Bible tithes were the inheritance given only to the tribe of Levi in Israel. God commanded them not to own lands or houses in Israel. The other eleven tribes were commanded by God to pay a tithe to the Levites. This tithe served as the welfare package for Levites as they went about their God-assigned tabernacle duties.
In the Holy Bible, only crop and livestock farmers paid tithes. Other professions like carpentry, fishermen, perfume makers, dress makers, musicians, masons, soldiers, mid-wives, physicians, blacksmiths, e.t.c existed in Bible times. There are no records in the Bible hinting that God required a tithe from these non-farmers.
The crop and livestock farmers in Israel paid three types of tithe. The first is the Levitical tithes payable only to Levites (Israelites from the tribe of Levi). The Israelites gave a tenth part of their increase to the Levites. The Levites also paid a tithe from the one paid to them to the high priest. This is the tithe that gets to God’s storehouse in the temple. This is done to provide food for the high priest’s family. The second is the tithe for the Temple feasts. The third tithe is the tithe for the poor in Israel i.e the orphans, widows and strangers.
God did not at any time command the money should be used in the payment of tithe. The only time an exception is allowed is during the temple feasts where farmers with large tithes were commanded to sell their tithes and convert it to money to ease travel conditions. Money was in circulation and widely used in the Old Testament times. God required money as census tax but commanded crops and animals for tithes.
In Bible times, tithe was paid once every year after the harvest season.
The tithes that ended up in God’s storehouse in the temple was the tithe of tithes from the Levites and not the direct tithe from the other non-Levi tribes in Israel.
Tithes and tithing were part of the now abolished Law of Moses. The death of Jesus ended the era of the 613 elements detailed in the Old law. No Christian is bound today by the law of tithe as commanded in the Law of Moses. Any pastor or Christian leader who collects money tithes from followers is doing so either in ignorance or pure greed. It is impossible to teach the abolition of the law of Moses but still continue with the tithe part of the law. Abraham’s once in a lifetime tithe to Melchizedek was only an observance of an old war levy in a foreign land. Using this onetime incident in Abraham’s life as a template for Christian tithing will be wrong because tithes can only be paid in the holy land of Israel.
Today’s gentile pastors and Church leaders can never become spiritual Israel and should never parade themselves as New Testament Levites.
Finally, when Christians hear teachings like this, the first reaction is always ‘this teaching is against giving towards God’s work’.
The only approved giving in the New Testament is freewill giving where the giver is not forced or coerced into parting with his or her material goods. There are no set amounts or percntages. The givers determine in their hearts what and how much to give to God and His work on earth.