Bring Ye All the Tithes Into the Storehouse by T. E. BOWEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 19, 1911

Bring Ye All the Tithes Into the Storehouse

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN

This scripture does not read, Bring ye some of the tithes into the storehouse; but, “Bring ye all the tithes in.” All means all. No portion of all will meet the requirements of this text. The tithe is all the Lord’s, whether we believe it or not, or whether or not we bring it all in. It is not ours, even though we may keep it. “All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.”

God’s message is being delayed because, like Achan, somebody covets and retains God’s tithe, by which he carries forward his work. This is the very thing Achan did. Hidden away from man’s sight is much tithe belonging to God. It is in somebody’s tent, carefully concealed lest it be found. God is displeased when the tithe is thus covetously kept; while his heavenly blessing might be upon it were it brought to the treasury, where it belongs, and spent in the support of workers hunting for souls at home and abroad.

During the recent General Conference Council, when the subject of sharing the tithe with mission fields was under discussion, one conference president after another arose, and expressed himself as in favor of turning over a portion of the tithe to the Mission Board treasury; also that another portion of it be devoted to the support of aged and infirm workers, whose lives had been spent in building up this cause, also widows and orphans of such workers. “But,” they would say, “I do not see how we can do this, and maintain our present work at home.”

This sounded logical. Yet there is one feature we are liable to overlook. What about those believers—nearly one half our church-membership—who actually pay no tithe at all? And further, what about another class, who pay some tithe, but not all? It would seem that something might be done to help by giving some attention to this question.

And here lies the great difficulty. It is not the tithe-payers who are delaying the work of God. There are many devoted, self-sacrificing tithe-payers, who would not knowingly retain one cent belonging to the Lord. God knows every one of them, and his blessing is upon such. But it is those—and there is quite a large list of them in nearly every church and conference—who bring in only a portion of the tithe, or who pay no tithe at all, who are retarding God’s work in the earth. If these would only reform, and turn square about, there would be no lack of funds for carrying this message to the very ends of the earth.

“In Africa, in China, in India, there are thousands, yes, millions, who have not heard the message of the truth for this time. They must be warned. . . . The Lord has made us his stewards. He has placed his means in our hands for faithful distribution. He asks us to render to him his own. He has reserved the tithe as his sacred portion, to be used in sending the gospel to all parts of the world.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. IX, page 51.

If those who are paying no tithe at all would now nobly come forward with it, many thousands of dollars would be added to the annual income of the treasury for sending the truth to the “uttermost parts of the earth.” And this would certainly be quite a help just now.

Let us all, then,—ministers, church officers, and people,—work together for the bringing in of this money belonging to the Lord. We have God’s word that it should be done; for he says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse.”

Takoma Park, D. C.