PREDATORS AND PRODUCERS

PREDATORS AND PRODUCERS

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:  11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man – Proverbs 6

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat – 2 Thessalonians 3

Following the defeat of the Japanese at the Second World War and the subsequent commitment of western nations to help build this war torn country, the Japanese people channeled their inherent work ethics to rebuilding their country. The result was that by the 1980s Japan had become a world economic power and one of the most productive countries that ever existed. The other side of this story was that the average Japanese was working too much, taking very little vacation and many were dying from strokes and other related diseases. Karoshi is the name given by the Japanese to the situation in which an individual dies from overwork¹. Despite these unfortunate incidences

Overworked Japanese Workers: the cause of Karoshi

emanating from the Japanese success story, it is an established fact worldwide that what builds a nation and makes a people successful is their productivity. A consuming nation will end up preying on itself and becoming a failed state; a productive nation has the sky as its beginning. This article shall be analyzing the Nigerian story and we shall be endeavoring to point out what is inherently predatory in our society so that we may avoid them and then we shall extol the productive aspects of our nation so that we can encourage them. At the end of the story we hope that more and more Nigerians choose productive paths in every aspect of their lives for our nation to move forward.

The fact that a people are either predators or producers will determine whether they would be progressive or retrogressive. It is this writer’s honest observation that most Nigerians are predators², an unfortunate outcome of our nation’s possession of the black gold – oil. Prior to this country’s discovery of crude oil, agriculture was our leading source of revenue as a nation. Nigeria had its northern part producing groundnuts in such abundance that brought them so much wealth that the northerners were threatening cessation from the Nigerian state – a favorite refrain by the South-south in Nigeria today because of it's possession of crude oil which is the country’s main means of revenue today. In the south we had rubber and cocoa, and many Nigerians enjoyed great wealth from these agricultural products. These were days when Nigerians understood what hard work meant and saw how it brought wealth their way. With the discovery of oil in the 50s/60s and the coming of the “oil boom” in the 70s, agriculture waned and Nigerians began to enjoy a new found blessing. The Nigerian government understood that oil wealth should be used to develop other aspects of our national life, so as to enhance greater productivity in these places and thus ensure fast development of the country as a whole. This is what our government saw in other oil rich nations like the United States, Russia and middle eastern countries. The Nigerian government of Gowon and Muritala invested greatly in infrastructures and the building of public institutions. Those were the days in which Nigeria had such excellent road networks, power supply, hospitals, schools, etc. The result was supposed to be greater productivity of the Nigerian people that will lead to the rapid development of the nation. This had happened in countries like Brazil, Japan, and South Africa but the Nigerian situation failed because its people chose the path of being predators rather than productive. The predatory tendency of Nigerians began to increase when the rule of law declined and corruption ran riot in the nation.

Two leading predators in Nigeria today are her politicians and preachers. The Nigerian politician sees politics as the easiest way to wealth. The Nigerian politician invests

Ibori: a Nigerian Politician convicted by a British court

greatly in his political pursuit either from his personal wealth or from the wealth of a few political associates. When he gets to office he sees to it that every kobo he has invested is recouped. Those who may have helped him out financially during his campaign period are also adequately compensated. Politics in this country is primarily to serve self, family and friends; and only secondarily to serve the people. Because the ballot box does not work and because often enough elections are rigged and people’s votes do not count, the average Nigerian politician does not see himself elected to office by the people’s popular will and so he does not feel obligated to serve the people. Most times politicians come to office by rigging, which is usually accomplished by paying off a good number of people of position and means. These are the individual who then make the decision for him to come to power. They become his godfathers. When he is in office, he sees to it that his “investments” are recouped and that these men of means are properly “settled”. This is the making of the predatory nature of Nigerian politicians. One way to end this is to ensure that the Nigerian people’s votes count. This will happen if the electoral act is revamped and the process of selecting who heads the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is removed from the hands of the presidency, who himself is a politician, and put in the hand of an independent body like the National Judiciary Commission (NJC). Following this, the INEC must be truly committed to ensuring that the Nigerian people’s vote count and other government parastatals, particularly the police, must be committed to seeing that votes casted are protected up till the point when they are duly announced. Until the predatory nature of Nigerian politics is addressed, this nation will not be ready for any true development because genuine development cannot be divorced from well thought out political plans that are executed with firm political will.

Nigerian preachers, especially those of the Pentecostal genre, are becoming leading predators in this country. The predatory nature of these preachers stem from the kind of gospel they preach. This gospel which has come to be known as the health and wealth gospel or the Prosperity Gospel is gaining grounds among the Nigerian populace chiefly because these men take advantage of the widespread illiteracy in the land to sell to their listeners a superstitious belief in a God who is ready to lift a person out of sickness and poverty as long as that person gives him enough money through his representative who turns out to be the preacher, of course³. This version of the gospel is a corrupted version of the gospel of Jesus Christ as is recorded in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. This gospel sits very well with a Nigerian populace that is already reeling in poverty and its resultant effect of sickness and diseases. Corruption in the country has also divided the nation into two desperate camps of a few rich and a vast population of poor folks. The prosperity gospel tells the rich to give so as to secure his riches and informs the poor to give so as to become rich - at the end of the day it is the preacher that smiles to the bank. This giving takes up many forms but the leading one amongst them all is the giving of a mandatory 10% of one’s income that is called the tithes. The result is that leading preachers of the Pentecostal circle are about the richest men in the country. Many young men and even women, who happen to have some education (and sometime no education) are seeing preaching as an avenue to quick riches. Today, Nigerian towns will have hundreds of these churches in just a single location alone. Churches, in a said bid to evangelize the world, are outdoing themselves at opening new branches just to have members who in turn will bring tithes and offerings to them.

A close look at this scenario will show any careful observer that there is nothing productive about preaching to people to get health and wealth, who at the end of the day will not get any wealth except the person preaching. What brings wealth to a nation is not superstitious beliefs, regardless of their source, but plain hard work. Countries

like the United States got their stringent work ethics from reading the bible that teaches that a man who does not work will not eat. Other nations that are wealthy today may not have imitated the American people’s religion but they imitated their work ethic and are today the better of for it. This is the reason why nation that profess atheism, that are animistic and have beliefs far from those taught in the bible are reeling in wealth today. These countries have not taught their people a stupid belief that wealth will suddenly fall on the lap of an individual who gives enough to the god he worships. Nigerian Pentecostal churches are doing great disservice to the minds of our young people. What is essentially productive in a man who stands before a people for one hour and teaches them principles of wealth or some motivational jargon on Sunday morning but who at the end of the service have the people listening to him pour in tithes and offerings into an offertory basket? What exactly has this preacher produced that can be equated to the millions he reaps from these unsuspecting folks every Sunday? How does a nation develop when hundreds of its young people who are supposed to be using their youthful strength to work and be productive but whom instead opt for a “call to ministry” - opening up churches to further reap other unsuspecting people of their monies? What exactly does this kind of preaching produce? We know what Christ’s ministry did on earth. When Jesus Christ preached in first century Palestine, he spoke to the people about righteousness; about love; about helping the needy and the poor; Jesus preached a humanistic message and sort to better the live of the needy. Our Lord and Savior was very productive in his preaching because his preaching produced people of honest vocation who worked hard to provide for their families and for those who were poor. Today, much of the preaching we hear is anti-Christ because it despises the poor and exalts the rich; it seeks the comfort of Mr. Preacher; and it is not productive in anyway. Our young people need to know that there is no future for a country that is buried in an avalanche of superstitious beliefs, which despise hard work and seeks to gain riches the easy way.

Other predators in Nigeria will include "419ers" – people who seek to dupe others of their riches; religious fanatics, the leading one being the Boko Haram people who are literally preying on many innocent Nigerians lives in the north-eastern part of the country. We also have many corrupt government officials – some civil servants – who would never carry out the duties they are paid for except they are given a bribe. The Nigerian police can also be predatory atimes as they turn on the very people they are supposed to be protecting to collect bribes from them. And lastly, the Nigerian people do also prey on each other. The recent discovery of a den where human parts are traded to prospective buyers found in Soka, an Ibadan sub urban area, is proof of the fact that Nigerians also prey on themselves. Note however that the list of predators given here is in no way exhaustive

Despite the gloom that is painted here one must admit that there are a few Nigerian people who are honest in their work and are very productive in them. The first of these people are our technical workers – especially those mechanics, plumbers, hair dressers, tailors, factory workers, manufacturers, etc. There are also market women, business men and women, who are doing great work for themselves and earning good clean money. Although there is something essentially lopsided about an economy that is mainly retail. Everywhere you look in the Nigerian market, we find most people buying and selling; in fact too many times what is being sold is foreign. But this is a lot better than people who earn money from dubious ways. There are also the Nigerian farmers who work 24 hours, seven days a week through the rainy season to produce food for the very large Nigerian populace to eat. Recently, the market has begun to feel the effect of the Boko Haram insurgency with food items like beans and beef that come mainly from the northern part of the country, sky rocketing in prices. Nonetheless, the Nigerian farmer, who despite the weight of the import ridden Nigerian market and the oil sector, still labors to produce food for us all to buy and eat. These people are particularly to be praised. We also have young Nigerian graduate who are realizing that the so called white

The Nigerian Graduate that sells akara

collar jobs are virtually non-existent; these young men and women are venturing into all kinds of jobs to keep body and soul together. In the process they are contributing to the productive end of the country and they need to be encouraged. I was particularly touched by one young Nigerian graduate who uses his evening hours to fry and sell akara (beans cake). His story has become a source of inspiration to many⁴. I cannot conclude on Nigerian workers’ doing the nation proud by their productivity without mentioning the indefatigable civil servants, particularly Nigerian teachers who labor day and night, despite the pittance they are paid, to develop young and great minds. Indeed the Nigerian Teacher’s reward is in heaven and God shall ensure that they reap some of it here on earth. Lastly, Nigerian writers, especially those of the print and electronic media, must be commended for adding to the productivity of this country. Their critical voices, hidden in their write up, have helped fine tune or even change many hurtful government policies.

Despite a great number of Nigerian people laboring to ensure that this country works, we have a number of other people who will not involve themselves in any legitimate work and who are rendering the effort of others useless. Production is what creates wealth for a nation. Nigerians need to eschew the predatory culture and learn to do good works. We must imbibe in our national psyche and our moral fabric the principle of working hard; while those who earn illegitimate money must be punished to discourage others. Nigerians must begin to fight corruption themselves and not leave it to government establishments like the EFCC and the ICPC. We must understand that this is the only country we have and it is incumbent on us to make it work. A nation where predators exceed producers is tending towards a failed state. Providence has been very kind to this country in giving us so much as far as raw materials is concerned and that is why we have the crude oil. We must however get down on our knees and work the raw materials into finished goods and then help provide them for the citizens of this country, while we export others. This article is not espousing the Japanese Karoshi for our nationals, however, we should not kill our selves with another kind of karoshi called hunger which is what will certainly befall a people that refuse to work hard.

References

1.     The story on Karoshi can be found from Time Magazine of January 30 1989, page 51.

2.    A fine article had been written by a colleague on the consuming nature of the Nigerian people. You may read this story on this link http://bizlabel.blogspot.com/2014/04/anything-for-me.html

3.     This article did not do a thorough exposition on the errors of the prosperity gospel. Others have done it and their article are replete on the www.

4.   This story of Ayo Fatoki may be found on this link http://bizlabel.blogspot.com/2014/04/akara-ayo-written-by-segun-o-adio-and.html

TITHING 104: MALACHI 3:8-12

MALACHI 3:8-12

8 Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.   But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings.   9 Ye are cursed with a curse:  for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.   11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.   12 And all nations shall call you blessed:  for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

In this essay I shall endeavor to show that the central scripture many use to justify Christians’ tithing today, Malachi 3:8-12, is not a message to the Christian church redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. I shall be showing that this scripture is an extension of the Mosaic Laws, laws that Christians are not obligated to keep in a dispensation of grace, and that anyone who tries to tithe as instructed in Malachi 3 is bringing himself under the curse of the law and if he does not keep all the law in the process, he has broken the law and is cursed rather than blessed. I will conclude by showing that those really robbing God are people who teach a concept of “monetary” tithing, saying that Christians must give a tenth of their income to churches – a doctrine that is no where taught in the whole bible.

Deuteronomy 26

Malachi 3 is not the first time God will be speaking about tithes in the Old Testament. Indeed when God gave the laws to Moses He gave clear cut instructions as to what the tithe was to be and whom it was to be given to in the books of Moses. One passage that is very similar to the Malachi 3: 8-12 passage is Deuteronomy 26:12-15:

12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;  13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me:  I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:  14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead:  but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.   15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Two things can be seen from this passage: 1. The fact that the tithe was an hallowed thing. 2. The fact that in giving it the people could ask and trust God for a blessing. These two points run parallel with the issues God spoke of in Malachi 3 when he said that the people had robbed Him and that if they gave the tithes they will experience a blessing. The Deuteronomy 26 passage shows us that the commandment to tithe is under the Law of Moses. God had spoken of the tithe being His (Leviticus 27:30). So if anyone kept the tithe and not give it, he was keeping a hallowed thing that belonged to God in his house and thereby robbing God. If however he gave these tithes, he would be giving away God’s property and will be blessed in doing this.

Why then are Christians not obligated to do this? Because of what the tithe consisted of, whom the tithe was to be given to and where the tithe was to be taken to. In Leviticus 27:30-33, still under Moses’ laws, God spoke about the tithe for the first time. And in the process he told Israel what the tithe was to consist of. The tithe was to be “seed of the land”, “fruit of the tree” and the tenth of the herd. He went on in Numbers 18:21 to tell us whom the tithe was to be given to: it was to be given to the Levites who had no inheritance in Israel. The Lord was their inheritance and he had given them His tithe to inherit. When the Levites received the tithes, they in turn gave a tithe of the tithe to the Priests (Numbers 18:26). So when the Levites and Priests have been provided for with food, they would not have to go to their farms but would rather focus on performing their religious duties so that the worship of Jehovah in Israel will not suffer. One other point about the true tithe was that it was to be taken to the temple in Israel where the Levites and Priests operated. It is clear from all these that the tithes were agricultural product or “food” or “meat” as God Himself mentioned in Malachi 3, and not money. It is also clear that the tithe was to be given to Levites and not Pastors. And lastly it is clear that the tithe was to be taken to the temple and not churches.

Thus if Malachi 3:8-12 must be read in its true context it would be understood that that passage was a message to the Jewish church. A people who had just returned from captivity and after an initial time of revival under Ezra and Nehemiah, these people were becoming backslidden in their commitment to their religion, which was Judaism. Because the tithe, or food, was not coming into the temple as it should, the Levites and Priests were abandoning their duty posts and the religious life of the nation was suffering. God was calling them to bring the tithes and offerings to the temple so that religious life could be revived again. It was a clear word of instruction to the Jewish church and not an instruction to the Christian church. It is a part of the bible and Christians can learn the spiritual lessons of ensuring that they give to support Christian works wherever they can and that if they do not do so, such works will suffer; just as apostle Paul instructed us to do in 1 Corinthians 9. But to literally interpret Malachi 3: 8-10 as an instruction to Christians to pay 10% of their income to Churches and Pastors is to do injustice to scriptures as it is clear that there are hundreds of other old testament scripture that cannot be interpreted literally in this manner (we shall be looking at an example in Haggai later in the essay).

2 Chronicles 31

In the light of discussing Malachi 3, it is pertinent that we study this passage. This period is the time King Hezekiah ruled Judah. Israel and Judah had, prior to this time, backslidden. When Hezekiah came to the throne, he introduced religious reforms and encouraged Judah to serve God. He even went beyond his borders to call Israel, a nation not directly under his jurisdiction, but that was also in covenant with God, to return to the God of their fathers. The chapter opens with the people of Israel destroying all forms of idolatry in their country. Hezekiah then restores temple worship and encourages the Levites and Priests to return to their duty posts. To ensure they had sustenance, Hezekiah did this: “4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.” The result was dramatic: the people responded immediately. They brought in offerings, first fruits and tithes. This went on from the third month until the seventh month. By the end of it all, a heap of food had piled up on the streets of Jerusalem; it was awesome. To ensure that the heap of food do not rot away on the streets, the King instructed that chambers were built in the temple to store these food items away. This is the origin of the “storehouse” God was speaking about in Malachi 3. It was first built under the reign of Hezekiah to store food items that the people brought as their tithes and offerings.

This shows the exact opposite of what was happening in Malachi 3. In 2 Chronicles 31, religious reforms were taking place and the result was that people obeyed the mosaic injunctions that commanded them to give tithes and offerings. In Malachi 3 the people had backslidden and the result was that the people did not bring tithes and offerings. What can be gleaned from all of this is the thesis I have been pursuing from the beginning of this essay which is that the commandment to give tithes in the bible is from the Mosaic laws and this is what Malachi 3 was reiterating. It is clear from the New Testament that Christians are not obligated to keep Moses’ laws (Hebrew 8:13; Romans 10:4). The next thing we must see from this passage is that tithes were never money but rather food items – “meat”. There is more than enough evidence to show that the Old Testament folks used money for various transaction but tithes were never given as money. The next thing we must see here is that tithing was a religious ordinance was inseparable from the temple and those who worked in it – the priests and Levites. The fact that Christians are the temple of the living God and the New Testament does not recognize church buildings as temples of worship points to another reason why we should not be tithing. It is abundantly clear that gentile Pastors are not Levites and Christians are not under any such obligation to give to churches or Pastors.

Nehemiah 10

In this passage of scripture Israel had just returned from captivity and religious life was being revived again. This is a period that is just preceding the period in which Malachi prophesied.  The following events will help us understand the true biblical tithe:

32 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;  33 For the showbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.   34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:  35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:  36 Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:  37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God;  and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.   38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes:  and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.

Many things can be learnt from this passage. One of them is the fact the tithe is the product of the laws of Moses. The other thing is the fact that tithes and firstfruits were different items but were both food items (first fruits could also be first off strings of man and animals that were dedicated to God). We see here that the tithes were to be given to the Levites and the Levites in turn gave a tithe of the tithes they received to the Priest. We see here that the tithes received by the Priests were what are stored in the chambers or treasure house or storehouse (as Malachi called it). From this passage, some have come to the conclusion that if there was no food in the storehouse, it was because the Levites and Priests were not remitting the tithes they were receiving. This is true in a sense but looking at it strictly, we realize that the items in the storehouse were not tithes alone. There were offerings, firstfruits and dedicated things in the storehouse. So Malachi 3 should be seen in a general context of God rebuking the whole nation for backsliding and not keeping the laws of Moses that required people to give to temple. Everyone was guilty.

However, this does not subtract from the point I am trying to make here which is that the injunction in Malachi 3 was a message to the Jewish church and not to the Christian church, as many of the practices mentioned here, if related to other Old Testament scriptures, are practices under the Mosaic laws – laws that Christians are not obligated to keep.

Incidentally, by the end of the book of Nehemiah, Israel was again reneging on its obligation to give tithes and offerings and the Priest and Levites had to return to the field to fend for themselves:

10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them:  for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.   11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken?  And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.   12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries – Nehemiah 13.

Thankfully, Nehemiah saw that this error or anomaly was corrected in his time. It is not difficult then to reason that following Nehemiah’s governance, the nation of Israel would again have reneged in their duty to give the tithes and offerings, and the Levites and Priest must have returned to the fields. So that God would have to speak through Malachi that the tithes and offerings be brought to the temple.

All of these lend credence to our earlier theses that the passage in Malachi 3 is a message to the Jewish church under the Mosaic law and not a message to the Christian church.

Haggai 1

It is interesting to note that in the days in which Malachi prophesied there was another prophet of God who was speaking to the nation of Israel. Let us refer to this passage in Haggai 1:

3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?  5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts;  Consider your ways.   6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little;  ye eat, but ye have not enough;  ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink;  ye clothe you, but there is none warm;  and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.   7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts;  Consider your ways.   8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house;  and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.   9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little;  and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it.   Why?  saith the LORD of hosts.   Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.   10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.   11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Here God is speaking to the nation of Israel trough Haggai. His grouse with them is not tithes and offerings but the building of the temple. The people understood that the temple was their national figure and unlike David who was earnest about erecting this temple, the people of Haggai’s days were not enthusiastic at all. They had returned from captivity and everyone was building his own house. God comes to them and instructs them to build the temple. He shows them that it is because they have refused to build the temple that they had not experienced His blessings. In the following chapter, we see that the people heeded Haggai words, built the temple and God was pleased with them and promised to bless them.

It is clear to any unprejudiced mind to see that this chapter of scripture was directed at a people in a particular period of time in their national life. The temple needed to be built for their religious life to resume; no temple, no worship. The point I am trying to make here is that when the Christian church reads this passage, it can see clearly that this message was not a message for the church. God never breathes down any one’s neck today to go and build a church; and church building is not a perquisite for blessings. Why do we not take Haggai 1, which has almost the same tenure as with Malachi 3, as a message to the church? The answer is simple: it is easy to see the context in which Haggai 1 was written. The next question then is: why do we not try to see Malachi 3 in the same context when we realize that these were two different messages sent to the same people by the same God? Could it be that our pursuit of pecuniary gain has made us blind to Malachi 3 while we see Haggai 1 clearly in its true context?

It is clear from these two passages of scriptures that biblical interpretation must be seen first in its true context. Who was the message originally meant for? What were the circumstances around them at that time? Is it a message that can equally be relayed to the Christian church or it is a message that is unique to Israel alone? Only when we can answer these questions adequately, can we truly make correct biblical interpretations. It is clear that just as it was in Haggai 1, so also was it in Malachi 3. It is clear from Malachi 3 and Haggai 1, that the message from these prophets were to Israel and not the church. The circumstance around those times shows a people under the law and who had just returned from captivity; they were backslidden and God was calling them back to true religious worship. It is therefore clear that the messages here are not instructions to the Christian church but messages to the Jewish church.

Colosians 2:16

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  17 Which are a shadow of things to come;  but the body is of Christ.   18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.   20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not;  taste not;  handle not;  22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?  23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body;  not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Colosians 2:16 commands us not to allow anyone to judge us in regards to meat, drink, holy days, new moons, Sabbaths, etc. These things were a shadow but we have the reality in Christ.  While “meat” refers to what we eat, especially the Jewish injunction that they should not eat some animals, we realize that it was “meat” God mentioned in Malachi 3 and requested to be made available in the temple. It is safe to conclude that the “meat” mentioned in Colosians 2:16 must be all encompassing: thus including, meat sacrifices, meat eaten, meat given – which is tithes. In Nehemiah 10:33, the very list of items Paul is showing us in Colosians 2:16 are shadows of a reality in Christ, are the things the Jews were enumerating as their means of worshipping God:

 32 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;  33 For the showbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. - Nehemiah 10

It was in this passage the Jews mentioned tithes to be given to the Levites. It is very clear that if these other items are shadow of the reality in Christ, so also is the tithe. How the giving of tithes is singled out of a list of other Jewish practices that included the keeping of Sabbath, new moon, giving of first fruits, burnt offering, animal sacrifices, etc, can only be explained by modern day tithe merchants.

Right after Jesus’ resurrection, the apostles began to come to grasp with the fact that there has been a dispensational change of events in God’s dealing with all of humanity. It is the same God but who is using different means to bring about his purposes. First, Apostle Peter had a strange encounter with animals in a vision in Acts 10. God instructs Peter to kill and eat animals that naturally would have been forbidden under Moses’ laws. Peter replies he could not do it. Eventually he came to understand that the gospel had been sent to the gentiles and not to Jews alone. The man who would herald this gospel to the gentile, the Apostle Paul himself, helps us to comprehend this dispensational change in his numerous epistles written in the New Testament. The theme of one of them, Galatians, was Justification by Faith and not justification by the law. Hear Paul:

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  3 Are ye so foolish?  having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?  4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain?  if it be yet in vain.   5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.   7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.   8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.   9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.   10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.   11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident:  for, The just shall live by faith.   12 And the law is not of faith:  but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.   13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ;  that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.   15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men;  Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.   16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.   He saith not, And to seeds, as of many;  but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.   17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.   18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise:  but God gave it to Abraham by promise.   19 Wherefore then serveth the law?  It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made;  and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator – Galatians 3

Paul’s challenge with the men of his time was bringing them to understand that there has been a dispensational change in God’s dealing with men. God gave the law to Moses and in practicing it, the Jews had Judaism. But grace and truth came with Jesus Christ and the implication of his death and resurrection was a life of faith that cannot be practiced using Judaism – we are now Christians. So Paul took great pain to distinguish between Christianity and Judaism. While Judaism required the keeping of the law, Christianity commanded us to walk in faith, a faith that works through love. So Christians are not obligated to keep Jewish rituals that will include tithing.

But the biggest blow to the subject of tithing came a little while after Paul had written his epistles. It came in AD 70. Even in the days Jesus walked the earth, the Jews had resented the Romans ruling them. Rome ruled most of the ancient world in those days. The Jews had rejected Jesus partly because he did not fit into the picture of one who would deliver them from the Romans’ oppression. They continued to forbear under the Romans until they had had enough. There was an insurrection and Roman soldiers were killed. Caesar then sent General Titus to deal with these recalcitrant Jews. After days of laying siege to Jerusalem, he eventually gained access and the Jews were massacred. The temple was destroyed and the very few Jews that survived were dispersed into Europe. So from AD 70 until AD 1948, there was no temple for the Jews to send their tithes and offerings to. In God’s providential dealing with the Jews, he destroyed the temple He Himself had instructed them to build and bring tithes and offerings to. The reason was that the physical temple at Jerusalem was obsolete now that Jesus, the very temple of God, was alive and well, functioning as God’s true High Priest in heaven. From these events in AD 70, God himself was saying that Malachi 3:8-12 is defunct and obsolete. The injunction in that scripture was to bring tithes and offering to the temple’s storehouse; when there is no temple, there cannot be a storehouse; and certainly tithes and offering will not be offered in that place.

Matthew 21:13

Who then is robbing God today? The men robbing God today are those who teach that Christians are obligated to bring tithes and offerings to church. Those who preach that the tithe is money and Christians are obligated to pay a tenth of their income are robbing God’s people of their resources and in extension robbing God. Many of them are robbing God out of ignorance, not knowing the scriptures; others know the truth but the love of money will not permit them to obey it. God spoke of a certain type of robbers under the Law of Moses in Malachi 3. In Matthew 21:13, Jesus speaks of a new type of robbers:

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer;  but ye have made it a den of thieves.   14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple;  and he healed them.

There are robbers in the church of Jesus Christ today in the same manner as He found robbers in the temple in His time on earth. They specialize in collecting money in the name of religion. They preach money. They live money. They ask people to bring money in exchange of blessings. They are thieves and robbers in the church and they are the ones who have changed the holy tithes of the living God that was to be given to Levites to monetary tithes that should be given to Pastors. Unlike Christ who healed the blind and the lame, and ensured that the weak and poor were catered for, these men take from the poor asking them to sow “dangerously” so they may reap a reward. These men are thieves and robbers in God’s house, and their judgment lingers not.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that Christians are not obligated to give a tenth of their income in the name of tithing to a church. Tithing is a Jewish religious practice that is defunct and obsolete following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Christians may give as they feel led by God to – what can be appropriately called free will giving.

I trust God to give us all increased understanding of what true Christian giving consists of.

(In subsequent papers on this subject of tithing I shall be discussing giving in the church and how it must be done).

TITHING 103: TITHING AS ABRAHAM DID

TITHING AS ABRAHAM DID

The foremost reason some give for tithing today is because Abraham tithed. Abraham indeed tithed before the law and gave his tithe to Melchizedek. This tithe practice stems from two basic premises:

1.        That Abraham tithed.

2.        That the one he tithed to was Melchizedek – who was Christ.

The second premise is skewed because scripture does not in any place say that Melchizedek is Christ or was Christ pre-existing. But this essay shall assume that even premise 2 is true. In spite of these premises, I shall be showing that Christians are still not obligated to give a tenth of their income in the name of tithing.

We find the account of Abraham tithing in Genesis 14 and Hebrew 7. In the Genesis 14 scripture the bible records that Abram went to war and obtained war spoils. On his way back he was met by Melchizedek who blesses him and Abram gave him a tenth of the war spoils (verse 20). This singular account is used as the basis for Christians to tithe on their income. The argument is that God has always moved his people in every dispensation to give a tenth of what they owned. The trouble with this account is many but we can enumerate a few. First, the Genesis account shows that Abram tithed war spoils, not his personal possessions although scripture records that he was rich; neither did he tithe of his increase from farm produce or animals or his income. The next thing we see is that Abram gave this tithe once. We also see that what is left of the tithe is given away to the people who truly owned the goods. Now if this very example is to be practiced by Christians today, then Christians will have to tithe on war spoils. But even if we permit that war spoil can be converted to personal income, then this income is going to be tithed only once and the rest given away. If this is not practicable, then it is simply not practicable to tithe like Abram tithed in Genesis 14.

The “tithe because Abraham tithed” doctrine is based on the fact that the patriarch did something that many consider pious and thus we all who are of the faith of Abraham should do the same. We only need to read the well documented life of Abraham to realize that not all that he did can be imitated. Some were out rightly unchristian and others were simply either according to the custom of that time or were based on God’s personal dealings with him - things Christians are not obligated to do. For example Abraham left his father’s house for a place God will have him to go. Are all Christians expected to do this when they become saved? Abraham lied to protect himself from the people of foreign lands. This is clearly an unchristian thing to do. Abraham had concubines. Abraham carried out physical circumcision on himself and his household. Abraham went to war. Apparently, the things Abraham did were peculiar to him and his walk with God; it certainly cannot be used as a yardstick for all Christians of all times. Later in Hebrew 7 we see that in God’s wisdom and providential dealings, God led Abraham to tithe to Melchizedek because in the days to come Christ’s priesthood will be likened to Melchizedek’s and if Abraham could tithe to him and receive a blessing, it would prove that Christ’s priesthood was greater than that of Aaron – who at that time was in Abraham’s loins.

The other argument that is offered on Abraham’s tithing in Genesis 14 is the fact that Melchizedek was Jesus in His pre-incarnate form. If Abraham could tithe to Jesus, Christians must tithe to Jesus also through the Church, His body on earth today. This manner of thinking is very persuading and when it comes from a very respectable man of God on a pulpit with the microphone reverberating all over the place, it is difficult to think it through. But we have the freedom of doing so now.

What if Melchizedek is Christ, are we still obligated to tithe to him through the church? It is at this point I must refer my readers to the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 17:

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.   2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly… 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.   5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.   6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.   8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;  and I will be their God.  9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.   10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee;  Every man child among you shall be circumcised.   11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin;  and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.   12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.   13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised:  and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.   14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people;  he hath broken my covenant…[/b] 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house;  and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.   24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.   25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.   26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.   27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. 

Some of the things that can be garnered from this conversation between God and Abraham are: 1. This was God speaking, giving conditions for which a covenant relationship could be entered into. 2. This covenant was marked by circumcision. 3. This circumcision exercise was before the coming of the law. 4. The condition for this covenant was passed unto all the seed of Abraham – that could include those of us who will live by his kind of faith.

By the time we would come to the New Testament and begin to learn church age doctrine, we find that circumcision, which is the hallmark of the covenant God had with Abraham, was not binding on Christians (Acts 15; Romans 2:28; Galatians 5:2). This circumcision which Abraham practiced was before the law; this circumcision was an express command from God’s lips; this circumcision was to be carried out by every seed of Abraham or they will be cut off. But when we come to the New Testament epistles, Paul tells us that if anyone is circumcised that person is cut-off from Christ (Galatians 5:4). How does this relate to tithing? Like circumcision, tithing was before the law. However, while circumcision had the express command from God’s lips, tithing did not (prior to the giving of the law). If however we wish to make a doctrine out of Abraham’s practices and say that because Abraham gave a tithe Christians are therefore obligated to tithe, then we must very well insist that because Abraham practiced circumcision, then all Christians must be circumcised (I have an intimation that this was the line the Judaizers pursued in Acts 15:1, when they insisted that gentiles Christians must be circumcised to be saved). But if we cannot say Christians are obligated to be circumcised, why do we insist that Christians are obligated to tithe like Abraham?

It must be understood that Paul’s contention was not specifically against the practice of circumcision (we see proof of this in his circumcising Timothy); rather Paul was insisting on distinguishing the New Covenant ratified by Christ’s blood from any other covenant, especially that of Moses. Paul never taught anywhere that you should not be circumcised according to the law but you can be circumcised according to Abraham. For him circumcision was circumcision regardless of whose example you are following (so the premise that you should tithe like Abraham tithed and not according to the law is flawed). Paul was trying to show us that the gospel according to Christ was very distinct from the gospel Abraham received and the one Moses received. There certainly were similarities between all of them. In the Abraham covenant and the Christian covenant you will find the matter of faith (alone) for justification. In the Moses and the Christian covenant you will find the matter of sanctification and holiness. In the Abraham and Moses covenant you will see these covenants coming prior to Christ’s physical presence on earth. But none of them are a continuation of the other; all of them were distinct and peculiar to the dispensations that God gave them.

So the fact that Christ came as Melchizedek and received tithes of Abram is no justification for Christians to tithe today. Abraham’s dispensation was peculiar and different from the Church dispensation. Under the time of Abraham it can be said that people could tithe war spoils. This changed by the time of Moses, as they could only tithe agricultural products. There is no evidence in all of scripture that by the church age tithe of spoils and tithes of agricultural products is now tithes of monetary income. If this had happened, God by the Holy Spirit would have inspired the writers of the New Testament to tell us; especially in the many scriptural passages that encouraged Christian giving. The fact that He was silent on these means that we should also. If indeed Melchizedek was Christ, it is easy to see that the dispensation of Abraham permitted giving of tithes of war spoils to him at that time; by the time of the church age, this has changed a great deal. The proof of this is shown in the fact that Abraham practiced circumcision in his dispensation; a practice that is no longer necessary in our dispensation.

To end this essay on Abraham’s tithing, I wish to draw my readers to the intent of God in instituting the tithes in the two dispensations before ours. The reason is simply because God will have his people to be givers. This principle is seen in Abram giving a tenth of war spoils willingly even after he had received a blessing from Melchizedek. It is seen in Jacob vowing to give also; although there is little evidence that he actually fulfilled this vow. And a vow is a willing action that is not binding on every person, so Christians are not obligated to tithe because Jacob made a vow. This principle is seen in the obligatory tithing of agricultural products by the Israelites as commanded by God. It is this principle that translates to free will giving in the New Testament church. In Acts 4, when the Spirit was moving men in Hs power to give, we did not see anyone give a tithe; rather people were giving 100%. What this means is that in the days of God’s power the people shall be willing. The question is not why are people not giving tithes today or are people obligated to give a tithe? The question should be why are people not willing to give today? Or where is the power that moved people to give as they gave in the days of the apostles? The answer is not far fetched. First, there is no power to move men to give. Many churches have mortgaged the power of God that can compel men to give for marketing strategies which they employ to get money off congregants. In the process people have become wise and have learnt wisdom in giving in church. Another reason might just be that people do not trust how church leaders use church finances as accountability has become incredibly difficult for Pastors these days. I find it hard to understand why church leaders think they can do away with not accounting for church finances before men they can see and think they would be able to do so before God who they cannot see in that dreadful day of judgment. 

In 2 Corinthians 8, the bible records that the Macedonian Christian gave out of their deep poverty. What propelled this kind of giving was the fact that these people had first given themselves to God and then could easily give what they had. When we teach free will offering, we are not teaching the miserly amount people give in church in the name of offering. We are saying let us allow God to work on men and see how they will give when these people have totally surrendered themselves and their finances to God. The reason why some kick against collecting only offerings (and not tithes) is because most people do not give; and only give when someone is breathing down curses on them in the name of paying a tithe. If this is what informs giving in church today, it is easy to see why many give and do not enjoy God’s blessing afterwards. God expects us to give and give without boundaries in this dispensation and that is why tithes were never taught as a Christian practice in all of the epistles.

We would do well to let Abraham’s one time tithing rest as it was never meant to be an example for born again Christians in this dispensation.

See other titles on this Tithing Course:
Tithing 101: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-due-order-tithe-is-defined.html

Tithing 102: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-102-tithing-as-doctrine-of-men.html

TITHING 102: TITHING AS DOCTRINE OF MEN

TITHING AS DOCTRINE OF MEN

One of the biggest blessings to the church are men who are gifted with the ability to teach the Holy Scriptures in such a manner as to rightly divide the word of truth so that God’s people are properly fed the word of grace and are built up in Christ to bear fruits that glorify God. In the same manner one of the greatest disservices to God’s kingdom is Satan raising men who will teach the bible with private interpretation and in a way as to satisfy their lust. This great evil is not peculiar to our time. Our Lord and Savior encountered a similar challenge during his earthly ministry:

1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.   3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother:  and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.   5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;  6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.   Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.   7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;  but their heart is far from me.   9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men – Matthew 15.

From Jesus’ words above we can note what God’s word commanded: “Honor thy father and mother…”; when these men were going to interpret this scripture, they twisted it to mean that whatever a man was to give to his parent, if he had given it to God through some kinds of offering, he was not under any obligation to give to his parent anymore. He had fulfilled the law of honoring one’s parent. The same goes with the doctrine of washing of hands before eating; etc. Much of what the men of religion taught in Jesus’ time was converting and twisting sound biblical commands to suit the lust of the teachers of the law – these teachings had become tradition and law for them.

Paul the apostle tells us that as it was in the days of Jesus so was it in his days and so shall it be in the days to come – those days being the days that we live in now:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy;  having their conscience seared with a hot iron;  3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.   4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:  5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer – 1 Timothy 4.

Consider verse 3 and remember that there are sects in Christendom today that forbids men of the clergy to marry. Some times in the annals of church history, some people began to propose the idea that men of the clergy must be likened to Christ, Peter and Paul who in their own estimation were not married. And despite express scriptural evidences that permit any man who wishes to marry to do so, these sects insist that their clergy must not marry. This is just an example of men inaugurating a doctrinal position without any foundation in scripture or upon twisted portions of scripture. Paul the apostle shows us the characteristics of these doctrines that men raise to satisfy their religious and fleshly lust:

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.   18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.   20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not;  taste not;  handle not;  22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?  23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body;  not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh – Colosians 2

From the scripture above we see some of the characteristics of doctrine that men make up: (1). These doctrines are rooted in the laws of Moses (New Moon, Sabbath, Firstfruits, Tithing, etc); (2). These teachings are legalistic. They carry the notion of being obligatory, denying the saints the freedom they are entitled to in their walk with God; (3). These doctrines are borne from visions: they come from some respected “man of God” speaking about what God told him and which then becomes law for all Christians; (4). These doctrines have a show of wisdom: they look very “spiritual” and enticing to the religious minded; (5). These doctrines do not curb the excesses of the flesh – it does not increase the quest for holiness or the commitment to love others.

Tithing as its practiced today can only be best described as the doctrine of man. Tithing is absolutely biblical. The first recorded command to tithe from God’s lips can be found in Leviticus 27:30-33:

30 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 unto the LORD.   31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.   32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.   33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it:  and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy;  it shall not be redeemed.   34 These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

God commands that “all the tithes” shall be “seed of the ground”, “fruit of the tree” and “tenth of the herd or flock”. This being the first mention of tithes by God himself can safely be described at the true definition of the tithes under the law. God will proceed to show whom this tithe was to be given to in Numbers 18:

20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them:  I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.   21 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

Other passages in Deuteronomy 14, 26 and Nehemiah 10 lends credence to the fact that the tithe as commanded by God were agricultural products that was to be food supply for the religious men of their day who were engaged in overseeing the religious and civil life of the people, so that they did not have the time to cultivate their fields. The tithe was to be a kind of taxation that would help “pay” the Levites for their service to God. In Malachi 3:10 God words shows that the tithe was “meat” or “food”. Therefore when you mention “tithes” to an average Jew, he thought of agric products or food that was to be given to the Levites and Priests. Jesus himself spoke of the tithes to include mint, anise and cumin which were spices for food (Matthew 23:23). The questions that remains unanswered by tithes advocates is when did tithes of food become tithes of money; and when did the tithes which originally was meant for the Levites become something to be given to church leaders and Pastors?

Doctrines of men are basically the teachings of men that come from their private interpretation of scripture. When care is not taken by teachers of the Word to abide faithful to the tenure of scripture, there is always the likelihood of some “additions” that looks good at first but if allowed to persist will become law. The tithes doctrine has experienced a similar “metamorphoses” over the centuries. As we have seen, God gave the command for tithes to be given to the Levites under the law. By the time of Jesus, this law still subsisted. Although with the advent of other menial jobs like carpentary, tax collectings, fisheries, etc, there was never a mention of anyone giving a tithe of whatever he made from these jobs. Jesus lived under the law and he did encourage tithing in Matthew 23:23 according to the law. By the time our Lord will rise from the dead and the law was considered abolished (Ephesians 2:15), tithing simply went with it. That is why there is not one account of anyone paying/giving a tithe in the New Testament church. There are numerous accounts of giving in the New Testament church and not one person is said to have tithed either of his income or even of any agricultural product. Hebrew 7 was not a passage that taught tithing; it simply mentioned tithes so as to give the spiritual implication of Abraham tithing to Melchizedek: a prophetic action that will someday prove Jesus to be greater than Aaron (Hebrew 7:4a). After this, the New Testament was concluded without any account of one person giving a tithe in the church.

After the apostles lived and died, there were still no accounts of Christians tithing their income. The church would undergo a great period of persecution and in spite of this the body of Christ grew. Christianity experienced a sudden reprieve when Emperor Constantine converted and became a Christian. Following a supposed vision (again?!), Constantine declared for Christ and made Christianity the official religion for Romans. Christians began to enjoy greater acceptability and the institutionalized church was created. That church is today known as the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Church would however propose the giving of tithes some time in the 4th century to fund the bludgeoning religious enterprise they had created. By the sixth century it had become some sort of law for Christian to pay tithes to the Roman Church. Even at that time the Roman Church remained faithful to the original content of the tithes; as the tithes given in those days were 10% of people’s harvest off their farms. However, we should not loose sight of how men introduced a slight change to a very scriptural practice – tithes remained agricultural products but rather than giving it to the Levites it was now given to church leaders. This sort of tithe remained until the Reformation of the 16th century. The reformers rejected the practice and doctrine of tithing along with a host of other Romish doctrines and practices – which they rightly called doctrines of men. The phrase “Sola Scriptura” was adopted by the Reformed Fathers to help the church return back to biblical doctrines and practices. Whatsoever was not found as a scriptural practice was thrown out of the window.

This was the position of most protestant churches in those days. And coupled with the fact that the church was “sponsored” by the city council or local government, most churches did not have to resort to people to get funding; thus there was no need for tithes. Sometimes in the 18th/19th century, local governments withdrew their sponsorship of churches and many churches were left to “fend” for themselves in Europe and America. About this time, some clergies began to teach a doctrine of “monetary” tithes. This doctrine said that you are obligated to give a tenth of your income to the church were you fellowship. It answered the question of the tithes being agric products by saying that the economy of the Israelites were mostly agrarian but things have changed in modern times and our economy is majorly monetary. Thus there is the need to give tithes of money and not of a harvest. They also said that the same way the Levites conducted the religious life of Israel, so are church leaders conducting the religious life of the church and thus the need for them to collect tithes. This doctrine and practice took root in many protestant denominations that include Baptist, Aglican, Jehovah Witnesses, etc. About the turn of the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church stopped collecting tithes. It is said that the last four popes have never encouraged the giving of tithes in churches. Jehovah Witnesses also do not collect tithes anymore and a few other protestant denominations. But the vast majority of churches still collect tithes today. And the tithe they collect is the one that is called the “monetary” tithes in distinction from the agricultural tithes God commanded.

Anyone who can trace church history and the making of the monetary tithe, which today is considered a compulsory giving of a tenth of one’s weekly or monthly or annual income, can very well see a perfect example of how the doctrine and commandment of men is today regarded as the doctrine and commandment of God. It would have been good if this practice did not come with some sort of danger but Paul warns us about what becomes of doctrine of men in 1 Timothy 4:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy;  having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

When doctrine of men has fully matured, it becomes doctrine of devils and seducing spirits. Following the said tradition of tithing, today we have men who teach the practice of firstfruit also. Taking their position mostly from the laws of Moses, they command that people must give their whole January income to their pastors to enjoy the blessings of God for the New Year. I would not be surprised if such evil men begin to teach “apostles’ feet” offering, where individuals will be cajoled to give their whole income to the church for onward distribution to all in need. This is what becomes of the doctrine that men espouse without sound recourse to scriptures. How tithes of agricultural products converted to 10% of men’s income is simply the work of the doctrine of men. How firstfruit, which originally was first harvest from the land in Israel, has become 100% of January salary is the outworking of the doctrines of men. In the days to come, congregations shall be channeling their hard earned income into church account all in the name of Apostles' feet offering. In those days, like we have them now, seducing spirit inside of men shall be running helter-skelter in the church of Jesus, deceiving men and being deceived themselves. Their consciences shall be gone, having been seared with hot iron. These men for the love of money, will teach doctrines of devils. We are in those times and we should remember that no less a person than our Lord warned us of these days:

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.   5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;  and shall deceive many. – Matthew 24

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.   2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways;  by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.   3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:  whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. – 2 Peter 2.

See Other titles on this Tithing Course:

Tithing 101: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-due-order-tithe-is-defined.html
Tithing 103: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-103-tithing-as-abraham-did.html