Paying Tithes - An Old Covenant

Misquoting Of Biblical Passages About Tithing And More....

Will the question about paying tithes ever be settled? I don't think so. Is paying them something that should be personal between you and God? Yes, I believe so. But then again this is just my opinion, and it seems that a lot of opinions are floating around about this subject.

Well, here is another article that I think you will enjoy about tithing, the misquoting of biblical passages and the old covenant. Please enjoy it, and if you take anything away from this article, let it be that whatever you choose to do is your business and no one else's.

Pride goeth before the fall...

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. -Proverbs 16:18

Money is the root of all evil...

The love of money is the root of all evil. - I Tim. 6:10

Even worse is the distorted lifting out of context from the Book of Ruth:

"I will follow you where ever you go" (at weddings!) (or, as an exhortation to a woman to follow her husband, regardless of her feelings on the subject)

1:11 Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

1:12 Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, 'I have hope,' if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons;

1:13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me much for your sakes, for the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me."

1:14 They lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.

1:15 She said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law."

1:16 Ruth said, "Don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;

1:17 where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried. Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me."

Last, and certainly the least of these, is one explanation given for paying tithes - and here, I step into the shadow of doubt, for I fear to incense readers who may not see my point:

Of the twelve tribes of Israel, only the Levites were excused from the daily rigors of tilling the land and raising cattle. In fact, they received no land at all. Instead, they were charged with the care of the Tabernacle, the offering of sacrifices and generally, the spiritual matters of the tribes. Well, they too had to eat, so it was commanded that they collect tithes from the other eleven tribes. One tenth of the tithe was an offering to god, while the Levites were entitled to the remaining nine tenths as a reward for their services. (See Numbers 18:26 - 31)

Paying Tithes To The Church

How the pastor offers one tenth of your paycheck to god, I don't know (repaint the sanctuary?), but he is entitled to the rest, because he has bills to pay, too! Of course, the tithe was not a one-time collection, but occurred periodically. (I said I was being a smart-ass.)

I have heard some people say that you shouldn't have to tithe at all, because with the advent of the New Covenant, the blood of the lamb for one sinner is replaced by the blood of Christ for all sinners. What they are implying is that the Old Covenant of paying tithes no longer holds force.

This, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34, is indeed the case; and, according to Matthew 25:26-29, the prophecy is fulfilled.

Even though paying tithes is part of the Old Covenant, that seems, to me, to be an underhanded way of getting out of supporting your spiritual leader.

And that, dear reader, is what really grinds my gears!