Some Plain Reasons Why Man Is Required to Pay Tithe by H. LOUIS MIGNOT

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 28, 1915

Some Plain Reasons Why Man Is Required to Pay Tithe

By H. LOUIS MIGNOT

Tithing — No. 1

Some Plain Reasons Why Man Is Required to Pay Tithe

H. LOUIS MIGNOT

As long as man would remain faithful to the command, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it,” just so long he would live. But when he partook of the fruit of that tree, he disobeyed God, and death was the result. And just as surely as the appropriation of the Lord’s portion by the first man brought death upon him, just so truly will all those who today take the tithe to themselves bring upon themselves eternal ruin and death. Therefore it is necessary for all to see the great importance there is in rendering to God his own. It is not a matter with which to trifle.

When Adam sinned, God gave a plan whereby man could, through faith and obedience, walk in the original path. That way is the plan of salvation, through Jesus our Saviour. Therefore every one who accepts it must stand on

the same platform of obedience on which Adam in his unfallen state stood. He must also acknowledge the same original test — God’s mark of ownership — which Adam acknowledged before he sinned.

Satan through craft usurped the dominion over the earth which God had given Adam. The mission of the Saviour to this world was “to seek and to save that which was lost.” By his death, whereby his blood was shed, the ransom was paid for man and his lost home. 1 Cor. 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 Tim. 2:6. They were originally his by creation, and they are also his by the ransom which he paid for them. So it is plain that he has a double claim upon the earth and man. “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price.” The fullness of the earth — “every beast of the forest, . . . and the cattle upon a thousand hills; . . . all the fowls of the mountains,” “the silver” and “the gold,” “and all the tithe of the land” (Ps. 50: 10-12; Haggai 2:8; Lev. 27:30) is the Lord’s by the right of creation and the right of redemption.

Every one who claims to be Christ’s servant, ought carefully to consider the matter of tithe paying. To refuse to return to the Lord the tithe, is to dispute his original right as owner, and also to deny the fact of his new claim, that of redeemer, — which his lifeblood has assured him, and which has given him a double right to the earth and its fullness. The death of Jesus has, therefore, made the matter of the payment of tithe of double importance.

The true Christian will stand by God’s original plan of ownership. In standing by the new claim which the death of Jesus warrants, the true Christian acknowledges Christ’s double right to the ownership of the world and all things that are therein.

Other Reasons Why We Should Pay Tithe

But there are other reasons why we should pay tithe. It is the Lord’s appointed means for the support of his ministry upon earth. The apostle Paul, when speaking of its support, said: “Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? . . . Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? . . . Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? . . . Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” 1 Cor. 9:7-14. From the preceding scripture we learn that God, who is the essence of mercy, justice, and love, has made abundant provision for the support of his servants, who are treading out to dying sinners the corn of life — the gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour. The plan of God made provision even for the support of dumb animals used by the Jews in the plowing and sowing of the land, and this provision was made an object lesson in the care of the Lord’s servants who today are sowing the gospel seeds. “Doth God take care for oxen?” “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn.”

Now the plan of the support of the ministry is clearly stated in the expression, “Even so hath the Lord ordained.” The verb “hath ordained” turns our minds to something that was already existing, not to something that was just springing up in the apostle’s day. He referred to the plan of the past dispensation which Jehovah had designed for the support of his ministry. When the Aaronic priesthood was organized, the tithe of the land, as well as the several offerings, was given by God for its support. And so we read: “And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. . . . The tithes of the children of Israel . . . I have given to the Levites to inherit.” Num. 18:20-24. It is therefore plain that the paying of tithe is God’s appointed plan for the support of his ministry on earth.

In the past, when God’s people became delinquent in the matter of the payment of the tithe, there was a financial dearth upon his cause. His ministers, the Levites, having no sustenance, became disheartened, forsook his service, and sought some other means of supporting their families and themselves. For so we read, “I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.” Neh. 13:10. The same cause, nonpayment of tithe, will today produce the same effect as in the days of Nehemiah. For this reason every believer in this final work for the world ought carefully to consider the importance of paying to God a faithful tithe of his income or increase, that the work of God may go on triumphantly until this message reaches earth’s remotest bounds, and the end comes.