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THE TITHE

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Aug 23, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 34.

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THE TITHE.

1. What the Tithe Is.—A tithe is universally understood to be one-tenth. The Standard Dictionary says, "A tax, or assessment, of one-tenth."
2. Illustrations.—(a) When Abraham recovered the spoil from the five kings who had robbed the people of Sodom, he gave to Melchizedec, priest of the Most High God, "tithes of all." Gen. 14: 18-20.
(b) When Jacob was assured of God's presence and mercy, by the dream at Bethel, he made a vow: "Of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee." Gen. 28: 16-22.
3. The Character of the Tithe.—"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.
4. Where the Tithe Shall Be Deposited.—"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse [the church treasury], that there may be meat in Mine house." Mal. 3: 10.
5. The Consequence of Retaining the Tithe.—"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." Mal. 3: 8, 9.
6. A Test of Faith and a Test of God.—"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, 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: 10. Only a spirit of true faith ever dares to put God's Word to a true test.
7. The Reward of Faithfulness.—To those who are faithful in returning all the tithe, the Lord says: "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. And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3: 11, 12.
8. How to Reckon the Tithe.—People who do not want to return the tithe, and some whose resources are somewhat mixed, make the plea that they do not know how to reckon the tithe. The trouble is, they are so afraid of returning a little too much. Try the following rule: Imagine that the Lord has said, "I will add a tenth to a liberal reckoning of increase," and then return a tithe of the reckoning. We are always wanting the Lord to be liberal with us, so let us apply the Golden Rule in our dealings with Him. It is no stretch of imagination to assume that the Lord will add a tenth to an honest reckoning as a basis of the tithe; for His promise of material blessing will cover a good deal more than a tithe. How much more, may be known only by a faithful trial. Then, besides the material blessings promised, the gift of "life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17: 25) is certainly worth considering in our obligation. There never is any doubtful risk in taking the Lord at His word.