10″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 3:10 NASB)
We’re going to examine tithing. In this post, I’m going to tackle the “How Much?” questions. This is where I take my inner accountant out for display. Don’t worry! This is not technical stuff. On the contrary, it’s brainlessly simple.
If you Google about tithing, you’ll quickly see that it’s quite controversial. You may see very passionate debates about it. This is ironic. While there are some Bible topics that are difficult to understand, tithing is NOT one of them.
What is a Tithe?
The word “tithe” itself means a tenth. Quite simply the tithe consisted of 10% of one’s income specifically designated for the support of the priest and temple/tabernacle/synagogue.
This is an area where many people take something simple and make it needlessly complicated. Giving less than 10% of your income is NOT a tithe. Giving that is not directed to the local church is NOT a tithe.
The Specified Purpose of the Tithe
Ok, so the tithe is 10% but how do you get the support for the local church purpose? Can’t I just take 10% of my income, throw it up into the air and whatever does not come done is God’s?
Nice try. However the word “storehouse” in the context of Malachi 3:10 (see above) relates to the temple treasury. Additionally, the verse states “that there may be food in my house.” Clearly, the tithe is used to meet the physical needs of the place of worship and the priests.
Gross or Net?
This is one of the most frequent questions regarding tithing. Ok, tithing is 10% but is that gross or net?
Let me make this real simple: the tithe is 10% of your GROSS earnings. Whatever your income is, just move the decimal point 1 position to the left and that is your tithe amount.
Let’s go back to the very first tithe mentioned in scripture. Abram (Abraham) just came back from a spectacular victory brought about from his personal army against five kings. Abram openly acknowledged God’s hand in the victory to Melchizidek, king of Salem and Priest.
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”And he gave him a tithe of all. (Gen 14:20, NKJ, emphasis mine)
Abram did not quibble over expenses. He took the tithe out of everything. (You can read the whole story here.)
Who Do You Respect More: God or the IRS?
Before we leave the gross vs. net discussion, I think it’s helpful to recall the words of Jesus when the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trick him by asking if they should pay taxes to Caesar (government). Jesus’ answer was simple and to the point: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” (Mark 12:17; Read the whole account here.)
We may not like it but generally we don’t challenge the IRS’s authority to take out taxes from our paychecks before we even get paid. Shouldn’t we treat God’s money with the same respect?
10% Off the Top! Yikes!!
Do you mean to tell me that God requires 10% before I get anything? Isn’t that a bit steep?
No. First of all, it ALL belongs to God anyway. If anything, he is being ostentatiously generous by requiring only 10%.
1THE EARTH is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it. (Psalm 24:1, AMP)
Yep, the whole planet belongs to God. Not only that but the fruit of the planet (i.e. “fullness”). Not only does that field of crops belong to the Lord but the harvest does as well. God owns the gross and the net. It’s all His.
10%: What A Deal!!
We would be out of balance, however, if we focused exclusively how much is due to the Lord while ignoring what He is promising in return. Let’s take another look at that verse:
10″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 3:10 NASB)
The Lord is essentially saying “I double-dare you” to test me in this. Take care of My house (local fellowship and priests) and I will take care of you even beyond your needs. The King James Version describes the extent of this Blessing as “there shall not be room enough to receive it.” The Lord in His giving isn’t quibbling about gross or net. He’s not holding back! He is opening the windows of Heaven and letting it flow to excess. There’s more than enough to meet your needs, your desires, and have plenty enough to spread around to those around you.
All this for the 10%. That’s pretty cheap!
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