As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.
As mentioned in my introduction to this series, my family and I have been impacted a number of times in our church attendance by what appears to be the pull of money on church leadership. During our Christian pilgrimage, a number of churches, through thier leadership, have made decisions that directly impacted our status within the body of believers.
Some of these instances provided us reason to dig into the Word, to find correction in our own personal relationship to money, to try to understand the wisdom of a church leader’s decision, and in the end to apply God’s will for our own finances.
Little did we know the tremendously corrosive power the love of money has over our own hearts, and by extrapolation, the church as a whole. This should not surprise the believer for Paul provided a harsh truth on this topic.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Alternately, the writer of Hebrews also provided no better command, (and for some believer’s no harder command) than found in Hebrews 13.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Many of our experiences have included the topic of tithing in the church. Personally, our denominational background considers tithing to be Biblically mandated on the New Testament believer. I understand many denominations consider tithing to be an important commmittment of the believers relationship to the church body.
Let’s take a look at this topic, and consider each passage that contains a reference to tithing.
This post will consider Deuteronomy 12:11
Deuteronomy 12:11 – then to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the LORD.
We have spoke of the location to bring tithes to the the Lord in a previous post. (See Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 12:6) The passage was intended to direct the faithful Isrealite on a future location for the offering of his tithe.
Moses continues in this chapter regarding this location as being the place faithful Israelites were to bring the tithe. But there is a slightly minor adjustment with this passage that may be of interest.
Deuteronomy 12:6 – and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
Did you see the difference?
Our passage is lacking in the last three offerings to be brought to this place the Lord will reveal. Of course, both lists include tithes, for that is the topic of our study.
But notice the company tithing keeps. It is associated with burnt offerings, sacrifices, contributions, offerings (vow and freewill) and the firstborn of your flock and herds.
As we consider tithing for the New Testament church, and it’s relevance for the New Testament believer, I have some questions. After all this verse does not provide much additional information regarding tithing other that the place to bring the tithe.
But I am curious, if tithing is to be practiced in the New Testament church, as to why we do not also have burnt offerings behind the pulpit. A sacrifice – remember we are speaking of animal sacrifice here most likely – in front of the pulpit might be a nice add on to the service! Surely the Lord will accept the firstborn of our pets, for since we are no longer an agrarian society, where most of the the society raise herds and flocks, we need to have something living to sacrifice.
Ok – that pet thing was a bit of a stretch! But was it really, for to introduce a burnt offering into the Christian life and worship, is to slap the Lord Jesus in the face. To replace the real with a shadow is nothing less than an insult, a blasphemy, an abomination.
Hebrews 10:12, 14 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
We have rejected the animal sacrifice rightly so, for our Savior is the ultimate and only one time sacrifice that atones for the souls of His people. Yet stuck in the middle of these two verses in Deuteronomy is the topic of tithing, and the modern church seems to cling to it for some reason. (Guess what that reason is and you win a cupie doll!)
Let us reconsider the place of tithing in the church.
Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.
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