Previously on SHOULD WE PAY TITHES (EPISODE 1), we categorized believers into five (5) broad groups. The number of groups was limited to only believers with no mention of unbelievers, because tithing is a covenant, and for you to partake in a covenant, you must be a part of that covenant. Christians who are believers in Christ, are covenant children and as a result, they are bound by the covenant of tithing, whereas the unbeliever on the other hand is disjointed from this covenant and as a result, he/she is liable to condemnation.
However,
after the classification of believers into these broad groups, the next step would
be to discuss extensively on the true meaning of tithing, using the Holy Bible
as a standard.
WHAT IS TITHING?
Tithing
is the act of performing the covenant of paying tithes to God. The covenant
requires a believer (covenant child)
to pay a tenth of all his/her earnings to God. The tenth of the believers
earnings which he/she pays to God is called the tithe, while the action of
obedience to God with respect to the payment of a tenth of all earnings, is
regarded as tithing.
"And
all the tithe of the land, whether of seed of the land or of the fruit of the
tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord." ~Leviticus 27:30 (NKJV).
The
book of Leviticus 27:30, gives us the understanding that all tithes are
properties of God and should not be in our possession, because that would
amount to stealing. Jesus Christ while speaking to the Pharisees in the book of
Mathew 22, asked them to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to
God the things that are God's. The books of Genesis 14:20, 28:22, Leviticus
27:30-32 and Hebrews 7:1-10, gives us a clear description of the actual amount
to be paid as tithes, which is a tenth of all our earnings or everything we
produce.
Tithing
is not just about a "tenth", but it is a covenant between God and His
children (people operating in the
covenant of God). The word a "tenth", is a measure of the cost
that defines the covenant between God and His children. I have read several
definitions on the world wide web, where many refer to tithing as just a
"tenth", but this is absolutely wrong because a "tenth" is
just a "tenth", and this does not in a anyway connote the true
definition of tithing, but only represents an expression of the measure of a
numeral or any other subject matter under review. As believers, we should be
very careful because the world is in the business of redefining scriptural
truths by placing them in the wrong context and perspective, thereby reducing
the value and significance of the true meaning of these truths, with the aim of
laying less emphasis to their existence and deceiving the very elect.
However,
for the covenant of tithing to be established, three parties must be involved,
and the absence of any of these parties, gives the word tithing a misplaced
meaning or definition. These parties include a covenant child (believer),
his/her seed (a tenth of it), and God. In this arrangement, the believer exercises
his loyalty to God through obedience by acknowledging that all he/she has,
belongs to God and should be rendered back to Him. God on the other hand is
seen as a receiver, not because His survival depends on it, but to serve as a
constant reminder to man, that all he/she owns belong to Him as stated in the
book of Psalm 24:1.
Moreover,
everyone gives out a tenth of his/her income or produce in various ways, but
some of these cases cannot be regarded as tithing because the terms and
conditions establishing the covenant have not been met. For example, if a man
earns $1000 from his place of work, and buys a bag for his wife worth $100 (a
tenth of $1000), would that be considered as a tithe? The answer will be NO! or
if that same man gave $100 ( a tenth of $1000) from his salary to a brother or
sister in need, would that also be considered as a tithe? The answer will still
remain NO! This is because every covenant has its terms and conditions which
makes it legitimate, and failure to abide to these rules will result to a breach
of the agreements establishing the covenant, thereby leading to a
disqualification of benefits and an activation of consequences.
In
retrospect, the examples cited above violates the order of the formation
establishing tithing, in the sense that, one (1) or more vital parties that
must be present for tithing to be established are absent. For the act of
tithing to be established, a believer, seed (a tenth) and God must be present,
but this is not so as portrayed in the examples above. The three parties
present in the aforementioned examples are, man (who could be a covenant child or not), seed ( a tenth), and a shop/
brother or sister in need. This structure violates the legitimate arrangement
that constitutes the covenant of tithing, and as a result, it would be ignorant
to call it tithing.
Moreover,
another issue that arises from the covenant of tithing is the accuracy of
believers in observing the clause "Bring the full tithe into the
storehouse"
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TO
BE CONTINUED **********
#TheMessenger
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