As said above, the tithe was not intended for our redemption. The
offerings were connected with repentance. There was quite a complex list of tithes, offerings, and donations to festivals.
Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18: The First Tithe - a tenth of crops and animals and commanded to take the tithe to the Levites.
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: The Second Tithe aka The Festival Tithe - a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: The Third Tithe aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe - a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
The Laws of Moses were written to give the Israelites guidance in their transition from the disorganized desert, into the Promised Land, and "for all generations."
Out in the desert, they had just left the governmental structure of Egypt, and had nothing governing them.
If they were all slaves/servants, then none of them were professional lawmakers, criminal justice experts, social workers, doctors, or even priests. (I don't know this for a fact.... assumed.) Any expertise they had would have been carried out informally in their community.
Moses presented an organizational plan, through God's guidance, for all matters pertaining to the community.
There were no official provisions for the poor, until the Law instated the tithe. There were no ways for religious workers to be compensated for their time, no tabernacle supply plan, no police structure, no prison systems.... just desert and possibly 2 million people.
When we approach the tithe, we should think about what the needs of the community are: we already pay taxes that support needs within the population; we have tax breaks when we give to nonprofits; churches are/are not state-supported depending on the country...
Look at what is being met, or is not being met. Are there needs in the community that are under-represented? According to the original plan, I would think that volunteer ambulances would have been supported by the tithe -- because priests originally had medical duties.
The Israelites lived within a theocracy. When the practical aspects were lacking, the spiritual end suffered. When soldiers lost in battle, Judaism lost ground. When a communicable disease broke out, the people of God suffered. Everything was intertwined.
I firmly believe in the tithe, but not to elevate the power of the clergy. In the original plan, clergy did not own land or accumulate wealth. The original tithe was intended to make sure people without incomes were being fed.
When we live in a territory and claim our neighbors as part of our team, we need to take responsibility for that territory. Sometimes we have to fight to defend intrusions, or give up what we worked hard for to make sure our neighbors do not suffer.
That was the hum of the machinery of Christianity and Judaism -- a strong work ethic, but generosity and humility. Not holding too tightly to what we'd built up. Not competing so vehemently that we refuse to help others in need.
Look for the heart of the tithe.
Thanks everyone! That is why I cannot find anything about the 10% to give to churches because it does not exist. It's man-made:o I will still give and help people out of the goodness of my heart. I just hate the 1st 2 churches I went to focus on money more than God. I would give my life for God/Jesus. There is no amount of money I would not give them if commanded to do so.
