Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Is It True That Abraham Did Not Tithe On His Possession?

By Ines Flores


The percentage of sacrifice required from Israelites was to the tune of twenty two percent of what a person owned. This was given to priests who were required to sacrifice ten percent of that. Could this be the biblical verses that are skewed by preachers in an attempt to get the faithful to give more? With no mention of a tithing percentage by Jesus or his disciples, the demand by present day pastors and ministers raises pertinent questions.

The first sacrifice made in the bible is that of Cain and Abel who were following the example of their father. Other sacrifices are conducted by Isaac and Jacob, among other fathers of faith. Does there exist any prove to suggest that Abraham did not tithe? With this in mind, is it right to say that sacrifice has been confused with tithing?

The insistent on planting a seed in order to get blessings lacks a foundation in the bible. With the afflictions that befell Job, a sacrifice or tithe would have shielded him. The people who came before Abraham only made sacrifices. Tithing is fore grounded during the time of Abram.

When he came from war, Abram gave part of his plunder to the high priest. The sacrifice included what Lot had as well as people around him. The trend was repeated when Abram rescued Lot from enemy kings. From the stories, the sacrifices were made from war plunder and not personal possession.

All the sacrifices made by Abram were voluntary. When asked to keep what he had captured in war, Genesis chapter twenty records that he declined. The reason given is that he did not want to be considered rich through war plundering. He allows the army to share what they had captured after giving a portion of it to the high priest.

Despite a lot of mentions about his wealth and prosperity, Abram did not engage in tithing on regular basis. This discredits the trend that is witnessed in churches today where tithing is a part of each prayer session. Tithing was used by societies as a lesson on honoring God. This is why it is voluntary. There is no mention of offering the best possession. That notion existed during sacrifices and not when tithing.

A new system is said to have been established through the New Testament. While so many other things changed, tithing remained as it was in the Old Testament. The other irony is an instance where pastors and church ministers own big cars and the best properties yet they do not feature during tithing. The fact that they expect their followers to tithe is suspect.

Moses is considered to have introduced the ten percent rule. He wanted to provide Levites with something to eat when he said that the first proceed of every harvest must be offered to God. This rule did not spare the priests. That it does not apply to present day priesthood raises questions.

Tithing is mandated in Malachi chapter three. People were punished by drought if they failed to sacrifice to God. The New Testament gives a new perspective where it insists on giving and not tithing. In fact, Jesus condemns people who tithe instead of giving the poor. This is contained in Matthew chapter 23.




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