Q. Is tithing for us today? Isn’t that Old Testament stuff?
A. Yes, tithing is VERY MUCH for us today. It’s not an Old Testament thing. Matter of fact, tithing has ALWAYS been a part of man’s relationship with God. We have Biblical record of Abraham tithing to Melchizedek, over 400 years BEFORE it was instituted as a part of the law of Moses. Tithing isn’t old testament law that the new testament does away with. It was before the law and it continues after Jesus fulfilled the law. Matter of fact, tithing is mentioned more than once in the New Testament. Hebrews 7:8 states that here (on earth), men receive tithes, but there (in heaven) He receives them. Notice it doesn’t say RECEIVED them. It says RECEIVES…..continuous present tense. Matter of fact, Jesus Himself mentioned tithing in His rebuke of the Pharisees as tithing every little herb but neglecting heart and character issues, these (Jesus said) you ought to have done…“without leaving the others undone”, speaking of the tithe. So Jesus Himself said that we shouldn’t omit tithing. Tithing is not only a part of covenant relationship with the Lord, it is also simply a sign that greed hasn’t overtaken our heart. It’s a matter of trust as well. To say we trust God to take care of us and then withhold the tithe is to prove we don’t really mean what we say. It exposes our heart. That’s why in Malachi chapter 3 when asking the question of what to do to come back to the Lord, the first thing God dealt with was the tithe. The tithe is a way for God to place a blanket, so to speak, of His care over us, covering us from much of the curses that are running rampant in the earth. The tithe is a very essential part of our protection in the covenant we have with God. I wouldn’t consider being without it.
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