Second identifying sign of the true church (contd)

The principle of Tithing

Associated with the second identifying sign of the true church is the handling of the principle of tithing. Many churches in order to promulgate and justify their false doctrine of error and greed will quote scriptures such as is found in the book of Malachi which reads; “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.

"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts; And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-12).

Very encouraging words indeed, but what truly is tithing! And what is the rationale for tithing? I personally spent twenty five years in a religious organization where I was taught to give 10% of my income to this organization, I also had to save another 10% of my income to observe the annual biblical festivals, and every three years I had to give an additional 10% of my income to this organization to support the widows and the poor.

But what exactly is tithing? The first mentioned of tithing is when Abram met with Melchizedek king of Salem who 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." And Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of all” (Genesis 1:18-20).

This Melchizedek to whom Abram gave a tithe of all is no other than Jesus Christ Himself before He became man, for it is written; “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils” (Hebrews 7:1-4).

In reference to Jesus Christ being the Melchizedek to whom Abram gave a tithe of all we are further instructed saying; “And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."  “And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ' You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek' ") (Hebrews 7:15-17, 20-21).

Now, the second mentioned of tithe is when the Lord gave a command to Moses for the children of Israel saying; “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. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30-32).

What is clear in this command is that the tenth (tithe) is holy to the Lord, but the logical question now is, since the tithe is holy to the Lord how are we instructed to offer to the Lord His holy tithe? God ordained His holy tithe for His people to appear before Him on His holy days and to support the Levites who had no inheritance and to also support the widows and fatherless.

For this is what the Lord said to Aaron the high priest, “Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.”

“But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, 'Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance " (Deuteronomy 18:20-21, 23-24):

Please note carefully that, the tithes which the children of Israel offered to the Lord were given to the Levites as an inheritance because they had no inheritance among the children of Israel and what they received was called a “Heave Offering” which is 10% of the tithe and not the entire tithe of their produce or their income.

It is therefore imperative that we make a clear distinction between the tithe which is 10% of one`s income or produce and a heave offering which is 10% of the tithe. It is also very important to know why only a heave offering or 10% of the tithe was given to the Levites and not the whole tithe and what happened to the other 90% of the tithe.

Stay tuned, to be continued.

With brotherly love