Tithes and Offerings

Giving Offerings and Tithes to God

Dear Children,

What do you understand of giving our tithes and offerings during worship? Do you put much thought to what you do when it comes to giving our offerings?

Tithing and offering is part of our worship to God. It is to live out our hearts’ desire to worship and thank God for His bountiful blessings upon us. It is a response to His faithfulness, love, mercy and grace upon us. It is also to acknowledge that God owns everything. He made everything out of nothing. God owns everything, our wealth, our body and soul. God’s ownership of the world is clearly stated in Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (cf 1 Cor 10:26).Psalm 50:10. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. No matter how much we have, they belong to Him. We are but stewards of His many blessings.

God gave us hundred percent but requires only a tithe or ten percent back. If you have your four weeks of pocket money which may amount to $20, God just wants you to tithe $2 back to Him. After you tithe, the additional amount you wish to give is called offerings.

Many Christians misunderstood that tithing or giving of the tenth of our income is done away with together with the ceremonial laws of Moses. But the gift of ten percent first appeared before the ceremonial laws that God made with the people of Israel. It was in the time of Abraham in Genesis 14 when he gave the tenth of his goods from the conquest of the kings to the high priest, Melchizedek.

Also, Abraham’s grandson Jacob followed Abraham’s example by giving a tithe. At the end of the dream of the ladder to heaven in Gen 28:10-22, Jacob said, “Of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.” (v.22)

Jesus put His stamp of approval on this practice in Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, 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.” In this verse Christ rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for focusing on the “dos and don’ts” of tithing to the minute herbs but neglected important matter, like judgment, justice or mercy. The justice and mercy they ought to have done without neglecting the other. Here, Jesus did not consider the tithe as outdated.

Likewise in 1 Cor 9:13, 14 In v. 13, the Holy Spirit reminds the New Testament saints that under the Moses times, God had made provision for the maintenance of those who ministered in the temple. “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” The words “even so” emphasized the same method are to be used in the support and maintaining of the preachers of the Gospel as were used in supporting the temple of old.

WHY WE SHOULD GIVE TO THE LORD?

The Law of Reciprocity:
Since God owns everything He doesn't really need our tithes and offerings. But God wants us to tithe so that we understand the law of reciprocity. Just like when someone smiles at you, you smile back. We should reciprocate his love for us with our love with our giving.

The Work of God
God’s appointed method for the financing of the work of the gospel which he has been pleased to place in our hands is through His children’s giving. Hudson Taylor, the missionary to China made a true statement, “When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it will never lack God’s supply.”

Test of our Faith
When we received our income, we set aside the 10 percent. We live on the 90 percent. He will enable us to accomplish far more with the 90 percent that is left than we could have done with the original one hundred percent. This submission to God’s command is an important process of maturing us in our faith. As we give, we grow spiritually, learning to honour and reverence God and to always put Him first. Remember, we are channels of His blessings rather than store houses (Acts 4:32-35).
It is an antidote against coveteousness.
When we give, we acknowledge all our money is His. We make conscious effort to be good stewards of His money. We spent wisely and we give generously to God and to the gospel work. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:12-13.

HOW WE SHOULD GIVE TO THE LORD?

Whenever we give, we must give with thanksgiving and love (Deuteronomy 8:11-18).

We must possess the earnestness and cheerfulness when we give. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

The apostle Paul also tells us that we receive according to the way we give: 2 Cor 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

We must not show off our giving: Matthew 6:1-4:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Conclusion
The Lord will bless us with a special blessing (Malachi 3:10; see Haggai 1:6,9,13; 2:15-19; 1 Kings 17:10-16). Let us honour the Lord and not be indifferent to Him. Let us fulfill this obligation with love and cheerfulness and sincerity and gratitude on our part.