Ought man to defraud God? Yet you are defrauding Me. And you ask, “How have we been defrauding you?” In tithe and contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you go on defrauding Me—the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, and let there be food in My House, and thus put Me to the test—said the LORD of Host. I will surely open the floodgates of the sky for you and pour down blessings on you.
Malachi 3:8-10 (Tanakh)
There is a place where it is written: Let not your hand be open to receive and clenched when it is time to give. And it is also written: Freely you have received, freely give.
During the life of Abraham, his nephew Lot was taken captive by several kings, who defeated the leaders of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram and his men pursued and successfully defeated the kings in battle; rescuing the inhabitants and recovering all of their possessions. When they were returning to their land, Melchizedek, the King of Salem, met Abram with bread and wine and…
He blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your foes into your hand.” And [Abram] gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:19-20 (Torah)
Before the law was written and given to the children of Israel, Abraham knew the law and he gave a tenth of a percent of all the booty to Melchizedek, the King of Salem.
The Lord commanded that a tenth of everything we earn be given to support the high priest, the teachers of the law, our elderly and humbled relatives, widows, orphans, and the strangers amongst us; who are unable to take care of themselves. By this act, we acknowledge that we were not created for our own satisfaction, but to take care of one another.
You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing.
Deuteronomy 25:4 (Torah)
The Lord commanded us to remember the priest and the teachers of the law, because they have made a commitment to the Lord and his sheep. They spend their life devoted to studying the Word of God and the law. If we forsake the priest and neglect to pay a portion of our tithe to them; then, they become worried about the cares of this world, and how they will support themselves and their family, and they become consumed by the affairs of this world. They must seek other jobs, which distract them from their responsibility to the Lord and us. They are no longer able to study, meditate, or pray; because they no longer receive the fodder they require, so that they can continue to feed the children of God.
The first promise the Lord made, followed the commandment:
Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12 (Torah)
The circle goes around, and as one generation is, the next one will follow. When one generation is cursed by the Lord; the second, third, and fourth generation may also be cursed. However, if one generation is blessed, so may the others who follow. Remember your parents and do not judge them. The Lord gave you life through your parents. When you’re young, respect them and do what they ask of you; when it’s right, without grumbling or looking for a bribe. When your parents become aged, remember to take care of them. Visit your parents and remain in contact with them. When it’s time, bring your parents home with you; if you can, and show them love and compassion. Remember: If the Lord is with you―you may also become old.
You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their out-cry as soon as they cry out to Me, and My anger shall blaze forth and I will put you to the sword, and your own wives shall become widows and your children orphans.
Exodus 22:21-23 (Torah)
When a woman loses her husband, she has also lost her life sustenance. She becomes emotionally wrought and it may take years for her to become emotionally and physically strong enough to take care of herself. If the woman is older, she may never have the ability to take care of herself. So if we know a widow who is in need; we should take her under our own wing, befriend her and help her, when we can.
As it is for the widow, so it is with an orphan; they have lost the head of their household and they have become emotionally wrought and have no means to take care of themselves. We need to remember the orphans and take care of them. Try to remember that many parents have neglected their children because of illegitimacy and divorce. If you know a child who has been forsaken, please try to help them, just as you would an orphan.
If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 (Torah)
There is a place where it is written: The poor and the wealthy were created by the Lord, so that he may be blessed through them. For when a poor man cries out to the Lord, because he is hungry and the wealthy man’s heart is stirred to reach out to feed him, then the Lord is blessed. For the hungry man praises the Lord because he is full and the wealthy man praises the Lord because the Lord has given him the ability to help others. This is the spirit each one of us should have.
Just as it is with the poor and the wealthy, it is also with the weak and the strong. If a person is given strength, it is not for the purpose of lording over someone else, in order to cause them affliction or worse, to destroy them. A person is given strength so that they can support someone else who is weak, in order to lift them up and allow them to lean on them; then, they can both lean on the Lord.
Whether we may be blessed with an intellectual gift, a physical gift, or a financial gift; it’s not meant to be hoarded, but to be shared. Because when the Lord blesses us, it is for the sake of each other and him.
There are so many people among us, both young and old, who have been neglected by the government and their families, and they do not have the ability to take care of themselves. Some of them are emotionally disturbed because of events that have weakened them, while others do not have the strength or mentality to support themselves. We see them everywhere we go reaching out for assistance. It is not wise for us to
neglect them. Please do not have a hard heart toward them, because the Lord tests the spirit and weighs the heart of every man. If we are obedient and help them, then we have fulfilled the law. If a person unlawfully reaches out for assistance, when they have the strength and the mentality to work; but they are lazy, then the Lord will judge them. On the Day of Judgment, we will be judged by our own behavior and not by someone else’s actions.
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV)
In the United States, we are permitted to claim a tax deduction, when we make a contribution to a non-profit organization. It may be the same elsewhere; however, I am unaware of this. This was done because of the hardness of our hearts, in order to encourage us to support these organizations; however, in the eyes of the Lord, if we pay our tithe to a charitable organization and then turn around and declare it as a tax deduction, it is no longer considered an offering to the Lord, because we have re-claimed our gift. Once we have set money aside for the Lord, in tithe, it becomes holy and it no longer belongs to us. (Leviticus 27:30-33)
In the Word of God, we are taught that when a person receives tithe from someone else, then they in turn are required to pay tithe to another person or organization. For example: The priest paid tithe to the high priest and the high priest made an offering to the temple. (Numbers 18:26-29) When an individual or an organization receives a contribution, they should also pay tithe on the contribution that they have received, to another person or organization; one, they themselves will not benefit from.
I have heard that it’s believed within the Jewish faith that only people who are involved in agriculture are required to pay tithe. If this is true, it is also taught because of the hardness of their hearts. For if only agriculturist were required to pay tithe, who would choose to be a farmer? It would not be fair to say that one person must pay, but not the other. When the Laws of Moses were given to the children of Israel, agriculture was their primary occupation and they lived in an agrarian society, so farming was their life sustenance. Today, the fruit of our labor is settled monetarily and we are still required to pay the first fruits to the Lord. The Lord dwells in each one of us and he gives us the wisdom and the strength to do all things. The Lord owns everything we possess; so if the Lord requires one tenth back from us, of that which is already his, what is that to us?
In the Word of God, we are taught that when a person receives tithe from someone else, then they in turn are required to pay tithe to another person or organization. For example: The priest paid tithe to the high priest and the high priest made an offering to the temple. (Numbers 18:26-29) When an individual or an organization receives a contribution, they should also pay tithe on the contribution that they have received, to another person or organization; one, they themselves will not benefit from.
I have heard that it’s believed within the Jewish faith that only people who are involved in agriculture are required to pay tithe. If this is true, it is also taught because of the hardness of their hearts. For if only agriculturist were required to pay tithe, who would choose to be a farmer? It would not be fair to say that one person must pay, but not the other. When the Laws of Moses were given to the children of Israel, agriculture was their primary occupation and they lived in an agrarian society, so farming was their life sustenance. Today, the fruit of our labor is settled monetarily and we are still required to pay the first fruits to the Lord. The Lord dwells in each one of us and he gives us the wisdom and the strength to do all things. The Lord owns everything we possess; so if the Lord requires one tenth back from us, of that which is already his, what is that to us?
... “And [Abram] gave him a tenth of everything.”
Genesis 14:20 (Torah)
