The Heave Offering

The Heave Offering

With the massive erroneous indoctrination with regards to the principle of tithing it is essential for everyone to note that, the allocation that was given to the Levites the priests as their portion or inheritance was not the whole tithe but 10% of the tithe known as a heave offering.

So the logical question is, why give only 10% of the tithe to the Levites! And, what became of the other 90%? The crux of the matter is that, the children of Israel gave only a heave offering to the Levites as their inheritance because, among the twelve tribes of the children of Israel only the tribe of Levi that was without an inheritance, and by the other eleven tribes each giving a heave offering, Levi would end up with a tithe which the Lord had appointed to them as their inheritance and would have and additional heave offering which they also had to offer to Aaron the High Priest as a heave offering.

For this is what the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: 'When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe. And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the wine press. Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the LORD's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest” (Numbers 18:25-28).

So the portion of tithe that is allotted to the Levites or priests is 10% of the tithe known as a heave offering and the other 90% of the tithe is for the people to appear before the Lord with their households on the Lord's festivals to rejoice before Him and learn to fear Him always. As we have been duly instructed saying; “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.”

But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).

So here it is made quite clear and simple, the rationale or prime objective for tithing is a system which the Lord has ordained on how to support the Levites (the priests) by giving them 10% of the tithe and the other ninety percent for families to be able to come and appear before the Lord and celebrate His Feast days at the time He has appointed. Unfortunately, the majority of those who are clamoring for the tithe and not just for the heave offering, but the full 10% are not even observing the Lord's festivals. What a travesty!

To be continued

Stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph