Tithes and Offerings

They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed, but each with his own gift, according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you.  Deuteronomy 16:16-17 

According To – “What does God expect concerning the tithe?”  This seems to be a perennial question once we determine to be more obedient to God’s instructions about living.  Those of us who have come from Christian backgrounds often struggle with the idea that the tithe is intended for the local church, especially when we find that our money goes to servicing debt instead of helping the needy in our own community family.  Does God really ask us to support the bricks and mortar, or does He expect something else? 

The Torah provides some of the needed direction.  In this verse we find a basic principle of giving.  That principle comes from an attitude toward all provision.  In other words, God asks for a portion of the blessing He has already given.  The assumption is that God has already blessed you, and now you decide, voluntarily, how much to give back in honor of His goodness.  Each male head of household comes before the Lord three times a year bearing a gift to be determined solely on the basis of blessings received.  No one could come empty-handed since everyone has received some blessing from God.  But the amount given was determined by individual assessment.  To whom much was given, much was expected, and how much was determined by the individual’s willingness to give, not by legislation.  After all, God loves a cheerful giver.

If we compare this verse with verse 10 in the same chapter, we see that the amount is a freewill offering.  It is our determination of generosity.  It is not governed by rule or regulation.  The only requirement is to bring something that represents your thankfulness.

This isn’t the final word on tithing, but it helps us to get the right perspective.  There are very few regulated tithes.  After all, God is interested in acts of devotion, not acts of servitude.  As the King of the Universe, He could demand our contribution.  Nearly every earthly King has done so.  But God is not a man and is not subject to the power-hungry greediness of men.  God owns it all.  Therefore, He has a right to all of it.  Instead of demanding what is really due Him, He allows us to demonstrate our thankfulness in an act of self-determination.  You decide how much God has done for you and what is an appropriate gift to bring.

This principle is extremely dangerous, for two reasons.   On the one hand, it leaves room for the legalist.  Those who don’t truly understand the magnitude of God’s blessings will use this principle to shortchange what is due.  They will bring something because some thing is required, but they won’t see that their offering is wasted and demeaning.  Nevertheless, God allows them to determine their own evaluation. 

On the other hand, the principle is equally dangerous for the righteous.  It places the burden for determining the value of God’s blessings squarely on our shoulders.  And if we really understand what God has done for us, we know that even 100% of what we have can never repay Him.  So, we bring a gift that is always far less than what we would desire, thankful for His grace but aware of our inadequate recognition.  This is the road to humility, and it is a self-determined one. 

Tithing may ultimately be a matter of some percentage, but the motivation begins here.  This is the place to start before any calculations enter the picture.

Topical Index:  tithe, offering, according to, principle, Deuteronomy 16:17