Who should give Tithes to God?

Who should give tithes to God? Only the people who have savings or balance?

Many people’s complaint is that “I have not enough money to fulfill daily requirements, then how can I give tithes to God? I have nothing to give. ” This is a game of Satan. Satan will play his game and give us troubles and sorrows in mind to violate the Word of God. Are you a person who think that “I have nothing to give, what will I do? Let others who have enough to give.” Are you a person who suffering with this kind of bad thoughts in mind? Satan made your heart closed for not giving to God and you get God’s blessings by giving him.

We can see a story in the Bible 1 Kings 17:8-16

The Widow of Zarephath

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Is this widow was a women with savings or balance?  She had nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; She was gathering a couple of sticks,  to go home and prepare it for herself and her son, that they may eat it, and die. Elijah accepted an offering even from her. Was he done that to give trouble to her? Was it not to bless them? Are we not better than that widow and son?

Jesus also agree this.

The Widow’s Offering

21 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

Jesus praised the offering of this widow. Out of her poverty she has put in all she had to live on.

For the Lord is the one who repays,
and he will repay you sevenfold. (Sirach 35:13)

Is it necessary for priests to give tithes to God?

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 26 You shall speak to the Levites, saying: When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them for your portion, you shall set apart an offering from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. 27 It shall be reckoned to you as your gift, the same as the grain of the threshing floor and the fullness of the wine press. 28 Thus you also shall set apart an offering to the Lord from all the tithes that you receive from the Israelites; and from them you shall give the Lord’s offering to the priest Aaron. (Numbers 18:25-28)

Above Word of God reveal that Priests who do not have business establishments, estates, farms also should give tithe and remind us the importance of tithe to God. God knows about our life, he knows what we give is only for us to give him. He ask us to give from whatever we have. This commandment is for the purification and blessings of the people. Following this commandment of tithe by schools, convents, churches and other institutions will be a blessing for them.

Inspiration and Courtesy – Malayalam Book written by Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil, Sehion Retreat Centre, Attappady, Kerala State, India.

Do not treat Tithes as simple, it is God’s commandment

The Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me. (Exodus 25:1-2)

Tithe is God’s commandment. Many people do not know this. They insult the servant of Christ, insult the Church. They themselves eat the share of Tithe, insult the advice about tithe.

Then it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God,
but though living in great strife due to ignorance,
they call such great evils peace.  (Wisdom 14:22)

Dear Brother, are you a person who lead a life with above thinking? If yes, then you are leading a life with violating Word of God. Not only that you are boasting about it.

Therefore, whoever breaks[a] one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

You shall not delay to make offerings from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. (Exodus 22:29)

The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. (Exodus 34:20)

30 All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord’s; they are holy to the Lord. 31 If persons wish to redeem any of their tithes, they must add one-fifth to them.(Leviticus 27:30-31)

In the Holy Bible, from the book of Genesis itself God’s spirit blessed human being to offer tithes and offerings. We can see Cain and Abel offering to God from their hard work.

2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, (Genesis 4:2-4)

We read in the Holy Bible that after getting blessings from Melchizedek, Abraham offering tithes from everything to God.

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.19 He blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
maker of heaven and earth;
20 and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” (Genesis 14:17-20)

1 When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.  (Deuteronomy 26:1-2)

In the book of Malachi, the last book of the old testament, God reveals that not giving tithes is a strong sin.

Do Not Rob God

8 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you!(Malachi 3:8-9)

Inspiration and Courtesy – Malayalam Book written by Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil, Sehion Retreat Centre, Attappady, Kerala State, India.

Tithe and Wealth

Do Not Rob God

8 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. 11 I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-11)

Once in a family first jack fruit produced in a jack fruit tree. Children anxiously awaited for the jack fruit to be ready for reaping and eat. But, when jack fruit ripe their mother took it to church and offered to God. Then the children asked her that there are plenty of jack fruits in the church, but we don’ have. Why you are giving all these to God ? God is supposed to give us. That mother, who was filled with spiritual knowledge called the children and told them. My dear children, what do you think? Who is the owner of uncountable birds in the sky, crores of sea creatures, uncountable forest animals ? Are they not belong to God ? Do you know still then why God is accepting our very small humble offering? Only to return us that in much more quantity and also to give us blessings to use it when he returns. Bible teaches us like this:-

Honor the Lord with your substance
and with the first fruits of all your produce; (Proverbs 3:9)

 

Below bible verses are very attentive here.

10 Be generous when you worship the Lord,
and do not stint the first fruits of your hands.
11 With every gift show a cheerful face,
and dedicate your tithe with gladness.
12 Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
and as generously as you can afford.
13 For the Lord is the one who repays,
and he will repay you sevenfold. (Sirach 35:10-13)

The God who created and maintaining this universe is not asking something from us because he has any requirement for this. But, because he wants to give his blessings and wealth to us.

 6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

 

Inspiration and Courtesy – Malayalam Book written by Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil, Sehion Retreat Centre, Attappady, Kerala State, India.

What is Tithe? Why Tithe?

What is Tithe?

The tenth part of agricultural produce or personal income set apart as an offering to God or for works of mercy, or the same amount regarded as an obligation or tax for the support of the church, priesthood, or the like.

In our life we see many families  struggling with financial problems, agricultural loss, business loss etc.  In the Bible we do not see a God who wish to see struggling and sorrowful people. We can see this in below Bible verses:-

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God. (Psalms 92:12-13)

Here we meet a God who wish to see “the righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”

Again  in Psalms 35:27

Let those who desire my vindication
shout for joy and be glad,
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant.”

God is the Lord who delights in the welfare of his people.

Below is the Bible verses which prove God’s mind about a child of God.

The Lord will make you the head, and not the tail; you shall be only at the top, and not at the bottom—if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, by diligently observing them, (Deuteronomy 28:13)

What we have to understand from this? God wish that his children should have always upgrade and never decadence.

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be their slaves no more; I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. (Leviticus 26:13)

God rejoice in the goodness and freedom.

But why this is not happening in many families. They work hard from morning to evening, sometimes overtime duty also. But  no saving at all. With cleverness and hard work they try to earn as much as they can. But everything goes out from hand. What is the reason for this?

We read in Job 13:28 that people who do  not know God’s ways :-

One wastes away like a rotten thing,
like a garment that is moth-eaten. (Job 13:28)

 

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved. (Psalms 127:1-2)

For success in life it is very important to become the affectionate of God. Bible introducing us a God who give to his people even while they are asleep. If you like to become an affectionate of God, then you must follow Word of God carefully.

People have their own way for financial upgrade, peace in family, spiritual leading. But many times these ways end in darkness, disappointment and sorrow. But God has his own way to uplift his people. That lead to rejoice, peace and blessings of God.

31 and in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place. 32 But in spite of this, you have no trust in the Lord your God, 33 who goes before you on the way to seek out a place for you to camp, in fire by night, and in the cloud by day, to show you the route you should take.” (Deuteronomy 1:31-33)

People do not think about a God of this kind.

Inspiration and Courtesy – Malayalam Book written by Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil, Sehion Retreat Centre, Attappady, Kerala State, India.