The Origin of Tithing
In the first part of this article on tithing it was established that Israel’s tithe was over 22%, and the people were to take care of the Levites. The Levites then tithed by bringing the 10% into the storehouse. This is the biblical Tithe. The New Testament does not require tithing but free will giving under the new Covenant. God mentioned no specific amount to the church. He is not telling prophets to tell the people to send in a $1,000 seed. In fact, Jesus, nor the apostles never used the word “seed” for giving money.
What we need to do is go back in history to see when the tithe was first established and required from the people, then we can determine if it is a practice for the Church today.
God did not command Adam to tithe, nor is it mentioned that Adam tithe of his own accord. Cain and Abel learned to sacrifice from Adam, to give an offering that was to be of blood not something that was from the work of their own hands (Genesis 4), but they did not tithe. Job, whom we have much detail of his life lived in the (pre?) Abrahamic period. He sacrificed but there is no mention of tithing. Considering how inventive some of the promoters of seed faith giving are today, it is surprising they have not found this the cause of Job’s affliction. You would think that Job would have needed to give something to remove Satan’s hand of attack against himself. Yet, the Bible is silent on this matter.
The fact remains-- there is no mention of giving any tenth of goods to a person, priest or God UNTIL Abraham. Lets go back to this first incident and examine carefully what took place. What we need to do is look at what exactly transpired with Abraham to see if this is the origin of the tithe as some of the prosperity seed-faith teacher’s claim.
In Genesis 14 we have the first reference to tithing and this pre-dates the Mosaic Law. This was a unique incident and relates to a special person at a certain time. Gen 14:17-20: “at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.”
This is the first time a tithe is mentioned in the Bible. Did Abram tithe of all that he possessed? No. The first thing you find is that the “everything” mentioned did not belong to Abram. It was the property of other people, including Abram’s nephew Lot, who was captured by the armies of the kings. Abram gave away ten per cent of other people’s captured goods. I was thanksgiving offering to God on behalf of the people who had been miraculously rescued.
Lets step back a few verses. Genesis 14:16: ”And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.”
After rescuing his nephew Lot from the alliance of the kings with Chedorlaomer he gave Melchizedek, king of Salem a tenth of everything that he plundered. It was from the spoils of war. That was what the tithe came from. Abra[ha]m did not tithe from his personal possessions but the spoils of war. And that is exactly what the New Testament says Hebrews 7:4: ”Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” A tithe was on what you earned, it was from your vocation (Lev. 27:30; Deut. 14:22-23,28; 2 Chron.31:5-6.)
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