Today, reading in Deuteronomy, I realized again (but in a different way) that tithes are not intended to pay the pastor’s salary or the church’s light bill. In Deuteronomy 14:22-29, it shows that what we’ve been taught and believed in traditional church about the purpose of giving tithes is somewhat of a misnomer.
You’re not really GIVING a tithe, it’s more akin to SETTING ASIDE a tithe for a time, and then to spend that tithe (believe it or not) all on yourself! As you do so, you are to remember God and all the good He has given you.
I was never taught this. I always believed that you were to give 10 percent of your money you earn and put it in an envelope and give it to the church. After that what happened to your money is anyone’s guess. You were just supposed to hope that this money “given to the Lord” would somehow come back to you or that God would look down on you more favorably or you’d get doubly blessed in some way in the future for giving of yourself now. I’ve never really understood how giving money to buy rainbow bookmarks or imitation widow’s mite coins, or the thousands of other useless junk a church spends it’s money on – I mean our money on – would benefit me. No, it’s clear from this passage that the money is to remain with the giver and to be spent on the giver. Don’t just take my word for it, look it up for yourself and let God speak to your heart about what it says. Let me give you an example of tithing in my real everyday life.
My wife and I tithe like this already with a special account set up for our children. Our three boys all have summer birthdays, so in addition to their each getting an individual birthday party and a week-long celebration around the date of the anniversary of their birth, we also sponsor an additional group or joint birthday party for all three of our children, and invite their extended family to this celebration. It’s basically a birthday celebration for our children’s grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles to come and celebrate with our children. It’s a time for our extended family to pay their respects as it were. A time for them to celebrate with our kids all at once rather than have everyone always come over to our house three different times during the summer. After all, people are busy.
My wife and I tithe like this already with a special account set up for our children. Our three boys all have summer birthdays, so in addition to their each getting an individual birthday party and a week-long celebration around the date of the anniversary of their birth, we also sponsor an additional group or joint birthday party for all three of our children, and invite their extended family to this celebration. It’s basically a birthday celebration for our children’s grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles to come and celebrate with our children. It’s a time for our extended family to pay their respects as it were. A time for them to celebrate with our kids all at once rather than have everyone always come over to our house three different times during the summer. After all, people are busy.
All year long my wife and I set aside a portion of our income in a designated savings account for the boy’s birthday parties. Out of these monies, we buy presents, food for the party, entrance fees to special parks or events that the boys want to go to for their birthday – anything they want. And we get to enjoy this time more because we know we have the money to cover or at least help to pay for everything if not cover all the costs in full.
According to God through Moses in this passage, tithing to God is this same idea. You are to set aside a portion of your first monies or grains or fruits and at the appointed time, bring them to where God is – the place that He wants to be worshiped at – and there (get this) you are supposed to spend that set aside money on whatever YOU want. Buy good food and drink. Buy fun things to do. Enjoy yourself with this money. If you didn’t have any money but you just had some berries set aside as your tithe then you are supposed to bring those berries with you and EAT THOSE in that special worship place. If you don’t have any money and you just have food or other material things set aside, you can sell the food or things if they would spoil by the time you reached the special worship place, and then take that money with you in their stead. When you arrive, you are to use that money from the sale of your first fruit things, and buy whatever you want to celebrate God’s goodness in your life.
I believe the purpose of this is to not only "Fear the Lord" like the Bible says (whatever that means-I don't think it means to be afraid of God as we understand being afraid of something,) but it’s a time to remember God – like we do in miniature every Sabbath when we set aside a time to go to a church or worship God in our own way. We spend a specific amount of time and focus our energies and thought specifically on God for that time.
Your tithe was not intended to be a slush-fund to eventually buy new playground equipment for your church, or even to put a new roof on the church. It’s clear from this passage that the tithe is GOD’S money that GOD WANTS TO GIVE BACK TO YOU as a gift for you to enjoy – to buy anything you want. If you want to buy new choir robes or a new sign for your church, I guess that could fall into the category of “use it to buy anything you want,” as long as YOU want it and YOU getting it gives YOU joy and a thankful heart towards YOUR God who loves YOU greatly. The tithe is for you, not the church. When you use your tithe, remember God, and enjoy Him.
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