This tract below is about tithing. I did not write it and I do not attempt to take credit for. To God goes all the credit for everything that I do under his will. If something I do is not right then just know that was all me. If I do what is right in his eyes then it was all Yeshua. I have no second reasoning for any of the work I do for the Lord. I do not attempt to justify myself. I do hope and pray that I edify and not be destructive. Any mistakes in this tract are either clerical or due to using a word processor omnipage 10. In either case just let me know and I'll correct it. thank you and may God bless.

Tithing: A commandment to the New Testament Christian?

There is much discussion, at times much disagreement among religious groups today about the LAW OF TITHING. There is considerable discussion whether the tithing or 10% should come from ones gross wages or net wages. There are those that question whether the tithing should be paid to the church's general fund or to the welfare or wages of the "pastor" of the church. Still others question whether the tithing is a Biblical commandment at all, and if it is a Biblical commandment, is it a commandment for the New Testament Church today?

The purpose of this written study is to help you understand and determine "WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURES?"

In the Old Testament of the Bible, God gave a covenant to his people, the Israelites. This covenant, given at Mt. Sinai, is sometimes referred to as the 1st Covenant, and other times referred to as the Law of Moses as in Joshua 8:31,34.

This Old Testament Covenant to God's people included among other things, the 10 commandments found in Exodus 20, three major Feasts, the law of fleshly circumcision, a number of offerings to be observed, the Sabbath or 7th day of worship, and the LAW OF TITHING.

One of the major feasts to be observed under the 1st Covenant was the Passover in Exodus 12, which included a sacrifice of a lamb. Other offerings such as the burnt offering of Leviticus 1, the sin offering of Leviticus 4, and the trespass offering of Leviticus 5, all included animal sacrifices. So the LAW OF TITHING, the 7th or Sabbath day of worship, fleshly circumcision, and the laws for animal sacrifices were among

the laws that were all a necessary part of that 1st Covenant, the Law Of Moses.

What was the law of tithing? According to Numbers 18:21 thru 26 the tithing was 1/10 or 10% to be given to the tribe of the Levites because they were directed by the Lord to the service of the tabernacle. Read Leviticus 27:30 thru 33, and find out that it included the tithing of the land, the seed of the land, the fruit of the land, the herd, & the flock. In II Chronicles 31:4,5, & 6, the tithing also includes giving a 10`h of the first fruits of corn, wine, oil, honey, all the increase of the field, and of all things brought in abundantly.

Was the law of tithing a commandment of God? Absolutely! To God's people under the first covenant!

Leviticus 27:34, says `THESE ARE THE COMMANDMENTS, which the LORD commanded Moses for the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL in Mt. Sinai.

There are those that use Malachi 3:8,9, & 10 as proof-text for tithing as a commandment to the New Testament Christian. Notice first of all that Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, written some 400 to 450 years before the birth of Christ. Notice secondly, to whom Malachi is addressing his writing. Malachi 3:8,"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." Who was robbing God in tithes and offerings? Verse 9 provides the answer. "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." Also in verse 6, Malachi addresses the sons of Jacob. It was the Israelites, the whole nation, the sons of Jacob, living under the Law of Moses, that was robbing God in refusing to keep the commandments of tithes and offerings. When the Lord said in verse 10, "Bring all your tithes into the storehouse," He was talking to the

whole nation of Israel, the sons of Jacob and not-the New Testament Christian.

In the New Testament, there are seven scriptures that mention tithing. Four of these scriptures are found in the 7th chapter of Hebrews and will be addressed later on in this writing. The other three scriptures in the New Testament that mention tithing are, Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42, and Luke 18:12. Luke 18:12 was the words of Yeshua as he gives a parable about a Pharisee, [a legalistic Jew] living under the Law of Moses that gave tithes of all that he possessed. Luke 11:42 and Matthew 23:23 are very similar. Notice that in Matthew 23:23, Yeshua said, "Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites! Ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith; these ye ought to have done and not to leave the other undone."

Once it is understood that Matthew 23:23 was addressing the scribes, the Pharisees, BEFORE THE DEATH OF YESHUA CHRIST ON THE CROSS, it should be understood that the Law of Moses was still in effect, and why Yeshua said of tithing, "these ye ought to have done." Christs' blood had not yet been shed. There was still a commandment for the scribes and Pharisees to pay tithes, just as there was a commandment for those same scribes and Pharisees to keep the laws of animal sacrifice, the Sabbath day, all of the Law of Moses.

In the book of Jeremiah 31:31,32, & in Hebrews 8: 6 thru 10, God said he would make a New Covenant not according to the covenant that He made with the fathers when He lead them out of the land of Egypt. Hebrews 8:6, this New Covenant would be a better Covenant, established upon better promises. The New Covenant would be different; it would have different commandments than the 1st Covenant, the Law Of Moses.

Hebrews 8:13 says, "A New Covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 10:9, says, "Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God, He taketh away the First [Covenant] that He may establish the Second [Covenant]." Verse 20 tells us that it is "A new and living way, which He has prepared for us, thru the veil, that is to say His flesh."

Remember that the 1 ' Covenant, the Law Of Moses, included the offerings of animal sacrifice, the Sabbath day, the law of fleshly circumcision, and the LAW OF Tithing.

When was the first covenant, the Law of Moses, taken away?

Hebrews 9:16,17, says, "For where the Testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator." V 17, "for a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it has no strength at all while the testator liveth."

Ephesians 2:13,14,15 tells us that He "abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in the ordinances." Colossians 2:14 says, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross!"

In Hebrews 7:5, It was the sons of Levi, who received the office of the priesthood, that had a commandment to take tithes of the people ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF MOSES. Verse 12 says, "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change of the law." Verse 18, "For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof" Verse 19, "For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God."

So the Passover, the Sabbath or 7th day of worship, the offerings that included animal

sacrifice, fleshly circumcision, and the Law of Tithing, the 1st Covenant, WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY AND NAILED TO THE CROSS, at the death and crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Christ.

The New Testament Church has a NEW COMMANDMENT in tire New Testament that provides for the needs of the New Testament Church and the ministry.

I Corinthians 16:1, 2 concerning the collection of the saints, "upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by in store, as God hath prospered him." Then in 11 Corinthians 9:7, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

I Corinthians 9:6 provides for the New Testament ministers to "forbear working" & v13, that those which minister of holy things live of the things of the temple." The New Testament minister does not have to believe in or teach tithing in order to be provided for by the Church, the New Testament provides the authority for that. The New Testament does not require every minister to be provided for by the Church, but it certainly allows for it.

The New Testament does not determine the exact percentage that the New Testament Christian is to contribute to the church or to the ministry, but II Corinthians 9:6 does tell us that if "he sows sparingly, he shall reap sparingly, if he sows bountifully, he shall reap bountifully." The Bible directs the Christian," as he purposes in his heart so let him give."

The amount that is given to the Church or ministry could be 5%, 10%, 20%, or 100%, if the Christian "purposes in his heart."

It is in the book of Acts 20:35, that we are reminded by the Lord Yeshua and Apostle Paul that "it is more blessed to give than to receive."

So in summary the 1st Covenant, the same law that included animal sacrifices, the Sabbath day, fleshly circumcision, the LAW OF TITHING was a commandment to the people living under the 1st Covenant but not to the New Testament Christian. That 1st Covenant was taken out of the way, nailed to the cross at the death of Yeshua Christ. The law of tithing and the priesthood were changed YESHUA CHRIST, of the lineage of Judah, not Levi, is now the High Priest of the New Testament church! [Hebrews 4:15, 7:24]

THE LAW OF TITHING IS NOT A COMMANDMENT TO THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, any more than the animal sacrifices, the fleshly circumcision or the 7th day of worship is a commandment to the New Testament Church.

May God bless you in your study of the scriptures and in your search for truth. May you settle only for what saith the scriptures!