Is It True That Abraham Did Not Tithe On His Possession?

By Ines Flores


Calculations from the Old Testaments reveal that Israelites were required to give as much as twenty percent of their earnings to the priests. It was the priests who gave ten percent of that as offering. Present day tithing is sacrifice that has been misunderstood. It is worth noting that there is no clear mention of tithing in the New Testament leave alone a specific percentage.

The first sacrifice made in the bible is that of Cain and Abel who were following the example of their father. Other sacrifices are conducted by Isaac and Jacob, among other fathers of faith. Does there exist any prove to suggest that Abraham did not tithe? With this in mind, is it right to say that sacrifice has been confused with tithing?

The insistent on planting a seed in order to get blessings lacks a foundation in the bible. With the afflictions that befell Job, a sacrifice or tithe would have shielded him. The people who came before Abraham only made sacrifices. Tithing is fore grounded during the time of Abram.

The offering made by Abram in Genesis fourteen was based on what the armies had captured in battle. It also included what his brother Lot had as well as the people around him. This is an indication of sacrifice and not tithing. The tithe that Abram gave after rescuing Lot came from what the armies plundered.

All the sacrifices made by Abram were voluntary. When asked to keep what he had captured in war, Genesis chapter twenty records that he declined. The reason given is that he did not want to be considered rich through war plundering. He allows the army to share what they had captured after giving a portion of it to the high priest.

The church today has made tithing part of daily service unlike what the bible suggests. Abraham was a very wealthy man yet he only gave up what was gotten from war. From the traditions of the Israelites, tithing was a form of worship and was to be based on individual preference. There is no mention that people were required to give their best as is advocated in the church today.

The New Testament is said to have replaced laws that were considered obsolete. It is interesting to note that church ministers do not consider tithing among what was erased by the New Testament. Curiously, the pastors and church ministers own the best cars, houses and properties yet they do not offer them to the ministry. Their expectation that their followers should do that is therefore suspect.

Moses is considered to have introduced the ten percent rule. He wanted to provide Levites with something to eat when he said that the first proceed of every harvest must be offered to God. This rule did not spare the priests. That it does not apply to present day priesthood raises questions.

Tithing is mandated in Malachi chapter three. People were punished by drought if they failed to sacrifice to God. The New Testament gives a new perspective where it insists on giving and not tithing. In fact, Jesus condemns people who tithe instead of giving the poor. This is contained in Matthew chapter 23.




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