This is our second article in our series regarding a biblical study of giving. As stated in session one, we quickly discovered when consolidating all the giving related passages, all our acquired notes, and our published “Getting Your Financial House In Order” book, that this subject is too extensive for one Loose Change article. Question #1 was “Why Do We Give.” The following addresses Question #2:
Q#2. How much do we give and when should we give?
Giving in the Old Testament and the four Gospel’s (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) has an often-overlooked connection between having a “Fear of the Lord” and “Tithing” (as found in Deut. 14:22-23).
“You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.”
The word “tithe” literally means 10% (not less than 10%, not 11% or 12%). Often, people mistakenly use the word “tithe” as a generic phrase referring to their giving, which is typically much less than 10%. This “generic” use of word “tithe” is a mistaken use of the term.
Nowhere in the Bible can we find a reference to where God instructs us to give less than ten percent. For the committed Christian, the tithe (10% of income) should be the starting place, not the goal. However, many new Christians do not yet have the faith in God to step out and give ten percent. The concept of being a cheerful giver is covered below.
Mal. 3:8-12 - A “Tithe” passage with included promises:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the LORD of hosts, “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts.”
Implications and applications from this Malachi passage:
First notice that it says, “titles and offerings.” This tells us that there is giving beyond the tithe of 10%. It also includes offerings, over and above the tithe.
In this passage, when we withhold the tithe (10%), God says that we are robbing Him.
This tithe went into the storehouse for support of the priests and Levites. Today, that can represent the local church.
Interesting Note: Just so it is noted here, the Israelites actually practiced three tithes that were recorded and observed. Being an agrarian and livestock producing economy, one tithe of their crops and livestock, as mentioned here in Malachi, was to support the Priests and Levites.
This first tithe, or Levite tithe, was mentioned in Num. 18:12, 21, 24.
The second tithe, or festival tithe, was used to pay for their annual sacred celebrations (Deut. 12:17-18; 14:23).
The third tithe, or poor tithe, was given to support the poor, orphans, and widows (Deut. 14:28-29; 26:12-13). The “Levite tithe” and the “festival tithe” were ongoing each year. The “poor tithe” was taken only every third year. This meant that the three tithes amounted to an average giving of twenty three percent (23%) per year.
Do also note that this is the only place in the Bible where God says, “Test me now in this” (i.e. He wants us to test Him in the giving of tithes and offerings). All the other “testing” references in the Bible are of God challenging us for our testing of Him. Jesus summed this up in answering Satan in Luke 4:12, “And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’
This passage also indicates a blessing for those who give a tithe. It is obvious to those who do tithe, that God blesses them. This is often in ways non-tithers can’t see or understand. The tither’s money is blessed and stretched. You rarely, if ever, hear someone who tithes complaining about their giving. It is the non-giver who often complains and makes excuses for the financial reasons regarding why they don’t give or tithe. If you should ever hear a tither complaining, that is an indicator that something in their life is currently out of balance; spiritually, physically, mentally, or financially.
The reference to the “devourer” is very interesting and important to comprehend. Understand, everyone tithes whether they like it or not. It is simply a matter of where the 10% ends up. The giving of the tithe is blessed, and then protected and stretched by God. When we withhold the tithe, the devourer is allowed to come in and take ten percent by destroying a portion of our income, revenues, or harvest? Or we can lose ten percent through increased expenses; i.e. our car breaks down more often, we spend more for medical expenses, or we spend more for purchases. The ten percent is devoured one way or the other.
As we read this passage, we have to ask the question, “Are all the nations calling the Christian community blessed today?” The answer is, “No!” Often, people look toward the local churches and say or think, “Why would I want your God? He’s broke!” If God’s people were giving God’s minimum of ten percent, then most church budgets around the world would be four to five times larger than it is now. Historically, per capita giving in most churches is 2-3% of people’s income. If God’s people gave ten percent, then most church budgets would be 4-5 times larger than before. If this took place, then the potential for all the following could be manifested and accomplished:
There would be no “building programs” where the church would need to incur debt and be forced into servitude (Prov. 22:7; Rom. 13:8). In the Bible, God never used debt to build His temples and He never manifested Himself to anyone with a loan.
We would also be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and those in prison. We would fully fund those “called” to the mission field, instead of sending them out partially funded and struggling to raise support. Fruitful church programs would be fully funded. We would be taking care of single parent families, who often aren’t attending church anymore. We would have the funds to impact the local community and those around us in need. And, if we were doing all this, the “unsaved” world would have their faces pressed against the windows of the church wanting to know what was going on inside! The result and outcome of all this would be that all the nations would call the Christian community blessed!
If anyone has a question or issue regarding the “legality” (or Law) of tithing as mentioned in the Old Testament and the four Gospel’s, just remember that:
Abraham tithed to the High Priest Melchizedek 400 years before the Law was ever written (see Gen. 14:18-20).
Jesus actually confirms the tithe when addressing the Pharisees in Matt. 23:23 and Luke 11:42. He addresses their tithing of everything; even down to their spices of mint, anise and cumin. He then tells them what is truly important (i.e. the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith); and then adds that their attitudes are wrong. He finishes by telling them to get their attitudes right, but also not to neglect the tithe.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (underline added)
New Testament Epistle Giving (for the church and Church Body today):
Giving is directed more toward whatever each person purposes in their heart, not grudgingly, not under compulsion, cheerfully, and God will supply all sufficiency. (Read all of 2 Cor. 8-9)
2 Cor 9:7-9 states:
“Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”
The Key New Testament Epistle (Church Body) Principle to study and understand, is that all mentioned Epistle giving is sacrificial giving!
This “sacrificial giving” reminds us of Luke 21:1-4 and Jesus observing the widow’s gift, “And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
What are other key application principles are found in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9?
The Macedonians gave from their abundance of joy and deep poverty with liberality; begging to give (2 Cor. 8:1-5). Also note in vs. 3 that generosity was both proportionate and sacrificial, “For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,” Add to that verse 8:12, “For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” So, we must be ready, and one must also have the financial resources that should be available to give.
2. Giving proves the sincerity of our love and funds fellow Christians going through hardships.
(2 Ch. 8:6-8)
“So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.”
3. It is not about who gains the most money or wealth; and giving should not bring the receiver into a higher economic position than the giver. Also, the need should be confirmed. This can be accomplished through mature church leaders or trained financial counselors. Epistle giving centers upon Christians caring for one another and reaching the eternally lost, as stated in
2 Cor. 8:13-15, “For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, “HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK.”
Important Note: The early church did pool their money together to survive (read the story of Barnabas in Acts 4:32-37). However, that is not the mandate for the Church (the Body of Christ) today. We are to give sacrificially, but we are not called to pool all our money together and live like a commune. We are called to be generous and ready to share with the Body of Christ and those God calls us to give to and care for. If severe persecution returns, Believers may be forced to group tighter together again in order to survive. We know from the book of Revelation, persecution is coming to the nation of Israel, and those people saved during the Great Tribulation.
4. Giving supplies seed for sowing and increases the harvest of our righteousness (read 2 Cor. 9:6-15). Note that a prepared heart for giving needs to be present. In farming, the Sower doesn’t keep the seeds in the bag or barn (they will rot). A Sower must put the seeds in the ground to grow. The Sower must give them up (they invest them). The seed must be buried (i.e. the Sower must die to self). If we want to reap a large harvest, we can’t consume the harvest; we must reinvest the seeds. Doing so produces an increase, and results in thanksgiving to God.
A Note here about sowing, harvest time and providing for the needs of the poor:
As the landowner, it was their responsibility at harvest time to leave the outside edges of their crops intact. It was left so the poor could glean from these crops and feed their family. Not only did it feed some of the poor, but it also gave them the dignity of going into the field and working for the food they obtained. This is a great example of God’s welfare system. Compare that to where our welfare system is today. (This is also covered in giving questions #3 and #4.)
Other key Bible passages which give us direction include:
I Cor 16:1-4, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.”
Ex. 34:27, "You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord".
Prov. 3:9-10, "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine".
These passages encourage us:
To give regularly.
To give proportionately (to give in percentages, not in flat dollar amounts).
To give of our first fruits (our giving is the first disbursement of income and increase, not the last). However, be alert to being legalistic regarding this “first disbursement.” It is the attitude and intent of the heart that God honors, not the act of always being the very first disbursement or check we write.
This concludes question #2 regarding giving – When Do We Give and How Much? Should you have any questions regarding this article, contact us. If you question or doubt your eternal salvation, contact us and ask for: “The ABC’s of Salvation.” Our next Loose Change article will address question #3 in this series regarding, “What are the eight most often asked questions about giving.”