Truth About the Tithe
Today’s Focus: The Tithe and the Attitude toward the Tithe
Scripture: Hebrews 7:7; 1 Timothy 5:17
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
When we discuss things like the tithe, for most people attitudes shift from happy and joyous to skeptical and reluctance. But when we teach the reason for the tithe and the purpose and show people the significance through scripture, then the Word of God convicts them and when we realize why we do it, we are now more freely able to do it knowing the truth.
Now look at “Hebrews 7:7: And without contradiction, the less is blessed of the better”. Now we stated that it is a relationship model. The older (better) serves the younger (less). Hence the father serves the son. Now, the response of the younger to the older, or the lesser to the greater, brings the honor that is due to the older. We have this scripture:
“1 Timothy 5:17: Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”
The word “honour” is the word in Greek “time” (tee-may) meaning money and/or the highest degree of esteem. The honor is in the form of the tithe. Who is it that supposed to receive the double honour? The elders, a person. Now this is not a forced relationship but a relationship connected by Holy Spirit bonded in love. The elder who is to watch over your soul labours in the word and doctrine and disciples you into maturity is worthy of the tithe. The reason you give the tithe is a show of celebration of your sonship and that you do not meet your own provision and protection but realize that you are a child of God in your Father’s House and you are aware and know that your provision and protection is provided by the Father and you have a heavenly inheritance to pull from. When you become faithful over the unrighteous mammon then God will entrust you with more knowing that you still are a son but have matured to understand that what is given to you is for distribution to the people who are in need. This maturation process continues so that God can bring you to a point where you can operate in the true riches of the Kingdom and rule with honor. This giving of the tithe is not on compulsion, manipulation or fear, but out of love and grace are we to give and this brings us to our attitude towards the tithe.
Jesus says that He loves a cheerful giver. A cheerful giver is one who has a cheerful and willing heart. Your attitude toward the tithe should be more of a celebration and not forced activity. Now Abraham said that God is the possessor of heaven and earth and he recognized that it was God who met his every need. Abraham was happy to give to Melchizedek just as Melchizedek served Abraham bread and wine. The greater is serving the lesser and the lesser’s response to the greater is in the form of the tithe and it gives honor unto Melchizedek to whom it was due. This was a celebratory process and not a grievous one. When we give out of grieve it does you no good and God knows this because your heart is not in the right place to give.
Now someone may ask what if a person does not have money to give? The tithe is not a money issue, it is an honor issue. Money is the least of the blessing but it is also the test point of whether you trust God for your provision and protection or whether you solely rely on you means and abilities to get that met. Another name for money in scripture was unrighteous mammon. However God has blessed you, you should be lead of the Spirit to tithe whatever it is the Lord has given you. Now let’s deal with some scare tactics that are used in the church and squash this mess.
If you do not tithe, will you lose your sonship or salvation? No. Will the enemy attack you more and more if you do not tithe? No. So what happens when you do not? The Father cannot entrust you with the true riches of the Kingdom so your maturation process is stunted because you have not come into maturity of understanding how to be faithful over the unrighteous mammon and you have to come to the mindset that your provision and protection is God and not in your ability to meet your provision and protection. Now when you are faithful over the few things then God will increase your flow as you begin to distribute what He allows you to handle. See if God entrusted the true riches of the Kingdom to an orphan then he will rule with dishonor and bring shame to the family. However, if the son is mature then he will rule with honor and He bring honor to his Father’s House.
Give honor to those who are worthy as it pertains to your spiritual growth. Money is not the only thing because not everyone has money. However the Lord leads you, you should tithe. It should be done cheerfully and not out of compulsion or fear. If you want to mature trust God and give honor to those who He has set in your life to watch over your soul and disciple you into maturity.
At Our Father’s Service
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
