Part 1 – Tithes, Offerings, and Alms.
There are 3 levels of Biblical giving… Tithes, offerings, and Alms.
First, let’s define the tithe.
1 a) The Tithe
“… for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”Psalm 50:10
When we leave this earth, we take nothing with us. Everything we currently possess has been entrusted to us by the Lord. All that we have is His. He has given us the strength to work and to Increase. When we leave this earth, all that we have gets dispersed. We’ve been allowed to use our possessions for a while, then it gets passed on.
“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD.”Proverbs 16:20
Let’s look at Jacob, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham, who was traveling, and went to sleep on the ground, using a rock for a pillow. Through the night, he had a God given dream.
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of Heaven.”Genesis 28:16-17
(We need this attitude, when we gather together in Church… “The Lord is in this place… How awesome is His presence…)
Then Jacob made a vow, saying “If God will be with me… then the Lord will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will give you a tenth”.Genisis 28:20-22
Notice that Jacob says “all that you give me…” He acknowledges that all that he has comes from the Lord. Also notice that it is established that the Tithe is one tenth of your income.