ being of the Melchisedek order (to answer the question: How can Jesus, of the tribe of Judah, be the true High priest?)

Ge 28:22 - Jacob promising tenth if God helps

‘and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will surely give one-tenth to you.’

After an unexpected ‘spiritual experience’ or ‘gracious revelation of God’ Jacob promises a tenth in the future (pending God will do several things)
Did he get this from Abraham <=> Melchisedek? Or from God? Or by common culture?
Concept of God’s favor meaning some financial obligation
Quite ‘bargaining’ in his approach, though the experience was a ‘free gift’ and unexpected. He acts out of the schemer / controlling / insure for oneself mentality (displayed elsewhere in his life), not trust. Yet there is ‘acknowledgment’ and ‘thankfulness’

Le 27:30 - Tithe of produce is God's

All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the LORD’s; they are holy to the LORD.

Le 27:31 - Redeemable, but plus 20%

If persons wish to redeem any of the tithes, they must add one-fifth to them.

Le 27:32 - Tenth of flock or herd, no quality issue, no redemption

All tithes of herd and flock, every tenth one that passes under the shepherd’s staff, shall be holy to the LORD. Let no one inquire whether it is good of bad, or make substitution for it; if one makes substitutions for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy and cannot be redeemed.

Here first establishing of the tithe as an official requirement by God.
Start of the official tithe comes with the establishing of a nation, a spiritual center (tabernacle), a priesthood, a Levite group.
Is this entirely practical? Establishing things & now financing it? In that sense an affirmation of the physical word, the physical nature of humans and their needs.
Teaching aspects? God’s character revealed?
Unlike the sacrifices, which have to be ‘blameless animals’, and the ‘best of the produce’, the tithe is simply a tenth, the procedure of selecting the tithe is not based on quality but simply on counting (whatever passes under the staff)
Why would somebody want to redeem his tithe? Verse 32 suggests that redemption is officially possible but only for produce of field / tree (against higher price, plus 20%), not for animals. Maybe a good animal falling into the tithe might have been wanted for breeding, but that’s not possible. Both the original & the substitute become God’s. Why would one want to redeem grain?
Also: tithe is serious. One can’t bargain, one can’t exchange animals. The procedure for animals is random, but the selection sticks. Attitude while separating the tithe: not look, not argue, not manipulate, not be greedy, not be stingy
Tithe is ‘holy to the LORD’, which means set apart, separate … Used here is the normal word for ‘holy’ (H6944 ‘qodesh’, 470x in OT). It is not the same word as the ‘devoted to destruction’ (‘cherem’, 38x in the OT). So the teaching that tithe is ‘cherem’ can’t be supported by this verse. Also the redemption option is totally missing for ‘cherem’, see Le 28:39, immediate context. (Yet there is talks of humans and animals, animals are also not redeemable under the tithe).
Main point: Give tithe faithfully, ‘blindly’. God is serious about tithe but it is not on the same level with ‘cherem’ devoted to destruction things.

Nu 18:21-32 - Tithe is God's > Levites

To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for a possession in return for the service that they perform, the service in the tent of meeting. … 24 because I have given to the Levites as their portion the tithe of the Israelites, which they set apart as an offering to the LORD. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no allotment among the Israelites….

Tithe belongs to Levites for their service. Service is commanded, honored, provided for. Affirmation of physical needs of people. Affirmation of spiritual leadership.
18:24, 18:26 tithe is called ‘offering’, distinction of ‘tithe’ and ‘offering’ not really important? Probably: all tithe are offerings, but not all offerings are tithe. Tithe is one of the offerings, a required one.

26 You shall speak to the Levites, saying: When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them for your portion, you shall set apart an offering from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe … 28 you shall give the LORD’s offering to the priest Aaron. 29 Out of all the gifts to you, you shall set apart every offering due to the LORD, the best of all of them is the part to the consecrated. 30 Say also to them: When you have set apart the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor; and as produce of the wine press. 31 You may eat in any place, you and your households; for it is your payment for the service in the tent of meeting.

Levites must give tithe of the tithe to the High priest (priests in general?).
Principle of Levites having to do what everybody has to do. The system that feeds them they also have to obey: they live off tithes, they must tithe themselves. No ‘privileges’ without attached responsibilities. Principle of doing what you preach.
Here tithe is given choosing the best (unlike with people giving tithe). Yet what is mentioned is produce of plants, not animals. Did Levites not tithe animals? Maybe no need to tithe animals to the High priest (priests?) since the priesthood has provision of meat through the sacrifice regulations. Or did they tithe everything, but only with the produce of plants there is the ‘best’ requirement?

De 12:6-17 - Tithe, sacrifices, donations, votive gifts, freewill offerings

bringing there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations, your votive gifts, your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks. 7 …
11 then you shall bring everything that I command you to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations, and all your choice votive gifts that you vow to the LORD.

6 burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, donations, votive gifts, freewill offerings, firstlings
11 burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, donations, votive gifts
inclusive lists of all types of offerings. Some required, some freewill, some vow-dependent.

12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you together with your sons and your daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levites who reside in your towns since they have no allotment or inheritance with you. …
17 Nor may you eat within your towns the tithe of your grain, your wine, and your oil, the firstlings of your herds and your flocks, and your votive gits that you vow, your freewill offerings and donations; 18 these you may eat in the presence of the LORD your God at the place that the LORD your God will choose, you together with your son … daughter … male & female slaves, and the Levites residing in your towns, rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God in all your undertakings. 19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

Reaffirmed: Levites have no allotment, but are fed through the tithe system. Do not neglect them, they are entitled to this.
Not in villages but before God (tabernacle, later Jerusalem) … centralized worship & feasts … Why? For unity, cohesion, fellowship, teaching, maintaining law, keep different from surrounding ‘idol worship’
Rejoice … this is meant to be a feast, celebration, fun, much food, etc.
Together with … this is meant to be inclusive, basically a family affair, but including workers, and local Levites, … in context of wider Israelite assembly.
God prescribes a certain inter-dependency, and definitely relationship & fellowship between CHU and not CHU persons.

De 12:20-27 - Normal slaughtering versus sacrifices

Affirmation of right to eat meat (first in Ge 9:3), of normal slaughtering & meat eating.
Must distinguish between normal slaughter for food and sacrifices. Slaughter can be done locally by anybody but is not a sacrifice. Sacrifice must be done at the central place of worship, by proper priest. God keeps the two things well apart. Prevention of slide into idolatrous ‘backyard sacrificing’. Next paragraph is a warning against idolatry (De 12:29-32).
All slaughtering (as well as sacrifices): rule to pour out blood, not to eat the blood. First in Ge 9:4. Why? … probably: a respect for life, an acknowledgment that we can’t make life, a reminder that eating meat is a concession by God (in the beginning no meat eating, Ge 1:29) to a ‘violent humanity’.

De 14:22-29 - Eat tithe at tabernacle

Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field. 23 In the presence of the LORD your God in the place that he will choose as a dwelling for his name, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the firstlings of your herd and flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 But if, when the distance is so great … turn it into money … spend the money for whatever you wish – oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever you desire. And you shall eat there I the presence of the LORD your God, You and your household rejoicing together. 27 As for the Levites resident in your towns, do not neglect them because they have no allotment or inheritance with you.

Parallel De 12. Addition: option for those living far away to turn tithe into money, then buy things locally at the tabernacle.
Seems to be a very reasonable, practical issue. God doesn’t seem to mind the risk of ‘reducing amounts’, ‘deducting travel expenses’, ‘corruption at the central cattle trade’ (See NT, Mt 21:12-17, Mk 11:15-19, Lu 19:45-46, Jn 22:13-22, all gospels have Jesus driving out traders) … buy as per preference.
Tithe money not to be ‘added to food budget’, it is meant to be a special event, set aside, putting God first, remembering him, acknowledge him as giver, celebrate his goodness together, including others.
Special things need to remain special … application for ‘designated gifts received’
But also 14:23 is a command to ‘eat your tithe’ > tithe eaten by giver (though not alone). In chapter 12 it was ‘bring your tithe & other offerings’ and then ‘eat’ presumably referring to fellowship & freewill offerings, where participation of the offerer in the sacrifice is prescribed. But in chapter 14: it is the offerer eating his tithe with his family with joy!

8 Every third year you shall bring the full tithe of your produce for that year and store it within your towns; 29 the Levites because they have no allotment or inheritance with you, as well as the resident alien, he orphan, and the widow in your towns, may come and eat their fill so that the LORD your God may bless you in all he work that you undertake.

3rd year special, tithe stored at towns for Levites, aliens, orphans, widows
It seems: Levites get tithe in general, local Levites participate in your feasts at the tabernacle, but every 3rd year it’s not only for Levites, but also for poor.
Where does the ‘eat your tithe’ fit in? Or is it: 1st year > Levites, 2nd year > eat your tithe, 3rd year > in towns to Levites & poor. Why not explained more in detail? What is the distribution rule for Levites & poor? If Levites are a tenth of population, and if tenth is given, is there enough for ‘you’ and ‘poor’?

De 23:2-4 - 10th no illegitimate, no Ammonite, no Moabite admitted

Those born of an illicit union shall not be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of their descendants shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. 3 No Ammonite, or Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of their descendants shall be admitted to the assembly or the LORD 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

Has the concept of ‘to the 10th generation’ something to do with the tithe?
Presumably this is broken with Ruth, and with her descendant David.
Ruth (also Ex 12:48) seems to indicate that if ‘true conversion’ then no restriction. What does ‘admitted to assembly’ mean?
Concept of national guilt (?)

De 26:1-11 - first fruit > confession, celebration with Levites & aliens

De 26:12-15 - give tithe, confess your obedience

When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year (which is the year of the tithe), giving in to the Levites, the aliens, the orphans, and the widows, so that they may eat their fill withing your towns 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God “I have removed the sacred portion from the house, and I have given it to the Levites, the resident aliens, the orphans, and the widows, in accordance with your entire commandment … 14 I have not eaten it while in mourning; I have not removed any of it while I was unclean; and I have not offered any of ti to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD … 15 Look down … and bless your people Israel and the ground

Seems to refer to 3rd year provision for Levites, orphans, widows
13 I have removed it from (presumably my) house … not kept any, made sure this is set apart … I have given it to Levites & poor … presumably in contrast to keeping it
14 What does mourning have to do with it? Uncleanness? Nowhere there was a law about having to be clean while handling tithe (though tithe is ‘holy to the LORD’, maybe implied in that?) … and definitely no instruction concerning mourning
offered to dead would be forbidden practices on the slide to idolatry & paganism
This affirms the importance of tithe, giving, obedience, but adds questions

1 Sa 8:15, 17 - 10th - Samuel's prediction about King's abuses: political tenth

He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers … 17 He will take one-tenth of your flocks and you shall be his slaves.

Prediction of the abuses of kings, demanding things, including ‘another tithe’
So 10% goes to CHU, 10% to GOV. But this is a description (and a negative one at that), not a command or instituting by God.

2 Ch 31:1-12 - Hezekiah reorganizing the priests

Israel … went out to the cities of Judah and broke down the pillars … 2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites … to minister in the gates of the camp … and to give thanks and praise. … He commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, so that they might devote themselves to the law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the word spread, the people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been consecrated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps … 8 When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel. … 10 … “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty to spare; for the LORD has blessed his people, so that we have this great supply left over.” 11 … prepare store-chambers …12 Faithfully they brought in the contributions, the tithes and the dedicated things. …

Re-establishing what should be: priests and Levites at their service, Jerusalem people give them their ‘due portion’, expanding spontaneously to Judah and Israel in general … trust is rebuilt > giving is willingly and spontaneously > 5 abundance. Once something convinces people, they want a part in it and will be giving.
Priests, Levites …4 so that they devoted themselves to the law of the LORD, again describing how it should be.
Hezekiah himself gave king’s portion (2 Ch 30:22) at the celebration, which increases truth, respect, commitment
Hezekiah is influential, has authority, trust of the people > willing cooperation … more than if a normal person did it. Leadership needs to go ahead itself in giving, leading out in generosity, …
Sometimes people need to be told to give, … we often think: you should never say this. Challenge / encouragement to tithe, … many don’t know.
If people participate properly, there should be no lack, … here abundance
Here king (GOV) functions to restore spiritual life (CHU). Should this be so? Shouldn’t CHU reform itself? Or is this the case of a godly GOV, combined with a willing CHU? Several domains pulling the same direction > deeper effect.
Can a king (GOV) demand godliness? Would they have punished those not obeying? Is this Israel’s special case at that time, but not the case now?

Ne 10:35-38, 12:44 - Nehemiah's reforms: Covenant renewal

35 We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits from our soil and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD, 36 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God’ and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our soil, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns. 38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse … 39 … We will not neglect the house of our God.

first fruits > priests. Tithe > Levites, tithe of tithe to storehouse, … not the high priest personally
priest present when Levites receive tithe > accountability system?
if no tithe > Levites can’t stay > go back to villages to try to live off the pastor lands, … their time is lost for that, can’t do the work, …
Here: if Israel is not doing well spiritually > Levites / Priests suffer … incentive to take good care of the flock.
Modern problem with ‘state church’ and ‘salaried pastors’.
It seems normal state is: tithe collected locally by Levites (giving a tithe to priesthood / center), first fruits at center. Every year, … then 3rd year > also shared with poor. How then does the ‘eat your tithe’ happen?

Ne 12:44 - storage of tithes etc. organized

On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests and for the Levites from the filed belonging to the towns; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.

Ne 13:4-9 - Nehemiah's reforms > storage chambers cleared

Ne 13:10-14 - Nehemiah's reforms > tithes paid, management improved

12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain , wine, and oil into the storehouses.

• Hezekiah, Nehemiah are reformers, they reform the spiritual leadership first (?), seem to think that the most important.
• There was a distribution system, here re-established, …
• 13 … were considered faithful, by who? Who is being consulted? … participatory appointment, consulting with everybody, presumably.
• 11 the house of God forsaken … no gifts, no Levites / priests
• here tithes are also administered centrally, other passages it was collected (stored, distributed) locally … is this just for surrounding areas or Jerusalem? or tithe of tithe only? Or one can give wherever one likes? Or here Israel is much smaller (after exile), so now centrally?

Is 6:13 - Prophecy of destruction about Judah

Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again

Is there a link to tithe in this? Or just a strong metaphor to show that God’s judgment will be complete, inescapable?
A prediction of what Jeremiah & Ezekiel belabor later: those remaining are by no means ‘good figs’ (Je 24), the pathway of redemption is by accepting the exile (Je 29).

Amos 4:4 - worship includes sacrifice & tithe

Come to Bethel – and transgress; to Gilgal – and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning … your tithes every three days …

Ironic, but still: worship – even perverted, idolatrous worship – included going to the central shrine, with tithes and sacrifices…. Every 3 days??

Ma 3:8-12 - Bring full tithe > blessings

8 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me – the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you and overflowing blessing. 11 I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and you vine in the field shall not be barren, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will count your happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

Obedience (here to give tithe, offerings) > protection of property, labor, increase of fruitfulness, no frustration of labor … disobedience > loss of fertility, things slipping between fingers, DINKs (double income no kids), good salaries yet debts
First give me, then test me with that … I have to do something, I have a part, I can’t just sit there and evaluate God
God gives assurance, guarantee, otherwise we would not do it, see it, conclude
Tithing is testing? Or simply ‘obedience and watch the consequences’, with tithing here as the ‘issue at hand’? > all obedience lets us see cause and effect.
Not to tempt us with greed, but to give without condition, … not: giving to get, but trusting in the faithfulness of God
Bring into the storehouse, so that there will be no lack. God won’t eat > for Levites, priests, orphans, widows … affirmation of CHU, of physical realities, of system
Tithing is an act of spiritual warfare, it rebukes the devourer, … God will rebuke, …
You don’t have more by giving less!
tithing is a testimony, others will see the faithfulness of God, and call us blessed
10% discount doesn’t seem much, … so why do we think giving the tithe is hard?
National corporate thing, blessing also comes on national level
By my disobedience, all others are discouraged, feel stupid …God doesn’t want this

Mt 23:23. Lu 11:42 - Pharisees tithing spice

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin and have neglected the weightier matter of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practices without neglecting the others
But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kings, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.

Tithe is required of produce of field & tree, herd & flock, so the spice garden is a ‘borderline case’, Jesus seems to treat them as ‘very careful tithers’, on the other hand he affirms it … ‘without neglecting the other’.
The question is not ‘spice tithing or not’ but the attitude behind it.
There are ‘weightier’ and less weighty matters in the law, but still: obey them all.
Jesus summarizes the weightier matters of the law by ‘justice, mercy and faith’, (Mt) and ‘justice, love of God’ (Lu), what a summary! … the variation between Matthew and Luke shows that the terms are used interchangeably, they signify each other, it’s a ‘short hand’ for the true meaning of the law.
Point is not to ‘abolish’ all smaller matters, but to not lose the heart of the law over tedious application of the smaller matters, to act out of the right attitude
Does the NT teach tithing? … here Jesus seems to affirm it. But it is to the Pharisees, and nowhere else. Is Jesus upholding the practice? Or affirming the Pharisees for what he can affirm them (seriousness)? Addressed to all believers?
No record of NT church tithing, though they are definitely generous and giving (Acts 4:32-37, 5:1-11, 1 Co 16:1-3, 2 Co 8-9, Gal 2:19, etc.)
We have imported tithing as NT law, and none other of the OT laws … how justified?