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Help Me Figure Out How Many Types Of Tithe In Ot Law?


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I'm trying to figure out how many types of tithing there is in the OT law. Some say there are two types, some say three. Looking at the texts, you could even say there's four:

 

 

Leviticus 27:30-33, All the tithe is the Lord's. No mention of Levites, and no mention of where the tithes are to be taken.

Numbers 18:21-24: A tenth of crops and animals and commanded to take the tithe to the Levites.

Deuteronomy 14:22-27: A tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, you are to eat your tithe at the yearly feast at the temple. Except on the third year:

 

Deuteronomy 14:28-29: Given only every three years: a tenth of crops given to the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.

I don't see how the Leviticus/Numbers tithe is still valid in comparison to the Deuteronomy tithes. There is nothing in the text to suggest that all types of tithes are to be practiced concurrently. Deuteronomy doesn't say "obey the Numbers tithe PLUS obey these additional two Deuteronomy tithes as well". They're completely different books with nothing connecting the texts. Whenever the Law mentions tithing, it refers to it as THE tithe, as though there were only one type.

Can anyone offer any thoughts?

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The tithe always sounded like a agricultural one, as if it was mainly placed on farmers and not townsmen.

 

Many churches preach that you should tithe. They base this on Old Testament law but they don't really follow what the tithe claims to be. No one thinks that they should bring in a tenth of their groceries to the pastor, for example. Also, no church says that every three years the money goes to the poor.

 

Did you know that some Christians argue that the tithe should be their income before taxes?

 

 

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I am going to rant a bit because this is one area that hurt me as a Christian. We were told that if we had faith, god would provide and that one way to show faith was through tithing. Everything was god's anyways so the fact that we could work came from god. Nothing was really ours.

 

We tried to tithe. God didn't provide shoes or the house payment. I could have gone to the church and asked for help or I could have supported my family without charity from the money that I was supposed to give to the church. Some Christians tithe and then speak in awe about the fact that someone gave them used shoes for their kids. Excuse me, if tithing means that you have to accept charity then you shouldn't tithe. Let someone who really can't make ends meet get the shoes or food. Not some idiot who gave away a portion of their income.

 

Sorry for the rant.

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There was a good ebook called "Should The Church Teach Tithing?". I have it saved somewhere in PDF format. It's written by a Christian, but he uses the bible to show that the church is wrong to continue to teach the concept of tithing. I'll see if I can dig it up somewhere.

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Yeah tithing was one of the first things to make me start questioning the bible. I've read a couple books on why tithing is not for christians (and I completely agree), but they all seem to disagree as to what the original OT tithe actually was. Some say it was just the Deuteronomy verses, others say it was the Numbers tithe as well - equating to 23.3%:

 

Numbers tithe: 10% (tithed to the levites)

Deut. tithe: 10% (to be eaten by your own family every year at the temple)

Deut. tithe (every 3 years): 3.3% a year (this tithe is given to the levites and poor people once every three years)

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I am going to rant a bit because this is one area that hurt me as a Christian. We were told that if we had faith, god would provide and that one way to show faith was through tithing. Everything was god's anyways so the fact that we could work came from god. Nothing was really ours.

 

Yes, exactly. I can't number how many times I heard this from the pulpit and other Christians. I remember about 2-3 times a year the pastor would deliver a "guilt" sermon that revolved around tithe.

 

God wants to bless you but he can't. Why? Because you don't trust him enough. One way to show him how much we trust him is with our money. Give till it hurts so God can prove himself to you.

 

And other B. S. like that.

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I could never figure out how any of those OT tithes translated to us today.

 

How are those tithes comparable to casino style tithing that some churches teach today, i.e. if you tithe $100 god will pay off 10:1. They ought to get rid of the collection plates and install slot machines in the church reception area instead. At least it would be a more fun way for people to fork over their cash to the pastor so he can buy himself new luxury cars, yachts or private planes to whisk him and his wife off to exotic luxury vacation resorts around the world while the poorest members of the church go hungry and starve to death, still hoping god will eventually payoff like the powerball lottery if they just have enough faith.

 

One thing we do know...., god certainly blesses those who help themselves. (help themselves to his followers' money, that is!) :lmao:

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I guess you can call this the "bribe tithe," found in Genesis 28:

 

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD[f] will be my God 22 and[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

 

I have actually heard it preached and taught that this is a "pre-law" example of tithing and since tithing existed prior to the law, it is a"type" or "prefigure" of how we should tithe. The writer of Hebrews goes on about how Jesus is a "priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (another supposed pre-Moses example of a tithe)" so many Bible preachers and teachers try to apply the same line of thought to the tithe. Since tithing took place before the law, then we have a non-law based precedent for tithing. If a teaching can be shown as ancient, it should be followed. Tithing is an ancient practice, therefore we should tithe.

 

But, as can be seen clearly from the text, Jacob made an outcome based pledge.

 

It amounts to "God, you do A, B , C and D for me and I will build you a "house" and tithe to you." What if this actually WAS the way Christians taught tithing? There would be a more biblical rationale for an outcome based pledge, but it would be a disaster and church leaders know this.

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I know there were several tithes plus you had to leave some of your crops for poor people to scavenge off. All up it works out to be like a third or more of your income. Sounds like today's taxes.

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They ought to get rid of the collection plates and install slot machines in the church reception area instead.

lol that's classic....at least you'd have more chance of a return on your investment!

 

 

It amounts to "God, you do A, B , C and D for me and I will build you a "house" and tithe to you."

Man if that were how churches were set up, I would've saved so much money by now.

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