Tithing, an Old Covenant Command

     "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed Thee?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!" Malachi 3:8-9

     Have you ever had someone tell you that you are cursed if you don't tithe based on the Old Testament scripture I have just quoted?  This scripture is used a lot to scare people into giving ten percent of their income. There are numerous problems with doing this which I will try to address in the next few posts.

     The first problem with using this scripture to justify a tithing message is that this is an Old Testament scripture referring to the curse of the law for the nation of Israel if they failed to be obedient to God. The blessings and curses of the Old Covenant that God made with Israel are enumerated in Leviticus, chapter 26. Leviticus 26:46 states, "These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the Lord established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mt. Sinai." Notice that this was an agreement between God and the nation of Israel. It had nothing whatsoever to do with anyone else.

     When Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood by dying on the cross, the Old Covenant became obsolete. See Hebrews, chapter 8, especially verse 13.  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are not under the Old Covenant, but the New. If you still think you are under the Old Covenant, then a study of the Book of Galatians should be very enlightening and liberating!

     Please keep in mind that I am not telling anyone not to tithe! You are free to give as much as you want to whomever you want. Give 20 percent, give 50 percent, give it all! Listen to the Holy Spirit and do whatever you believe He is leading you to do. Give it to whomever He tells you to give it. My disagreement is with the twisting and manipulating of scriptures to pressure other people to give under compulsion, contrary to the New Testament model for giving which is in II Cor. 9:7. "Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

     "...who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  II Cor. 3:6

     "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  II Cor. 3:17

     "and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32