It is no surprise that as children of God, we want to do the right things and do right by our faith. This makes us bothered about what exactly the right things are, and this includes tithes and offerings.
Just like many other Christians, you may be curious and ask, “what does the Bible say about tithing?”. Tithing may not be listed amongst the Ten Commandments, but it is certainly an instruction and commandment from God.
The Bible, in both old and new testaments, encourages tithing. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty…”Malachi 3:10 (NIV). Drawing from the instruction given in the Bible, tithing is a deliberate act of setting aside a part of your income for God. This can be in the form of money or harvest.
Tithes And Offerings Meaning
In your Christian journey, you most likely would have heard about tithes and offerings and the importance of giving them to God.
Tithe, as earlier mentioned, is 10% or one-tenth part of your income or earnings, which can be given weekly, monthly, or annually, depending on your source of income.
In the Hebrew language, the literal meaning of tithe is “tenth”. Tithing is an act of gratitude to God for the source of income that He has placed in your hands.
It is not a forceful or imposed act on us, rather it is entirely voluntary or by willingness. This is because God does not need anything from us to be who He is; he only wants to see that we obey instructions that He has given to us. So also is the case of offerings.
Offerings are substances that we give to God in appreciation for the things that we have received. It is a form of gift that goes beyond tithing. From the above descriptions, it is evident that offerings are different tithes and so should be treated that way.
Giving offerings is also a voluntary act and should be done without compulsion but with joy from your heart. There is also no set amount to give, but according to your capacity; “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV).
Where Did Tithing 10% Come From?
In order to avoid confusion, we would like to know “Where did tithing 10% come from?” The origin of tithing can be traced and found deeply rooted in the Bible! Tithing, according to the Bible, has been in existence from time immemorial.
We can find it in the book of Genesis, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, which are among the first five books in the Bible. So when you ask “what does the Bible say about tithing”, these books are highly recommended for you to go through and find answers. However, I’ll show you some things the Bible has said.
“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30 (NIV).
As a Christian, I have met fellow brethren who wonder about the concept of tithing. Some even believe that it is a strategy by the church to generate income. However, as we see in Leviticus 27:30, this is certainly not the case.
God has commanded that we bring into his house a tenth of our harvest (or income) to honor Him. So no matter how small the tenth of your income is, do not decide for God; give it regardless and with thanksgiving.
Therefore, Tithing is more than a concept; it is also a commandment from God and can be found in the Bible. God does not need our money which means that tithing is not for God’s benefit but for ours.
Is It A Sin Not To Tithe?
“Is it a sin not to tithe?”. This is a very important question that may be on the mind of every Christian. The concept of tithing is such that it is attached to rewards such as spiritual growth, joy, and even material rewards. This makes it a spiritual topic before a financial one.
Many Christians are confused and conflicted about the “idea” of giving tithes which makes them wonder or even lose trust in the church. But the instruction to give tithes is not from the pastors or prophets but from God as a commandment.
Tithing is not just an idea, but an instruction that we should fulfill with joy and happiness. When we wonder what the Bible says about tithing, we should look at Malachi 3:10 (NIV), which says; “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
So when you ask if it is a sin not to pay tithe, remember that tithing is an instruction from God, and when God gives an instruction, it should be followed to the latter and not disobeyed. Therefore, as long as you have the capacity to pay tithe, you should do it with gladness, and the Lord will reward you in his way.
Do Tithes Have To Go To Church?
Whenever we bring in our tithes, we take them to the church. Now you may wonder, “Do tithes have to go to church?”Tithes are usually given in the church and blessed by the man of God. It is significant that your tithes are paid to the altar of God.
In older times, people of God gathered their tithes up to the tenth and brought them honorably to the temple in order for the leaders to bless it.
God does not need our money which means that tithing is not for God’s benefit but for ours. Also, when tithes are brought to the church, God does not come down to take them up with Him.
What God takes from our tithes is the heart and intention that we have when we present our tithes. But the materials we bring are left in the temple for the men of God.
The money we bring to God is also equally used for the propagation of the gospel, such as infrastructure, welfare, and evangelism.
The tithes you intend to give to God should be given to your local church, especially because that is where you derive spiritual and communal benefits.
And if you are still wondering “what does the Bible say about tithing in the church, take a look at Malachi 3:10; remember where the Bible says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house…”.
10 Things The Bible Says About Tithing
From the beginning of time, through the eyes of the Bible, we see how important offerings and tithes have been to the people of God.
What the Bible says about tithing echoes through the chapters and verses of the Bible, and every Christian should be aware of these in order not to be misled or confused. In this article, however, you will find 10 things about tithing, which are:
1. Tithes Are 10% And Not Less
According to the Bible, a tithe is not just an amount of money you give to the church, but it is a set amount of money which is 10% of anything you earn from your job or business.
In old times, tithes were given in the form of farm produce and animals, but due to the evolution of the trading system, tithes are usually in monetary form. However, no matter the form in which tithes come, it has to be a tenth of your income.
It is therefore important that when you have received your income for the week, month or year, you take out no less than 10% and offer it unto God. This is because He asked for it, and we should give back because everything belongs to God.
2. Preservation Of Wealth And Income
What does God promise when you tithe? Another important thing the Bible says about tithing is the reward that comes with it. In Malachi 3:10, the Bible instructs that tithes be brought into the house of God “…Test me in this,”
says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
In this verse, God has given His word such that upon our obedience to His instruction, we will reap blessings abundantly. But the reward of tithing does not stop there.
Reading further on what the Bible says about tithing, Malachi 3:11(NIV) says, “I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.” Look at it this way, you give God 10% and for your sacrifice and obedience, He protects the other 90% for your sake.
3. Establishes A Covenant
The decision to dedicate a part of one’s income to God and start tithing establishes a covenant between you and God. “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV). A covenant is a binding and solemn agreement between two or more individuals to do something or to fulfill certain promises.
From what the Bible says about tithing, we see that God has entered a covenant with us so that as long as we do our part by tithing, He will fulfill his promise of a more bountiful harvest and rebuking the devourer for our sake. Tithing, therefore, is a covenant of blessing.
4. Open Doors
This is one of the first promises that come with tithing. Open doors are an assurance for anyone who tithes willingly, believing in God that He will bring his word to pass. “…Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him.
Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” Deuteronomy 26:10-11 (NIV).
Paying your tithe brings uncountable blessings to you and everything that concerns you. When God blesses a man, it does not only include material benefits but also a perfect health and other things that may have been a challenge for you. He also blesses your family and household in extension.
5. Trust In God
Deciding to pay your tithes shows that you have complete faith in God. It shows we trust God and rely on him for sustenance. It also demonstrates that we are certain that God can provide for us.
So no matter how much the 10% may look like it will hurt when we give God wholeheartedly, He will ensure that all our needs are catered for, and this is the confidence that we have in Him. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 (NIV). God has supplied in abundance because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to him. So when we honor our part of the covenant and demonstrate full trust in God, He will honor His part and provide for you abundantly, even more than you desire.
Tithing shows that you are not worried, and no matter what, you trust God to give you a helping hand. So when you tithe, do it in faith.
6. Tithes Belong To God
What does the Bible say about tithes belonging to God? Let us take a look at Leviticus 27:30(NIV), “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”
Every tithe that we bring to church still belongs to God. When paying your tithe, you should do it with the knowledge that it does not belong to anybody. Whether you give it to the church or pastor, it still belongs to God.
“…Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Since tithes belong to God, there is no need to hold back or on to them. Otherwise, you will be robbing God.
7. Tithes Honor God
The Bible constantly hammers on us honoring God -with our lives, our words, our body, and our son. The Bible does not leave out honoring God with your income.
Proverbs 3:9(NIV) says clearly that we should “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops;” Honoring God with your wealth and income shows that you are a partaken of the kingdom of God and all His blessings. It also means that you put God first and are willing to do as He says.
8. Tithe Genuinely And Not Forget Important Things
More than God wants us to give, He wants us to do things right. From my understanding of the teachings on tithing and offerings, it is not just about giving. Some people give with the wrong hearts while others give and expect God to overlook their shortcomings.
God is undisputedly a merciful father, however, we cannot take advantage of the Grace that He has given us through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is indeed wrong to practice a part of the Bible and intentionally neglect other parts.
To this, Jesus said “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Matthew 23:23 (NIV). In Jesus’ teachings to his disciples and the crowd, He encourages tithes and offerings.
However, He brings their attention to the fact that it is not acceptable to give offerings and tithes to God but refuse to be just, merciful and faithful.
9. Tithing Shows Gratitude
When considering what the Bible says about tithing, it is impossible to leave out gratitude because it is a grateful heart that gives willingly and cheerfully.
If there is one thing I have learnt in my walk with Christ, it is that God loves a thankful heart and when we give thanks for the things we have, they multiply in our hands. Take, for instance, a child who is given a box of candy.
When the child receives it, he can then offer a part of it to whoever gave him. This is the child’s way of being polite and grateful. So it should be with God when we give back a little from what he has given us.
We should be grateful even as we offer our tithes to God. This is an important way to show thanks, Although there are many other ways to be thankful to God, as you will find when you read this:(insert link), tithing is an important way to show gratitude.
10. Tithing Spreads The Gospel
You may be wondering what the Bible says about tithing in order to spread the gospel. This answers your question as to where your tithes go and what it is being used for.
When tithes are paid to the local churches, the leaders put these resources together and use them to provide for the less privileged amongst us. It also serves the purpose of evangelism which is the propagation of the kingdom of God.
Furthermore, tithes are used for the welfare of the pastors who are full-time in ministry as we see in, 1 Corinthians 9:13-14(NIV) “Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?”.
However, when you honor God with your tithe cheerfully, you should not be bothered about where the tithes go or what they are used for. Give in faith and be happy for the opportunity to give!
Tithe And Offering Scriptures
What the Bible says about tithes and offerings should be important to every individual that is a child of God. This is because it is first instruction and then, an avenue for God to bless us bountifully. If you would like to know more of what the Bible says about tithes and offerings, study these scriptures:
1. Leviticus 27:32: The entire tithe of the herd and flock– every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod– will be holy to the LORD.
2. Numbers 18:21: I give to the Levites (ministers) all the tithes…in return for the work they do while serving (the Lord).
3. Luke 6:38: Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
4. Malachi 3:7–9: Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse– the whole nation of you– because you are robbing me.
5. 2 Corinthians 8:12: If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
6. Numbers 18:26: (The Levite’s tithe) Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, “When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.”
7. 1 Corinthians 16:2: On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.
8. 2 Corinthians 9:6: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
9. Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, teachers of the law…You give a tenth…But you have neglected the more important matters– justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
10. Deuteronomy 8:18: Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
Understanding the things we are told in our local churches may be a little bit difficult or complex altogether, such that we want to know what the Bible says about such topics. On the topic of tithing, we are led to ask “what does the Bible say about tithing?”.
For this reason and more, this article has discussed the topic. Tithing is more than giving money, it involves the state of your heart when you give the money. Therefore, in tithing, your heart is more important than your money.
So when you give your ten percent, do it with rejoicing and gratitude, “…then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:4(NIV).
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