Tithing Under Law vs. Giving Under Grace
While giving is obviously an essential part of our Christian walk, is tithing still a requirement from God? Here is the million dollar question: what does God actually want? 👀
It's $howtime!
Tithing Under Law
Tithing is a doctrinal belief in most churches for two main reasons: firstly, many believe that tithing is a timeless command because it proceeded the Mosaic law, and secondly, the church bills gotta get paid. I assume the position that both reasons come from a sincere place, however, I would like us to study Scripture to show thyself approved. Don't toss your computer just yet, hehe...you're actually in for a rude awakening if you think I'm going to absolve believers of their responsibility to give money to the church and to the poor. BUT are we commanded by God to give 10% of our earnings or else? 👀 Let's take a look for ourselves.
Tithing Before the Mosaic Law
I'd like to start off by debunking the notion that tithing is a timeless law simply because Abraham and Jacob willfully tithed. Let's start with the commonly quoted Genesis 14, shall we?
Abraham
Genesis 14:17-21
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh. 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”
Y'all, Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils as a form of gratitude ...once, as far as we know. This implies that he kept all of his life earnings. However, don't take this observation to mean that Abraham did not have a surrendered heart. Abraham was the father of faith because he was willing to sacrifice his miracle son, Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18). Let that sink in. But back to my point though, if we were to follow Abraham's example, we would only give 10% of our excess income, once. Or maybe churches are really only referencing Jacob, who promised 10% of his life earnings? Let's skip down to Genesis 28:
Jacob
Genesis 28:20-22
20 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 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God 22 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.”
Well I really hope this is not the example that churches are standing on because we do not bargain with God. 🙅🏿♀️ In fact, we're actually called to give out of the abundance of our love for God... Jacob promised to give a tithe of everything as a bargaining, conditional deal, not due to an obligation to an unwritten timeless code that proceeded the Mosaic law. I'm sure churches are expecting their members to tithe regardless if God grants their wishes. Therefore, these two examples fail to serve as a sturdy foundation for the doctrine.
I do want to acknowledge the fact that there might be something special about "10%." It is not a coincidence that both Abraham and Jacob offered that percentage of their income before the tithing laws were instituted. Some say that giving 10% was a common cultural practice at the time, but I don't actually know for sure...sorry! Regardless of the significance of 10%, these scriptures do not support the notion that tithing was a command before the commandments. You'd have to be reaching to draw such conclusions IMO! Stay with ya girl, now let's take a look at tithing through the law.
The Command to Tithe Through the Mosaic Law
Tithing was 10% of someone's earnings, which back in the day, took on many forms. Oh and if you cheated on your tithe, you had to rectify it with even more mula! Read it for yourself! 😬
Leviticus 27:30-33
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. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord. 33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
In Numbers 18 and Deuteronomy 14, we learn that while tithes are offered to God, God created this law to make provision for the Levites—the chosen priesthood—and for poor communities (the migrant/immigrant, the orphan, and the widow) .
Numbers 18:21
21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do
As you may have noticed, in ADDITION to folk's regular tithes and offering, every three years, Israelites were commanded to give an extra 10%... so the bar is really at 20% 🙃. The purpose for the tithe was obviously very noble, but a depraved heart couldn't care less about what's noble. Fear, however, did the trick! In Malachi, we learn the grave consequences that awaited those who did not pay their tithes.🥴
Malachi 3:8-9
8“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.
So you sayin' me and my entire nation could be cursed simply because I didn't cough up 10% each check...and an additional 20% every third year? Yeaaaa I'd definitely be paying my tithes in that case. But of course if you follow the narrative of the bible, you'd understand the salient message of redemption that reformed the rigid old law into a transcendent law of love imprinted on the hearts of all who believe (Jeremiah 31:33 & Hebrew 10:16).
The danger in preaching tithing as if we are still under the law is twofold: first, we are not practicing it accordingly. Nope. no one is, UNLESS you're Jewish? But I would bet that not a single Christian is giving an extra 20% to Levites (which is no longer a thing because Jesus is our new high priest, Hebrews 7), immigrant populations, orphans and widows, every three years. I'm not sure that Christians who pay their tithes late are adding 20% to their 10% with each late payment... That's 30% bro! 😑
Here's the thing friends, giving under grace still serves the same purpose as tithing under the law, but now, giving is an act driven by a regenerated heart inhabited by the Holy Spirit as opposed to an act propelled by compulsion and fear.
Giving Under Grace
What Jesus Did
The second danger in preaching tithing as if we are still under the law is that we're simply not. Remember the consequence described in Malachi 3:9? Jesus has literally redeemed us from every curse. Not my words-ooo, let's read Galatians 3:13 in unison 🙌🏿!
Galatians 3:13
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
AMEN! Therefore:
Romans 7:5-6
5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
You should be jumping for JOY! Thank you Jesus!!!!
I know, I know, Jesus came to fulfill the law not abolish it, but in His fulfillment He served as the perfect atonement and—as if that wasn't enough—He also released His Holy Spirit to enable us to do the good works for which we were saved. God doesn't want a strict law follower; He wants a transformed heart that posses the Holy Spirit. What God desires of us is actually impossible for us to achieve on our own strength (Mathew 5:17-20).
I know EXACTLY what you're thinking..."Lexine, this is absolute heresy cuz even Jesus said we supposed to be tithing sis..." Wait a minute now, be patient and read on!
What Jesus Said
What did Jesus actually say about tithing and what did He mean? Let's read Matthew 23:23 together IN the context of the New Testament. Ready?
Matthew 23:23
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites for not honoring the more important matters WHILE ALSO tithing. But WHY did Jesus say this to the Pharisees specifically? BECAUSE:
James 2:10👀
"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
If you're going to follow the law, you gotta follow it to the T! General rule of thumb, whenever Jesus is talking to or about the Pharisees, He is usually admonishing them for their devotion to the old law, not praising them for it. So to use this verse to mean Jesus was applauding any particular "Pharisee" behavior and is therefore reinstating the complete tithing law under the old covenant, is to misread the entire New Testament. 🤷🏿♀️
If you are not surrendered to Jesus, He doesn't want your obedience that's rooted in the old law. "Okay so if tithing isn't law, what does Christ actually want? " Ah I thought you'd never ask!😉
What Jesus Has Always Wanted
Here's your answer: Jesus wants your BEST and that is a surrendered heart to Him. This walk with Christ is very personal in that way. From Abel in Genesis to the poor widow in Luke, God has always required a sacrifice that revealed man's heart posture towards Him (Genesis 4:3-4). The widow described in Luke gave EVERYTHING SHE HAD TO LIVE ON fam (Luke 21:1-4)! That's what you call giving your best. She didn't give 10%, 20% or even 30%, but 100% people! Jesus applauds giving ALL YOU HAVE TO LIVE ON as in laying your life on the altar as in every dime can be traced back to Christ in some way; this is giving under grace. Ladies and gentlemen, the standards have been cranked up, not lowered. If you are tithing to check a box, believe me, God doesn't want it. God wants a willing and cheerful giver with a heart completely devoted to Him.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
What have you purposed in your heart to give and what does that reveal about your heart?
Furthermore, your giving serves the same purpose that giving under the old law served. Offering to God is giving to the least fortunate in society, to members of the church body and—not or—to leaders/missions that propel the gospel forward.
1. To help the needy
Hebrews 13:16
16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Galatians 2:10
10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
2. To help members of the church
Acts 2:45-47
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
3. To help laborers for the gospel
1 Corinthians 9:13–14
13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
If churches preached this truth, they wouldn't have to worry about bills because any Christian truly in love with Christ would read 1st Corinthians 9:13-14 for what is says and obey according to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Preach the whole gospel and your members will give!
What Jesus Doesn't Want
"But I can give my time and love and knowledge, why it gotta be my benjamin$$ though?"
Well, for obvious reasons, we love money. Where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be also. To put it plainly, Jesus does not want money to enslave you. Y'all remember Sapphira and Ananias from Acts 5:1-11? God was NOT playing with them. They died on the spot for cheating the church's system of sharing the wealth thus lying to the Holy Spirit Himself. Why did they lie? I think for reasons we can all relate to; they wanted to uphold their "piety" while also bowing to money. Believe me when I say this, you cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24)! Giving forces you to choose God.
Mark 10:21-25 👀
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
This rich man, like most rich people, could not conceive of a reality without money. Oh don't look away now, if you make at least $50,000 before taxes, you're richer than MOST people in the world... Under the guise of happiness and pseudo satisfaction, money builds up pride and a false sense of security that eventually turns the heart away from God. Beware! What profits a man/woman to gain the whole world yet lose his/her own soul?
This is not to say that you cannot be rich or that money is bad necessarily, but the love of money is at odds with faith BIG TIME!
Paul says it best:
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
If you refuse to give to the poor, and—not or—to the church, my friend, money is your master too. You know how fasting breaks us from our addictions and unhealthy habits?? Well, giving has that same cleansing effect! If you want to know if God is truly your Lord, and not money, make a practice out of giving. This looks like giving to a bible believing—emphasis on BIBLE BELIEVING—church, giving to the least of these in society and ensuring that the best of all you have gives glory to God.
Giving your best includes your resources too. One day I was convicted to look at my budget from this lens and this inaudible revelation came to me: since your biggest bill is rent, use your home for God's glory in addition to your earnings. I was like wow, God! Since then, I've opened up my home for bible studies, Christ related gatherings and most recently, transitional housing for a friend. Now, I'm not your example, please continue to look up to the first church in Acts, the churches of Macedonia (2nd Corinthians 8:1-3), etc cuzzz I'm not there yet. But we all gotta start somewhere right? I was raised in a tithing church and I never questioned this deep-seated doctrine until I was challenged to search the Scriptures for the truth. Since this epiphany, I've been convicted to give more than 10% cuz if I am being honest with myself, I can live on less.
Perhaps even 10% is beyond your means, but know that God is looking for your BEST. Only you and God can judge whether or not your heart is truly surrendered to Him and how that translates to your giving. Examine yourself thoroughly and keep it real. You cannot lie to God.
We are all in different places on this sanctification journey. One may have arrived to the level of giving LITERALLY all he/she has to live on while others of us may still be challenged by giving 5%, 10%, or 20% of our earnings and resources. No matter your current convictions about tithing, Christ wants 100% of you always. Is He worth it?