What the Bible says about tithing
Everything we have comes from God. We also live by His grace:
Psalm 24.1 "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."
Psalm 50.1,10-12 "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.", "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof."
Psalm 89.12 " The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name."
First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 10.26 "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof."
Tithing existed long before the Israelites received commandments from God:
First Book of Moses 28.20-22 "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."
Tithing is not a law given only to the Israelites, but to all of us. God wants us to give back at least one-tenth of what we receive. Sad to say, but the vast majority of us have hardened our hearts against this beautiful gift from God. How difficult it is for us to give back at least part of what we ourselves have received, earned. Even books and lectures have been written calling for the abolition of tithing, just to drown out our own conscience. People then feel happy that they have an argument not to give away part of their income, so they can keep everything for themselves. But how terrible will be the time of God's judgment, for all those who have not shared what they have.
When living in poverty, do we have the right not to tithe? What if we don't have enough to pay our fees and go even more into debt each month, going to bed hungry? Do you have to rigidly follow the rules and deduct 1/10 of your income? You have the right not to give at all, you are a free man.
However, it is worth quoting a well-known event contained in the New Testament:
Mark 12.41-44 "And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
What Jesus said about tithing
Note that Jesus did not deny the fact that the woman gave money with which to buy food. He knew that she gave all she had at the time for her sustenance. We don't know if she lived with someone who cared for her, supported her. However, these sentences contain another important thought. People who donate even large amounts of money to help the needy, charitable causes, etc., and leave themselves even more money, do not give more from the heart than those who live in poverty and give decidedly smaller amounts. What matters is whether you give money from the heart. Having almost nothing, even when you donate at least a little for others, you will have done something wonderful in the eyes of God. It's not the sums that count, but our heart that prompts us to share with those in need, having little ourselves. God gave us life so that we can help and share love.
If you can't afford a full tithe let you be comforted by the words of Paul, who writes that God looks at willingness and sincere sharing with others:
Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 9.6-11 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God."
It is of greater value to donate even a small amount of money when we ourselves are suffering from hunger than to donate tens of millions by a billionaire lavishing in luxuries. The Bible places great emphasis on helping the poor, so that those who have much should share with those who have little. It is a pity that almost all people with excess money do not want to take this beautiful teaching into their hardened hearts.
There are beautiful words from Jesus in the Scriptures, talking about God's protection. Don't worry about not having enough to eat by giving some of your money to the needy. In doing so, you will also show the trust you have in the Lord and faith in His words:
Matthew 6.25-34 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Tithing only for the church?
Is it necessary to give tithes to the church? It's up to you what you spend it on, certainly there are many people around who need support, living in much worse conditions than priests or pastors, but Jesus, knowing the hypocrisy and hypocrisy of the temple superiors, did not call for not paying tithes and donations to the treasury.
Believers who meet in churches should maintain the buildings where they gather, as well as the pastors and priests who spend their time bringing people closer to God instead of their normal 8-hour jobs. Check whether the people who are paid by the church you belong to are preaching the truth according to Scripture. If you know they are teaching erroneously, withdraw from that church. An honest church should not hide its finances, when you can't get information about what the money is used for, don't support such a church financially.
Also check the foundations you want to send money to. Each of them must publish financial statements, if they do not have them or there are unfavorable expenses in them do not support such a foundation.
Support not only humans, but also animals, they are innocent. It was we humans who introduced sin into the world, which caused them to suffer now. God created a world without sin and death, animals lived side by side in harmony, just as they will be after the second coming of Jesus Christ (Chapter 11 of Isaiah).
