Some people say, “I cannot take my tithe to the church, I will instead use it to go help the poor because pastors use it for their own benefit to enrich themselves”
What does the Bible say?
Malachi 3:10 (KJ21) – “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 for you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
The phrase my house means the church because the church is the house of God. The tithe is meant to build the church and progress the work of God. If God wanted you to give the tithe to the poor, he would have told you to give it to the poor and not bring it to church.
“The tithe … is the Lord’s.” Here the same form of expression is employed as in the law of the Sabbath. “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus 20:10. God reserved to Himself a specified portion of man’s time and of his means, and no man could, without guilt, appropriate either for his own interests.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 525.5, Ellen G. White.
The first time the principle of tithe appeared was in Genesis 14.
Genesis 14:19-20 (KJV) – “19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” Reading this verse, it is clear that Abraham didn’t give the tithe to the poor. He gave the tithe to God. Those who say that tithe was for the Israelites, there were no Israelites at that time, Israel began with Jacob.
Let’s look at someone else who returned a tithe to God:
Genesis 28:20-22 (KJV) – “20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.”
There were poor people, widows, and orphans in those days, but Jacob did not say he would give a tenth to the poor. He said he would give a tenth (tithe) to God. Up to where we have reached, we have established that the tithe was a promise from Abraham and Jacob to God regarding the blessings/increase God had caused them to have. God was pleased with this and therefore started making commandments concerning the tithe.
Let’s look at more scriptures on tithe:
Leviticus 27:30 (KJV) – “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.” Here the Bible says that the tithe is Holy and for the Lord.
Perhaps many may ask, “How then do we give the tithe to God and we cannot access God physically?” Numbers 18:21 (KJV) – “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.”
There were twelve tribes of Israel, but the tithe was not dedicated to the other eleven tribes. It was dedicated to one tribe only, which was the Levites. The question is, who were the Levites?
Numbers 18:23-24 (KJV) – “23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”
The Levites were the only tribe in Israel that was not allowed to do secular work. They were to dedicate their time and energy to do God’s work. The Levites could not earn a living from secular work like the rest of Israel, and since they could not do so, God dedicated a tithe to them (God cares for all of his children).
The Levites, in this case, represent the pastors, priests and bishops in the church. Again, we can see that God did not command the Israelites to take the tithe to the poor, but He commanded them to give it to the Levites so that they may have the strength to continue to minister to God and may further the purpose of God.
Now let’s look at some other verses that some misinterpret to mean that tithe needs to be substituted for charity money.
Deuteronomy 26:12 (KJV) – “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.”
What the Bible is saying in this verse is that the tithe is meant to cover a variety of purposes, not just poverty. It starts by saying the Levites (which represent the priests in the church, there is a reason why the Levites are listed first in the list, God is not a haphazard God), then it says the stranger (representing people who don’t know God), then it says the fatherless (this means the orphans at the same time, someone who hasn’t accepted God in his life is fatherless) and the widow.
In other words, the Bible says tithe is meant to address various problems on earth, not just poverty. Poverty is a big problem in the world, but it is not the only problem. Millions of people are rich but face depression, stress, and anxiety because they haven’t kept God at the center of their lives. Taking the tithe to the poor only means neglecting these other groups of people.
God is calling upon all who are facing various challenges to come to Him so that He can give them a sense of direction and fill their void. Many in hospitals have the money to afford medical care but are facing chronic illnesses that are untreatable to earthly doctors and may have lost hope. God is calling them to go to him (Matthew 11:28) so that he can give them hope and heal them of their diseases.
Many are alive and kicking with lots of wealth but do not know God and are living in sin. God is calling these ones too to go to Him. The tithe is meant to monetarily cover all these problems, which is why it needs to be directed to God’s house.
One serious danger is that the ‘prosperity gospel,’ which is so popular nowadays, has caused many to believe that poverty is the only problem. When Jesus was on this earth, He did not minister to the poor alone. He healed the sick, caused the blind to see, caused the lame to walk, raised the dead, and healed the brokenhearted.
Return your tithe whole-heartedly, don’t care about church leaders using it for their selfish ambitions because they have their reward. As a child of God, do your part. Practice righteousness always, not only when situations are favorable.
When God gave the commandment to return the tithe, He knew that there would be pastors who would use it for their own selfish ambitions (because the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, Jeremiah 17:9), but He still commands you to return the tithe.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas were priests (serving the highest positions in the church). However, 1 Samuel 2:12 says that they did not know God (despite serving in the church). There are many people who serve in the church that don’t know God. 1 Samuel 2:13-17 narrates how Hophni and Phinehas used to mishandle God’s sacrifice for their own benefit, sometimes burning it (making a Barbecue) and eating it.
The Bible does not say the length of time they carried out this immoral practice, it might have been a short time or even a very long time. God sitting on His heavenly throne saw all these and he decided to punish the two priests.
God punished the priests. He did not tell the Israelites to stop presenting their sacrifices to the priests. He punished them by killing them. He changed the people committing evil (by killing the evil priests and bringing in new priests) but did not change the system that He had instituted. The same fate fell upon Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu. Therefore, return the tithe faithfully as God has said. If the clergy or church officials mishandle it, God will deal with them. At the same time remember to always pray for the leadership in your church so that they may know God and walk righteously.
“The system of tithes and offerings was intended to impress the minds of men with a great truth—that God is the source of every blessing to His creatures, and that to Him man’s gratitude is due for the good gifts of His providence.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 525.3, Ellen G. White.
Always endeavor to do as God has said, exactly how He has said it, and not on your own assumptions and creativity.
GOD BLESS YOU!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the wisdom and provision You have given me. Help me to trust in Your Word and honor You with my tithes, knowing that it supports the work of Your kingdom. Strengthen my faith to obey, even when I don’t understand, and give me a heart that gives cheerfully. I pray for church leaders, that they may be faithful stewards of what is given. May my obedience bring glory to You and blessings beyond measure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity
- This week, take time to study Malachi 3:10, Genesis 14:19-20, and Leviticus 27:30.
- Write down three key lessons about tithing.
- Then, set aside time to pray specifically for your church leaders, asking God to guide them in the proper use of tithes for His work.
- If you haven’t been consistent in tithing, take a step of faith and return your tithe to God this week, trusting in His promise to bless you abundantly.
- Share this message with someone.
Author: Mark Alex
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