Leviticus 27:30, “Every tithe of the land whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.”

Malachi 3:10-12, “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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;
neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed:
for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Matthew 5;17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Hello OTP family!! We are in that season again where the topic of giving is at the forefront of the minds of many. I wanted to share some information that may work to clarify the issue. However, before we jump into it I wanted to advise you to consider the information provided prayerfully and ask God to speak further to your heart on this topic. Remember obedience is always better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

First Things First: What is a Tithe and Why do we give it?

Tithe is a set rate of 10% of your income. It is the priority as it is a “first fruit” offering and is the baseline of Biblical giving.

Offering is secondary contributions made out of extra generosity.

Giving an offering does not replace the obligation of tithes. This also includes your gifts to charities and those in need.

Purpose: Tithes typically fund the daily operations of the church. Tithes are used for facility upkeep and salaries. Offerings are most often designated for specific campaigns such as special building fund, missions, or outside charities.

Tithe and offering is God’s blessing plan for the believer. Jesus tells us to give and it shall be given unto us…(see Luke 6:38).

It illuminates the believers ability to walk in obedience to God’s word (even when to disobey in this area is temptation the enemy uses against us repeatedly). It also shows us that living on that blessed 90% is far easier than attempting to live on a cursed 100%. When we fail in this area it can feel as though our pockets have a whole where our money seems to fall through.

God instructs the church to use the tithes so that “there may be meat in mine house“ making it clear what is the function of the tithe. He does not allow us as givers to provide direction to the church on how it should be used. It is understood that when we attend a church we have a responsibility to the upkeep of it.

Scripture references for tithes: Malachi 3:10-12 | for offering: 2 Corinthians 9:6-9.

Even though offering is secondary to the tithe, it is extremely important to the walk of the believer. We are instructed to be a cheerful giver.

When we walk in obedience we can do as Malachi instructs – to prove God to see that he will open the windows of heaven and pour out the blessings we need.

Giving premise: We give freely and generously from our own resources. When we do this from a pure heart God steps in and freely and generously gives back to use from His own resources in return.

Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Popular Arguments Used Against Giving:

Conflict 1: Tithing was Old Testament, but “giving” is instruction by Jesus in the New Testament.

Many say that when Jesus came he did away with the tithe and just commanded that we should give. However, Jesus told us in Matthew 5:17, that he did not come to do away with the law, but he came to fulfill it.

Jesus confirmed he came to (1) complete their ultimate purpose, (2) embody their teachings, and (3) accomplish the prophecies pointing toward Him rather than erasing them.

The giving of tithes was not abolished Jesus did however, provide clarification.

Jesus spoke to the attitudes many had surrounding giving. Judging those who would give what they considered inferior to their own giving. Many wanted to be seen giving greatly, but in their heart they only wanted the accolades that came with being seen and did not care how impactful their gift was.

In Luke 11:42 and Matthew 23:23, Jesus acknowledge the giving of tithes, but rebuke them because they paid more attention to the giving of the tithes, but neglected other important issues such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Jesus told them these you out to have done (referring to the tithe) without neglecting the others. He affirmed that tithing should not be abandoned, but it should never replace a heart of mercy and justice.

Conflict 2: I have to tithe AND give a “worthy” offering? You’re asking too much.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “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.”

Here we see that HOW we give will also determine HOW we receive. We should give with generosity. BUT we are to purpose in our heart what we will give. This giving is something personal between you and God alone. You give what you have determined in advance and not allow anyone make you feel ashamed of the gift even if it is less that what they may be asking for.

God is the only one who can see your heart. Don’t be fooled by what it looks like others are able to give. Be happy with what God has placed in your hands to give, and give it cheerfully. That is a gift between you and God alone. Yes, you may be able to give more, but God is looking for the gift you purposed in your heart. Review this scripture carefully. Yes, you can change your mind regarding the gift, but God is looking at your heart surrounding your gift.

Conflict 3: Pastors/Preachers are taking money to enrich their pockets while the congregation still suffer need.

Unfortunately, there are some false prophets out there – the Bible warns us about them. We are advised to use our spiritual discernment and know who they are. But that does not take away our responsibility of tithing/giving if we remain joined to that ministry. We give as we are instructed to give by the Bible. We still have to walk in obedience to God.

Additionally, we are not allowed to dictate how our tithe/offering will be used. We must leave that to God to judge and deal with anyone who would mishandle these gifts. It may seem that people will get away with it, but this is only a temporary illusion. They will still have to answer for any wrongs committed against God and his people.

I will say if you feel you are joined to any ministry where you have no confidence in the pastor in this regard you should pray about it and pray for that pastor. God is able to work on the hearts of his people. When God calls you to be joined to a ministry we can only separate when God gives us leave to do so.

Other Scriptures to review:

Old Testament

-Proverbs 3:9

-Numbers 18:21

-Genesis 28:22

New Testament

-1 Corinthians 16:2

-Mark 12:41-44

-Matthew 18:12

My Prayer

Lord help me to give from a pure heart. Help me to give freely and generously. I know this is your will for me. Forgive me, I pray, for every time I failed to give. For every time I failed to pay tithes out of fear of loss. Help me to walk in faith and obedience always. In Jesus name, amen.

Have a blessed day! And as always, please like and subscribe for more content. Your comments are always welcome.