A Synopsis of Scriptural Giving

TITHING

If the Torah is still in effect about giving, this is what must be done to follow it. 

Numbers 18:20.  And Yahweh said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.  21.  To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, their service in the tent of meeting.  22.  And henceforth the people of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.” 

The House of Levi received no land in the economy of Israel.  Yahweh was to be their portion rather than land and goods, which means they would be too busy with the work of kingdom worship and service to tend to land or even keep a house.  They were “professional ministers” who had to not only bear their own sin, but the sins of everyone their worship community. The Leviim were given the supernatural unction to bear the sins of the many, but the layperson would dare not try to usurp the ministerial work of the Leviim because they neither had the training, the set-apart status, nor the spiritual gift to do the work of the Leviim.  The unprepared layperson who would bear his/her own sins and the sins of the community would die under the burden of sin. 

In remuneration for their sacrifice of land and their professional dedication to serve Yahweh and the people, they received from Yahweh the tithes of the people, which were offered to Him.   

25.  And Yahweh said to Moses, 26.  "Moreover you shall say to the Levites, 'When you take from the people of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe.  27.  And your offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press. 28. So shall you also present an offering to Yahweh from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel; and from it you shall give Yahweh's offering to Aaron the priest.’” 

The priest is to receive the “tithe of the tithe,” or 1% of the entire collection of tithes to Yahweh.  Who is the priest?  We find that in the Didache. 

If we are to adjust this to the modern worship situation: The ‘Levite’ (i.e. the professional Torah minister) should not be working a job while serving a Qahal or Yahad.  Such is forbidden.  Yet the Levite should receive enough tithes of the congregation to at least keep him / her above the poverty line!  Many Levites in the Nazorean movement are kept far below the poverty line because their constituents see to themselves first. 

Tithes should be collected in a box, as at the Temple. 

Mark 12:41  Then he went over to the collection boxes in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. 

The shoter / assistant of the yahad should periodically remove the tithes, record the amount in a book, then pay the Levite.  The levite then tithes to his / her superior (priest / bishop / teacher). 

For second and third tithes, resort to

www.jacksonsnyder.com/arc/bible-news/lost-tribes-parables/skins-unrighteous-steward-widows-mite.htm.

TEMPLE TAX

There is a tax that pays for buildings and resources.  Everyone pays the tax because it is minimal, yet may be reinstituted whenever there is a need.  The following passage describes the restoration of the tax. 

2 Chronicles 24:6.  So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, "Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of Yahweh, on the congregation of Israel for the tent of testimony?"  7.  For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of El; and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of Yahweh for the Ba’als.   8.  So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside the gate of the house of Yahweh.  9.  And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for Yahweh the tax that Moses the servant of Elohim laid upon Israel in the wilderness.  10.  And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.  11.  And whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king's secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance.    

WHAT IF THE TEMPLE IS GONE OR CORRUPT

Today the temple is not standing, so we need not be concerned whether it is corrupt and thus withhold.  We simply use the Torah as it applies to the temple and apply it to the Qahal. However, the first Assembly of Yahweh in Jerusalem – perhaps during the time of the temple or soon after – decided they could not support the corrupt Leaders.  So here is how they modified the Torah ruling to the smaller ‘camp.’ 

Didache 4:1 My child, you will remember the one who speaks the Word of Elohim to you by night and day, and you will honor that one as the Master; for whenever the masterful speak, there is the Master.

 (Here the Master is speaking of the “professional ministers” – those who linger at the word day and night.) 

 6 If you will give by your own hands, you will pay a ransom for your sins. 7 So you will not hesitate to give nor complain about giving; for you will know the identity of the best Paymaster.

The implication here is that you give by your own hand just as you work with your own hand.  You get paid by the paymaster, thus one who gets paid must not be slow in paying the tithe.  If you are not getting paid from the hand, then you owe nothing for the tithe. If you are getting paid, then you owe 10% to the minister / Levite. 

In the following passage, the High Priest of the qahal is identified.  To that Priest will go the first-fruits – in kind if desired. 

Didache 13:1 Yet each Nevi Emet who wants to settle among you is worth his food.[1] 2 Likewise, a Moreh Emet is worth his food just like the worker.[2]  3 So you will take all first-fruits[3] of the produce, the wine-vat, the threshing-floor, of your cattle and sheep, and give them as first-fruits to the neviïm; for they are your kohenim hagadol.[4]  (Verse 4 is below.)

5 If you bake bread, take the first-fruits and give in accordance with the mitzvah.  6 Likewise, when you open a bottle of wine or oil, take the first-fruits and give them to the neviïm; 7 yes, and even of money, clothing, and every other possession – take the first-fruits, whatever seems fair to you – and give in accordance to the mitzvah.

4 If you have no nevi, provide for the poor instead.[5]   

“Give according to the commandment – the commandment is the Torah – and here we see a qahal that is continuing to use the Torah texts on tithing and first-fruits and applying them to the immediate situation. 

NOW, this is what tithing should look like in a church / qahal that practices tithing.