Continuing from my last message on tithe
Does God want us to tithe? If so, how?
Remember that the original reason for paying tithe was so that we may fear The Lord our God. Remember as well that this original tithe was paid and eaten or spend by the same people that had paid it. In the time of Aaron and the Levites, who was running the affairs of the people of Israel? Who enforced the judicial, ceremonial and moral law of God? It was Aaron and the Levites. They were put in charge to ensure that all is complied with. This is the service that God demanded from them and in turn God paid them with the tithe that was due to Him.
Compare this today with our Government. The Government today is in charge of the judicial and moral law of the country. They also provide(or at least should provide) services to the people and they are paid by the people. The only difference between Aaron and the Levites and our Government is that, Aaron and the Levites were elected by God whereas we elect the government. They were paid through tithe and we pay through tax.
Both tithe and tax are compulsory and a punishable offense when not paid. This is what tithe was to the people of Israel. It was a tax that was paid to God initially and then to Aaron and the Levites. As I said tithing did not start with God, it was there in history before God made it an instruction. I gave an example of Abraham and Jacob who paid a tenth well before Moses was born.
Now since the Israelites had no earthly government and only had God as the supreme divine leader, since they were God’s chosen nation, tithe which was tax, was paid to God but eaten or spend by those that were giving it at a place where God had decided. Tithe was tax paid by the people of Israel to the government that was setup by God for God. Soon after Jesus Christ died, Jerusalem was conquered and God’s nation ceased to exist and together with it, the pavement of tithe ceased to exist as well.
Does God want us to tithe? The answer is No,why? We are not Israelites or Jews and even if we had paid it, to whom would we have to pay it to, since the nation of God does not exist anymore, at least for now. You remember the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus by asking him about Caesar’s tax?
Matthew 22:17 (ESVST)
Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
Jesus answered them and said:
Matthew 22:20-21 (ESVST)
And Jesus said to them, “ Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “ Caesar ‘s.” Then he said to them, “ Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’ s, and to God the things that are God ‘s.”
Again this shows that the tithe that was been paid to Aaron and the Levites was like tax for the Jews and clearly they understood it that way. Jesus also understood that there was tax to Caesar and there was tax to God.
The reason why tithe was paid is that it was tax in God’s government administered by and paid to the Levites who in turn paid a tenth of a tenth as it was known, to Aaron and his sons.
Was anyone else paying this tithe in the Old Testament ? No, only the Jews were paying it.
Should we pay tithe? No, we are not Jews and there is no where on the bible where Gentiles or Non Jews are required to pay tithe.
Should I be paying tithe in my church today? No, you should not. It is not a requirement that you do. You are not a Jew and even if you were a Jew, your pastor is not a Levite or Aaron or one of his sons, so, you would be paying it to the wrong person.
What happens if my pastor or my church force me to pay tithe? Well you can leave the church and find another church that follows the word of God properly. Any offering you make because you are forced, is not acceptable to God. God loves a cheerful giver. I will discuss this in detail in my next message.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESVST)
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
What happens to those who tell/ force or instruct people to pay tithe? Well, they are committing a sin and demanding from People what belongs to God not them and they will be punished if they don’t repent. Look at this verse:
Numbers 18:30-32 (ESVST)
Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. 31 And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die. ’”
Look at verse 32, the only reason why the Levites were not committing a sin is because God allowed them to eat from the tithe after having paid tithe to Aaron and his sons. Anyone else who is not a Levites is committing a sin and will be punished. An employee at SARS, even the Minister, is not entitled to our tax simply because he is an employee. A pastor or a bishop is equally not entitled to tithe simply because he is God’s employee.
Now, I don’t want to pay tithe, but I still want to voluntarily give to the church or my pastor.Can I do that?
Well for you to know, you will have to read my next message.