TITHES AND OFFERINGS

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 22, 1880

TITHES AND OFFERINGS.

TEXT: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Mal. 3:8-10.

WE aim to be Bible Christians, both in doctrine and in practice. Whatever the Bible clearly teaches, that we profess to believe and practice. This is true relative to the manner of supporting the gospel. The modern mode of raising means for this purpose we reject.

When a minister is hired, a subscription paper is circulated, soliciting help from all classes. Then the contribution box is passed in the congregation. Many people stay away from meeting on this account. And when more means are desired, donation parties are resorted to, and all classes are invited to contribute. Then come festivals, oyster-suppers, grab-bags, fish-ponds, ring-cakes, and a whole list of abominations, with which to catch a dime from every one.

But the gospel must be supported. The Lord's devoted ministers must have a living. If we reject this system, we must adopt a better one. In order to make this matter clear, we will notice a few of the plainest principles of the Bible bearing upon the point.

1. There is One Living God who Created all Things.

Having made all things, it is right and reasonable that God should say how they should be used: and no one has a right to use them for any other purpose.

2. God Created all Things for his Own Pleasure and Glory.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Rev. 4:11. Notice the statement: "For thy pleasure they are and were created." Man, in his selfishness, has come to think that all things were created for his pleasure; that the sun shines to please him; that the earth produces to gratify him; and that he lives for his own pleasure. But the Bible declares that all these things, including man himself, were made to please and glorify God. Hence his honor must be first in everything. So Jesus says, The first and great commandment is to love the Lord with all the heart, might, mind, and strength. Matt. 22:37. The first commandment in the moral law strikes the same point: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Ex. 20:3. The Lord's prayer recognizes the same principle: "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread." Matt. 6:9-11.

Jesus ever taught that our duty to God is paramount to everything else; even the dearest and most tender relations of life must give way before this. Thus he says: "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26. A father, a mother, a brother, sister, or even a wife or child, must not stand first in our affections and our duties. God first, everything else second. Paul sums up the matter thus: "Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31.

3. We are only Stewards of What we Possess.

Let us hear the word of the Lord upon this subject: "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof." Ps. 50:10-12. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts." Haggai 2:8. My brother, those cattle in your field are the Lord's. Those horses in your barn are the Lord's. Those acres of land are the Lord's. The wheat, corn, oats, and potatoes that you claim, are the Lord's. The money in your pocket, and that which you have at interest, is the Lord's. These things are intrusted to your care and stewardship for a brief period. Jesus plainly states this doctrine in Matt. 25:14, 15, 19. "For the kingdom of Heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability, and straightway took his journey." "After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them." The rest of the statement is familiar to everybody.

In the Judgment the Lord will require every one of us to give a strict account of what we have done with the means committed to our trust. These talents cover more than money and other property. To some the Lord has given physical strength. This is better capital than money, houses, or lands. We have no right to squander this. God requires a faithful use of our physical strength. Be careful how you idle away this great capital. Others have a large capital of mental ability. They have capacity for teaching, and filling important positions and offices. Their influence is large. The Lord will require them to give an account of this. Some of these have good financial ability. In making bargains they have good judgment. In carrying on business or prosecuting their trades they are successful. If they turn their hand to farming, they know just how to make it pay. If they engage in buying or selling, their foresight and business tact give them success.

These use their financial ability to lay up money for themselves, to build fine houses for themselves, to purchase easy carriages for themselves, to buy fine clothes for themselves, to set rich tables for themselves, and if anybody suggests any other use for their wealth, they say, "Verily, are not all these things mine? Have not I earned them? Have not I made them? Whose business is it what I do with them?" But stop, my brother. Who gave you the ability to get these things? Was it not God? So writes the apostle in 1 Cor. 4:7. "Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" Is God a respecter of persons? Did he love you better than others, and therefore give you this ability simply to honor and please yourself? Or did he endow you with this ability in order that you might make means to help his cause?

Listen to the word of God on this point. It is very plain. "Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied," "thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth." Deut. 8:12, 13, 17, 18.

We maintain that while the Lord calls one man to preach the gospel, and gives him talent for that purpose, he as truly calls another man, and gives him ability, to make money with which to support the former while preaching the gospel. Paul affirms this in Rom. 12:4-8. He names the different gifts with which the members in the church of Christ are endowed, as the gift to prophesy, to preach or teach, and to exhort, and also to give liberally. See marginal reading of verse 8.

One man is gifted and called to be a minister. He leaves every worldly occupation, and devotes all his energies to that important work. He takes no time to plant or build, to trade, or make money in any manner, while at the same time his family must be fed, clothed, and cared for. He must have books, his traveling expenses must be paid, and his family must be supported. He must have help. Here is another brother, equally talented, but in a different direction. He has no talent to teach or preach; but he has a gift to make money, and do it honestly. The Lord calls this brother to make money, and divide it in supporting the other who gives his life to the ministry.

Because one man is endowed with ability to preach the gospel, does God call him to leave his home and family, labor day and night, summer and winter, seven days in the week, and spend his life among strangers? Yes; and many have done this, and are doing it now, and we believe they are doing only their duty. But here is the other brother, who has financial ability and advantages. Does the Lord require no sacrifice of him? Is it his privilege to use this ability simply for his own comfort and convenience, to provide himself with a pleasant home, and to heap up wealth? So some men seem to think, but they are under a terrible deception. Riches have blinded their eyes. If they give a little, now and then, they think it very hard. As to sacrificing or practicing self-denial in order to save means to help the cause of God, they never think of it. After they have supplied themselves with every comfort, and even luxury, then if they have a few hundred dollars left they think they do exceedingly well to give a part of it. Many of these men are dreaming of securing Heaven, with hundreds of plain Scripture texts directly against them. Call after call is made to them to help the cause of God, but their hearts and hands are closed.

4. A Tithe Is the Lord's.

Since the fall of man it has been necessary that there should be men devoted wholly to the service of God. It appears that from the very beginning the Lord taught his people to devote one-tenth to the support of his ministers. In the patriarchal age this was an established rule. This is evident from the conduct of Abraham toward Melchisedec. Thus we read: "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, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all." Heb. 7:1, 2. God had blessed Abraham, not only in recovering Lot, but in taking a great booty. The very first thing Abraham did was to give the Lord's priest a tithe of everything. See Gen. 14.

Jacob acted in like manner. He solemnly vowed to give the Lord one-tenth of all he should bless him with. "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God; and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Gen. 28:20-22.

In the time of Moses, when everything was more definitely regulated by law, this system was very plainly enforced. Thus the Lord says: "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord." "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." Lev. 27:30, 32. All the tithe of the land, whether it grew from that which was sown, as wheat, corn, and potatoes, or that which the tree brought forth, as apples, pears, and peaches, was to be given to the Lord. So also a tithe of the herd, that is, of the cattle, and of the flock, was to be the Lord's. One-tenth of all that they raised or made in any manner was to be given for the support of the priests. If a farmer raised one hundred bushels of wheat, ten of these were the Lord's. If he raised ten sheep, one was the Lord's; or ten oxen, one was the Lord's. One-tenth of all his income from every source was required.

But was not this system abolished in the gospel dispensation? It was not. And why should it be? Does it cost less to support God's servants now than it did then? Listen to the language of the Saviour: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Matt. 23:23. The Pharisees were very particular to give one-tenth of everything; and Jesus did not condemn them for this. But they had neglected judgment, mercy, and faith, while they were very particular about their tithing. To them Jesus said, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

Paul also established this rule among all the churches. He says, "As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Cor. 16:1, 2. Every one was to take part in this work each week. How much should they give? Just according as God had prospered them. Giving, then, was to be systematically carried out. That part they were to give had been established to be one-tenth.

One-tenth, therefore, of all our income and increase is the Lord's. Notice that the Lord does not say, You shall give me a tenth; but he says that one-tenth is the Lord's. Lev. 27:30. The Lord graciously gives us nine-tenths of all that we make. With this we are to provide for all our wants and those of our families, such as food, clothing, schooling, taxes, and other necessary expenses. But one-tenth the Lord reserves to himself. It belongs to God. Do we raise one hundred bushels of wheat? It is grown on God's land, is watered with the Lord's dew, warmed with the Lord's sun; and for all this the Lord simply claims one-tenth.

But men have always been covetous. When they have taken nine-tenths they are not satisfied. They persuade themselves that they need a part or the whole of the remaining tenth. Hence the Lord warns us to deal honestly, and to be careful upon this point. "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year." Deut. 14:22. And yet men have deliberately taken the Lord's share, and have used it for themselves. Concerning the conduct of such persons the Lord inquires, "Will a man rob God?"

5. First-Fruits.

The Lord not only requires one-tenth of all the increase, but this must be the first-fruits of the increase. Thus the Lord said, "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors; the first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep." Ex. 22:29, 30. "The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God." Ex. 23:19. Again the Lord said, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest." "And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the self-same day that ye have brought an offering unto your God." Lev. 23:10, 14.

Notice that they were forbidden to take their bread, or parched corn, or green ears, or anything, till they had first brought an offering to the Lord. So we read again in Prov. 3:9, 10, "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Here we are required to honor the Lord with the first-fruits of all our increase. Paul recognizes the same principle in his instruction to the Christian churches. Thus he says, "Upon the first-day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Cor. 16:2.

Our God is a great God. He is jealous of his honor. Freely he bestows his blessings upon his creatures; but he must be honored for these. Therefore he requires that of everything he gives, we shall recognize his authority and his goodness by bringing an offering to him before we use any of it for ourselves. In doing this we honor God, and bring his blessing upon us. But here is just where our brethren are the most liable to let selfishness and covetousness come in and rob God of that which they should give to him. They pledge and intend to give so much during the year; but instead of giving this from the first-fruits, they delay the matter till the very last of the year. They serve themselves first, and the Lord last, if at all. Their debts, food, and clothing first; then, after all these wants have been met, at the very last hour, they will dole out to the Lord just enough to save a guilty conscience. If they would have a free spirit, confidence toward God, and his blessing upon what they have during the year, let them honor God first, just as the Bible requires.

One of the most important principles everywhere insisted upon in the Bible is, that we shall constantly feel and recognize our dependence upon God, and that every blessing comes from him. This is one of the chief objects gained by regularly giving the Lord the first tenth of all that we receive. It is a constant reminder of our dependence upon him. It calls our attention to every little blessing we receive, many of which would otherwise pass unnoticed by us, or be entirely forgotten when we come to pay our tithes at the end of the year.

Few persons who do not keep a daily account of all that they receive are aware of how much they have had during a year. Hence where they neglect to pay their tithes till the last of the year, they are apt to forget many blessings received, feel poor, and give much less than they ought to give, and do even this grudgingly. This is very displeasing to the Lord. Hence he says, "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits." Ex. 22:29.

6. Liberality a Proof of our Sincerity.

To his brethren, whom Paul was exhorting to give liberally, he said, You must do this "to prove the sincerity of your love." 2 Cor. 8:8. The Lord has made it our duty to give, to prove the sincerity of our love. Talk and profession are very cheap and easy; but when a man will give his money to support a cause, that is the very best proof that he loves it, hence the Lord has ever required this test of our sincerity. The importance of this idea will be seen by the following facts:—

1. The Lord is not dependent on our means to support his cause. He could easily send down means from Heaven. He could multiply gold and silver in the treasury, and thus save the purses of his people. But he does not choose to do this.

2. The little which the poor widow can give amounts to but a trifle in supporting the cause of God. It would hardly be missed from the treasury; and yet even such are encouraged to give something. Evidently the design of this is not so much to fill the treasury as it is to prove their love.

3. The Saviour himself said that the poor widow who gave only two mites gave more than the rich who cast in large sums. What she gave was valued, not according to the amount given, but by the amount of sacrifice she made in giving. Hence, those who give stingily and grudgingly are marked by the Lord. So Paul distinctly says: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9:7.

In order, therefore, to attain the great object of giving, we must give cheerfully and liberally, according to our means. If we do not, it shows our lack of love for God and his cause. It proves our selfishness, and brings the frown of God upon us. Every one, therefore, should give something, even if it cost him as much as it did the poor widow.

7. The Protection of God is Forfeited by withholding that Which Is the Lord's.

When men give nothing to the Lord, they take their property into their own hands and from under the protection of God. They cannot ask God's blessing upon it; for if the Lord blesses their wheat, they keep it all for themselves; if he blesses their cattle, they keep them all for themselves; if he blesses them with health, they use it in serving themselves. God will not be a partner in such selfishness. But if we strictly honor the Lord by giving him the first-fruits of all that he bestows upon us, then we can ask in faith for his blessing upon the remainder, and receive it. No fact is more plainly stated in the Bible than this. Let us read a few passages:—

"Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes." "Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house." Haggai 1:6, 9.

"Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3:9-11. Here the Lord distinctly states that he will bless their crops if they will pay their tithes.

Paul states the same doctrine in the New Testament: "Now He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness." 2 Cor. 9:10. No doctrine is more reasonable than that the great God will bless those who fear and honor him; and that his prospering hand will be withheld from those who do not.

8. Of all People, Seventh-day Adventists Ought To Be the most Liberal.

1. Because they profess to believe and obey the Bible more strictly than any other people; and the Bible, as we have shown, is full and explicit on the point of liberality.

2. Because we enjoy greater light and greater blessings in the truth than any other people. If this be the case we should show it by our works. If others can give to support error, how much more should we give to support the truth!

3. Because we believe that the end of all things is at hand. Our farms, our houses—all our property—is soon to be burned by the fires of the last day. We are in the closing part of the last generation, and the last message to the world. Our numbers are few, and our means small; but the work is great, and the time is short.

9. How Much Ought I to Give for the Support of the Gospel?

We are told that Jacob promised the Lord a tithe of all he should give him. The law of the Jews called for a tithe of all their products.

While human probation continues, and God has a cause in the earth to be maintained by the liberalities of his people, so long the principle of the tithing system will remain. The operations of the Christian church in all the world, however, are more extensive and more expensive than those of the Jewish church in her local land, demanding more means now than then. The duty of giving is more fully and more emphatically and forcibly set forth in the New Testament than in the Old. But when we look for a definite plan to raise means, there seems to be no text in all the New Testament so much to the point as 1 Cor. 16:2:—

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." By close examination it will be seen that this collection, which Paul orders at regular periods, was for the benefit of those converts from the Jewish church who had claims on the churches converted from the Gentiles, for preaching the gospel to them. And no man can show reasons why this arrangement should not have been perpetuated in the Christian church for the support of those who give themselves to the ministry.

With the foregoing statement before us, we are prepared to answer the inquiry, "How much ought I to give for the support of the gospel?" After carefully viewing the subject from all points, we answer, A tithe of all our income.

This does not mean a tenth of all that comes into our hands, making no account for that which some pay out for hired help, or interest on indebtedness on farms bearing interest and secured by mortgage or otherwise. Sums thus paid out, should be taken from the entire amount which comes in, and the remainder will show the real earnings; a tenth of which is the Lord's, to be sacredly devoted to the support of the ministry.

The words of Paul touching this subject—"as the Lord hath prospered him"—are in strict harmony with that system in the Old Testament which claims one-tenth of all the income of the Lord's people as his. The following we regard as a scriptural and proper pledge for all our people to make:—

We solemnly promise, before God and to each other, conscientiously to pay to the church treasurer a tithe of all our income, to be laid by when received, and paid on the first Sunday of each one of the four quarters of the year; namely, the first Sunday in January, the first Sunday in April, the first Sunday in July, and the first Sunday in October.

The Bible plan, conscientiously carried out, will raise the finances of the Seventh-day Adventists of America from fifty thousand dollars to one hundred thousand. A tithe of this is ten thousand. This will place the financial condition of the General Conference, which now has a heavy debt, where it should be. But this is not all. The Lord by his prophet makes this solemn charge against his people who live just prior to the burning day, that they have robbed him "in tithes and offerings."

Here reference is made not only to the tithe, but to offerings also. Anciently, when the people of God enjoyed tokens of the especial favor of God in deliverances and other blessings, they would make thank-offerings to the Lord. There were heave, wave, peace, and trespass offerings. The prophet, doubtless, has reference to these in setting forth the duty of the people of God in our day. The deliverance of the patriarch Noah from that disagreeable year in the ark, and the offering he made, well illustrate the subject.

When Noah and his family came forth from the ark, their hearts swelling with gratitude that they could set their feet on terra firma again, it was not enough that this righteous man should lift his voice in thanksgiving for his deliverance and past mercies and blessings, but he must there give more tangible evidence of his gratitude than words could express. He must make a burnt-offering of a seventh part of his valuable stock unto the Lord, as it is written: "And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor." Gen. 8:20, 21.

The sacrifices of Noah had been very great. He had been a preacher of right-doing for one hundred and twenty years. He had invested a fortune in the ark, and we venture the assertion that his boat way up on the top of Ararat was not worth, when the family of eight left it, one per cent of the capital invested. The patriarch's boundless farm was poorly stocked with useful animals, for which he had provided at great expense during the time they were shut up in the ark. And for him, under these circumstances, to burn up one-seventh part of the clean beasts and clean fowls was a sacrifice of property which hardly has a parallel. If modern religionists had been there, they would have looked upon that waste of property with horror, and would have suggested to Noah that, as he needed all his precious stock, it would do quite as well for him to take his wife and children round on the shady side of the ark, and hold a prayer and conference meeting in which they could make a thank-offering. And if at any time their meeting should become dull, Noah could urge them to pray and speak by saying to them, as is frequently done by the leaders of social meetings, "Bring in your tithes and offerings, and fill up the time."

We do not object to Christians' holding social meetings and filling up the time with prayer, singing, and bearing testimony to the goodness of God and the precious truth of his living word; but we do protest against the application of what the Lord says by his prophet Malachi of our tithes and offerings to the duties of a social meeting, without one sensible reason for such an application. When men and women are rescued from the darkness of error, and are brought to the light of present truth, they should show their gratitude to God by making an offering of a portion of their means to take to others the light and truth which has been a great blessing to them. Are their children and friends converted to the Lord and his truth? Or are members of the family rescued from sickness and death? Here are occasions for them to give more tangible expression of gratitude than talk, by making a thank-offering unto the Lord of a portion of their property. Such offerings should be put into the treasury of our General Conference, as that has charge of all our missions at home and abroad, and from its treasury they should be supported.