TITHE OF THE TITHES

The Scripture Reading for today’s Posting is taken from the Book of Nehemiah 10:37-39 (New International Version, ©2010)

³⁷ “Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. ³⁸ A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. ³⁹ The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.

From the passage above it is very clear that the Levites were not honest in the management of tithe. The situation was so bad that a each time the Levites went out to the town to collect the tithe, a Priest from Aaron have to accompany them.  It is like a check and balance to ensure that the Levites return 10% of the tithe collected.  It is very clear according to verse 38 that the Church is only entitled for 10% of the tithe collected for maintenance of the sanctuary, for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians.

Let me put it the other way round. Let the Church take 90% of the income and spent the balance of 10% on charity instead. The sum we are talking about is 100k per year assuming that the gross income is 1m.  In this scenario,  the Church is supposed to give 100k for charity. What is 3k?

After taking more than 90% there are still Churches that announce weekly that they are helping the poor and needy and request  members  to contribute again towards the “good” course. Mite boxes, donation envelopes, festival envelopes and even tithe envelopes are distributed to students, widows and non working members.  On top of that there is the usual Sunday offering (some weeks 2nd offering), Friday offering, cell group offering, prayer meeting offering, women’s meeting offering, Sunday School offering, various membership dues for the youths, young adults, seniors and womens, thanks giving offering and auctions.  Who is robbing the Church now ?

That is why the Prophet Malachi warn the Priest (Church) in the Book of Malachi.  Please read Malachi 2 : 1 Additional Warning to the Priests ¹ “And now, you priests, this warning is for you”. He goes further to warn the Priest (Church) because they are not honest in the tithe Malachi 3:8-10(New International Version, ©2010) ⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.  To further understand the issue in hand, one should read the whole Book of Malachi.

John 8:31-32 (New International Version, ©2010)

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Beware people, please don’t be ignorant for the truth will set you free.

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