Ten Cents is practically nothing in today’s culture. It won’t mail one letter, pay for one parking ticket, tips for one meal, or buy one cup of coffee. So we could say ten cents is an economic failure. However, the Scriptural Tithe, which is ten percent, is worth infinitely more than 10 cents. Why is the Scriptural Tithe so very, very important to God and man?
- The Scriptural Tithe belongs to the Lord. (Lev. 27:30) This means it does not belong to any human being. It is the possession of God, and if one dare claim it or use it for himself he is guilty of robbing God of that which is His (Mal. 3:8) – indeed GRAND LARCENCY. To rob the First National Bank of its deposits would be a major crime; to rob God of His Tithe is an even greater crime or sin.
- The Scriptural tithe is God’s provision for the maintenance of His church, the local body entrusted by Him to carry out the Great Commission to the ends of the earth. (Mal. 3:10b, Matt. 28:18-20) God has not left His church without support but has decreed and ordained that His people support it with ALL not part, their Tithes weekly (Mal. 3:10, 1 Cor. 16:2) to withhold the Tithe is to shut down His church or destroy His church, the penalty for which is awesome. “If any person defiles the body (the church) him will God destroy.” (1 Cor. 3:17)
- The Scriptural Tithe is God’s passport to financial freedom for His people, according to His clear promise in both the Old and New Testaments. “Bring ye ALL the tithe into the storehouse (local church), saith the Lord of host, and test to see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour blessings you will not be able to receive.” (Mal.3:10) “He who sows bountifully will reap bountifully… God loves a hilarious giver. And God is able to make all grace (money in this context) abounds toward you that you having all sufficiency (money) in all things may abound to every good work… You are made rich so that you can be generous on all occasions.” (2 Cor. 9:6b, 7, 11). The polls show (Gallup) that 87% of the American people are in debt. What is Debt? Using the four letters in Debt, consider this: D stands for done. E stands for everything. B stands for but, and T stands for tithe. “Done Everything but Tithe.” Are you in debt? Do you desire to be freed from Debt? If so, begin tithing; if you don’t you are doomed to a life of debt which leads to all kinds of evil, including divorce, loss of health, spiritual poverty. (Rev. 3:17, 1 Tim. 6:8-10, 17)
- The Scripture Tithe is Holy. Just a few things are called Holy in the Bible, but when God calls anything on the earth Holy, He is saying “This is mine uniquely and must be used only for my glory, and if not, one brings the judgment of God upon His soul.” EX: 2 Tim. 3:15 speak of the “Holy Scriptures. Therefore, no one dare “tamper”, misuse or abuse, the Holy Scriptures. The last warning of the Bible, in the last chapter and among the last four verses, warns that if any one adds to or takes from the Scripture God will deprive him of glory and assign to him the plagues. Under the Old Covenant God’s people tampered with the Tithe, and God said to them through Malachi, “You have robbed me, and you are cursed with a curse, even the whole nation.” (Mal. 3:10) What was that curse? Crop Failure. Under the New Covenant the penalty of robbing God of His Tithe is financial bondage. Some years ago, so I read, Mr. Gallup polled the tithing habits of American, discovering that 87% of American people are deep in debt and only 13% are not. Who are the 13%? According to Gallup, they were the tithers. People make all kinds of excuses for not tithing, such “I can’t afford to tithe,” I’m already in debt.” “I work hard for my money and I’m not going to give to any church my money,” “after paying my rent, for groceries, clothes, etc. I have nothing left.” If you are making one of these excuses, do you not see that they all are invalid in the light of what the Tithe represents as stated above and your question should not be “How can I afford to tithe?” but rather ‘How can I afford Not to tithe?” Lay this matter before the Lord. Search your soul. Don’t tamper with Holy Things. Remember “Tithing is the Economic Evidence that you are redeemed” and its practice leads to incredible blessings to you and glory to God.