TITHES

TITHE

1. Lev.27:30 All the tenth given from the land, whether from planted seed or fruit from trees, belongs to YHWH. It is holy to YHWH.

Mal.3:8 Will a man rob (cheat) YHWH? Yet ye rob and defraud Me. But ye say: “Wherein have we robbed Thee?” You have withheld your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, yet ye rob Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now herewith, saith YHWH of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall be more than sufficiency. And I will rebuke the devourer for your good, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your land; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith YHWH of hosts.

Tithing from the total income – is the fulfillment of this commandment. However, there are “believers”, which subtract from this tithe, which belongs to YHWH, their personal expenses, such as travel expenses, paying for the religious school, as well as their voluntary donations, confusing it with the tithe. Thereby they appoint (calculate) the tithe amount depriving the Almighty. Of course, we are not talking about corporations or business that requires an investment to make a profit. In this case, the tithe is paid out of profits from this investment.

2. Lev.27:31 If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it (20% from the tithe).

3. Lev.27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to YHWH. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it. And if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.

FIRST TITHE

4. Num.18:21 And unto the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting (therefore I have said unto them: among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance). Gen.14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was priest of YHWH the Most High. And he blessed him, and said: “Blessed be Abram of YHWH Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be YHWH the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.” And he gave him a tenth* of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram: “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.” And Abram said to the king of Sodom: “I have lifted up my hand unto YHWH,  Elohim, Maker of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest say: I have made Abram rich. Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their portion.”

The Book of Jubilees Chapter 13 And to this law there is no limit of days. For He hath ordained it for the generations for ever that they should give to YHWH the tenth of everything, of the seed and of the wine and of the oil and of the cattle and of the sheep. And He gave (it) unto His priests to eat and to drink with joy before Him. And the king of Sodom came to him and bowed himself before him, and said: “Our YHWH Abram, give unto us the souls which thou hast rescued, but let the booty be thine.” And Abram said unto him: “I lift up my hands to the Most High YHWH, that from a thread to a shoe-latchet I shall not take aught that is thine lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abram rich; save only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me – Aner, Eschol, and Mamre. These shall take their portion.”

5. Deut.12:19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake or neglect the Levite (minister of YHWH) as long as you live in your land.

6. Num.18:11 This also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits which they offer to YHWH, I have given them to you. Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, which they bring to YHWH, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. Every devoted (everything that has been vowed to YHWH) thing in Israel shall be yours.

7. Num.18:25 When you (Levites) take from the Israelites the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to YHWH, even a tenth of the tithe (paid by the people). And what you lift out and keep (your heave offering) shall be credited to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor or as the fully ripe produce of the vine. Likewise you shall also present an offering to YHWH of all your tithes which you receive from the Israelites. And therefore you shall give this heave offering (lifted out and kept) for YHWH to Aaron the priest.

8. Num.18:29 Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to YHWH, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them. Therefore you shall say to them: When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting.

SECOND TITHE

9. Deut.12:5 Rather, you are to come to the place where YHWH your Elohim will put his name. He will choose it from all your tribes. And you will seek out that place, which is where he will live, and go there. You will bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tenths (that you set aside for YHWH), the offerings that you give, the offerings you have vowed, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep. There you will eat in the presence of YHWH your Elohim. And you will rejoice over everything you set out to do, you and your households, in which YHWH your Elohim has blessed you. Gen.28:22 This stone, which I have set up as a standing-stone, will be YHWH house. And of everything you give me, I will faithfully return one-tenth to you.

The Book of Jubilees Chapter 32 And he (Jacob) abode that night at Bethel, and Levi dreamed that they had ordained and made him the priest of the Most High YHWH, him and his sons for ever. And he awoke from his sleep and blessed YHWH. And Jacob rose early in the morning, on the fourteenth of this month (7^мий місяць), and he gave a tithe of all that came with him, both of men and cattle, both of gold and every vessel and garment, yea, he gave TITHES of all. And in those days Rachel became pregnant with her son Benjamin. And Jacob counted his sons from him upwards and Levi fell to the portion of  YHWH, and his father clothed him in the garments of the priesthood and filled his hands. And on the fifteenth of this month, he brought to the altar fourteen oxen from amongst the cattle, and twenty-eight rams, and forty-nine sheep, and seven lambs, and twenty-one kids of the goats as a burnt-offering on the altar of sacrifice, well pleasing for a sweet savour before YHWH. This was his offering, in consequence of the vow which he had vowed that he would give a TENTH (tithes), with their fruit-offerings and their drink- offerings. And when the fire had consumed it, he burnt incense on the fire over the fire, and for a thank-offering two oxen and four rams and four sheep, four he-goats, and two sheep of a year old, and two kids of the goats. And thus he did daily for seven days. And he and all his sons and his men were eating this with joy there during seven days and blessing and thanking YHWH, who had  delivered him out of all his tribulation and had given him his vow. And he TITHED all the clean animals, and made a burnt sacrifice, but the unclean animals he gave not to Levi his son, and he gave him all the souls of the men. And Levi discharged the priestly office at Bethel before Jacob his father in preference to his ten brothers, and he was a priest there, and Jacob gave his vow: thus he TITHED AGAIN (second time) the tithe to YHWH and sanctified it, and it became holy unto Him. And for this reason it is ordained on the heavenly tablets as a Law for the TITHING AGAIN the tithe to eat before YHWH from year to year, in the place where it is chosen that His name should dwell, and to this Law there is no limit of days for ever. This ordinance is written that it may be fulfilled from year to year in eating the SECOND TITHE before YHWH in the place where it has been  chosen, and nothing shall remain over from it from this year to the year following. For in its year shall the seed be eaten till the days of the gathering of the seed of the year, and the wine till the days of the wine, and the oil till the days of its season. And all that is left thereof and becomes old, let it be regarded as polluted: let it be burnt with fire, for it is unclean. And thus let them eat it together in the sanctuary, and let them not suffer it to become old. And all the TITHES of the oxen and sheep shall be holy unto YHWH, and shall belong to his priests, which they will eat before Him from year to year. For thus is it ordained and engraven regarding the TITHE on the heavenly tablets.

10. Deut.12:11 Then there shall be a place which YHWH your Elohim shall choose to cause His Name (and His Presence) to dwell there; to it you shall bring all that I command you your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes and what the hand presents (as a first gift from the fruits of the ground), and all your choicest offerings which you vow to YHWH. And you shall rejoice before YHWH your Elohim, you and your sons and your daughters, and your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no part or inheritance with you.

11. Deut.12:15 However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of YHWH your Elohim which He has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it on the earth like water. You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. But you must eat them before YHWH your Elohim in the place which YHWH your Elohim chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before YHWH your Elohim in all to which you put your hands.

First of all, tithing is a form of worship.

12. Deut.12:21 If the place where YHWH your Elohim chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which YHWH has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. Eat it as you would gazelle or deer. The unclean and clean alike may eat it.

13. Deut.14:22 You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before YHWH your Elohim, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear YHWH your Elohim always.

14. Deut.14:24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where YHWH your Elohim chooses to put His name is too far from you, when YHWH your Elohim has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which YHWH your Elohim chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires. You shall eat there before YHWH your Elohim, and you shall rejoice you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.

“THE YEAR OF TITHING”

15. Deut.14:28 At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that YHWH your Elohim may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Mtt.23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

16. Deut.26:12 When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year – the year of tithing – and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before YHWH your Elohim: I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me. I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of YHWH your Elohim, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “A land flowing with milk and honey.”

Tobit 1:6 But I alone used to go often to Jerusalem for the festivals, as was prescribed for all Israel by longstanding decree. Bringing with me the first fruits of crops, the firstlings of the flock, the tithes of livestock, and the first shearings of sheep, I used to hasten to Jerusalem and present them to the priests, Aaron’s sons, at the altar. To the Levites ministering in Jerusalem I used to give the tithe of grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other fruits. Six years in a row, I used to give a second tithe in money, which each year I would go to pay in Jerusalem. The third-year tithe I gave to orphans, widows, and converts who had joined the Israelites. Every third year I would bring them this offering, and we ate it in keeping with the decree laid down in the Torah concerning it, and according to the commands of Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel; for my father had died and left me an orphan.

YHWH foresaw the gathering of tithes as a form of worship and as an absolute financial order which was appointed by Him for: honoring of His feasts, financial services, supporting the needy or for the provision of widows and orphans. Unfortunately, nowadays, in most gatherings or communities, the use of tithes are limited to the maintenance of the building, acquiring accessories, and for the pastor’s living expenses.

This is why many believers, due to their ignorance regarding tithe, experience not only financial difficulties but also shame since they end up having to use governmental assistance instead of their source YHWH, which comes from the right distribution of the tithe.