ON FAITH...
"Abraham our father tithed. It's by faith"
ANSWER...
To begin with, you CANNOT "tithe like Abraham by faith," because ALL ACTS OF FAITH...ALL OF THEM... must be pursuant to a PROMISE OF GOD or a COMMANDMENT OF GOD.
Concerning Abraham tithing; there is neither a command to tithe as Abraham did found anywhere in God's Word given to any, neither Jew or Gentile, neither Old or New Testament Believer, nor is there any reward from God for tithing because Abraham did found anywhere in God's Word.
If you have no command or promise from God, NO FAITH IS POSSIBLE. Deception and confusion, yes; faith, NO!
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." - Romans 10:17
NOTE: "HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD" ...THE WORD OF GOD!
REPEAT; THERE IS NOT ONE WORD OF A COMMAND TO ANY CHRISTIAN TO TITHE BECAUSE ABRAHAM DID, AND THERE EXISTS IN GOD'S WORD NO PROMISE TO ANY CHRISTIAN OF ANY KIND IF THEY WERE TO TITHE BECAUSE ABRAHAM DID.
ON TITHING...
There He Receiveth Them
It is a Biblical fact that we have Scripture that commands tithing to Levites living in the Promised Land. But there is not one single Scripture that states one is to tithe to an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor or Teacher in a New Testament Church.
Many claim that tithing is valid based on the following verse…
Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
Here, men that die receive tithes. Who are the men that die in this verse? Many automatically assume that this is referring to pastoral staff in the local church. It is not. Rather, it is referring to the sons of Levi. Verse 5 shows the context of verse 8,…
Hebrews 7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
Who are the receivers of the tithe in Hebrews 7:8? The sons of Levi in Hebrews 7:5. The sons of Levi have the command to take tithes. So, naturally…they are the ones who receive them.
And what tithes do the sons of Levi take and receive? The tithes according to the Law.
Leviticus 27:30-34 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.
1. The Levites are to receive the tithes of the seed of the land. This is speaking of food from the fields. Food for the sustenance of the Levitic tribe of Israel because among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. (see Numbers 18:21-23)
2. They receive tithes of the fruit of the tree. This is speaking of that which grows on trees and the oils and juices those fruits produce, such as pomegranates, dates, olives, and figs. Again, for the sustenance of the Levitic tribe of Israel because among the children of Israel they have no inheritance..
3. They receive tithes of the flocks and herds in Israel. Animals born in the stalls and in the pastures were to be tithed from. Every tenth animal to pass under the herder’s counting rod was to be given to God as tithe.
4. They were to receive tithes of the children of Israel. There was no command for peoples of Gentile nations to travel to Israel to tithe. Nor was there a command from God for peoples of Gentile nations to tithe in their own lands. God gave the command to tithe solely to the children of Isreal. (see Leviticus 27:30-34 & Psalms 147:19-20)
Numbers 18:21-23 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. (Notice that verse 22 reveals that the children of Israel, aka the congregation, were not even to tithe to the House of God)
Psalm 147:19-20 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
The tithes “according to the Law” (Heb. 7:5) were agricultural. There is no other type of tithe commanded by God in the Bible.
God is not the one commanding or demanding the monetary tithe that men preach in religious institutions today. Nor is He the one receiving the monetary tithes that are taken up in collection plates each Sunday. He never authorized any man to preach or teach a monetary tithe requirement doctrine.
The Book of Hebrews was written in AD 66. The Temple was still standing. In AD 70 when General Titus invaded Jerusalem, the Temple and the Storehouse attached to it were destroyed. Since then, there has been no collection of tithes by Levites in Israel.
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