Things you need to know about tithing in the Bible

Small wars have been fought between christians about tithing.

Some say tithing is not for us today and some say that tithing is a command for all children of God regardless of time.

In this post, you will find answers to your questions about tithing in the bible. By the end of this post, you will know if tithing is for you, and you will have no more questions about it.

First things first:

Definition of tithing

According to Webster’s dictionary, tithing is the tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax, especially for the support of a religious establishment.

So we can say that tithing is 10% of your income that you give to your church.

Where is tithe first mentioned in the bible?

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. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.

And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of all.

Genesis 14:20

This is the first time tithe was mentioned in the bible, hundreds of years before the law was given to Moses. So tithing did not come with the law because it is registered in the bible before the law.

For those of you that don’t know, Melchizedek was Jesus (Hebrews 7:1-3). So Abram gave his tithe to The Lord Jesus.

Do you need to tithe?

Many people will tell you that you don’t have to tithe because tithing was part of the Old Testament, and we don’t live by the Old Testament anymore.

But tithing has little to do with a religious rule and more to do with a heart. Abraham gave his tithe out of gratitude for God’s favor in battle against his enemies. This was hundreds of years before the law.

Tithing will not make God love you more or less. Tithing is just giving your 10% to The One who gives you everything so that the Kingdom of God can be preached to all the earth.

Tithing is not about giving out of duty but giving out of love, gratitude and worship. Tithing is a heart issue.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Coritnhians 9:7 (NKJV)

Is tithing a command?

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, In what way have we robbed You?

In tithes and offerings.

You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.

“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.

Malachi 3:8 (NKJV)

Reading the passage above, we can clearly see that God is commanding that the tithe will be brought to the church. He didn’t say “if you want”, He said, “Bring”.

It’s very simple, you either believe the Bible or you don’t. You can’t pick and choose what to believe. The bible says that God’s word is forever settled in heaven. That means His word is true today and it will be true 1000 years from now, just like it was thousands of years ago.

He even gave a wonderful promise to go along with the command and this promise will only be fulfilled if we follow the instructions: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse”.

It may be hard to see how God is going to bless us for our faithfulness in tithing, but He is waiting for us to take a step of faith, and believe that He makes good on His promises. In fact, this is one time in scripture where God gives us explicit permission to test Him — “Test me in this,” he says, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven.”

Brian Jewel, (God, Money & me).

Is tithing biblical?

Now that you have read Malachi 3:8 you can understand that tithing is biblical. It is not something that someone made up.

If we go back to the story of Abraham when he gave Melchisedek a 10% of all his spoils from war, we can see that it was God who put it in Abraham’s heart to do it.

How do we know this?

We know this because it is recorded in the bible. God put it in Abraham’s heart to give the 10% and that way a biblical foundation was laid. Remember, the bible is not just a random book that several people wrote.

The bible is the inspired word of God, everything in it is for our benefit. The word of God is Jesus Himself.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

God wanted us to learn about tithing, that’s the reason tithing is on the bible.

Didn’t Jesus come to abolish the law? (tithing included).

First of all, Jesus did not come to abolish the law. Jesus came to fulfill the law, which is very different.

Many people believe that because of Jesus’s New Covenant, tithing came to an end. But that is just not true.

The following passage explains it very well:

The fact is, the Bible reveals that God gave many of His laws to mankind prior to the institution of the Old Covenant at Sinai. Indeed, God had revealed the principle of tithing and other commandments, statutes, and laws to those with whom He was working centuries earlier (Genesis 14:16-20; Genesis 26:5; Genesis 28:22).

Because these laws reflected God’s love for mankind and guidance on how to have an abundant life, they were included in the Old Covenant that God made with Israel.

When the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-8) at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, God’s instructions for mankind’s happiness and benefit that had preceded the Old Covenant did not come to an end.

Instead, the New Covenant makes it possible for people to have God’s laws ingrained in their minds and hearts (Hebrews 8:10). The bottom line is that tithing—giving a tenth of our increase—to God remains His expectation of those who wish to honor Him through obedience to His instructions.

www.ucg.org

Should you give your tithe before or after taxes?

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.

Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)

What would you consider the best part? Your gross income (before taxes) or net income (after taxes)?

Whatever you consider the best, give Him that.

God always deserves our best because He gave us His best: His one and only son, Jesus.

What is the difference between tithing and offering?

Tithing and offering are 2 different things.

Tithing is giving the 10% of your income. This should be the first thing that comes out of your bank every month.

An offering is whatever extra you want to give on top of your tithe. Offerings can be given at any time of the month and it doesn’t have to be money. Giving anything to your church, charity, or to the needy can also be counted as an offering.

Remember, God loves a cheerful giver, it pleases Him when we give because we are following His example. He gave first.

Can I give my tithe to someone in need or to charity?

The answer is no. Your tithe should only go to your church. The place where you are being fed spiritually.

In Malachi 3:8 The Lord said: “Bring all tithes into the storehouse, that there might be food in my house”…

Your tithe goes to the upkeep of The Lord’s house, for example, paying rent, mortgage, electricity bill, cleaning crew, salaries, etc. It takes money to keep the doors of the church open.

So your tithe belongs to your church. But you can give an offering to charity, to a person in need or to any other ministry you want to support.

Hopefully, this is not you, but if you don’t go to any church, find a local church in your area that teaches the uncompromised Word of God and support them by giving them your tithe.

For me, the tithe is an exciting thing. Every time I write a check to my local church, I’m joining my will and my heart with the heart of God and His vision for my local body. Tithing transforms the “Kingdom of God” from a philosophical idea to a real world-changing mission… and one that I have a critical part in.

Brian Jewel, God, Money and Me.

How to tithe while you are in debt

Are you supposed to tithe while you are in debt?

Again, tithing is a heart issue. If you trust God with your salvation, then you can surely trust God with your money.

If you tithe when you are in debt you are showing God 2 things:

1. You are putting God first. Even though the world may be falling apart around you, with your tithe you are honoring God and making Him and His kingdom a priority in your life.
2. You are showing God that you trust Him. Because believe it or not, you do not depend on your salary; you do not depend on you or your job. You depend on God. It is Him who provides for all your needs.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Why is tithing important?

I think tithing is important because it helps us grow spiritually in the following areas:

1. Obedience

2. Sacrifice

3. Worship

4. Trust

5. Honor

6. Selflessness

7. Faithfulness

Bible verses about tithing

1.

And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Genesis 14:19-20

2.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Genesis 28:20-22

3.

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.

Leviticus 27:31

4.

Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.

Numbers 18:26

5.

Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10

6.

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’

In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this entire nation.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows.

Malachi 3:8-10

7.

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.

Matthew 23:23

8.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

Hebrews 7:1-2

Tithe in the Bible

Tithing is biblical, and it is for the children of God as it was thousands of years ago.

Your tithes and offerings help spread the Word of God around the world.

The gospel is free, but it takes money to take it across the earth.

Remember, tithing is a heart issue. So when you think about tithing, I want you to think about 3 important things:

1. You are tithing because you love God; you trust Him with your finances and you want to make Him a priority.
2. You are tithing because you want to be obedient and faithful.
3. You are tithing because with that money you are helping expand the kingdom of God on the earth.

Giving your 10% to The Lord even if it wasn’t a commandment brings nothing but blessing to your life, so why not do it?