For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6 AMPC)
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 AMPC)
When Paul spoke of “scripture” he was speaking of the Old Testament which shows us God’s ways. They can show us what God expects of us because He does not change.
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 27:30 AMPC)
And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Numbers 18:21 AKJV)
God appointed spiritual leaders over Israel who didn’t work for a living, they worked for God. Because their time was dedicated to God and they taught God’s people His ways, they received what belonged to God: the tithe. A tithe isn’t “given” to God because it is His portion of what He brings into our lives. His people were to bring God’s portion, one-tenth of their increase, to His house.
Do Christians Have to Tithe?
Just as God appointed spiritual leaders in Israel with a High Priest to lead them, He has appointed a High Priest over the other nations that would come to Him through His Son.
The Lord will send forth from Zion the scepter of Your strength; rule, then, in the midst of Your foes. Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew. The Lord has sworn and will not revoke or change it: You are a priest forever, after the manner and order of Melchizedek. (Psalms 110:2-4 AMPC)
David prophesied in a song that Jesus would come to be a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The fulfillment of this prophecy is stated in the New Testament:
And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son: today I have become your Father.” And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:4-6 NIV)
Jesus is our High Priest. He appoints spiritual leaders on this Earth. Tithing is God’s way to provide for the spiritual leaders He appointed, though it wasn’t mentioned in the Ten Commandments. It did not begin with the formation of Israel; It began before Abraham.
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:18-20 NIV)
And blessed be the Most High God, which has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Genesis 14:20 AKJV)
This event occurred when Abraham was still named Abram; God hadn’t yet changed His name. The word translated tenth is also translated as “tithe” in other versions of the Bible. After Melchizedek, a priest, blessed Abraham with bread and wine, then Abraham gave one-tenth (a tithe) of all he received. Did others tithe before the Ten Commandments?
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that you shall give me, I will surely give the tenth to you. (Genesis 28:22 AKJV)
Abraham is called the father of our faith because He taught His children God’s ways. Jacob also promised to give God’s house ten percent of all that God gave him. Tithing acknowledges that God gives us everything we have. We are recognizing that God is our provider. When we acknowledge Him, He makes our way easy and straight, and clears obstacles before us. (Proverbs 3:6)
The items Melchizedek presented to Abraham speak volumes about how a tithe should be rightly received. The Lord instructed us to use bread and wine to receive communion when we gathered together. Where you receive communion is where you should tithe. It should be a place that preaches the gospel and teaches God’s ways. Jacob's declaration to God also confirms that it should be given to establish a church or to a church established by God.
Consequences for Not Tithing
To understand the consequences of withholding a tithe from God, we must look at the third chapter of the book of Malachi; the last recorded prophet of God’s before the coming of Jesus.
Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1 AMPC)
Malachi begins this message by speaking not only about the coming of Jesus but also about the one who will prepare His people for His coming. Jesus refers to this prophecy in Matthew 11:
This is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who shall make ready Your way before You.
And if you are willing to receive and accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come [before the kingdom]. (Matthew 11:10 & 14 AMPC)
John the Baptist was operating in the power or mantle of Elijah and he fulfilled this part of the word brought by Malachi. Let’s continue looking at the prophecy.
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then will the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in ancient years. (Malachi 3:2-4 AMPC)
This part of the prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. The sons of Levi are still being refined: most have rejected Jesus. God isn’t accepting their sacrifices and offerings at this time. Therefore, we know that part of this prophecy is ongoing. Because we are now children of God through Abraham, we must pay attention to what God is saying to His people to make sure we are not guilty of the same mistakes as Israel.
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the false swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and who turn aside the temporary resident from his right and fear not Me, says the Lord of hosts.
For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. But you say, “How shall we return?” (Malachi 3:5-7 AMPC)
God is judging His people as He begins addressing not only the priests but all of the sons of Jacob: all of Israel. God assures Israel that He will not completely destroy them because He has promised they will be His people forever. Our Father is merciful. He always provides a way back to Him. What sin must be corrected so God can move back into the lives of His people?
Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. (Malachi 3:8-9 AMPC)
Some of this prophecy is directed at God’s house: the Levites. This particular part of the scripture includes all mankind as it is directed at “a man” who defrauds God. The entire nation of Israel will be cursed because they are robbing God by not giving their tithes and offerings to His house. Many Christians are guilty of this same sin. How many Christians tithe to a church? If your finances are under attack, you need to take action now!
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-11 ESV)
God will sort out your finances if you will turn back to Him. You need to confess, repent, and plead the blood over not tithing so that Jesus can be your provider. Repent means to turn and go the other way. This will bring God back into the place of your provider where He will protect what He gives to you. He will “rebuke” or remove the devourer for you.
The first month you tithe may be a shock to your system, however, if you will be faithful in your tithing, God will provide! There are even allowances if you cannot fully tithe to God.
If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithes, he shall add a fifth to it. (Leviticus 27:31 ESV)
If you cannot tithe the full ten percent of your income, then you can “borrow” from God. Sit down and calculate how much you should tithe. You must know how much belongs to God. For example if:
God’s tithe is $200
You bring only $100 to God in a tithe.
__________________________
You borrow $100 in tithe from God.
If you need to use that $100 for something else, you will need to redeem that tithe:
Tithe not paid: $100
Adding ⅕ (20%): $120
State your intentions when you give the reduced tithe, something like, “God, please forgive me for not bringing all the tithe to you at this time. I need to use $100 of your tithe. I will begin looking at my expenses, reducing all that I can and I will bring you the redeemed tithe of $120.” You should record what you owe God somewhere.
This is how you remove the enemy from your finances. Malachi spoke of “tithes and offerings.”
Christians and Offerings
Here are two verses in the New Testament on the topic of offerings:
If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?... [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:11 & 14 AMPC)
These verses clearly show who should receive offerings, those whom you receive spiritual knowledge from. This policy is confirmed in a letter to the Galatians:
Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support]. (Galatians 6:6 AMPC)
Those who teach God’s ways spend a lot of time studying the Word of God and preparing teachings. If you receive wisdom about God’s ways from a teacher on a regular basis, it is right to give to support them. This is not a tithe, it is an offering to the one you are receiving help from. The full context of reaping and sowing cannot be fully understood unless we keep reading:
Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 AMPC)
When we don’t acknowledge when we have received something of spiritual value, we are scoffing at God and mocking His ways. To “disdain” means to consider something unworthy of attention, to think little of it. This is what you are telling God when you do not give to acknowledge Him.
There are consequences attached to not giving offerings. What you have will come to ruin, you may be unable to retain the spiritual wisdom you have received!
For the majority of people there is something in our lives we are spending money on that isn’t a necessity. We spend money on what is most important to us: new clothes, the latest hairstyle, coffee, dinner, or a movie out with friends. None of these are considered a sin, however, if we spend money on these “things of the flesh” and fail to give to those who are teaching us about God, then we are showing what is most important to us.
For those who are truly unable to give, God knows your situation. Tell Him that you want to give, but you don’t even have enough for your needs. Ask Him to show you how to receive His provision. Ask for prayer to remove any hindrances from your finances. And until you can rightly give, support in other ways.
If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:11-13 ESV)
Wealth is not “true riches.” Our relationship with God, the gifts of the Spirit, these are true riches. If we are not faithful to give when we receive wisdom from God, He will not entrust us with more from Him. When we choose to do without some extra things, and give to spiritual endeavors instead, we are showing God that He and His ways are more important than what is in this world. This moves us closer to God. If we spend money on what our flesh desires, decay moves into our lives. Paul tells the Christians in Corinth that how we give is important.
[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving]. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMPC)
With God, everything is about the condition of your heart. This is what matters. You must take pleasure in doing it, knowing you are giving to God’s purpose. When we do give with a good heart, God will act!
And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. As it is written, “He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!”
And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:8-11 AMPC)
When we give for God’s work to be done, He moves in our lives as our provider. He is able to move the hearts of others so that we have favor in our work, in our family, in all that we do.` This has always been God’s way. God will bless the works of your hands when you support those doing His work. If your finances are under attack, then test God and see if this is true. Don’t hold back on tithes and offerings.
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