MEANING / BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION OF TITHES

tolustx (64)in #christian-trail • 5 years ago (edited)

TEXT: HEBREWS 7:1-9

1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

Tithing is one of the most contested topics in the world today. I say in the world because even those who are not believers are antagonists to the idea more than believers who are supposed to practise it and partake of the rewards that come with it.

Source

Tithe refers to 10 percent of your earnings. This means when you divide your earnings into ten equal parts, one part of it belongs to God and should be given at the right time.
Tithe is applicable to

Profit made from a business transaction
Regular wages / salaries
Livestock or farm harvest
Monetary gifts gotten, and so on.

Biblical References to Tithes

Abraham gave tithe (Genesis 14:19-20)
Jacob vowed to pay his tithes regularly (Genesis 28:22)
Those who refused to pay their tithes were rebuked in Malachi 3:8

Lessons From Malachi 3:10-11

If you love God, you will pay your tithes
If you love the church and want its progress, you will pay your tithes
If you want divine blessings in abundance in your life, you will be committed to paying your tithes
Tithes should be brought to the house of God (where you worship, where you get spiritual nourishment), not to an individual prophet or pastor or orphanage homes, as some people claim to do. You can however give gifts in whatsoever measure to individuals or organizations as you may wish.
When you pay tithes regularly, God will ensure that you do not labour in vain. He will ensure that you prosper abundantly and your efforts will not be in vain.

In conclusion, tithing is a blessing to our lives and in extension, it blesses the lives of people around us. It helps to strengthen our relationship with God and helps us to depend more on God, from whom all blessings come (James 1:17) and from whom our help comes (Psalms 121:2).