Author: sylvanjames

Categories
End Times

Ptolemy Vs GOD

When interpreting the Time Prophecies of Daniel some writers set up Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings as a judge over God’s Word. When their interpretation of God’s message does not conform to the authority of Ptolemy’s Canon, then it just wouldn’t do. Concerning this, Martin Anstey, author of the Romance of Bible Chronology said:

“Ptolemy may be called as a witness. He cannot be allowed to arbitrate as a Judge. He cannot take the place of a Court of Final Appeal. He cannot be erected into a standard to correct the Chronology of the text of the Old Testament.”

I think Mr. Anstey was correct. Setting Ptolemy up as a judge has implications for the doctrines of inspiration of the Bible and the Omniscience of God.

INTRODUCTION

Claudius Ptolemy, circa AD 130, formulated the geocentric theory of the universe; the planets and stars revolve around a stationary earth. He was the greatest astronomer in antiquity because of his discoveries described in his Syntaxis (also called the Almagest). All modern Chronology and calendar of ancient history rest upon his calculations as outlined in his Canon of Kings (hereafter called Ptolemy’s Canon or the Canon) and this is the foundation of all secular Chronology. It is not known where or from whom Ptolemy got his dates. The Bible, on the other hand has its own Chronology and there are many differences between it and Ptolemy’s Canon.

In this blog, the main difference I am addressing is the duration of the Medo-Persian Empire. The Jewish rabbis gave 52 years to this period, Ptolemy has it at 205 years and the Bible (the books of Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah) 123 years (calculated by Sir Robert Anderson in his book The coming Prince) giving a difference of 82 years between the Canon and the Bible.

Therefore, depending on whose chronology we use, there is a difference of 80-82 years between the Bible and Ptolemy’s canon.

In interpreting the time prophecies of the Bible, the chronology used is the essential thing. Therefore, all interpreters of Biblical prophecy who used any chronology based on this canon, would be misled. It is impossible to make these prophecies and the corresponding real Bible events agree with the chronology of Ptolemy by 80-82 (205-123=82) years for this period. This single fact makes many modern commentaries on Daniel’s Time Prophecies worthless, so far as their chronology is concerned.

Ptolemy’s Canon:

https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/ptolemys-canon/

 This list of reigns, begins with year 1 of Nabonassar, a vassal king of Babylon under Assyria, and covers over 900 years down to Ptolemy’s day. It lists the Babylonian and Persian kings, Alexander the Great and his Macedonian successors in Egypt (the Ptolemies), and the Roman emperors down to Antoninus Pius. Alongside each king’s name is the length of his reign and the cumulative total beginning from the year 1 of Nabonassar at noon on February 26, 747 BC (-746 since astronomers use a year 0 in place of 1 BC). The Canon used the ancient Egyptian calendar year of 365 days, with no leap year (not the 365 ¼ day Julian year in use in Ptolemy’s day) as the Alexandrian civil year.

This uniform 365-day year was adopted by astronomers outside Egypt, long before Ptolemy; for astronomical theory requires observational data over a long period and a scale of years to measure long intervals.

The dating system numbering years as “year of King XYZ” (Dan. 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim) was inadequate. On the other hand, the 365-day Egyptian year allowed the computing of intervals of an exact number of days, an impossibility in the lunar calendars which had variable months and year. “Ptolemy’s Canon” was such a time scale.

PRESENT USE OF THE CANON

 Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings is the only secular Chronology for this period.

 Had Ptolemy never written, the connection between secular and Biblical Chronology before the end of the Persian Empire in the 1st year of Alexander the Great would be unintelligible and useless. Other than the Bible Chronology there is no other chronology in existence of the period from Cyrus the Great to Jesus Christ. Interpreters of Bible prophecy, especially Daniel’s “Seventy Sevens”, therefore, consult with Ptolemy’s canon to see if their results are in conformity.

I was able to trace this system as far back as Dr. Prideaux, however, it was subsequently enlarged by Sir Robert Anderson in his late 19th century book The Coming Prince.

There is no other chronology for this period except the Biblical Chronology given in the prophecies of Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Therefore, although the Ptolemaic System of Astronomy was overthrown by Copernicus in the 16th Century, the use of Ptolemy’s Canon for Chronological purposes continues to this day.

Modern expositors of Biblical prophecy concerning this period, especially the time prophecy of Daniel of the Seventy Sevens (Weeks), use the dates of the Canon this way:

First, choose one of the Biblical chronologies compiled by various chronologists, Ussher, Lloyd, Clinton, Hales, Jackson or Marshall.

Second, assume the correctness of the selected chronology.

Third, search for a decree of a Persian king corresponding with the “The going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild…”. Here Ptolemy enters.

Fourth, search the New Testament for an incident in the lifetime of Christ, which would be close to 483 or 490 years away, depending on the interpretation of the prophecy, from the decree chosen above and according to the selected chronology.

An examination of this procedure shows the interpretation of time prophecies being controlled by the selected chronology which in turn relied on Ptolemy’s canon for the Medo-Persian period at least. Therefore, every interpretation which does not agree with Ptolemy’s Canon must be rejected.

Every existing chronological system covering the period from the beginning of the Medo-Persian monarchy to Christ is based upon the Canon although the supposed length of the reign of each monarch can be nothing but guesswork.

LIMITATIONS (CRITICISM) OF PTOLEMY’S CANON

Ptolemy had no means of accurately determining the Chronology of this period, so he contrived to make a Chronology (See below). He was a great astronomer and constructor of synthetic systems, however he cannot and should not be compared to Yahweh who knows “the end from the beginning.”

The Canon is contradicted by:

(1) the national traditions of Persia,

(2) the national traditions of the Jews. The Jewish Chronologists go upon the principle of no other kings of Persia other than those mentioned in their Scriptures and limiting their reigns to the number of years mentioned there. I believe this to be reasonable.

(3) the testimony of Josephus, and

(4) the conflicting evidence of authenticated events as the Conference of Solon with Croesus, and the flight of Themistocles to the court of Artaxerxes Longimanus.

The procedure is incorrect.

This procedure (above) is fundamentally wrong. It tries to make the events of Bible prophecy and its consequent history conform with a manmade chronological scheme. It pits Ptolemy, a man, against God with the sure result of the man coming out on top. But Ptolemy had no facts as to the length of the Persian period from Darius and Cyrus down to Alexander the Great. His guess that this period was about 205-207 years long has caused all the uncertainty for anyone attempting a construction of a Bible Chronology.

The opinion of other astronomers

Ptolemy’s reputation first came under scrutiny by Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) and was overthrown in his heliocentric system “De Revolutionibus”. More recent, in 1977, John Hopkins physicist Robert Russell Newton, in his book, The Crime of Claudius Ptolemy, https://archive.org/details/crime-of-cladius-ptolemy, labelled him the “the most successful fraud in the history of science.”

Newton’s meticulously documented study of Ptolemy’s works, revealed three things:

  1. fabricating regnal dates, in the absence of records,
  2. he worked backwards from results he was trying to prove, and made observations that could not have been done from Alexandria.

Newton concluded, “his models … conflict violently with elementary observation…Astronomy would be better off if Ptolemy’s Syntaxis (Almagest) had never been written.” The data at Ptolemy’s disposal was insufficient for him to fill the gaps in the secular chronology, much less fix the dates of the Chronology of this period.

Errors by Interpreters of prophecy who depended on the Canon.

Many scholars and writers, in the past used Ptolemy’s canon as authority, and have set dates for the return of Christ which proved to be wrong. A Google search of this makes interesting reading.

John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and John the Revelator taught that the Kingdom of God would begin in their time. They had no knowledge of the non-prophetic scheme of Ptolemy. Teachers and interpreters today, explain away this by saying the Jews rejected their Messiah King and therefore the Kingdom was “held in abeyance” until they are willing to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Other prophecies are still held to be some time in the future although the New Testament writer/historian Luke said, “all which are written” (Luke 21:22) would to be fulfilled in the destruction of the Holy city and Temple which occurred in AD 70.

The testimony of Josephus

Josephus’ gives six monarchs for the Medo-Persian Empire instead of Ptolemy’s ten. His last is contemporary with Jaddua, the son of Johannan, the son of Joiada. So that Jaddua was contemporary with Alexander the Great, and Jaddua’s father or uncle, the son of Joiada, was contemporary with Nehemiah, who chased him (Neh. 13:28). Therefore, from Nehemiah and Joiada to Alexander the Great is only one generation but Ptolemy makes it 100 years and when Artaxerxes of Nehemiah is identified with Darius Hystaspes, it is approximate to150 years. Josephus’ successions of the Jewish High Priests and the Kings of Persia are also good evidence against Ptolemy’s canon and in accordance with the Chronology of Daniel and Nehemiah.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE BIBLE

To illustrate I will use Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks which does not need a chronology as the prophecy contains its own chronology. This divinely revealed time-measure, starts from the return of the Israelites out of Babylon and reached to the redemptive ministry of the Messiah and the destruction of the sanctuary and the Holy city.

The confusion associated with this prophecy lies in the attempt to make it conform to the man-made chronology (Ptolemy’s Canon) which is known to be different from the Bible’s chronology. The nature of bible prophecy guaranteed that in the Scriptures themselves, everything will be found for a right and clear understanding. Further, the whole interpretation must lie within the capacity of ordinary Christians. Based on Sola Scriptura, with confidence, they can understand every prophecy and its interpretation, and see for themselves whether it be supported by the Word of God.

The book of Daniel deals in a very special way with Christ and the nation through which He came into the world. He is seen in the fiery furnace delivering those who trusted in their God (3:25); and receiving an everlasting Kingdom (7:13, 14). Daniel was given the exact amount of time from the decree of Cyrus, an event in his own day, to the coming of Christ. God also revealed to Daniel the time of the crucifixion of Christ, as well as the judgment of his nation Israel, in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The decree of Cyrus, allowing Israel to return to the land and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple was the starting point of the “determined” period of seventy sevens. This is clearly seen from the prophecy itself in connection with Ezra 1:1; Isaiah 44:28; 2Chronicles 36:22,23 and other Scriptures. His decree was also the termination of the Babylonian captivity, where one period ended, and another, seven times as long, began. Yet Ptolemy placed this event in the reign of Artaxerxes II and modern expositors of the prophecy has this king, rather than Cyrus, as ending the Captivity and making the decree.

The facts that the prophecy and related history was fulfilled long before Ptolemy’s Canon was devised, and before Dionysius Exiguus invented the present Chronology for the period, are entirely ignored. GOD was very clear about who He would use to free the Children of Israel from Babylon. He decreed it would be Cyrus the Great and it would be after 70 years desolation of Jerusalem was fulfilled. It was not Artaxerxes II. The resulting history recorded in the Bible shows that God was correct, yet writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries insist that it was Artaxerxes II.

There is one alternative, the prophecy of Daniel 9:24 – 27 which fixed the period “between the going forth of the commandment to return and to build Jerusalem (in the first year of Cyrus)” to the destruction of the Temple and the City of Jerusalem as a period of “seventy sevens”. During this period the Messiah would arrive to make a new covenant with Israel, fulfill His Redemptive Ministry to the Jews and be killed, and the temple and the city of Jerusalem destroyed.

This is the true Chronology of the period from the 1st year of Cyrus to the Destruction of Jerusalem. His chronology leaves only 123 years, instead of the 205 in Ptolemy’s Canon, for the duration of the Persian Empire.

Jewish tradition claims the last year of Darius Hystaspes as the year in which the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi died and the spirit of prophecy ceased from among the Children of Israel. It is also claimed that this is the “sealing up of vision and prophecy” spoken of by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 9:24). The same tradition make the Medo-Persian Empire ceased in the same year, for they believe this was the Darius whom Alexander the Great conquered, and the length the Persian Empire was only 52 years,

Darius the Median reigned                                               1 year.

Cyrus                                                                                3 years.

Cambyses (Ahasuerus who married Esther)                    16 years.

Darius (the son of Esther)                                               32 years

Total years of Empire                                                      52

The choice is between:

  1. The Jews tradition of 52 years.
  2. The prophet Daniel’s account together with Ezra and Nehemiah of 123 years.
  3. Ptolemy’s canon of Kings 205 years.

Duration of the Persian Empire 123 years (Confirmed by Sir Robert Anderson).

Beginning of Greek Empire to Christ 332 years.

From Christ to Destruction of Jerusalem and Sanctuary 70 years.

Therefore:

123 + 332 + 70 + 1* = 526 solar years of 365 ¼ days. Or 52.2 sevens.

*We must add 1 because there is no year 0.

Therefore, Seventy sevens = 526 solar years.

Is this Chronology represented anywhere in the Bible? I believe it is in the Chronology of Matthew where we are told of 14 generations between the carrying away to Babylon and Christ’s generation, the generation destroyed in AD 70.

A generation is 40 sabbath years and Jesus’ generation lived to AD70; so, 14 x 40 = 560 sabbath years. A sabbath year is defined as 49 weeks (7 x 7 = 49; See Leviticus 23 & 25 and Daniel’s Seventy Sevens).

The proof of Daniel’s 70 Sabbaths is that 560 x 49 = 27,740. There are 17 sabbaths from the 1 Nissan (beginning of the year) to the destruction of Jerusalem 9th Ab AD70 giving a total of 27,457 sabbaths.

Now, there are 365.25/7 = 52.2 sabbaths in a solar year. Multiplying, 526 x 52.2 gives us 27,457 sabbaths.

If, therefore, one begins by taking Ussher’s chronology (or any of the others) as the basis of his interpretation, he is forced to select a starting point about eighty years after King Cyrus, who (according to Scripture) was the true restorer, the man whom God specially raised up, and of whom He said, “He shall build My city.”

CONCLUSION

The dichotomy is summed up thus,

When interpreting the Biblical Prophecies, the authority of other extra-biblical sources can be corroborative or conflicting, but never the verdict of a jury pronouncing a judgement on the veracity of the Word of God. Therefore, Ptolemy’s canon may be compared with the Old Testament Record, but it must not be regarded as established truth and used to correct the testimony of the Word Of GOD. In the battle, Ptolemy versus God, God can never be the loser. However, this has not always been the case.

This important matter of the defective character of all existing secular chronologies is discussed in Martin Anstey’s The Romance of Bible Chronology, published in 1913, to which I refer those who wish to study the matter in more detail. A copy of this work is at:

https://ia600307.us.archive.org/26/items/romanceofbiblech01anst/romanceofbiblech01anst.pdf

THE END

Categories
End Times

The Last Days

THE LAST DAYS

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Isaiah 46:9,10.

INTRODUCTION

Most Christians hearing the phrase “last days” assume it is referring to the last days of the world and think it is occurring presently, in our time. They would say the present generation of the 21st Century is living in the last days. There are many others who believe we are in the last days of planet earth because they see all the middle east turmoil, technological advancements, “new world order,” etc. They claim that these are fulfilments of biblical prophecy proving we are in the last days.

One American writer on the last days said:

“Don’t you see ‘the signs of the times?’ ‘Mark this,’ Paul wrote: ‘There will be terrible times in the last days’ (2 Timothy 3:1). And what do we see now? America at war. Shootings in our schools. Disasters in the weather. Is it all coming to a climax? Will World War III soon be upon us? We are living in the last days!”

By “last days” he meant the last days of the world, the “last days” of planet earth.

Let’s examine what the Bible said about the “last days” and see if we can understand its meaning and when they were to take place. First, I will examine how the phrase was originally used in the prophecies of Hebrew Scriptures. Next, I will look for their fulfilment or lack of fulfilment in the New Testament.

LAST DAYS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

In Judaism the last days were also called the end time or time of the end. These phrases appear several times in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and in our English Bible was translated from achariyth hayamim; in the Textus Receptus, it is achariyth yome. The word achariyth is also translated as “end of” and “latter”. In the New Testament, the Greek is eschatais hemerais and was translated as “end times”, “last days” and “latter times”.

First used by Jacob.

The phrase first appeared in Genesis with reference to the sons of Jacob, not the physical earth (world) but to the infant nation of Israel. Jacob was on his deathbed, and he called his twelve sons to his bedside. He prophesied to them what would happen to them in the last days. Jacob’s stated intention was “…I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” The entire chapter (49 of Genesis) described the fate of the Sons of Jacob or the Israelites in those last days. Note, it was not about the end of the world.

The prophecy of the last days concerned only the twelve sons of Jacob who later became collectively the nation of Israel. He told each of his twelve sons, beginning with the firstborn, Reuben, and ending with the last, Benjamin, “what shall befall you in the last days”:

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days (achariyth hayamim). Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Genesis 49:1, 2.

While prophesying about Judah, Jacob gave the time of the last days in the future. In verse 10, he said,

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

First, it indicated when Israel (Sons of Jacob) would be in its last days.

The Messiah would come to gather the people. The people were the nation of Israel not the whole world. This agrees with what Jesus at his first advent said:

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 15:24.

Paul added:

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision (Jews or sons of Jacob) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: Romans 15:8.

By the circumcision he meant the Jews or the sons of Jacob who were the only nation given this ritual by God.

Second, Shiloh is another name for the Messiah.

Therefore, the last days were associated with the first coming of Christ. The King of Judah when Jesus the Messiah was born was Herod the Great an Idumean; the scepter had departed from Judah!

A scepter is an ornamental staff carried by ancient rulers as a symbol of sovereignty. So, Jacob said Judah will be the royal or ruling tribe of Israel “until Shiloh come.” He predicted the long line of the Kings of Judah from David until the Messiah Jesus (See the genealogy in Matt. 1:1-16).

Third, there would be a gathering of the people of Israel when Shiloh the Messiah came (first coming).

There can be no doubt this prophecy was fulfilled in the 1st Century when Jesus came to gather a remnant of the Jews who believed on Him, to himself:

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:5-6.

In this Prophecy given by Jacob, to his sons, GOD was “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isa.46:10).

Isaiah prophesied of the last days.

 Again, the Prophecy concerns Judah and Jerusalem (Israel, not the whole world). Everywhere the phrase last days was used to refer to Israel not the whole physical world.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

And it shall come to pass in the last days (achariyth hayamim), that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

This prophecy was a prediction of the New Covenant which was inaugurated in the last days by the Messiah Jesus. Therefore, the last days must coincide with the preaching of the gospel by the Apostles.

Mountain and hills refer to places of worship. At the time of Jesus and the last days the mountain and hills were the Jerusalem temple and synagogues. The mountain of the LORD’s house refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. Verse 3 is a reference to the Gospel of Jesus Christ “going forth” from Jerusalem and all the nations (tribes of Israel) receiving it. All these things were to take place during the last days.

Ezekiel’s placement of the last days.

The prophet Ezekiel, writing during the Babylonian Captivity, placed the Roman invasion and destruction of Jerusalem of 70AD as occurring in the last days:

And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days (achariyth hayamim), and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Ezekiel 38:16.

Some think Gog here refers to Russia and the invasion as taking place sometime in our distant future. However, this is an error. The Russians are not the only descendants of Gog. The Romans (Italians) were also descended from Gog. This prophecy is of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD70 which ended the last days.

The angel Gabriel foretold the last days to Daniel.

 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people (Israel) in the latter days (achariyth hayamim): for yet the vision is for many days.    Daniel 10:14.

And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end (achariyth) of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Daniel 12:8-10.

­­­­­­­­­­­­Again, the prophecy has reference to “thy people”, Daniel’s people (Israel). It was approximately 538 BC when the Jewish exile to Babylon came to an end.

LAST DAYS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Most Christians would agree that the last days began around the time of Christ as we saw prophesied by various prophets of the Old Testament. The debate is whether those days have continued until now and whose last days they were. Hopefully, our study of the New Testament will help us answer these questions

Acts 2:16-20/Joel 2:28-32

This sermon by Peter placed the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel as occurring in the last days. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh on the day of Pentecost indicated that the last days were already upon them. However, the great and notable Day of the Lord was still some 40 years in the future:

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

There is nothing in this passage linking its “last days” to present time.

Hebrews 1:1,2

The writer of Hebrews said, they (first century Christians) lived in the last days but does not identify those days with the present time (2024).

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;   Hebrews 1:1-2.

The writer contrasts “in time past” when God spoke “unto the fathers” with “these last days”, indicating he was writing during the last days, the time of the Son and His Apostles. The use of the pronoun “us” as well as the demonstrative pronoun “these” strengthens this argument. These last days must be those in which the writer lived. For in those days Christ appeared and spoke to the Jews, according to the prediction of Jacob, Moses, and Daniel.

2Peter 3:1-4

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Peter was not giving a new prophecy which would come to pass in the 21st Century. But he was calling upon the disciples to remember a prophecy which was spoken before by the holy prophets, “that there shall come in the last days scoffers…”. He also reminded them that the scoffers were there present in the first century for they were saying “since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Because there were scoffers at the time Peter was writing, he knew that the prophecy was fulfilled in his lifetime.

CONCLUSION

On examination of the relevant Scriptures, I believe the last days, prophesied of in the Old Testament, is the same last days that came to pass in the New Testament. Furthermore, the prophecies established a chronology or timeline of the last days which has no link to the present.

First, the last days began with the arrival of the Messiah Jesus to minister to and gather the Jews; then, during the last days the coming of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders; and afterwards, the great and notable day of the LORD (judgement of Judah and Jerusalem in AD 70).

There is no biblical evidence which suggested that the last days are being fulfilled in our time or will be fulfilled anytime in the future. In the Old Testament, the phrase “last days” was used only in reference to the nation of Israel. There is no instant of it being used in reference to the Gentile nations or the physical world around us. In the New Testament, the same phrase was used in the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies to which they referred.

Categories
Feasts of Israel

The Passover

THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover. Leviticus 23:4, 5 KJV

The Passover is an historical event. It occurred in history in a land called Egypt. Let’s briefly review what happened about 3,500 years ago. You can read it in your Bibles at Exodus 12, 13, and 14.

Of the events of the Exodus, the LORD chose the Passover for a memorial. In this feast the children of Israel remembered His Salvation from the Last Plague by the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb. GOD commanded the people to remember it “forever in all their generations.” This salvation of the firstborn by the Blood of the Passover lamb is recorded in Exodus 11 – 12. The children of Israel were under the yoke of slavery for over four centuries when GOD intervened.

 The Sons of Jacob were nomads, moving from one place to another in the land GOD promised to Abraham and his descendants, the land of Canaan. They sojourned in but never owned the land. The land was occupied by other tribes predominantly Philistines, but GOD gave the title to Abraham. In the sojourning period, there was a great famine in the land and GOD allowed them to take shelter in the Kingdom of Egypt with the condition they return to Canaan.

When Jacob found that there was severe famine in Canaan and his son Joseph was the ruler of Egypt, he decided to migrate to Egypt. GOD allowed him to go down to Egypt and promised to bring him back.

I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes. Genesis 41: 4.

Although they had a sure promise from GOD of their return to the Promised Land, the Israelite never wanted to leave Egypt after the famine. They settled there by choice and were enslaved by Pharaoh. This slavery was not just physical slavery, it was mental and spiritual bondage. It was a cultural war with the Egyptians and the Israelite lost. Despite their physical hardships they did not want to leave. They became slaves to the lifestyle of the new country.

The children of Israel first had to be redeemed before they could be freed from the burden of their physical slavery. After living in Egypt for centuries, they were at home and identified with the local culture. There were Israelites who were born there, lived all their lives there and died there. Despite all the hardships, they had no real desire to leave Egypt. All they wanted were civil rights and equality.

Even when they were freed and out of Egypt, they never left. At several points in the desert life of freedom, they wanted to go back to Egypt. Meanwhile their condition was remained that of slaves physically, mentally, and spiritually. They were trapped in Egypt although they were on their way to Canaan.

The theological term, “redemption,” is imported from the commercial world. It means to buy back. In the divine sense, the Creator of Israel must buy back the people of Israel from Pharaoh before they can belong to GOD. The consent of Pharaoh was necessary for real freedom, otherwise the children of Israel would be mere runaway slaves. This “fight” was done on an Egyptian battlefield with advantage given to Pharaoh. In addition, once out of Egypt, the binding forces of Egypt must be broken before they enter and occupy Canaan. Only two adults who left Egypt entered Canaan.

All men deserve to be punished with death, however, selfishness, tyranny of people, nations or kingdoms demand severe retribution. But GOD in his mercy delays or covers them. This was the principle of the Passover.

THE FIRST PASSOVER IN TYPE

And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Exodus 12:29-30 KJV.

The typological Kingdoms.

There are three typological kingdoms portrayed in the Bible:

Egypt – The Kingdom of Man (the world);

Canaan – Kingdom of GOD; and

Shinar (Babylon) – the Kingdom of Darkness.

GOD’s people exist both in human (Kingdom of man) and divine (Kingdom of GOD) dimensions. It was part of the sojourn to be in Egypt until they make their abode in Canaan. The LORD said:

Let my people go, so they may worship me outside of Egypt.

True freedom isn’t just a goal to be achieved, but a means to an end. True freedom allows us to do important and worthwhile responsibilities. When viewed as a gift, and dispensed indiscriminately, it can cause the demise of civilized society.

The Redemption of the children of Israel was a mighty act of GOD for a purpose: to serve Him and through them the world can be redeemed. The teaching today is redemption is for us to go to heaven, but your redemption is for others to go to heaven. Otherwise, you will die in the wilderness a mere runaway slave.

The account of the fulfilment of the Word of GOD spoken through Moses.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. (Exodus 12:1-2 KJV)

GOD’s Redemption marked the beginning of their New Life.

The month of Nissan was made the beginning of the year and the following six feasts are based thereon. GOD gave specific instructions for the observance of the Feasts. The instructions in Exodus 12 were for the first Passover:

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover. Exo. 12:3-11 KJV

The significance of this Feast was in the change of the Jewish religious calendar. The month referred to in the text was Nisan. Prior to becoming the first, Nisan was the seventh month in the lunar year.

At midnight of the 14th, all the Egyptian firstborn from the Pharaoh to the cattle was slain. The weeping and wailing were unlike any heard in the land before. All of Israel’s firstborn were safe. GOD’s promises are certain. Notice, judgment, and deliverance from judgment, took place at the same time, judgement of the Egyptians and deliverance of the Jews. All of Egypt was devastated by this plague. Not a home was without a dead person.

But GOD tells Moses that the Israelites should do something very specific to ‘protect’ themselves from this last judgement.

Each family should (or if they needed, several small families could combine) separate out a one-year male lamb from their flock on the 10th day of the month. Examine it for four days to ensure there was no spot or blemish. The lamb was perfect. On the 14th day of the month, the lamb was slain, its blood collected and pasted on the doorposts of their home, and the top of the door.

To escape judgment, to receive the benefits of the lamb’s death, the Israelites had to trust in its blood on the doorposts.

They were required to place their confidence in the Word of GOD as it came to them through Moses. They had to follow GOD’s instructions. If any Israelite ignored these instructions, he died if he was a firstborn and his firstborn also died, as did the Egyptians. It was the presence of the blood of the lamb on the doorpost which was a covering. His personal righteousness or good works could not save him. His identity as a Jew, a descendant of Abraham, could not save him. Only faith in GOD demonstrated by trust in the blood of the lamb saved him or his firstborn.

The Passover fell on the Full Moon (the 14th day of the lunar month). Therefore, the blood on the doorposts could be seen by all in the community. There were no secret believers in Egypt. No one could hide his or her affiliation under the light of the full moon. Either there was blood on your doorposts or there wasn’t. It was that simple.

THE PRACTICE IN BIBLICAL TIMES

“And without shedding of blood is no remission of sins” Hebrews 9:22.

Jesus said, “This is my blood which was shed for the remission of sins” Matthew 26:28.

Jesus “washed us from our sins in his own blood” Revelation 1:5.

Historically, the first Passover began the first Exodus from Egypt. After the Exodus it was a memorial feast where a lamb was sacrificed. Its purpose was to keep in remembrance GOD’s deliverance from their bondage in Egypt. Although the Lord’s Supper bears a close resemblance to the Passover meal, it was not a celebration of the Passover, and it was not a replacement.

Redemption and Substitution

The principle behind the Passover Sacrifice is redemption or the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. This principle is the root of salvation and was shown in the system of sacrifices in ancient Israel. Like every other ritual, this also came to be empty of substance by misuse.

There is progressive revelation of redemption in the Bible, which goes from individual to the world:

Genesis 3 – The blood of a lamb for a person, Abel.

Exodus 12 – The blood of a lamb for a family, an Israelite family.

Exodus 30 – The blood of a lamb for a nation, the nation of Israel.

John 1:29 – The blood of a lamb for the world, anyone who believes.

In the first century.

A lamb was chosen by the high priest outside of Jerusalem on the tenth of Nissan. Then the priest would lead this lamb into the city while crowds of Jews lined the streets waving palm branches and singing Psalm 118; “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.” On the fourteenth of Nissan, the lamb would be sacrificed at the Temple’s altar.

THE FULFILLMENT AND THE ANTITYPE OF PASSOVER

The Feast of Passover signifies Redemption.

The Passover is a type, or picture of something much greater– the redemption of GOD’s elect through the sacrifice of the sinless Son of GOD, the Lord Jesus. The antitype is the actual Redemption in Jesus’ sacrifice. The fulfilment of the Passover in Jesus’ crucifixion began the Second Exodus to the Kingdom of GOD just as the Passover began the First Exodus to the Promised Land.

Verse 3 tells us, “In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: ” 

The antitype of the lamb is the Lord Jesus. He was identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of GOD who took away the sin of the world (John 1:28-29). When Jesus appeared at John’s baptism, He was introduced by John as the “Lamb of GOD”:

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29 KJV

The Jews present understood John reference of Jesus to be the Passover Lamb. The introduction pointed to Jesus’ destiny as the Lamb of GOD whose sacrifice was for the sin of the world. The first Passover Lamb prefigured GOD’s final Passover Lamb. GOD, Himself, gave a sacrifice so His blood would remove the sin of the world. All who believed in Him would be saved, not from the bondage of Egypt, but from the bondage of sin and delivered into the Kingdom of GOD.

Exodus 12:6 tells us they were to “kill the lamb.”

This was prophetic of the crucifixion of Jesus. The head of the house killed the lamb at Passover so to the head of Israel, the Chief Priests was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. The first Passover began the First Exodus to the promised Land of Canaan. Paul said,

 “Christ, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us.” (I Cor. 5:7).

Notice the past tense “was sacrificed”, indicating past accomplishment at the date of Paul’s epistle. This also showed the judgement of sin, and the redemption of man took place simultaneously at the cross. When Israel killed the Lamb of GOD, Jesus, this began the anti-type Second Exodus to the Kingdom of GOD from the Land of Canaan:

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance (Kingdom of GOD). And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. Matthew 21:38-39 KJV.

The vineyard represented the Kingdom of GOD, the husbandmen were the Jews and the heir is Jesus. The rest was self-explanatory.

There are several points of interest in our next verse:

The lamb was the type and Jesus the antitype.

And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Exodus 12:6

GOD commanded Israel to take a lamb (for the nation) on the tenth day of Nisan and set it aside until the fourteenth day. These four days were fulfilled by Jesus during the Passover week. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (first day of the week) and went to the Temple, the house of GOD. He was displayed there for four days, from Nisan 10th to Nisan 13th inclusive. During this time, He was tried by many in fulfilling the Scripture; the chief priests and elders (Matthew 21:23); Pilate on behalf of the Gentiles (Matthew 27:1-2,11-14,17-26); Herod (Luke 23:6-12); Annas the high priest (Luke 3:2; John 18:13,24). No fault was found in Him.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. John 19:4 KJV.

The high priest inspected the lamb, and satisfied it was unblemished, would say: “I find no fault in him” (John 18:38, 19:4, 6).

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Mark 15:25 KJV 

This is nine o’clock in the morning, it was the time of the morning sacrifice. Three incidents took place at this very same time; the priests were binding the Passover lamb to the horns of the altar in the temple, the Roman soldiers were binding Jesus to the cross and the congregation were singing the Hallel, Psalms 113-118:

GOD is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Psalm 118:27 KJV

Our text says that the lamb is to be killed “at twilight”–the literal Hebrew reads: “between the two evenings.” The lamb was to be killed “between the evenings”. The phrase, “between (middle of) the evening” (Exodus 12:6), refers to the period from noon to 6:00 p.m., which the middle is exactly 3:00 p.m. This was the ninth hour of the day, counting from 6:00 a.m.

Jesus died at the ninth hour of the day. This would be 3:00 p.m.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My GOD, my GOD, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Matthew 27:45-50 KJV.

In the evening of the fourteenth of Nisan, at 3:00 p.m., the Passover lamb was killed. And Jesus, our Lamb, was crucified on the same day, at the same time as the Passover lamb: the 14th of Nisan at 3:00 p.m.

The ninth hour was also an hour of prayer, and at this time they would sing the Hallel:

The LORD is my strength and song and is become my salvation. Psalms 118:14 KJV

The word for Salvation is “Jesus.” He is the final Lamb slain for the sin of the world.

Thousands of lambs were sacrificed on each Passover, beginning at 9:00am. The shofar would sound to announce the sacrifice of the last lamb, the lamb for the nation. This would be about 3:00pm, the very time Jesus gave up the Ghost.

The lamb sacrifice for the nation was made at the temple mount during Passover by the high priest after all the family lamb sacrifices. The time would be approximately 3:00pm (Our time). After the high priest offered up the last lamb he would say “I thirst.” He would then wet his lips with water and proclaim, “It is finished,” meaning the slaughtering of all the lambs for Passover was over. It was exactly 3:00pm when Jesus, our High Priest, gave up His Spirit and said His last words; “It is finished.”

Four cups were drunk in connection with the paschal feast. The first was drunk after the prayer of thanksgiving; the second, after the first part of the “Great Hallel” (Ps. 113, 114) was sung; the third, just after the eating of the paschal lamb; and the fourth, in connection with the second part of “Hallel” (Ps. 115-118).

This also fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who wrote of Israel’s Saviour as a lamb:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  (Isaiah 53:6-7 KJV). 

This prophecy of Isaiah (Chapter 53), foretold the substitutionary death of Jesus, the Lamb of GOD:

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: Exodus 12:5 KJV. 

GOD told Moses this lamb should be unblemished. In the New Testament Jesus was the unblemished Lamb:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1Peter 1:18-19 KJV.

Peter called Jesus this lamb “without blemish and without spot.” Paul also spoke of Jesus’ sinlessness in

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Another anti-typical prophecy fulfilled was:

In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. Exodus 12:46 KJV.

John said:

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. John 19:32-36 KJV.

John also said there was a plaque placed on the cross:

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.  John 19:19-20 KJV. 

On a plaque above the cross, Pilate had four words inscribed. It read (right to left): Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. If you take the first letter (consonant) from each of the Hebrew word and use it as an acronym, it reads correctly “YHVH”, the name of GOD in the Tannakh. The Pharisees was upset at the sign and told Pilate to change the writing because it recognized Jesus as GOD.

The Paschal Lamb was the symbol of the Messiah.

Jesus the Messiah entered Jerusalem this same day, on a donkey, the vehicle of the kings during the festivals, right behind the High Priest’s procession of the Pascal Lambs. The crowds heralded the entrance of the sacrificial lamb and then heralded the entrance of the Lamb of GOD. Thus, Jesus identified himself with the real Passover sacrifice.

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. (John 12:12-19).

All Israel knew of Jesus’ claim to the title of Messiah, but they did not realize He also claimed to be the Passover Lamb – the Suffering Servant. Just as the lamb was kept within the temple for three and a half days Jesus remained within the temple teaching and preaching and healing until the Last Supper time.

The Passover primary emphasis is Redemption. The New Testament truth that “Christ died for our sins” is well demonstrated in the Passover. According to Exodus 12:7, the lamb’s blood was to be put on the two side posts and above the door. Why were they to kill this lamb and put its blood on the door? GOD answers this question in the next two verses:

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the GODs of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:12-13 KJV.

The lamb was a substitute. An Israelite wanting his household to escape death when the angel of GOD passed, had to kill an innocent creature. He had to show he had done it by smearing its blood on the doorway of his house. Then the Lord would accept the life of the animal in place of the life of his first-born child. In the same way, Christ gave His life as our substitute.

This idea of substitution

Christ was condemned, suffered, and died in our place, is fundamental to the Christian faith. This is central to the Gospel of Grace, of GOD’s unearned, undeserved, unmerited favour. We are forgiven, not because our “good” deeds outweigh our sinful deeds; or because we do our best to live up to a moral code. On the contrary, we know our good works are insufficient; we constantly fail to meet GOD’s standard of holiness; and we deserve, not acceptance and approval from GOD, but rather rejection and condemnation. Our salvation is not based on anything we have done, or could do, but entirely on GOD’s Grace of providing Jesus the Christ, the sinless Lamb of GOD, who gave His life in exchange for ours; by His blood, He paid the penalty for sin on our behalf. As Paul puts it:

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 3:13 KJV.

Because of our sin, we owed a debt we could not pay. But Christ paid the debt (He did not owe anything Himself) by going to the cross and enduring the wrath of GOD in our place. He was, and is, our Passover Lamb. This is the Gospel, Christ died for us:

But GOD commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 KJV. 

As a mark of respect for the memory of the temple sacrifices, the eating of a whole roasted lamb on Passover is forbidden by the code of Jewish law called Shulhan Arukh, which was first printed in Venice in 1565. Jews who strictly interpret this rule will not eat roasted meat or poultry of any kind for their seder.

CONCLUSION

The type of Salvation by the Grace of GOD in the Old Testament was the Passover Lamb. The typical significance of the Passover Lamb is clear in the New Testament writings. The first Passover was celebrated on the 14th of Nisan and two thousand years later Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on the 14th of Nisan. While Israel was celebrating their Passover, Jesus, the Lamb of GOD, was crucified. He was the antitype Lamb of GOD of which the ancient Passover lamb was a type. He delivered man from GOD’s judgments as the Passover Lamb died instead of the firstborn. Those ancient firstborns redeemed (bought) by the blood of the Passover Lamb belonged to GOD, so all redeemed through Christ are bought by and belong to Him.

Categories
Feasts of Israel

The Weekly Sabbath

Introduction

Continue reading “The Weekly Sabbath”

Categories
Feasts of Israel

Introduction to the Feasts

READ THIS BLOG FIRST.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Leviticus 23:1-2 KJV.

The details for the observation of the feasts are given in the remainder of Chapter 23 and would not be reproduced here. We will note here that what the Bible said about these feasts does not always corelate to what was practiced over time.

For almost a millennium, the centre of Jewish worship was the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was first destroyed in 586 BCE but was rebuilt a few generations later. The second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. This was a radical moment in Jewish history because the entire focus of Jewish life changed. When the Temple stood the central practice of Judaism was sacrifice. After the Temple fell, prayer fully replaced sacrifice as the central religious act. Jewish holidays dramatically changed as well. While the Temple was standing, all the holidays included sacrifices at the Temple. Following the destruction of the Temple, each holiday was recast. Prayers and rituals were added to celebrate the holiday in a post-Temple world.

The words “appointed times” are from the Hebrew mow’ed, which means: “fixed times, to meet at a stated time.” The word “holy convocations” is the Hebrew miqra, which means: “rehearsal.” In other words, the Feasts of GOD were “appointed times” of worship for Israel that would serve as “dress rehearsals” of prophetic events happening in the future. Through these Feasts GOD was showing Israel what His intentions for the nation. The feasts were pictures of their Messiah.

Therefore, the things occurring in Israel’s natural history would mirror the things which would happen to His people in the world. Although the Feasts were a part of the natural culture of Israel, it was also prophetic of greater things to come. GOD told the Israelites, “You shall proclaim…”, this is from the Hebrew, qara, it means: “to call out to those who are bidden.” As Israel rehearsed these Seven Feasts year after year, they were a calling out to those who were bidden. A New Testament verse which shows this is:

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King, which made a marriage for his son. And sent forth His servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Matthew 22:1-3 KJV.

Through the Feasts, GOD was calling out to Israel to trust their Messiah. These Feasts represent and typify the sequence, timing, and significance of the major events of the Messiah Jesus’ redemptive career. They commence at Calvary, where Jesus voluntarily gave Himself for the sins of the world (Passover), and climax at the consummation of the Kingdom of GOD the Lord’s Coming. These Seven Feasts depict the entire Redemption career of the Messiah. The seven annual feasts are:

1. Passover – Beginning of New Year and Freedom

2. Unleavened Bread – Beginning of Deliverance

3. First Fruits – Beginning of the Barley Harvest

4. Pentecost – Beginning of the Mosaic Covenant

5. Trumpets – Beginning of the Ingathering

6. Day of Atonement – Beginning of Judgement

7. Feast of Tabernacles – Beginning of or the Kingdom of GOD

The four Spring Feasts —are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost. These four feasts were a prophetic foreshadowing of the Advent of the Lord Jesus. They spoke of His death, deliverance, resurrection, and the establishing of the New Covenant respectively.

The remaining three feasts are the Fall Feasts, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These began about 4 months after the Spring Festivals in the month of Tishri on the Hebrew calendar, approximately September or October on our calendar. These three feasts speak of the consummation of redemption after the outpouring of GOD’s wrath, and the New Heaven and Earth (Kingdom of GOD), which is typified by the Feast of Tabernacles.

The number “seven” is the biblical number of completions. After creating the world, GOD rested on the seventh day. He did not rest because of tiredness; Omnipotence does not get tired. But GOD rested in the sense of completion and satisfaction. What GOD created was good and satisfying. Nothing else was needed. On each seventh day, the children of Israel would observe a Sabbath Rest patterned after GOD’s creation rest. They were to cease from their servile work. This, however, is not regarded as a Feast of GOD:

Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:3.

Before we begin our study of the Feasts of GOD, it is necessary to get acquainted with the typological teaching of the Old Testament.

TYPOLOGY

When talking to Jewish people one day, Jesus said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” John 5:46

 Moses wrote the Torah (Genesis — Deuteronomy). How is Jesus in those books? He is in the types and shadows.

Thomas Hartwell Horne defined type in An Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures:

“A type, in its primary and literal meaning, simply denotes a rough draught, or less accurate model, from which a more perfect image is made; but in the sacred or theological sense of the term, a type may be defined to be a symbol of something future and distant, or an example prepared and evidently designed by GOD to prefigure that future thing. What is thus prefigured is called the antitype.”

The study of the Feasts is a study in typology. Typology is a method of biblical interpretation whereby an element found in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures, is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. The initial one is called the type and the fulfilment is designated the antitype. Wick Broomall explained:

 “A type is a shadow cast on the pages of Old Testament history by a truth whose full embodiment or antitype is found in the New Testament revelation” (Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, p. 533).

There are types and their antitype. The type is the picture, the anti-type is the reality. A type is a real event, person or thing in history ordained by GOD as a prophetic picture of the good things that He purposed to bring to fruition in Christ. Paul tells us that Adam was a type in:

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Romans 5:14 KJV

Who is the antitype of Adam? It is Christ, who Paul calls the “last Adam” in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49. Paul tells us that the Feasts were types in:

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus) was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 KJV

The Greek word used of “festival” here is heorte, which is the word used for referring to the “Feasts of GOD.” Colossians 2:17 indicates that the Feasts are shadows to teach us about the Messiah. When we study the Feasts of GOD, we are studying the Messiah Jesus.Each Feast is a prophetic picture of the Messiah:

Remember the former things of old: for I am GOD, and there is none else; I am GOD, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Isaiah 46:10 KJV.

Each Feast is an announcement showing GOD’s prophetic timeline for the Redemptive work of the Messiah. Notice from Colossians that the Feasts were a shadow of things to come. “To come” is from the Greek word mello. The Greek verb “mello” in the infinitive means “to be about to”. At the time of Paul’s writing of Colossians, all the Feasts, were all about to become shadows. The realities were about to come.

Most believers and most Bible teachers see the first four Feasts as being fulfilled in Christ’s First Coming. But they are still looking for the fulfilment of the Fall Feasts in our future. But as I said, In Paul’s day all the Feasts were about to become shadows:

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: Hebrews 10:1-5 KJV.

The Law was a shadow. The coming of Christ cast its shadow in the Tanakh. The purpose of the Law of Moses is to give us a foreshadowing, a pre-figuring, of the person and work of Christ. The sacrifices were a shadow, never substance. Shadows aren’t enough. You can’t live in the shadow of a house; you need a house. Notice again that the “good things,” the realities to which the shadows pointed, were “about to” come.

I believe Seven Annual Feasts were all fulfilled prophetically and spiritually in the 40 year-period from the Crucifixion of Jesus to the fall of Jerusalem which coincided with the end of the Jewish age and the consummation of the kingdom of GOD in A.D. 70.

These Feasts must be viewed in their strategic order. Judaism today treats Trumpets as the New Year which is an error. This causes the misinterpretation of the Old Testament prophecy. Passover is the beginning of the Redemption, and the Feasts must be viewed in their order from Passover to Tabernacles. This reveals two forty-year Exodus periods. The first is a Physical Exodus when Israel was freed from bondage to Egypt at Passover and began a physical journey to a physical promise land. The second is a Spiritual Exodus and began at the last Passover of the Cross and continued to the destruction of the Temple and the City of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. 

Let’s look at the “Mount of Transfiguration” in Luke:

And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:29-31 KJV.

Moses and Elijah appear in glory, and they speak of Jesus’s departure. The word for “departure” is the Greek word exodos. This same word is used in Hebrews 11:22 and translated: “exodus.” There was an exodus that was to begin at the cross and start another forty-year journey. In this exodus, Israel after the Spirit, left its bondage to the Law of Sin and Death (Ro. 8:2) and begins a forty-year spiritual journey to a spiritual inheritance, the Kingdom of GOD or the New Heavens and New Earth.

The whole Levitical System was a type of Christ, illustrating His person and work that was to come. Jesus Himself testified to the fact that the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) pointed to Him in:

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. John 5:39-40 KJV.

The Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures, all point to the coming of Christ the Redeemer.

These feasts are clustered according to the rainy season in Israel. Passover, the Feast of Unleavened bread, first fruits, and Pentecost come under a period known as the latter rain. The latter rain brings forth the beginning of the harvest, it comes in the spring. Then you have a four month or about 120 days of dry season, which I believe represents the confirmation of the New Covenant between Pentecost and A.D. 70. This four-month period represents the forty-year second exodus. Then we have the former rain that occurs during the end time Feasts of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. We will see that these feasts represent the fall of Jerusalem, the end of Old Covenant Israel, and the establishment of the New Heavens and Earth where GOD’s tabernacle is with men.

Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them anymore. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. Amos 8:1-3 KJV

The Hebrew word for “summer fruit” is qets which means: “end.” It was the last harvest in Palestine. It has the idea of completeness. This vision of a basket of summer fruit is symbolic of Israel’s end. These Fall Feasts picture the end of physical Israel at the end of the forty-year Second Exodus.

The antitype of the last three feasts has no Scriptural reference concerning their fulfilment. No books of the Bible were written after A.D. 70. However, we know from Jesus’ saying, “that all things which are written will be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22) came to pass at the destruction of the Temple and the City in that year. Therefore, the type of the three Fall Feasts has to be interpreted using the same principles used for the Four Spring Feasts.

THE PRIESTHOOD

There are reports of the breeding of red heifers today in Israel as an effort to restart the Levitical Priesthood. But the red heifer does no good without a priesthood. And there can be no priesthood because all the genealogical records were destroyed in A.D. 70 at the destruction of the Temple. The feasts were historical, celebrated in Israel every year, yet also TYPES of GOD’s prophetic calendar for the setting up of the Kingdom of GOD in the Last Days. Following the destruction of the Temple and the City of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), their observance was either discontinued or altered. Without a Temple and Priesthood, the sacrificial system required by the feasts could no longer be observed.

It was of the greatest importance for potential priests to prove their parents were Israelites and their lineage of the tribe of Levi of the family of Aaron. It was stated in the Law:

To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses. Numbers 16:40 KJV.

Nehemiah found some Israelites desiring to be priests after their return from Babylon:

And these were they which went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father’s house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel. The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two. And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name. These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. (Nehemiah 7:61-64 KJV).

Without the priesthood the Temple is useless. No genealogical records, no priest, no priesthood, no Temple. Therefore, the prophetic fulfilment of the feasts had to be before or at the destruction of the Temple and the City of Jerusalem by the Romans.

Three chapters of the Pentateuch, Leviticus 23 and Numbers 28 and 29, record the festivals and their regulations. This is the largest source of information on the subject in Bible. A difference of opinion exists as to the number of the feasts. Some maintain that Leviticus 23 records but five—the Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. Others recognize seven; in addition to the five, Unleavened Bread and the First fruits. I will use the last plus the Feast of Unleavened bread as a separate feast from the Passover since these two require different sacrifices. The Seventh Day Sabbath was not a feast.

Categories
Tithes & Tithing

The New Testament Tithe

INTRODUCTION

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matthew 23:23

This is the main verse used to justify tithing in the New Testament (book). This is especially true in the financing of church activities. Some ministers, desiring to support their fund-raising enterprises, impose the Mosaic tithing system on their congregations although the preaching of the Gospel requires no service of Priests and Levites in a Temple. This required much mutilation of the Mosaic system, making it unrecognizable.

 In addition, it is claimed that Jesus commanded the teaching in this “commendation” of the Scribes and Pharisees for their impeccable practice of the Law. In this chapter we will investigate this claim; did Jesus commend or recommend tithing among his believers?

WHAT DID JESUS TEACH?

When Christ was on earth, He endorsed the Mosaic Law which Jews were required to observe. Statements by Jesus concerning tithes, although recorded in the New Testament (book), are made under the Law because Jesus was a Minister to the circumcision who were under the law (Rom.15:8; Gal.4:4).

The reference to the Abramic Tithe in Hebrew 7 is the only passage in the New Testament (book) after the law. Yet it deals with tithing before the Law and is not a rule for the Church. Jesus could not say other than He did to those “under the law” and it was demanded for His fulfilling of the Law. These were not instructions for life in the Spirit in the Kingdom of God. Spiritually, the law ended with the preaching of the Kingdom of God by John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 16:16; Rom. 10:10; 15:8). Jesus taught forgiveness of debt, not curse for not paying.

DID THE EARLY CHURCH TITHE?

The Church did not tithe.

The Church or Christians of the book of Acts consisted mainly of Jews who were loyal to the Temple and the Mosaic Law. The Law as expounded by Jesus and Paul required obedience until they died (Rom. 7:1); once you were born under the law, it governed your entire life until you died. If Jewish Christians paid tithes, it would have been, according to the Law, paid to the Levites, not the Church. There was no Christian authority for the collection of tithes and the Sanhedrin would have forbidden. You are guilty of adding to the scripture if you say that the Early Church tithed with no scriptures to back you up.

The Gentile Christians did not tithe.

 The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) listed only four instructions from the Law of Moses for the Gentile Christians. There is nothing said at this Council about the Abrahamic Covenant or Melchizedek Priesthood. The Early Church pronounced the Gentiles not “under the Law;” meaning they were not under Malachi’s curse (Mal.3:10). The Council acknowledged that the Jewish Christians didn’t need to keep it too, but not openly.

Under Gospel principles, all the law is summed up in one command; “love the Lord and your neighbour as yourself.” According to Peter, each believer is his own Priest after the order of Melchizedek representing himself before God through Jesus Christ.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9 KJV

According to this verse, each Christian is a royal priest. He is a king and a priest. A priest does not need anyone but Jesus as mediator between himself and God.

Some persons were dishonest with the Gospel for filthy lucre and were told so by Paul. Today it is not politically correct to accuse someone of preaching the Gospel for filthy lucre, but then Peter did not hesitate to say, “and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you” (2Pet. 2:3). Its effect on God’s Grace is to deny it. God causes His rain to fall and His sun to shine on the just and on the unjust.

The early church fathers did not tithe.

 None can teach tithing in the Church except they do much mangling and wresting it into the Scriptures. Those using 1Corinthians 16:2 is taking from the needy saints to give to the rich Apostle, Evangelists, etc, (Ephesians 4:11); the very people who were told by Jesus “freely you have received, freely give.”

The first New Testament Christians were Jews and therefore under the law until the temple was destroyed in AD 70 making it impossible to perform the law. This means they paid their tithes to the temple authorities, not to the Apostles.

No one has objected to the Israelite Pharisees or indeed any other Israelite of the first century practicing tithing. Yet, the use of the word “ought” in Matthew 23:23, is seen by some Preachers to be a command from Jesus for the law of the tithe to be practiced by Christians. This is quite incorrect. The Lord taught, at that time, Jews should be keeping the law because they were under the law of tithing. This phrase under the law occurs 12 times in the epistles of Paul as he tried to convince the Gentiles they were not under the Law and were not to practice it; the entire law.

 The law that Jesus was speaking of was the Mosaic Law. Many writers and preachers have sought to make Matthew 23:23 binding on Christians today. They claim Jesus was commending the Pharisees for their tithing. First, they declare the audience as well as the persons named (Pharisees) to be Christians and then conclude that the tithe has been passed to Christians. However, it is clear this was a “rebuke” rather than a commendation of the Pharisees; Jesus pronounced a “woe” rather than a commendation. Jesus is not commending the Pharisees but pronouncing a “woe” on them for neglecting judgement, mercy and faith. This is a common error with tithers, having no mercy and faith and quick to condemn others. Jesus considers and commended Judgement, Mercy and Faith as weightier matters than tithing. This is not the case with Pharisees who were lovers of money. Jesus labelled these same persons as hypocrites, not disciples or Christians.

Jesus taught tithing because He taught the Law to those who were under the Law, that is, the Jews only (Rom. 15:8). In this verse, He merely confirmed that the people He was speaking to were under the Law and that tithing was their obligation.

Jesus said “pay” tithe; not “give” tithe. A debtor always pay and the tithe is mandatory. This contrasts with Abraham’s tithe where the word “gave” is used indicating that it was voluntary and a gift (Gen.14:20; Heb. 7:2).

Christ was not talking to members of the Christian ekklesia. He was speaking to the Pharisaic leaders of the Jews. The Pharisees were still under the law or thought themselves to be under the law when Jesus made this remark. Even the Pharisees felt they were obligated to accept the Levitical regulations and Christ simply called their attention to those requirements. Jews at the time were supposed to pay the tithe. No one disputes this.

During Jesus’ Ministry the Temple was still legally active.

 The Levites were still performing their ordained functions and were the only legal recipients of the tithe. To obey the Law of Moses was the only thing Jesus could tell the Pharisees and it is not surprising that He did. Indeed, before Jesus was crucified he informed the Jewish lepers he had healed to offer animal sacrifices (Luke 5:14) according to Moses’ commandments; and to recognize the Scribes and Pharisees as sitting in Moses’ seat and to do as they commanded (Matthew 23:2–3), “but not as they do”.

Those who wish Christians to tithe because Jesus commended the Pharisees for doing so, must explain why we must not “make an offering for cleansing, just as Moses commanded you” (Luke 5:14). That’s in the New Testament and Jesus commanded it to someone:

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. Luke 5:12-14 KJV

This incident shows that Jesus did not teach men to break the law, He taught men who were under the law to do the law. Thus, it is not surprising that He told a Pharisee that he ought to pay tithes. However, all these requirements of the law were not needed when the Christians later conducted their activities. Only the Jews were required to sacrifice animals, circumcise, pay Temple tax, and to pay tithe. The Pharisees on whom Jesus pronounced the woe of Matthew 23:23 were Jews. But after Jesus’ once for all sacrifice and resurrection, it was no longer the Law of Moses but the resurrected Jesus to be followed. The Gospel focused on Jesus and faith in Him.

This brought in a whole new paradigm based on faith. These new standards of belief had nothing of a physical Temple in Jerusalem, with physical sacrifices, a physical priesthood, or the physical tithe. The carnal regulations became redundant. They were simply “meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10). Since Christ’s death and resurrection, all the physical ordinances of the Old Covenant (including tithing) were done away (2 Corinthians 3:6–18).

A PRIEST CALLED MELCHIZEDEK

Some claim that Jesus Christ as our High Priest provides evidence that His followers are to tithe. They claim Jesus is our great High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. But, did Jesus take a tithe of His followers? Did His disciples take a tithe when He sent them out two by two? Is there any scriptural evidence of a Christian tithing? The claim is that Hebrews chapter 7 is arguing Jesus is a greater priest than any Levitical priest. Let us examine this.

In Hebrews 7, Paul first proved that Melchizedek was a greater priest than any priest in the Levitical Priesthood. This also proved Jesus’ High Priesthood is greater than the Levitical Priesthood because Psalm 110 called Him (Jesus) a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Paul based his argument on Abraham giving a tithe to Melchizedek. How does that tithe make Melchizedek greater than all the Levitical priests? He used the following logic:

a) When Abraham gave the tithe to Melchizedek, all of Abraham’s unborn descendants, especially Levi, were in his loins; the tribe of Levi from which Aaron and his sons came, were in his loins; all the Levitical priests were there paying tithe to Melchizedek; which means that when Abraham received the blessing from Melchizedek, all the Levitical priests were also there receiving the blessing from Melchizedek;

b) Because the one who receives the tithe and gives the blessing (Melchizedek) is greater than the one who gives the tithe and receives the blessing (Abraham on behalf of Levi), Melchizedek is greater than the Levitical priests.

c) And because Melchizedek is proven to be greater than the Old Covenant priests, that proves Jesus is also greater because he is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Paul said he was drawing an analogy (verse 2); the word “interpretation” is from the Greek hermeneuo, means he is drawing an analogy. This analogy should not be stretched  further than Paul did, or it will “break down” because Jesus was also in the loins of Abraham. Taken further, this would mean Melchizedek is greater than Jesus because Jesus paid tithes to him while in the loins of Abraham. Yet this is precisely what is being claimed.

In Hebrews 8:1 the writer sums up what has been said:

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

This clarifies that Paul used the incident of Abram and Melchizedek to show that we have a greater high priest than Aaron and sons. Also, this is the only incident in scripture involving Melchizedek available for Paul. He wasn’t teaching tithing to the church directly or indirectly.

In addition, we can follow the logic of Paul; he was advocating: Levi paid tithes while in the loins of Abraham; therefore, Levi did not have to pay tithes under the Law but received tithes. So too believers who are “in Christ” are also the “seed” of Abraham like Levi and do not have to pay tithes under the law because Abraham has already paid the tithes at the making of the covenant.

New Testament giving is about God giving to us and our imitation of Him, freely you have received, freely give.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told a parable of two Jews under the Law; a Pharisee (holy person) and a Publican (open sinner). These two represent respectively the Jew who gave tithes and another Jew who did not tithe.

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:9-14 KJV

This parable also shows that tithing has no part in the Kingdom of God because the Publican who did not pay tithe was justified and the other man who paid was not.

THE GOSPEL AND THE TITHE

The preaching of the Gospel by the Twelve unveiled a different set of precepts for financing Christian activities. The Gospel principles are governed by Jesus’ instruction of “freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew10:8)

The tithe erodes the Gospel Principles

The modern Church tithe is Replacement Theology. This teaching says the church has “replaced” Israel, and the Preachers and Pastors, bishops and deacons have replaced the Levites who served in the temple. The tithes are therefore the inheritance of the modern Church Clergy, and it is mandatory. If believers in Christ do not pay the tithe, they are robbing these hardworking persons, which is tantamount to robbing God. Jesus’ principle of “free giving” of the Gospel is thus compromised.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to be willing at all times to use all our resources for the benefit of others.

The Gospel says much about distribution to the poor, contributing to its ministry and giving in general; and nothing on tithing. These teachings are overlooked because tithing, a non-Biblical sort, has been adopted as the foundational truth of the subject. Under the Gospel of Grace tithing is immaterial. It is surpassed by the greater commitment of using and doing all for the glory of God. Tithing distracts your attention to material things and keeps you from the fullness of life in Christ.

What was Jesus’ own custom?

We know after the spirit descended on Him, He was continually teaching and preaching. Did He charge for His services? Did He take pay? Did He require a tithe?

When asked for tribute money, He had none; He had to work a miracle. Today’s ministers are given a waiver on taxes by the government of their countries but extract 10% of their converts’ income plus offerings and perks, not by His command, nor by Moses’ command but by some unwritten eternal principle, known only to themselves. If a sheep dares to murmur, he is threatened with a blight of his source of income by no other name than Jesus.

The parable of the two debtors illustrates this very clearly.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. (Matthew 18:23-30)

I believe this parable speaks for itself and therefore I will not add any comments.

WAS THERE A CHANGE IN THE LAW?

The legal teaching says the tithe can be given only to the Levites or at the Temple in Jerusalem. Over the past 2,000 years this has posed a dilemma to those Pastors wishing to secure the tithe for their own use. In order to do so, church authorities often refer to the verse in Hebrews which speaks about a change of the law. Having observed that Abram paid a tithe to Melchizedek, Priest of Salem (Hebrews 7:12), the author said: “there is made of necessity a change also in the law.” Some Pastors make the “error” that this change of the law was a change in who was to receive the tithe. They claim the text means the tithe is no longer to go to the Levite but to themselves.

However, this is not what the Bible is teaching. This change was not about tithing in the first place. It was a change in the Priesthood itself. Paul said that the Levitical priesthood had been “set aside” and was no longer in force (Hebrews 7:18). The only priesthood that was now valid for Christians was that of Jesus who sacrificed Himself for us. There is another point that needs to be understood.

No Christian minister or otherwise are Melchizedek priests. The Bible clearly states that this priesthood was “an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24); it does not pass from one to another. There was only one priest called Melchizedek. No one else can meet the conditions of holiness and righteousness to be considered a Melchizedek priest.

Indeed, only one person can possibly fill that role and he is identified as being “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). He is also “without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abides a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3). Melchizedek was “made like” the Son of God, though he was not a Son of God as was Christ. Christ only came in the order of Melchizedek. To be in the order of Melchizedek shows Christ representing the priest, but the priesthood itself does not pass to another person.

There is no minister, preacher, evangelist, priest or pope who has been decorated with such honors. The pretense of ministers in Christian organizations to be  Melchizedek priests and receiving the tithe of the people is outrageous. Paul made it clear the  ekklesia today has one High Priest or Mediator between them and the Father and this is Jesus. Paul said:

There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

So Paul made the statement that there has now been a change in the law. No longer do Christians have to give heed to the Levitical priests and the tithing laws that were associated with them. Our priest is now Christ Jesus in his role as the one mediator or the one priest who is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father. All our attention as Christians should no longer be to the Levites and their priesthood, but on Christ Jesus who is our High Priest. We do not need any other priests.

DOES JESUS WANT YOUR TITHE TODAY?

One other teaching devised to exact the tithe from the Laity is because Jesus is God. Ministers teach that Christ should receive the tithe of his people because he is “the Christ.” This may be fine, but the problem is Jesus is now in heaven. How can the members of they give tithe directly to him? Some preachers have an answer. They say that the tithe should now be given to “Christ’s representative on earth”, His “church”. This is precisely the teaching of the Popes of the Middle Ages when people were executed for not paying tithes. They think that “the Body” of Christ is serviced by the ordained ministers of the various denominations. Thus, they have authority to receive the tithe of Christians.

This may sound reasonable on the surface, but the interpretation will not work. The reason is because the “Body of Christ” represents the whole of the ekklesia, not ministers only. If the tithing rule were applied to the “Body of Christ,” it would mean that all members would be tithing right back to themselves, because all of us represent the “Body of Christ.”

The Bible states that Christians are now “priests” (1 Peter 2:5, 9 and Revelation 5:10). But these “priests” are certainly not Melchizedek priests. Only Christ is in the order of a Melchizedek priest, not His followers. But what kind of “priests” are the Christians that Peter and John were referring to? This is simple to understand. They are priests in their relationship with the rest of the unsaved world.

In Exodus 19:5–6 Israel was called “priesthood nation” to the rest of the world, and Peter and John used the same analogy that the Christians were also a “priesthood” like early Israel. This was not a type of “priesthood” to which God said people had to pay tithe. The Christians would be paying tithe to themselves. This is utter nonsense and the Apostles gave no such command. They meant the Christians were like a “priesthood” to the rest of the world as Israel had been to the rest of the Gentile world at the Exodus. The Gentiles did not pay tithe to Israel, and tithe is not expected to be paid to a Christian minister by the people of the world today. But, the Christian is to minister to the rest of the world as John said “taking nothing of the Gentiles” (3Jn.1:7).

The ekklesia is “in Christ” and has a special relationship with the Father at the present time. Paul revealed through the Holy Spirit the position each member of the ekklesia has with the Father and Christ. This new position is “seated in heavenly places with Christ” (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1). In this wonderful position all the members of the ekklesia today cannot be bound by the laws God gave for carnal men. Once you understand your position in Christ since “the revelation of the Mystery” was given by Paul there is no longer any reason to be subject to any tithing laws. For those who do not understand their position in Christ, it is also presented by the plain teaching of Paul that the biblical laws of tithing, new moons, sabbaths, holy days and all other rituals whether they are mentioned as being the holiest ceremonies for humans are no longer necessary for Christians to observe. That is because we are now “in Christ” and we have already kept all these requirements in a perfect way by our being “in Christ” from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3–14). We will find that being “in Christ” on a continual basis from before the world’s foundation (2 Timothy 1:9) means that Christ has been a substitute for us in fulfilling all the requirements that God the Father has placed on all mankind to perform.

CONCLUSION

The New Testament makes it clear the law with its ordinances was abolished by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this we are not sacrificing animals today. The same reason we use for not sacrificing animals is also true of tithing. Tithing was, along with animal sacrificing as well as other ordinances, part of the Mosaic Law. Whatever is valid to the one is also valid to the other. The Mosaic Law became obsolete about 2000 years ago, with Christ’s sacrifice. Together with it, animal sacrifices, tithing and the other ordinances of the law also became obsolete. While can learn from the Law, it is no longer applicable.

Concerning the words of our LORD to the Pharisees, Matt.23:23, regarding their tithing of mint and anise and cumin ‘these ye ought to have done’ cannot be taken as an exception, or as proving that the law is binding for this age; for the simple reason that the present age had not yet begun, and those to whom He spoke were still under the Levitical law.

Categories
Money & Finance

God or Mammon?

INTRODUCTION

Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Matthew 6:24.

Was Jesus offering His hearers a choice? Or was He emphasizing the impossibility of serving two masters?

Serving God must have priority over money-making, not priority in giving of money.

“Ye cannot serve God and Mammon” was said to Jews, the chosen people of God. The hearers knew God and the commandment to serve Him only, yet they were attempting to serve Mammon as well. Jesus, therefore, informs them that what they were attempting to do was impossible.  If the Jews of the Bible could not serve God and Mammon, can we? Can we strike a balance between the service of God and Mammon? In Biblical times money did not play a large part in the lives of the Jews as it does in our lives today. If they could not do a balancing act with the little part they had to do with Mammon and Jesus said to them “…a man’s life consisteth not of the things which he possesseth.” Can we do so? We, who have so much more to do with money can we strike a balance?

Jesus said, we can only serve one master. He then narrowed the possible masters down to two, God and Mammon. Therefore, all worship is of God or Mammon. One represents the unseen and eternal, the other the seen and the temporal. Service to God is the obedience of love, happiness, and a knowledge of good; trust in Mammon is unbelief, disobedience to God, or a knowledge of evil, which in the end “drowns men in destruction and perdition.”

MAMMON WORSHIP TODAY

Mammon is a personification (grammatical tool) of money and possessions.

The word is said to be a mere figure of speech or byname used by Jesus to help us understand money and possessions. Preachers insist the Bible has more to say about money and possessions than heaven thus making money and Mammon much more important.

Present finance teaching includes the striking of a balance between God and Mammon, the pursuit of money and possessions.

The leading ministers teach that you must “strike a balance” between God and money. One bestselling book on financial management says:

 “Our relationships in this life are so important. If we can maintain a balanced relationship with money and not let it affect our relationship with God and others, we will be able to live in joy, to help a lot of people, and God will receive all the glory.”

The worship of the true and living God is considered compatible with the pursuit of money and possessions. The Christian can arrange to pursue riches in the world system, while serving God in Church.

Serving mammon is about your attitudes to money and possessions.

If we love it, we “fall into temptation and a snare…” But if we made it to serve us and the Gospel, it will bring eternal benefits; we can lay up treasures in heaven. Money is neutral and we are to make friends of the “mammon of unrighteousness” to win souls for God. Mammon can be put to righteous or unrighteous uses. God wants us to use our money to win souls and build His kingdom, not to build “our kingdom.” God takes our money, “blesses it”, and turns it into “souls”. The more we give – the more opportunity for souls to be won. God is looking for people He can entrust with “much” money so they can save many souls for Him.

Christians are the stewards of money and possessions.

This teaching is from two parables of Jesus, The Talents and The Unjust steward. They are interpreted as having to do with money and addressed to Christians today. This view is held by those who believe that we must strike a balance between God and Mammon.

LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING

Our situation in the world

Living in the world, we feel compelled to devote much time, energy, thought, and attention, merely to provide clothes to wear, roof to cover our heads and food to maintain the life of our bodies. It can seem as though everything conspires and compel us to consider money first. Serving mammon catches us unawares, while in the exercise of some legal duty. It begins hidden, unnoticed by our conscience, but lurking in the inner man and may surface in acts of excessiveness, immorality, covetousness or infliction of injury on others.

Christians are stewards of the mysteries and the Grace of God. These are committed to us and freely we have received and freely we must give. We are not stewards of mammon, money and possessions.

Serving God or Mammon is not a matter of confession or profession.

It’s a matter of evidence. Is there any evidence of serving Mammon in your life? It is very easy to profess and confess Jesus’ while being driven by another spirit. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation…

The patriarch Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel. He fared very bad in serving both for he ended up loving one and hating the other. How do we know this? Because of the evidence given in the Biblical account. So, it is with everyone who tries to serve God and Mammon. They end up hating God and clinging to Mammon. We will be mastered by one or the other, we choose, or we exercise our wills “for either he will hate the one and love the other…” The choice leads to a love-hate relationship with the two masters and these masters are diametrically opposite.

Evidence of your choice between God and Mammon is not by profession but by behaviour (Tit. 1:16). It is not what we say but what we do. Confession and profession are mere lip-service. People draw near to God with their lips, tongue and mouth but their heart being far from God (Matthew 15:8,9). In America there is a national profession about serving God; it is printed on the money “In God We Trust.” However, real service is evidenced by obedience,

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16.

The lives sacrificed to mammon in the accumulating of money and possessions are not considered.

Mammon worship no longer requires a temple or altar. Money has replaced all the Old Testament offerings and tithes; sin and love offerings are money or possessions. These things the Bible says were types and shadows of Jesus Christ. So, we can conclude that Mammon has replaced Christ in the Church today.

There is no understanding that serving God or Mammon requires love for the one and contempt for the other.

No man can master money and possessions without becoming its servant. The time, energy and effort it takes to master money is nothing more than Mammon worship or serving mammon. In addition, accumulating wealth brings no glory to God, but takes away time, energy and effort from the actual serving. What will God receive glory for? You are the one with the balanced relationship with mammon and helping a lot of people “with mammon”. The Apostles did not “leave of prayer and the word of God to wait on tables.”

The endeavour to serve God and mammon, to lay up treasures on earth and at the same time be rich toward God, is a spiritual mistake.

It’s the greatest spiritual error of our time. John Bunyan, in his spiritual masterpiece, The Pilgrim’s Progress portrays this error in the character of Mr. Facing-Both-Ways, who kept one eye on heaven and the other on earth, who sincerely professed one thing and sincerely did the opposite. He tried to cheat God and Devil, but in the end cheated only himself and his neighbors.

Mammon does NOT compete with God for the service of man, rather, his jostling lies in the heart of man for man’s love, affection and service

(Mat 6:24). No MAN can serve two masters: it is the man who has the struggle. It is the MAN who attempts to serve two masters, money and God, and it is the MAN who finds himself hating one and loving the other.

Jesus told the Jews to seek “seek the kingdom first…” because this was not their priority at the time. The Jews were seeking to be blessed materially because they believed possessing wealth was the sign that you were blessed by God. (Deut. 8:17, 18)

Power to get wealth; power from koach meaning ability, “might” from otsem meaning body strength. This is not miraculous power but physical exertion, by the sweat of thy face, work.

How Mammon got into the Church?  

The answer is through money! How did Mammon become an option to God? It began with betraying God for food in the Garden. Serving Mammon results in spiritual suicide or self-enslavement.

SUGESTIONS FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

Read the Example of Israel

We must read repeatedly how the ancient Israelite forsook Jehovah and served mammon. These things happened unto them as ensamples to us. Jehovah gave no currency to Israel instead they were set apart to worship Jehovah the true and living God, but soon started worshipping foreign gods, particularly Baal, another name for Mammon. Baal was the pagan god of increase, fertility and prosperity.

Whenever worship of Jehovah was dominant in Israel, it soon became entangled with concerns of Mammon and worldliness. Mammon subjugated the more spiritual or intellectual aspects of the worship. Then God raised a priest, judge or prophet who led a spiritual revival of Jehovah worship. Such revivals occurred under Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel who all cried out against mammon worship into which the nation had sunk. These cries were an invitation to renounce Mammon and return to the true and living God, Jehovah. They were to give up materialism and formalism, of no value to a spiritual being and to have a devout attitude to God.

Many ministers of the Gospel do this same thing today; try to merge Jesus with Mammon, the god of money and prosperity. “But no one can serve two masters at the same time.” Notice the word is SERVE not BELIEVE IN. There are many who believe in Jesus but serve other gods. God does prosper, but He is not Mammon, He is not money.

First, you’ll try to love both money and God, but Jesus says you can’t do that. So, you’ll end up loving Mammon and hating God. Jehovah is jealous and won’t share. The more they went to Mammon, the more they hated God until they started hunting down the prophets and slaying them until Elijah challenged them on Mount Carmel. “If the LORD be God, then serve Him, if Baal be God, then serve him.”

Are you serving God or Mammon?

There is such a thing as devil-worship, both in history and present day. For the devil is the opponent, the antagonist, the enemy of God’s love to man. In part, worship of the devil consists in serving Mammon. When I first read of mammon worship in the Bible, I expected to learn of some vile abominations, of human sacrifices, fertility orgies and other pagan ceremonies. However, Jesus said service of Mammon is taking thought of the morrow, anxiety, or worrying about food, clothing and shelter.

The service of mammon is laid out in the sixth chapter of Matthew, verses 1-34. Dependence on anyone or anything for stuff provided by God is declared to be service to another master and hating Him in whom we live and move and have our being.

In these verses, Jesus was not just warning his disciples about losing reward in heaven, but He is making a distinction between those who live to please the world or Mammon and those who live to please God the Father.

We observe two groups of people doing the same religious activities. The key difference is that some settle for a temporal reward, Mammon, while others seek an eternal reward. Some seek to please their peers; this is also serving mammon. The reward of the hypocrites who practice their giving, praying and fasting is that they are well thought of and are praised by their peers, but that’s it. They have only an earthly reward, mammon. There is no heavenly reward. In this section I shall use “serve” and “worship” as synonyms.

The Christian serves Mammon in some of the following ways:

In our prayers.

Jesus instructed us how to pray, but if we pray using vain repetitions or much speaking, we are praying as “the heathens do” and thus worshipping Mammon. He said we must enter our closet and pray to our Father in secret; if we, do it openly, to be seen of men, then we are serving Mammon.

In our fasting.

Jesus instructs us how to fast; anoint thy head and wash thy face; that thou appear unto men to not fast. However, if we put on a sad countenance, disfiguring our face so men can tell that we are fasting, we are not fasting unto God but serving mammon in our fasting.

In our almsgiving.

Jesus instructs us to do our giving in secret, not in the synagogues (churches) and in the streets to be seen of men. Our right hands should not know what our left is doing. If we, do it publicly, sounding a trumpet, or on national television we are not serving God but serving Mammon.

In our valuing of possessions.

We are instructed not to treasure our earthly possessions but to seek and treasure heavenly things. The reason is earthly things may be stolen or corrupted. Instead, we should treasure our heavenly possessions that cannot be stolen or corrupted. When Christians value or treasure their money and possessions more than they value eternal life or their salvation, they are serving mammon.

Many Christians accumulate money and possessions, thinking they are the masters of them, only to find that maintaining, repairing, and storing these things requires so much time, energy and effort that these things have become the masters and they are the servants. They have little or no time for serving God.

When we do not recognize our property and wealth for what they are, temporary blessings to be used on this earth, we are serving mammon.

When Mammon is allowed to rule, he takes control of our perception, especially our value system. He seeks to persuade people that the only worth to be noted is monetary; everything and everyone has a price. Mammon also de-personifies people; instead of showing solidarity and building relationships, he treats people as expendable things to be manipulated and used then discarded.

In not considering who is God.

First consider what is “mammon”. This is a term which is used not only to describe a person’s wealth, riches or possessions but even more significantly, it describes the money and possessions or riches which a person would place his trust in. Mammon is anything which you trust in to see you through your daily needs and cares. It is just because you trust in your money and possessions to meet your daily needs that you are serving mammon.

The context (Matt.6:19-34) describes God as “your heavenly Father” who feeds the fowls of the air (v. 26), as the God who clothes the grass of the field (v. 30) and as “your heavenly Father” who knows all your needs (v. 32). He is the God who is in control of all the little things, and He cares for us who are more important than the fowls of the air and the grass of the field.

You serve someone or something by first placing your trust in that person. As a child of God, you trust your Father to provide for your needs and be a fair Master. Jesus was not offering His disciples a choice; He was declaring to the disciples that if they wanted to serve God, they cannot also trust in Mammon.  He later said in Matthew 6:33, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. By whom will “these things” be added, God or Mammon? God off course.

In continually “putting God first.”

When we serve God alone, He is always first, and there is no second place for anyone. When we serve God and Mammon, God may not be first, so we have to be encouraged by the Preacher to put Him in first position. Some only put God first when they get their pay checks; the rest of their time is given to Mammon.

In addition, God being in first position in your heart and life implies there are more than one master of your heart. You have already begun “to hate one and love the other.” Your whole heart must belong to Jesus; you must serve him with your whole heart. Our attitude in business is generally money first, and people second. I don’t believe the average man plans it that way, but the world’s monetary system causes him to think that way, but this is how it turns out.

In worrying and being anxious about things God has promised He would provide.

Today, many church-going people have their own Mammon whom they serve. They trust in their own possessions, wealth, or the means to these things (e.g. studies, or job security). They invest time, energy, money and even their whole life serving Mammon. They trust in them so much and pay little attention to God the Almighty. If we trust in riches, it is impossible that our trust will be in God. So, we cannot and must not trust in riches if we want to trust God. When you start trusting God, you will find yourself having no desire to trust in riches. When you God is your Master, you will trust Him, and when you trust Him, you will love Him, hold on to Him and serve Him. This service to your God will demand all your life. Mammon continues vying for attention, but your entire life is God’s. As Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).

In having an evil eye.

Wherever the term evil eye is used in scripture, it has reference to money or possessions. The evil eye has to do with how we view money and possessions. We can covet things for good or for evil purposes as well as covet good things or evil things.

Jesus did not mince words in laying down His perspective on money and material things. To the rich fool He said,

“‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20, 21, NKJV)

This man, although blessed by the Lord, hoarded what he had, and what Jesus said to Him should put the fear of God in us all: Serving God and Mammon are mutually exclusive actions. It’s one or the other, God or Mammon.

It is fanciful to think we can have it both ways; there’s no living a double life, no balancing act.

The meaning of balancing is “to make equal”. If we are striking a balance between God and Mammon, then we are making Mammon equal to God. We might fool others, maybe even ourselves, but not God, we are either serving Him or serving Mammon. We must leave of Mammon and trust Jesus, and the longer we hesitate, make excuses, or procrastinate, the stronger will be the hold that Mammon and the love of money will exert on us. Focusing on who God is, what He has done for us, and what we owe Him should make our decision much easier.

Are you serving God?

We must be saved before we can serve God. A man in an unsaved condition cannot serve God, however, he can and does serve Mammon. The minds of unsaved men and women are carnal and therefore at enmity with God and He does not want to be served by enemies.

First, He must be saved; and salvation is all of Grace, all free. We do not pay by money or by good works; neither can we inherit salvation from our parents. “By grace are you saved through faith.” After He saves us, and as the result of salvation, we serve Him. We are saved to serve. He that is saved is a child of God and does childlike service in his Father’s Kingdom. That service too, is also all of grace and all free. He serves, not under the law of the old commandment, “This do, and you shall live,” for he is not under the law, but under grace. As our Father, God promises to take care of all our spiritual and temporal needs. There is no need, therefore, that a child of God should serve Mammon.

The Christian should say, “I received Jesus Christ, and I have a greater treasure than this world has to offer. I have this treasure now; I have all that is in heaven and upon earth. But I must serve this treasure only, for no man can serve God and mammon.” Either you must love God and hate money; or you must hate God and love money; this and nothing more. Our confidence can only rest in one master.

Either we will place our confidence in God or in possessions.

We can truly treasure one master and it will either be God, or it will be Mammon.

Either we will live our lives for a heavenly reward or an earthly reward.

Either we will seek to please God, or we will seek to please man.

Either we will spend our lives laying up treasure on earth or we will spend our lives laying up treasure in heaven.

A house to live in, money for food, clothing, shelter and other necessities is okay. Even Jesus and His disciples had these. It is the surfeit, the excess, the hoarding and not being generous; no longer depending on God for your daily bread. God is your God when you rely on Him, when you trust Him, you prove that He is your God.

This is Jesus’ concern when He announces that we cannot serve both God and mammon. It’s one or the other. Either we serve God, and accept what He offers, or we serve mammon and accept what he offers. God’s “yoke is easy, and His burden is light,” while that of mammon leads to ego and death.

A few examples will suffice.

MAN IN THE CROWD

A man asked Him, to speak to his brother, that he might have his share of their joint inheritance (Luke 12:13). On the surface it looked like a reasonable request, one recognizing the authority of the Lord! Yet Jesus turned down the request, claiming not be a divider of worldly goods. It was an attempt to make Him an accomplice in covetousness. Instead, He took the opportunity to lecture to His disciples on covetousness, “and He said unto them, Beware of covetousness!’’ Why? Because it is unlawful to desire another’s? No! But of covetousness itself; the desire of lawful, honest gain, of possession not polluted in its acquisition. “Beware of covetousness; for a man’s life consisteth not in the things which he possesseth!”

THE RICH FOOL

And He went on to speak a parable unto them, of the rich fool who tilled his ground honestly, and filled his barns thriftily, and pleased himself in the thought of his comfortable independence, till the voice of God came, and required his soul, and in irony asked him, who’s the things should be, which he had provided.

THE UN-NAMED WIDOW

When He saw a certain poor widow cast in, of her penury, all the living she had unto the offerings of GOD, He called the attention of His disciples to her deed, and pointed out it was more, in His sight, than the rich who were casting in large gifts out of their abundance.

From her actions, we can deduce that she believed in God, and trusted not in money. She trusted God to supply her poverty; and she trusted not in uncertain Mammon.

Her work displayed her faith while the faith of the rich, showed itself in the powerful grip with which they clutch money, be it much or little, that the father of lies is persuading them to make their god.

MARY OF BETHANY

Serving God and not Mammon, displayed itself in Mary’s use of the “very costly” ointment at the feast in Bethany. That deed received a mark of approval, wherever the gospel shall be preached and forever her deed will be remembered. Judas, called this act uneconomical. Mary believed in Him on whose head she poured the ointment. Her heart rested in Him. She cared for nothing, longed for nothing but His glory. She saw blessedness in an unspiritual act, the lavishing on His use a costly ointment. Faith like Mary’s, see no other use for worldly possessions; desire no other gratification than its employment in the worship of the Lord. She was not thinking of earning treasure in heaven but seeking His glory.

One of the most prominent features of our Savior’s teaching is, warning against dependence upon wealth and worldly possessions; denunciation of devotion to them as hateful in the sight of God and ruinous to the soul; inculcated by His own constant practice, and by direct and specific praise of instances in others, of what we call sacrifices of money, goods or opportunities of gain.

THE RICH YOUNG RULER

Matthew 19:16-22.

The Jews believed that being rich was a sign of having God’s favour. Being rich meant that God was pleased and was blessing him. So, when Jesus said to the young man, Sell all that you have and give it to the poor… He was saying to him, “give up all of God’s blessing to the poor and as a poor man, not blessed by God, come and follow Me!”

In this young man, we have a rich man who observed all the law from his youth. In addition, he had come to Jesus, the resurrection and the life, the right person to ask about eternal life. However, he refused to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus pointed out the way to enter, but he would not enter. The verb “enter” is in the middle voice, that is, the man performs the action for himself; no one does it for him.

This is the kind of stronghold Mammon can have over men. In this incident, we see how great a stumbling block riches is to light into a soul, and how it impedes the soul from entering the Kingdom and serving God. He came so close, face to face with his God, yet Mammon pulled him back to his miserable trust and confidence in his possessions. The Kingdom of God had drawn nigh unto him, nevertheless, he did not enter.

We may speculate and attribute all kinds of reasons for him not entering the kingdom, however, the reason stated by the Scripture will always be the only correct one; he had great possessions which he loved and trusted more than he trusted God. He came running to the saviour; earnest, determined, resolute, zealous desiring to serve God; but beneath and underlying all appearances, he was already employed in Mammon’s service. He was tenacious in clinging to his great possessions because Mammon had been in his heart throughout the entire episode.

Going away sorrowful proves the wisdom of Jesus’ diagnosis. There would be no strong discipleship such as He called men to if they loved their money more than they loved Him or more than they loved their time with Him. Peter, James and John could not have been properly instructed if they were continually returning to attend to their fishing business; nor could Matthew if he kept returning to the receipt of custom. Mammon would be continually trying to pull them back into his worship.

Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, spoke to this young man who obviously knew Jesus was someone special. And yet, what hap­pened? He allowed his wealth, his love of material things, to sepa­rate him from the very person of God Himself. The love of the world and of material things blinded him so that even though he was sad, that sadness wasn’t enough to make him do the right thing. He wasn’t sad because he was losing his possessions, he had chosen to keep them. He was sad because he knew he had made the wrong decision; he had chosen Mammon over God.

I believe this is the most celebrated case in the New Testament of a godly, respected Jew deliberately choosing Mammon over God. He came to Jesus Himself, in whom was life, seeking for eternal life. The disciples who had been preventing children from coming to Jesus, did not stop him; even his wealth was not a stumbling block; and his position as a ruler was no hindrance, because there he was before Jesus who acknowledged Him as a “Master” in Israel, one with authority to speak in the Divine name and on behalf of God. Yet he was very sad at the Master’s response.

It is indeed impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. God is the only proper object of trust. You can’t have eternal life and you cannot have faith in Him while you put your faith in riches.  The two are mutually exclusive and cannot coexist in the same person. The rich is likely to place his confidence in possessions, and this makes it difficult to enter the Kingdom of God. Yet it is possible through the Grace of God, for with God all things are possible. He can make a rich man willing to leave his riches at the door and enter the Kingdom of God. But without God’s Grace, where wealth is in the hand and heart as a possession, Mammon will also be in the heart as a power; and you cannot serve God and Mammon.

CONCLUSION

I believe Jesus answered this question in the text, but many preachers and writers today disagree. This disagreement makes the service of the true God impossible. On the one hand, there is a jealous God who requires us to serve Him with our entire being, and on the other is Mammon. Once granted some power, Mammon crowds out everyone and everything else, God and family, making the worship of God into empty rituals. The issue is not in how we acquire or spend money or property but about becoming influenced or even possessed by Mammon’s demonic powers.

In this blog, I have emphasized money and possessions as a part of the world system and insist that it is the PERSON possessing the wealth who comes under the demonic influence of Mammon, rather than the money being tainted. Biblical financial principles can only be rules on how to serve mammon.

Categories
Money & Finance

Who Or What is Mammon?

Mammon led them on:

Mammon, the least erected spirit that fell

From heaven; for e’en in heaven his looks and thoughts

Were always downward bent, admiring more

The riches of heaven’s pavement, trodden gold,

Than aught, divine or holy, else enjoyed

In vision beatific: by him first

Men also, and by his suggestion taught,

Ransacked the center, and with impious hands

Rifled the bowels of their mother earth

For treasure better hid. (John Milton — Paradise Lost)

INTRODUCTION

In this blog, mammon means “money and possessions”. These two things comprise wealth. Riches has to do with accumulation or hoarding of mammon. Mammon, when capitalized, is an evil spirit, perhaps a fallen angel, Middle Eastern god of wealth who presides over the use of money and possessions, the world’s monetary system and the accumulation of wealth.

In a previous blog, I indicated how Mammon had insinuated himself into the exchange of goods and services through covetousness and the development of money.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24.

And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. Luke 16:9.

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? Luke 16:11.

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:13.

Controversy reigns as to whether mammon is merely money and possessions or a demon spirit of prosperity. This controversy did not exist in Bible times, when everyone understood who or what mammon meant. In the Old Testament times Mammon referred to material things and was also the name of a demon spirit.

For Mammon, Esau sold his birth right. For Mammon Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. For Mammon, Nabal threw away his life (1Sam.25:2-38). For Mammon, Achan sacrificed his entire house (Jos. 7:20-26). For Mammon, Balaam profaned the spirit of prophecy and paid with his life (Num. 22:4 – 24:25; 31:8). For Mammon, Jezebel and Ahab executed Naboth (1Kings 21:1-16).

Mammon was also recognized as the demon god behind the relentless pursuit of money and possessions, tantamount to worship. Now, Mammon is still the name recognized as the root and religious structure of the world economic and monetary systems.

The temptation of riches was considered in Deuteronomy in the warning:

“Beware . . . lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget Yahweh thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt . . .who fed thee with manna, that he might humble thee . . . and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.”

Jehovah as the Head of the theocratic government, gave no money to Israel instead He, Himself was to be their Reward and their security and provider. They were set apart for the worship of Jehovah, the true and living God, but soon were worshipping foreign gods, particularly Baal, another name for Mammon. Baal was the pagan god of increase, fertility and prosperity.

The Israelite came to believe he would make their fields and women more fertile. “They feared the LORD, and served their own gods” (2 Kings 17:33) is applicable not only to the Samaritan but also to the Jew. Archaeology shows that they actually tried to combine God and Baal. The making of the golden calf in the wilderness wandering and then later by Jeroboam, “behold this is the god which brought you out of Egypt.” They joined Jehovah with Baal or Mammon.

First they tried to love both money and God, but Jesus says you can’t do that. They ended up loving Mammon and hating God. Jehovah is jealous and won’t share. The more they went to Mammon, the more they hated God and so they started hunting and slaying the prophets until Elijah challenged them on Mount Carmel. “If the LORD be God, then serve Him, if Baal be God then serve him.”

This god of money, possessions or wealth, worshipped throughout history, is called Mammon. He has origins in the Tower of Babel and also has roots in confusion, pride, arrogance, and independence. The book of Genesis reports there was a group of people who wished to make a name for themselves and their own way to heaven, so they built themselves a tower. They were full of pride and arrogance, and God visited, confounded and squashed their plans. The word ‘Babel’ or Babylon means confusion. That’s the root of Mammon, and it carried on through history everywhere as a god.

Now, we understand that things which were worshipped in the Old Testament have spirit beings behind them, so if you track through the Old Testament, you find God’s people continually contended with idolatry, the idol of Baal continually was a problem for them. Chemosh was another, or Molech, where they worshipped and sacrificed their children. The spirit being behind these still works today in the area of abortion, and so these ancient gods Israel struggled with had behind them demonic spiritual power, and that spiritual power is still present today.

PRESENT VIEWS OF MAMMON

Today Mammon is regarded as a personification of riches or wealth. Every preacher, teacher, translator and writer have their concept of mammon and these are not necessarily Biblical, or agreed.

Money is spiritual

All money is spiritual – either God’s Spirit impacts to sanctify, or the demon spirit of Mammon to make it unclean. Mammon’s (money) can be redeemed or sanctified by giving a tithe to the church or by giving to God’s work. It is okay to love and use the money God’s spirit rests on but not money that Mammon’s spirit rest on.  How do we know which money Mammon rests on? We are never told. Only some money is tainted: the money that Mammon rests on. Money that mammon does not rest on is the true riches of Luke 16.

Money becomes mammon only when appropriated for purely selfish needs or when it clamours for the place of God in the heart.

Mammon and Greed

Today, Mammonis linked to greed, an inordinate desire. Greed always wants more. The amount you have is not enough, you need more. If you are not satisfied with what you have, you’re greedy; you don’t need, but you want more; you are under the influence of Mammon. Today greed is disguised in Christianity as “moving to higher level of blessing” and other like cliche.

In modern society where we are surrounded, and wooed, by materialism, our Lord’s words need to be always at the forefront of our minds. Most greed is obvious, as that of the rich fool in Luke’s Gospel, but one doesn’t need to be wealthy in order to be greedy. The nature of the lukewarm church is the same as that of the Pharisees of old, blindness to their own greed.

Greed can also masquerade as frugality, ‘I need to save,’ or independence, ‘I worked hard to get what I have,’ but in reality, those trapped in greed do not want to let go of what they love too much. Gollum, of the Lord of the Rings, was consumed by greed, and he only wanted one thing.

Therefore, if we desire to serve God, we must recognize who Mammon is, and the ways he attempts to invade our thinking and living in this world. Greed tells me, I need more. Take heed and beware of greed. For Mammon is a jealous god. Once you accept his gospel, he will not leave a spark of godliness in your soul. He lives and thrives on your base hopes and temptations.

Money is Neutral

Money is the allure of success, pleasure, power and importance. It is the currency of this world, as it can be earned, stolen, claimed and manipulated by anyone, and be made the instrument of sovereignty. Mammon is seen as something useful and good for use in society. It is our attitudes towards it that makes it sinful or holy. If we were to desire it and consume it upon our lusts then it becomes sinful but if we are to use it for serving God and our fellowmen then it is godly.

LIMITATIONS OF THE PRESENT TEACHING

More money equals more mammon.

Much of the time it is not a matter of more money but of more God, Jesus or even better direction. The importance of the foreign names for gods is the idea of ownership or possession. The idea behind all heathen worship is appropriating and selfish ownership of God’s inheritance.

The scriptures draw a parallel between God and Mammon

This suggests much more than personalization. The NIV version of the Bible capitalizes Mammon because the translators saw it as a personal noun, the name of a person.

The spiritual side of mammon is ignored.

Current teaching on Mammon ignores the sharp distinction by Jesus and the Apostles between the material world and the spiritual world. Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world. There is also no distinction between the body and the soul.

Jesus did not divide mammon into “tainted” and “untainted.”

Mammon is never portrayed as “tainted” money in the Bible. Jesus called Mammon unrighteous, or opposed to God (Luke 16) who is righteous and just. What is being brought before us here is not the unrighteous means by which money is procured, nor the unrighteous use to which money is put, but the unrighteous character of money. In God’s sight there is only dirty money.

It is inlaid with the lust of the world. The mystery of iniquity has attached because of the nature and gives to the hands clutching it a sense of power. Its appearance is simple and innocent, and even if you’re indifferent, it is not harmless, for indifference does not change the nature of mammon. But if there is the slightest secret yearning, it will enter the heart and wield an influence, and work all imaginable ruin. “The love of money is the root of all evil.”

All the examples of the Old and New Testament must be taken into account.

The psychological effects of mammon on those pursuing and laying up treasure is largely ignored today. However, money and possessions does shape our thinking and gives confidence and strength. People feel empowered if they have money and disenfranchised if they don’t. Most Pastors would be shocked to hear that some of the best members of their flock are possessed by the demon, Mammon.

Are we right to assume that money is neutral and exerts no power?

When mammon is master, we fall into a snare, not just financial damage but of our souls and spirits. When mammon is master, we fall into temptation, to trust money rather than God. Money invariably leads man away from God. The use of money or any other item to satisfy greed, covetousness and hoarding instincts is contrary to God’s design of sharing, giving and generosity.

There is no neutrality; Jesus Himself, said that if we are not for Him, then we are against Him or for Mammon. It is not about how we use it, or even about attitudes towards it, but that we CANNOT serve this god. We must recognise that Mammon, as a demon, is not himself indifferent or neutral. There is not a righteous and an unrighteous Mammon, but Mammon is the Mammon of unrighteousness.

The mind of Jesus is so far apart from our current conceptions that one must grasp it firmly. Money, however well and fairly earned, He labels “the mammon of unrighteousness.” There is a snare in it, a mystery of iniquity, a spirit in it which excites madness. If money is neutral, then it would have no impact on us. However, careful observation shows that money can and does bring out negative behaviours. There is no neutrality with Jesus, however, Mammon would gladly accept sharing because he knows the impossibility of serving God and himself. Declaring money to be neutral, makes it a subject of discussion only when our behaviour to it is deemed sinful. Money works in the world on just such lines.

There is no vulgarity like that of moneymaking and estimating men by money.

For mammon, friendship ends. For mammon, the loved one conspires against the beloved. For mammon, the face of Nature is defiled and her bowels dug and torn out. For mammon, there is instigation to injustice and murder. For mammon, all the finer virtues vanish from the soul and is replaced by this accursed hunger for more, not more of Jesus but more of Mammon.

The historical evidence does not suggest that mammon is neutral.

A century and half ago, in the gold rush, the selfishness of unredeemed human nature and the effects of money upon it was revealed. When a new mine was opened up, hordes rushed to it, and the sordidness of it would spread throughout a community. It was again seen in the recent world financial crisis of 2008 to 2012 when many people lost their homes while others made a killing. This kind of occurrence is why Jesus calls money the Mammon of unrighteousness. In this striking phrase He gives a history of money and sums up its moral results.

Deceitfulness of money

The seductive and blinding abilities of money is observed in its effect upon the public. It has stood before the eyes of all for centuries. No one disputes its abilities. And yet it is in these years that the fierce fight for wealth has become more intense, and that the worship of Mammon has assumed the dimensions of an international religion.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MAMMON

I am advocating an understanding of Mammon that takes into account the entire revelation in the word of God. This takes into consideration it’s spiritual as well as physical manifestations.

Definition and Meaning

The word Mammon appears four times in the New Testament – in the KJV and RSV versions of Matt. 6:24 and Luke 16: 9,11,13 (given above). It is an Aramaic noun mammon, not translated into Greek, but transliterated as mamonas. The KJV and the RSV transliterated it into the English, though some newer versions have translated it as “wealth,” or “money.”

Perhaps the apostles saw translation of mammon as unnecessary because of its frequent use at that time showed its meaning was understood by all. However, the Aramaic is still the subject of some debate among scholars who link it to a verb “aman” which means “that in which one trusts,” or “that in which one has confidence,” while others suggest it might mean “what is entrusted to man,” or “that which supports and nourishes man.”

Mammon is not only money.

Mammon was also an epithet, a byname, for money and possessions given by Jesus. As such, the word is descriptive, and occurs in place of money and possessions and entered common usage in Biblical times. It suggests excess of money and possessions, not needed but kept as a treasure or security for the future. In the Parable of the Unjust Steward, Jesus calls wheat, oil and money owed, Mammon. Modern Bibles translate it as “wealth” or “money”.

It includes property, possessions, wealth or riches, whatever these might comprise; and in such quantity as not needed yet held as a treasure or security. It is possessions kept as stock and storage provisions so that the holder does not have to depend on GOD. This Christians should not be doing; they are not to gather treasures, but to ask GOD for their daily bread.

In the New Testament, for Mammon the rich fool laid up treasure and was not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21); for Mammon the rich, young, ruler turned his back on eternal life (Matt. 19:16 – 23); for Mammon, Simon Magus wished to acquire the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15-24); for Mammon, Ananias lied to the Holy Ghost and died (Acts 5:1-5); and for Mammon,  Judas betrayed his Lord and Saviour, (Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-10).

Mammon is a demon

Mammon is portrayed in the Bible not just as money and possessions and belonging to the material world, but as a demon. It attracts, drives and motivates people. The name is the same going back to where it originates, from the Syrian God of Riches, out of the Tower of Babel. In calling Mammon a master, Jesus, presents it as a king, god or lord (kurios, Matt. 6:24; Luke 16: 13), not just a personification of wealth. It is noteworthy that kurios is the same word translated as Lord when referring to God or Jesus in the New Testament.

If Mammon is without spiritual significance, would Jesus have presented him as a competitor, jostling man for his loyalty?   Most Bible commentators admit that Jesus, in calling money and wealth, Mammon, is personifying wealth; however, they fail to see that when He compares Mammon with God, He is saying that Mammon is no mere figure of speech but is a being, a spirit, possibly a fallen angel.

Jesus calls Mammon “kurios”, lord, master, thereby personifying wealth and money.

When personifying something, we compare the “thing” with a known “personality.” By personifying Mammon, Jesus classifies him as a god, that is, He regards him as a potential master of men who demands absolute loyalty from his slaves. The side-by-side positioning of God and Mammon also reveals the exceptional nature of money and possessions; it can be compared to God.

However, Yahweh is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; He is the God of people, He is the God of the Hosts of Heaven, He is not the God of money! Mammon is the god of money. Mammon has a personality, pretends, accepts service and is worshipped. He becomes a god, lord or master to men when they serve him. Whether he is dead or alive is a non-issue, what matters is that foolish and unlearned men and women serve him. Therefore, Mammon is a devil, perhaps another name for Satan, seeking to take the place of God.

The spiritual world

The Bible is very clear that we live in an actual world, but there’s also a spiritual world around us, and that the spiritual world influences and even controls the lives of people. In 1John, all of the world lies in darkness or under the influence of spiritual powers. In Ephesians 6, we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and power. Our problems are not with the people around us, but lie with wicked spirits, like Mammon, who contend against us. So very clearly the Bible, over and over, speaks of the invisible spirit realm. Earlier, in this chapter, we saw the natural history of idol worship, but it was to try and teach us that behind idols is a spiritual power Paul writes in 1Corinthians 10:19-22

“What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?”

He said, behind every idol there is a demon spirit operating.

The demon operating behind money and possessions is Mammon. When we idolize money and possessions, we are worshipping this demon. Those who worship idols, ignorantly or with knowledge, have fellowship with demons, and he says: you can’t fellowship with demons and with God. So consistently through history, Mammon refers to a spirit who governs wealth and riches.

There is also the opposite of “serve God”, in “serve Mammon”.

In this name, antiquity recognized the relentless pursuit of wealth is tantamount to the worship of a false god. Service to Mammon takes place in the process of accumulating riches and wealth. It’s a process; it takes time, energy and effort, and it takes these away from the service of the true and living God. Naming this false god by a foreign (to Israel) name indicated its demonic and even magical character.

Now, God is a Spirit. God is invisible, but He’s a Spirit.

We are made in His image. We are spirit beings. We’re made for fellowship with God. We’re made for relationship with God. We’re made to love God, enjoy Him, and then live lives reflecting Him and serve Him. That’s what we’re designed for, so anything that competes with God in our heart, is obviously going to have behind it some demonic spirit or some demonic power.

Jesus says: You can’t serve God and Mammon. Just as God is a Spirit, Mammon must be a spirit. We compare similar things not different things. He’s comparing one with the other, so Mammon is a spirit being, a demonic spirit, associated with money and possessions. God is a Spirit and wants to live in our hearts and impact our decisions and influence our daily lives. Anything which competes with this must also be a spirit, a demon spirit.

Jesus said, Mammon has power to influence and enslave.

As Deity, Jesus must have felt this power, in people like the rich, young ruler and the Pharisees, working and competing against Him for their love, affections and service. Mammon gives confidence and strength because of the possessing of wealth. As the god of money, he has spiritual influence over people causing them to believe they have power or confidence because of their possessions. He also has influence over those who have very little or no possessions causing them to be preoccupied with trying to obtain. He makes them continually think “I need more, I don’t have enough.” With some people mammon can have more influence than with others, some he can even possess, when their money, riches and wealth becomes an obsession.

Mammon in literature and art is a demon.

In Paradise Lost, John Milton portrays Mammon as the “least erected” of the fallen angels, he thinks that Mammon is a spirit. In the writing of his epic, Milton consulted the historical records and the Word of God in coming to this conclusion. He says of Mammon, his eyes are always fixed, downward looking, for gold or money on the ground. In the council, he proposes exploiting the wealth of Hell to create a comfortable existence rather than using it to war against God.

This is a reversal of the very tactic modern ministers are proposing to combat Mammon. They say, “Redeem your money and then use it for the Gospel’s sake.” However, this does terrible injustice to the word redeem. The things which God creates can be redeemed, but how does one redeem something like money which God did not create. What do we redeem money with? To whom is the redemptive price given?

English oil painter George Frederick Watts created a very impressive portrait of Mammon. He is a perfectly heartless tyrant with the wings and crown, with his foot on a prostrate young woman and his metal hand on the crushed head of a youth. This is one of the gods of this world which ties into the love of money.

Mammon may no longer have temples built in his honour because his worship in this present age no longer requires an altar and a building. Lives are sacrificed in the accumulating process. Modern church leaders need be wary of the part which money plays in their worship. Money has now replaced the tithe and the first fruits of the land; it has replaced all the offerings of the Old Covenant which were a type of Jesus.

Mammon and the World System

See this money itself, originally, they used to trade gold, so real wealth was gold (mercantilism). If you had gold, you had real wealth, and then it was inconvenient to carry around large amounts of gold. They made the gold into coins, and so people traded gold coins. But gold is in limited supply, so when they needed more money than there was gold they made paper money, so they made pieces of paper, that you could redeem this for gold.  Eventually, they took away the gold and just made more pieces of paper, and the money lost all its value. So that money is just a facility for trading; it is called a medium of exchange.

The world system is one of trading and exchanging. If I give you something it is because I am expecting to get something in return. We are trading. So I might trade my money in order to receive some good or service. The world system of distribution of goods and services is a system of trading, buying and selling. Money is the currency of the world system. That’s the principle of the world, trading and buying and selling. It prevents you from coming into any kind of area of blessing, because it depends on your works. Well if I just tithe, God has to bless me. Well people think that, but actually that’s not true. God blesses because He’s a giver, He’s generous and He loves to bless, and when you align yourself with His plan, then of course blessing starts to increase and flow. It does not matter whether you think God’s plan is the best plan or your plan is the best plan. In fact you may have the better plan, but God’s plan is the plan that will prevail.

Mammon and the Kingdom of God

There seems to be two systems of thought (teaching) that the problem of money and possessions can be looked at:

The first is where God is the owner and giver of all wealth, including mammon. There is no god of money, Mammon, he is only a personification of wealth, a mere figure of speech. In this system, mammon refers to money and riches only, there is no demonic presence behind money. All money is from God.

It does not matter if we seek the kingdom of God first or if we seek wealth first. Those who seek wealth first, after they have gotten it, can use the wealth for good and thereby “lay up” treasure in heaven. Those who benefitted from their charity will receive them into “everlasting habitations”. The purpose of money is simply to try our love of God. If we have a “love of money” that is greater than our “love of God” then we are guilty of covetousness and all kinds of evil will take over our life.

In this system, it is possible to “lay up treasure in heaven” by use of earthly money and possessions which we are not supposed to lay up.  

The second is where God is owner and giver of “true riches”, and the god of money and earthly possessions is Mammon.  Money is invented by man under the inspiration of Mammon and is the currency of the world economic system. The currency of the kingdom of God is faith. People are saved by grace through faith, and not by their good works or charity.

The kingdom of God is different to the world system.

It runs on a different principle, giving and expecting no recompense. There is no trading or exchanging. In the world everything has a price, but in the Kingdom of God everything you need is “without money and without price.” We saw earlier that God did not give Adam or the Children of Israel money because all His gifts and blessings are free.

We are so used to buying, selling and trading in the world, we tend to think the same way about God. God may also be bought and sold because everything has a cost. I will exchange my money offering for His blessings. I can trade a tithe of my income and God in return will open up the windows of heaven and pour me out His blessings. We cannot operate in the mammon economy and in God’s kingdom simultaneously. The Christian must learn to operate in God’s Kingdom.

Godlike Attributes of Money

Omnipresence:

As God is everywhere so too money is everywhere and involved in all aspects of our life. We carry it wherever we go. If we travel to a foreign country, we have to take along money in some form, cash, cards or check book. In many parts of the world US dollars are preferred to the local currency. Significant black-markets using the US dollar may arise. This gives the US dollar an appearance of omnipresence. Even more amazing, we are happy with money we cannot even see. Money can move from our employers to our bank accounts, to our favorite shopping plaza with no physical appearance. It is this ‘virtual’ money which now dominates the money supply. This intangible character of most money today is perhaps the best evidence of its true nature.

Omnipotence:

As God is all-powerful, so too we speak of the Almighty dollar. Money has replace all the offerings and sacrifice of the Old Testament and occupies a place that was prefigured for Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “Without Me you can do nothing!” Christians say, “Without money we can’t do anything!”  The Church takes tithe of your money, offerings are money, and even a “love” offering is money, thus equating money and love. 

Omniscience:

“Money answers all things” (Ecc 10:19). This is a verse very familiar and popular with the prominent preachers of the prosperity gospel. When our wisdom and knowledge fail, money is brought in to accomplish the task. The prevailing attitude considers not whether we be educated or smart, if we do not have money we are unlikely to accomplish anything worthwhile or achieve the goals we set for our lives.

Everlasting:

Money in its modern form, paper and coins, can last a very long time. US Federal Reserve notes are printed on paper that is made from 75% cotton and 25% linen. This high-quality paper ensures when stored properly, it can survive for hundreds of years, much longer than human beings. If you forgot your money in your pocket, it can also survive the washing and drying in machines.

Now that money is invisible, it can last forever, and this is as godlike as it gets. Some historians think that the barter system of goods and services never existed and money has always existed in this invisible form. 

Providence:

People look to money to provide all their everyday needs and wants; food, clothing and shelter. Everyone tries to be independent, not indebted to their neighbour. Some think they are actually independent of God and can provide for their self if they had the necessary money.

Security:

People look to money for their comfort and provision for the future. They are careful and assured in accumulating for their retirement. They look to money to ensure a comfortable existence in their old age. All these things Jesus said will be added unto us.

CONCLUSION

We must be saved before we could serve the Lord.

We cannot serve God in an unsaved condition. “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” It is no good to attempt service while you are still at enmity against God. The Lord does not want His enemies to wait upon Him, nor someone else’s slaves to grace His throne. We must be saved first; and salvation is all of grace, all free. We do not pay by money or by works. “By grace are you saved through faith.”

After we are saved, and as the result of salvation, we serve.

Saved—we serve. He that is saved becomes a child of God, and then he renders a child-like service in his Father’s Kingdom. That service too, is also all of grace. It is also given freely. He does not serve under the law of the old commandment, “This do, and you shall live,” for he is not under the law, but under grace.

But if you begin to forget your indebtedness to your Saviour or God’s free Grace, not only for eternal life, but for everything you are, and have, and do.

You will be like the Galatians, who began in the Spirit, but sought to be made perfect by the flesh. You will be like the young man, who questioned, “What do I lack? I have done all of the law since my youth, and I have great possessions at my disposal.”  You will be like Peter, who puts in a sort of claim for reward, “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed You; what shall we have therefore?” You will be like the men who had worked in the vineyard from early morning, and who murmured because the same payment was given to those who had only worked for a single hour. You’ll appear to be serving God but in reality serving Mammon.

Jesus asked the rich, young ruler to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, because there is no need of it in the kingdom of God.

There is nothing money can buy in the Kingdom. As a child of God, a Christian I receive everything I need for this life freely from God and so I am to give freely to others. Money is the currency of the world system, but faith is the currency of the Kingdom; Christians walk by faith not by sight. God shall supply all your need (Philippians 4:19).

Categories
Money & Finance

How Money Came Into The World

INTRODUCTION

The nineteenth century economist Jevons recalled, Mademoiselle Zelie, a singer of the Theatre Lyrique at Paris, gave a concert in the Society Islands where there was no money at the time. In exchange for five songs, she was given a third of the receipts from the audience.

The audience paid with livestock, fruits and vegetables. Zelie’s third consisted of three pigs, twenty-three turkeys, forty-four chickens, five thousand coconuts, and considerable quantities of bananas, lemons and oranges. This was considered more than adequate for five songs.

In the Society Islands, however, Mademoiselle Zelie could not consume much of the receipts herself, and it became necessary to feed the pigs and poultry with the fruit and vegetables. The inconvenience and waste caused by the absence of money is clear. The goods, easily sold for money, became an encumbrance. Not only did she lose financially, but so did the people of Society Islands. However, the greatest loss was in social efficiency. Societies desiring the services of fine singers cannot get them on such terms, and this applies to engineers, architects, inventors, doctors and all other kinds of services.

PRESENT TEACHING OF THE ORIGINS OF MONEY

“…no theory of money can be refuted by demonstration of the falsity of any assertion of its author concerning the primitive history of money, and no theory can be proven to be correct by a demonstration of such assertions by the author.” (Joseph Schumpeter)

The origins of money depend on our definition of money which in turn rests on arguments about where it began. As a consequence, there is widespread misunderstanding among Christians of where money originated. These range from God gave money to its creation by the Government.

Some think that the first thing God gave to Adam was a job to tend the Garden of Eden. He must have paid him some kind of wages because God is not a hard taskmaster and would not treat him as a slave. Whatever He paid Adam for his labour would be money. Money then originated as a need by God to pay Adam’s wages.

Others, making no distinction between money and wealth, think that God opens up the windows of heaven and pours out blessings. They base their opinions on the following verses:

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10.

Such thinking makes it acceptable for Christians to pursue money and possessions as the ruling passion of their lives. This now pervades all classes and has been around for many years, with those who are without money having exaggerated ideas of its value and what it will do for them and those who have equally mistaken about its nature and functions.

LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING

There can be no proper understanding of money without a knowledge of its origins. The present understanding of the origins of money is plagued with many misconceptions and downright fallacies. Most of it has to do with the attempt to give it a Biblical origin either in the Garden of Eden or later at the formation of the nation of Israel. Although the Bible traces the history and origins of the nation of Israel, it cannot be properly classified as a book of history. Its use as a history book cannot be justified. In the Bible, Israel had no known currency, but made use of what is termed commodity money, mostly silver being the commodity.

With respect of money and possessions, there is no distinction made between the Kingdom of God, the Church and the World. This problem is universal, from Alcorn to Zacharias. But Christians belong to the Kingdom of God which “is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17).

Christians live in the world system where there is a necessity for eating and drinking although we are not of the world. Presently there is no distinction made between the physical needs of the body and the spiritual needs of the soul. Animals, also eat, drink and need shelter, but they have not developed money, nor accumulate possessions (excepting food) and it would be erroneous to make the case that man having done so can now be defined by money. We must look for the origins of money in the economic history of the kingdoms of this world not in the Kingdom of God. The purpose for the development of money is to buy things in the World System in which we live and are a part. Even if we put off spending our money, we are still planning on doing so later. “We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life is for.” (George Mallory). The history of money shows it to be an accidental phenomenon rather than an essential to human society.

A BETTER CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF MONEY

The mention of money in the Bible, is always incidental, not doctrinal.

Certain incidents in which money was used was recorded. For example, Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah, Joseph was sold for 30 pieces of silver. We know from the Bible that silver was used as currency in Canaan during this period (Genesis 23:16), however, it is quite clear, from the contexts, these incidents are not the origin of money.

 “Biblical economics” must be included into the category of “incidental” to the Bible records. The use of the Bible as a history book is not justified.

Although the Bible traces the history and origins of the nation of Israel, it can be concluded, and without much debate, it is not a book of history nor a book of accounting and finance. Thus, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is significant as a fulfilment of prophecy, but his receipt of 30 pieces of silver is merely incidental and instructive but not doctrinal. Israel was given no currency, instead they used whatever was being used in the land of Canaan, usually silver, as commodity money.

Money is the currency of this “present evil world” only.

We must also recognize both, the World and the Kingdom of God as systems present in the Word of God and existing today. The world’s financial and economic system is based on money and is unstable, ever-changing, and left to chance. This is the place to conduct our financial business.

Also present is the Church (both as an organization and an assembly of believers). It is for prayer, praise and worship, not for doing financial business.  John 2:16 says, “And said to them that sold doves, take these things hence; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandize.”  If the church becomes confused with a profit-generating business, especially a dishonest one (Matthew 21:13 … It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.), then it has careened off course.

The currency of the Church and the Kingdom of God is faith in Jesus.

God’s Kingdom, on the other hand is based on faith in Jesus Christ who is unchanging, the same yesterday today and forever. Here, the thief can’t steal and moth and rust can’t corrupt.

 It is a house of prayer (Luke 19:46), and it is the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).  2 Corinthians 2:17 says, “For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

In order for Christian ministers to take the mind set of first century stewards trying to get gain for their Master, from potential Church attenders, they have to compromise the gospel.  However, freely we have received the gospel, and freely we should give it (Matt 10:8).

It is notable that the animals sold in the temple were used as sin offerings but sadly, they have now been replaced by money whose function is that of a medium of exchange and a measure of value. The parallel drawn is clear, money can be used as a sin offering.

Money in the Garden of Eden?

God did not give Adam any money in the garden of Eden, neither is there a record in Genesis of God creating money on any of the days of Creation. He did not give the nation Israel a currency; it seems Moses may have instituted the use of silver (see below). We can conclude that GOD DID NOT INVENT MONEY.

In the example above, the Society Island had no money. This may shock many Christians who have always been taught that GOD CREATED EVERYTHING in the universe. God certainly did not make something as imperfect and would fail (Genesis 47:15, 16) as money. Money was invented by man, blundering man, unintentional and without the inspiration of GOD.

Two ways in which we may investigate the origins of money:

1. We may start with the various types and substances which have been adopted in various times and in various countries as substitutes for money. In tracing the history in this manner we can arrive at the nature of money as it is used today.Mr. W. Stanley Jevons, in his “Money and the Mechanism of Exchange,” has under the head of “Early History of Money” ten pages with facts. While this is great history, they tell little about the origins of true money and a lot about the history of   commodities substituted for money.

The tracing of the origins of money using this method, involves regarding as money various non-monetary commodities which were used, not as money, but as aids to trade, substituting for money. How easy various non-monetary commodities, as oxen, tobacco, gold,  silver, etc, have been used as a substitute for money, or how primitive men made money of pretty shells or beads, is hardly pertinent to the history of ‘true money’, as we now understand. I’ll leave the reader to decide whether this is a satisfactory approach.

2. We may ignore the various substitutes for Money over its history and begin with money’s origin in a common necessity co-incidental with the practice of commerce. An exchange of goods and services evolved by almost every society of men, beginning with barter but soon developing the necessity for and the use of money. Money is the application of certain functions found necessary in the world of trade and commerce. I will give here the development of money from inconveniences in the system of barter.

No Money or Barter

There was a time when there was no barter or exchange. Of course there is no one alive to remember. A time when “God loveth a cheerful giver” was reality. Or perhaps it was a time when God was the only Giver. God wanted man also to be a giver, “… freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom…” Luke 6:38. But the sinful nature was disobedient, man wanted to trade or exchange. It is the same today, God wants the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached freely, but men has set up commercial systems for its distribution.

In the earliest of times, each man was self-sufficient; he had all the necessary means of supporting himself, within himself. He was a hunter/gatherer and built his own home. He was independent of other men. This can be seen in Cain and Abel; and as late as Abraham and Lot. In the beginning God wanted men to GIVE and so He made the Garden of Eden and gave it to Adam. There is no evidence that He gave Adam a job and paid wages, but there is abundant suggestion that He gave Eden to him freely because He desired the man to follow His example and be a giver (James 1:17).

Barter, Covetousness and Mammon

The beginning of exchange was in gifts, a corrupted form of giving, based on covetousness or desire for other people’s “stuff”. How can you get someone’s stuff if there is no exchanging? You can steal it! Neighboring tribes would invade each other and carry off goods and women.

A peaceful way was to make a present to others hoping to get one in return. In the course of time, the custom became to demand, not only a present in return, but one perceived to be of equal value. Our modern customs of giving gifts at Christmas, birthdays, weddings and other special occasions are legacies of this primitive form of exchange.

I believe this to be the first instance where Mammon, the god of money and wealth, injected himself into the business affairs of men. He put it into the minds of men that their gift was more valuable than that of the other person.

We exchange because we covet.

The exchange of one commodity for another when neither commodity is designated money is called barter. Because of COVETOUSNESS the system of Barter was invented. Men began to covet the goods of their fellowmen. A single barter transaction involved the exchange of one kind of commodity for another. Men did not exchange the same type of commodity, but unlike commodities and they did not exchange their stuff for things they did not want, but for things belonging to their neighbors which they desired or coveted.

A Barter also involved at least two persons with mutual desires for each other’s goods or services. An exchange required an agreement of two minds with reciprocal desires; and since the objective is to satisfy these desires, the result of an exchange was mutual satisfaction. This desiring of others’ possessions is called covetousness in the 10th commandment.

 I believe that this is another point where Mammon, the god of wealth, involved himself in the commerce of mankind. In the tenth commandment we read, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. (Exodus 20:17). The Hebrew word translated as covet, chamad, means desire and is translated as desire in Genesis 3:6, where Eve coveted the forbidden fruit. So that exchange and trade takes place because of covetousness.

For centuries of the world’s history, barter became the usual method of exchange. At the present time it is still used in remote, backward, parts of the world. Sometimes it is practiced in the rural, agricultural and farming areas of developing and developed countries. Farmers exchange commodities like eggs and butter for processed groceries or give the local miller some grain in exchange for his services.

Did barter exist in history?

There are historians who think there was never a system of barter and money always existed. But the Bible records an instance:

Barter was used in Solomon’s Temple.

In 1Kings 5:1-11, when Solomon set about the building of the Temple he wanted timber of a kind which was not found in Israel but was found in Tyre. So he sent to Hiram, King of Tyre, and told him of this difficulty.

Hiram rejoiced greatly, for his land was rich in timber and poor in corn and oil. He therefore sent to Solomon saying: ‘ I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon into the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: Thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.’

Each of the kings was able to supply the other with what he needed, and that was enough to make an exchange possible. It must have been a fair exchange, since each of them was satisfied.

In times of depression and recession, when the monetary system is malfunctioning, bartering, again becomes important. For example, in the world economic depression beginning in 1929, barter played an important role in international trade for the USA, one instance which is the exchange in 1931 by the US Farm Board of 25,000,000 bushels of wheat for 1,050,000 bags of coffee with Brazil.

At first men bartered their goods and services in a physical market place in a town or village. The buyers and sellers met on designated days to exchange their goods and services. There are yet still uncivilized people, both in Africa and South America, who have no notion of money and barter is their means of trade.

Barter was simple, and the need for a medium of exchange was not pressing. People took the time to bargain over their exchanges. Doubtless they quarrelled frequently, and it is possible that often each party to the bargain felt later on that the other person had got the better of him. Yet, for a long time this method of dealing seemed good enough. It appeared simple enough, although in reality it was cumbersome. Above all, it doubtless never occurred to any one for a long time that there could possibly be any other way to accomplish the desired purpose.

Barter Problems

There is no doubt that money makes a great contribution to present day trade, however, it must not be forgotten that commerce existed long before money was known. It is an error to suppose that in barter, there was not the possibility of satisfactory exchanges. The fact is exchange took place and on a large scale and this was evidence of satisfaction. If the people were not satisfied by bartering, there would have been no exchanges. However, the system of Barter was cumbersome with many inconveniences. It is unnecessary to show all the inconveniences that naturally arose in striving to carry on trade without the use of money. Countless examples are given in the various works treating of this subject. I will describe two of the main problems:

1. For Barter to work at least two individuals must experience a double coincidence of wants. This means that if you and I are to exchange goods, I must have something you want, you have something I want and both of us must want to exchange. If a pig farmer wants a piece of cloth, it is not enough to find a weaver; he must find a weaver who wants pork. If the weavers in the town or marketplace do not want pork, the farmer could not make the trade he desired. This is just a simple example in a small village, however, the double-coincidence problem becomes more severe in more developed economies with large numbers of goods and services, many of which are consumed by small parts of the population. This problem, at first, was solved by using a commodity as a medium of exchange, one of the functions of money.

2. Another problem was the lack of a credible measure of value for all goods and services. Before two items can be exchanged they must be PERCEIVED to be EQUAL in value. This problem did not exist if the products to be exchanged were perceived to be equal in value. The transaction simply took place and that would be an end of the exchange. However, the majority of the goods exchanged were PERCEIVED to be of UNEQUAL value, and when such  transactions occurred there would be a remainder of product or service due from the one to the other person. This would constitute a DEBT; the person who had  received the less amount of product or service had to demand the balance due at some future time. At the same time a corresponding LIABILITY would be created in the other person, who had received the greater amount of goods or service, to pay the balance due when required. This problem was solved by introducing other functions of money, as a measure of value, and also as a unit of account. Notice again, this aspect of money is as a representative of DEBT and LIABILITY with one man’s money being another man’s debt or as more accurately shown in the Blog “What is Money?”, everyone’s debt. Money represents debt and gain, through which the idea of profit came into being.

Now, among all traders the following result is inevitably; you want an amount of a product from others, while those others do not want this same amount or nothing at all from you. It is easy to imagine the inconveniences that arose when people don’t get what they want, unless the persons who could supply these wants, wanted something equal in value in return at the same time. Notice too, every time these transactions occur, debts and liabilities were created. The Word of God says that we should “owe no man” anything and even the prosperity preachers are against debt.

Substitutes for Money?

In time all traders of goods and services in a country or geographical area agreed upon a commodity to represent the amount of Debt or Liability. This item is called Commodity Money by economists.

 When an unequal exchange took place between two persons, so leaving a balance due from one to the other; the person who had received the greater amount of product or service gave a quantity of this commodity money to make up the balance; so that the person who had received the lesser amount of product or service might obtain the remainder from someone else using the commodity money.

Suppose that a pork farmer wants bread, but the baker does not want an equivalent amount of pork or does not require pork. The pork farmer nevertheless, buys the bread from the baker, and gives him in exchange as much pork as he wants, and makes up the balance by giving him an amount of this commodity money, equivalent to the deficiency; and if the baker wants no pork at all, he gives him the full equivalent of the bread in the commodity money.

 The baker wants, perhaps, clothing, but not pork. Having received the commodity money from the pork farmer, he goes to the weaver, and obtains cloth from him to the equivalent of the bread he has exchanged. Hence, the satisfaction which was due to the baker from the pork farmer is paid by the weaver. Notice, none of the products exchanged is the commodity money.

Commodity money also could be used as one of the items being exchanged. Suppose the baker wanted beer from the brewer who did not require bread. The baker could give the whole price of the beer in commodity money. The brewer would accept the commodity money because he knows that it could be easily exchanged for anything he wanted in the future (medium of exchange).

This Commodity money in the above examples performs some of the functions of money, and these circumstances show its fundamental nature. Its functions are to measure the value of Debts which arise from unequal exchanges in value (measure of value), to enable persons who have rendered any sort of services to others, and have received no equivalent from them (medium of exchange), to preserve a record of these services (unit of account), and of their rights (store of value) to obtain an equivalent satisfaction from someone else, when they require it. The nature of Money seen here: It is a Right or Title to demand some product or service from someone else in the future.

Many items were used as commodity money throughout history. If they worked well it was used for a long time, if it didn’t people moved to something else. Whatever commodity was selected had to be accepted by all in the community. In Virginia 1618, acceptance was enforced by a fiat of the Governor making a pound of tobacco legal tender equal to three shillings (British money). Subsequently women imported as wives for the settlers were disposed of at 100 pounds of tobacco each and later at 150 pounds. As late as 1732, Maryland made corn and tobacco legal tender. Alpine villages in Switzerland have used eggs as we use money, and Newfoundland has used dried cod fish. In many countries, remote from civilization, pieces of cotton cloth have taken the place of money. But in all cases in which anything of this kind has been done, the rule has been acceptance of some convenient article or articles to be used as we use money. In this manner, various non-monetary items were used, not as money, but as aids to trade, somewhat substituting for money.

Money and the Bible

Recall the simple definition of money as anything that is accepted as payment for material goods and services and discharging of debts. Money therefore can be anything. This holds true also for the Biblical period.

In considering the money of the Bible it is important to draw a distinction between un-coined and coined money, two terms that are self-explanatory. With a few exceptions, the money of the Old Testament was un-coined. This means that it was not necessarily in a recognized special shape or with an inscription, however, they did have a special weight and value as weighed pieces of silver were in the early times of the Bible.

Money is first mentioned in the Bible in the enslavement of human beings,

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. Genesis 17:12.

Whether this predates the book of Job where money is also mentioned is a matter of debate.

In the Book of Job (42:11) we have what is considered the earliest reference in the Bible to currency, each of his relatives, when visiting gave him a piece of money (or silver) and an ear-ring of gold. The word used for piece of money in this passage is kesitah. This word occurs three times in the Old Testament; in the above passage in Job, in the reference to the purchase of a piece of land by Jacob at Shechem for one hundred pieces (Gen. 33:19), and in Joshua 24:32, where the same piece of land is again mentioned. It literally means “weighed out” and refers to an ingot of rough silver, broken off, but having a known and recognized value by weight.

The earring of gold gives a further allusion to the use of pieces of metal of known and recognized weight, either for purchasing or, until so required, as ornaments. The Septuagint version of the Bible more accurately translates this phrase a tetradraclim of un-coined gold. As all of Job’s relatives gave him the same gift, and in conjunction with a piece of silver, that the earring was representative of certain value, and it is equally evident that Job used his gifts in the purchase of cattle, as we read in the next verse that he was possessed of thousands of animals.

The Hebrew word translated as money is keseph which literally means silver. Keseph is used 403 times in the Old Testament and translated as money 115 times, and as silver 288 times. This tells us that silver was used as commodity money in the Old Testament times by the Israelites from as early as Abraham. The verse tells us that money was first used by the Israelites in trafficking in human beings or slaves. That this was the practice and it appears to be accurate, for they were shepherds and did not need to pay for food.

The next use of “money” is when Abraham bought the field with the cave of Machpelah as a cemetery to bury his wife Sarah, himself and his descendants,

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

Genesis 23:14-16

It should be noted that money is added to the text in verse 16 of the KJV. We are told that silver was the currency used by the Canaanites. That it had to be weighed out indicates that it was not minted into coins. How this field became the property of Ephron we do not know. How it was valued at 400 shekels of silver is not stated. It appears that the Patriarchs who lived in the land of Canaan followed the Canaanites in using silver as money.

“Money” in the New Testament

The term “Money” is used 23 times in the English New Testament and reference to money is made a further 16 times. The money at this time is said to belong to Caesar who had issued it for tax purposes. It is translated from a number of different Greek words, some of which are:

1. didrachmon: a double drachma. It was a Greek coin up to 2002 when it was replaced by the Euro currency. It is translated as “tribute” in Matthew 17:24.

2. stater: a coin used in parts of Greece. It appears just the once in Matthew 17:27 and is translated “piece of money.”

3. nomisma: is an ancient Greek word for money. It refers to currency or coins. It appears once in Matt 22:19 and is translated money.

These three words above is found only in Matthew’s gospel. He was a tax collector for the Romans and would have been very acquainted with the currency used in the first century in the Middle Eastern territories of the Roman Empire.

4. argurion: is the Greek word for “piece of silver”. It appears 20 times and is sometimes translated money, pieces of silver, silver pieces and silver. It was unmarked and un-coined and used mostly by the Israelites.

CONCLUSION

Money is somewhat of an accidental development by men to aid in trading of goods and services. It does not come from God and is not an essential aspect of our relationship with God.

Categories
Money & Finance

What is Money?

INTRODUCTION

Money but no Goods and Services

Robinson Crusoe, while rummaging the wreck of his ship for useful things, discovered some money in a drawer, “about thirty-six pounds value in money… I smiled to myself at the sight of this money.” What can you do with money when you’re alone on an island? But, Crusoe, although stranded, was a member of civilized society and could not resist, so, “upon second thoughts, he wrapped the money in a piece of canvas and took it away.” Robinson’s case was having money, but no goods or services to pay for. Having money is important in a modern society but not if there are no goods and services. Crusoe, a fictional character, was able to identify money and distinguish it from other useful possessions. He also knew it was not useful in his situation.

His situation was similar to the Israelites forty-year wandering in the wilderness. In their Exodus from Egypt, they borrowed huge amounts of gold and silver and carried it into the wilderness where no goods or services were available. It was worthless like Crusoe’s money, but not completely. The money was worshipped. With this gold they were able to make the golden calf to worship. Their case was having money and no use for it, (paying for goods and services) so they turned it into a god to worship. Money as a topic of discussion by Christians is at present the most difficult in the whole of theology. The main reason for this is the enormous amount of error and fantastic notions which Preachers and Christian writers have been publishing on the subject. They have written and preached more crazy ideas about money than any topic in Christendom. These ideas are usually taken from various disconnected verses throughout the Bible and offered as solutions to socio-economic problems in the present. This, they call Biblical Economics, and command Christians to practice it in the modern world. A good example of this was the world financial crisis of 2008 – 2012 when preachers of prosperity could be heard on Christian television saying there was no crisis since the children of God should only experience abundance.

PRESENT TEACHING ON MONEY

Some time ago, on Christian television, a televangelist took a ten dollar bill from his wallet and showed it to his audience,

“It’s nothing, only a piece of paper,” he exclaimed.

However, a few minutes later, after preaching, he was attempting to exchange his latest book for “nothing, only a piece of paper.”

This is typical of preachers and writers on money. In general, they give no acceptable definition of money, assuming their hearers or readers know what they are speaking about. Today, every Christian understand money as Robinson Crusoe did, in the sense of dollars, nickels, and dimes or checks, things we use to make payment for everyday wants and as the things the Church accepts as tithes and offerings. Some of us also know credit cards as the things we destroy when we want to get out of debt, but of other types of money we are generally ignorant.

The word money can be used in different senses. Much of the confusion could be avoided if the Church would have an acceptable definition of money. In today’s teaching currency, credit and possessions are lumped together and called money. No distinction is made by the Spiritual Leaders. In sermons and books, these terms are used interchangeably.

In addition, it is taught, there exists a connection between God’s Grace and earthly wealth with money being the medium of exchange. Poverty on the other hand is regarded as a curse. Christianity is now a religion of the rich and luxurious in which the riches of heaven are combined with the riches of the earth. It is no longer hard for the rich, young ruler to enter the Kingdom of God, but provision is made for him to keep his wealth, contribute to the Church and “come and follow after” Jesus. Zacheus need not return his ill-gotten gains but can enter the kingdom rejoicing.

Today, the emphasis is on “biblical economics.” The claim is there are certain principles prescribed in the Word of God for the use of money and Christians are bound to follow them. Other names given to Biblical economics are God’s financial plans and God’s financial management and other such variations.

The Church now accepts exclusively money, as tithes and offering. It has replaced all the other offerings that the Israelite had in the Bible and all the feasts which were social occasions. It ignores the fact that people may have other things besides money that they can give. Example their time, energy, effort, skills etc. This understanding of money has many limitations.

LIMITATIONS OF PRESENT MONEY TEACHING

It leads to the belief that you are poor if you do not have money and you are blessed if you are rich. If you can get some more money only then you would be acceptable and able to serve God properly.

No distinction is made between money and wealth.

We all want to be wealthy. We just don’t know what wealth really means. Having more money is not the definition of wealth, despite propaganda the Christian media would have you believe. There’s nothing wrong in driving the latest model sports car or live in a multi-bathroom mansion if you can afford them. But for most having them is more a curse than a benefit.

The joining of forces of Church and money has two equal and opposite effects.

First, it secularizes the sacred by giving greed and gain a foothold in the Church. Next, it   provides redemption for the unholy business of the wealthy, sanctifies the money while using the plunder for holy purposes.

There is no biblical definition of money.

While it is known what the Romans used as money very little is known about what the early church used. There is no definition of money given by spiritual leaders instead every Pastor and Preacher is left to decide for himself and this has contributed to the great chaos among Christians.

Money develops within a society in response to the culture, religion and politics.

Society is conceived as a world of faceless men and women and the economy as the same faceless humans labouring and grinding to get money. To obtain it, men and women must labour and sweat in field, factory or office. It is believed that it is the money that creates things; it is the money and gain that motivates people to serve; is the “money that answereth all things.”

The teaching claims to be Biblical but in reality it is not.

It claims that it is relevant to all times but clearly originated in medieval times, when trade and exchange developed as never before. Writers and preachers tend to focus only on the positive effects of money, ignoring all the negative evils. Attention is paid to how money could be used to further the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it could be used profitably to secure eternal benefits. Much emphasis is placed on the stewardship function of the money (and possessions) that God has entrusted to the Christian, but the deceitfulness of riches is never explored.

Money is regarded as neutral or at best as having positive effects on society. I believe that money is not a neutral phenomenon to be bypassed or taken lightly and it is difficult to control money and its part in shaping our lives. Whether we love it or don’t love it, we cannot be ignorant about what money actually does to us.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MONEY

Christians need to have an upgrade of their understanding of money. We need an understanding based on sound definitions and taking into account the passage of time from Bible times to present day. Any such understanding must conceive of the modern economy as a group of people co-operating in the production of goods and provision of services capable of satisfying their desires. Money is merely a medium of exchange to trade the goods and services produced. It will include a definition of the terms involved in money and finance, beginning with money itself.

A simple, working definition of today’s money, generally understood in every society and endorsed by economists is: anything acceptable as payment (or exchange) for goods and services and in the discharge of debt. The meaning of money then, is not financial, economical, or even biblical, but functional. From this we will see, the notes and coins that we use at a filling station or grocery store is money. The checks we write in payment for things is also money. This is the function of money!

A modern characteristic of money is that it must have no intrinsic value. So if there is something that has no value of its own, all persons are willing to accept it in exchange for goods and services and if all persons gave this thing in payment for what they owe then this thing is really money.

Money, properly understood, is intangible; it has been called a phenomenon. Although in history, commodities were substituted for money, serving some of money’s functions, money is not a commodity. It is not the material from which it is made. Gold and silver, when not coined, are commodities. Money is not gold, though gold may be used as money; there are times, in history, when gold was money and ­times when it was not. Although intangible, money takes countless physical forms and sometimes no form. Its nature is not easy to understand, for money gives no information about itself, except that it is money.

Notes and coins are examples of money, but they are not what money is; money exchanges involve no currency at all, but the transfer of figures from one account to another. Money is much more like a “verb” than a “noun”; it names functions and activities rather than objects or commodities.

Christians must realize today’s money is a matter of faith or confidence in the person paying. It is not trust in God, but trust in the institution issuing the money. It is faith in the banks that honors our check. Money is no longer a piece of metal inscribed with Caesar’s image (Mark 12:14-16). It is faith inscribed and it matters not where it is inscribed, be it on silver, gold, paper, or stone. A check has been written on a prostitute’s breast and on a man’s butt. Anything can serve as money, from the cowrie shells of the Maldives to the huge stone discs used on the Pacific islands of Yap. And now, in this electronic age, there is no need for anything to serve as money. It can be figures printed on paper, on a screen or stored on a computer’s hard disc.

Intangible money isn’t a modern thing, but has been around for ages.

For example, in the history books there are numerous references to a British coin called a shilling. The ancient British laws, of Ethelbert, King of Kent, in the year A.D. 600, says, that if any man in the assembly injures another he is to pay “fifty shillings to the King.” However, there was no such coin as a shilling until the year 1504, though there are hundreds of references to it before that date. This un-coined shilling was a money of account and was supposed to be one twentieth part of a pound-weight of silver. Hence, twenty shillings make one pound, though the pound is not of silver and does not weigh a pound.

Intangible money was also known by African tribes; we learn from J. S. Mill that there were tribes who computed the value of things by an ideal system. “They calculate the values of things in a sort of money of account called ‘macutes.’ They say one thing is worth ten macutes, another fifteen, another twenty. There is no real thing called a macute, it is a conventional unit for the more convenient comparison of things with one another.” (J. S. Mill, ” Political Economy.”)

Money and Wealth

Money is very often confounded with wealth. However, the money definition necessitates a differentiation from wealth, the latter being property that we own such as car, house, land, gold, silver, jewelry, financial securities, etc. In our everyday speech and in Church we use the terms money and wealth as synonyms, but the world’s monetary systems and the Bible does not.

In the Word of God money is viewed as a separate item from wealth. Wealth in biblical times was determined by possessions, herds, flocks, lands and precious metals; not holding of money. Today wealth includes all those things plus other financial instruments like stocks and bonds, etc. The example of Abraham showed he was rich in cattle, in gold and silver (Gen. 13:2; 23:16; only the silver was used as money in Canaan). He may or may not have been rich in money. In Jesus’s Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-8), the lord is owed something for which the steward had exchanged his wealth; oil and wheat. This something is money.

As a synonym for money, wealth is not associated with the spiritual dangers of money or with the nature and behavior of money itself but more with attitudes to wealth like greed, anxiety, worry etc.  Discussing wealth tends to draw attention to certain forms of behaviour toward it and away from the behaviour of money itself. In this blog I wish to concentrate on money not wealth. The shaping and moulding power of money on human behaviour is important regardless of whether we have or are pursuing money.

Money is merely a title to wealth. It does not contain within itself wealth. It is the yardstick by which we can measure wealth or the exchange value of other material possessions. When we consider how much a wealthy person is worth, or how much riches he has, we must use some form of measuring unit. Money is the measuring unit we use to measure our economic worth. For example we may say that Peter is worth $1,000,000 or Paul is worth $10,000, this does not mean that they have that amount in cash, but that their material possessions including their money total these amounts.

Wealth is a product of labor. Money is a means for wealth to change from one form to another. For example, a farmer with one hundred acres of land thinks he has living in the barn too long. He may wish to exchange some of his land for a building, a better home. To do this he would first sell some of his land for money and then use the money to buy materials to build his new house.

The Purpose of Money

“…the use of money was devised as a matter of necessity. For not all the necessaries of life are easy of carriage; wherefore, to affect their exchanges, men contrived something to give and take among themselves, which, being valuable in itself, had the advantage of being easily passed from hand to hand for the needs of life; such as iron or silver or something else of that kind, of which they first determined merely the size and weight, but eventually put a stamp on it in order to save the trouble of weighing, and this stamp became the sign of its value. (Aristotle’s Politics, I. 9.)

Money is identified by its functions; that is, what it does; anything which performs the functions of money is money. The definition of it given above is easily understood even by non-economists and this is the one I will use in this blog. I will also be using the term “money and possessions” instead of wealth.

Money was developed for certain purposes in relation to trade or the exchange of goods and services. It was not created by God, but by men so that they could affect the necessary exchanges among themselves. There are many functions of money today and in this section I will describe the three main functions.

1. As a Measure of Value

Well, but what will you say to this question? (You know that there is no settled price set by God upon any Commodity that is bought or sold under the Sun; but all things that we buy and sell, do ebbe and flow, as to price, like the Tide:) How (then) shall a man of tender conscience doe, neither to wrong the seller, buyer, nor himself, in buying and selling of commodities . . . . . John Bunyan, The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680)

The goods and services that are traded must first be valued. Money is the measure of value. Prices, salaries, goods, services and wealth are all measured in money.  Money, therefore, attempts to place a value on both God’s creation and the innovative man’s manufactured goods. This value is in terms of earthly units and is for the purpose of exchange.

Now, money is not necessary where the items being exchanged are perceived to be of equal value, but where they are perceived as unequal. Therefore, this function is only applicable to measure debt, credit and gains as we shall see.

In my country, Trinidad and Tobago, TT$ bills are the measure of value, and so prices are quoted in TT$. If we did not have money, prices of goods and services would have to be set in units of goods or services. Different prices might be set in different units, making comparison difficult. For example, suppose I needed a new stove and I want to pay the least possible price. I notice that one store sells a stove for 10 pairs of trousers and another store sells the same model for 20 pairs of shoes. It would be difficult to figure out which deal is better; I would have to know the prices of trousers and shoes. It could get even more complicated if I find that trouser and shoe prices are quoted in other commodities. Money as a measure of value makes life easier, although it is by no means a perfect measure of value. If TT dollars are the measure of value, I will see that one store charges TT$500 for the stove and the other TT$450.

2. As A Medium Of Exchange

This is its primary role, we use it as the medium of exchange; we pay money for goods and services. According to our definition, money is whatever a grocery store or filling station accepts as payment. Great inconvenience can be avoided if there is money as a medium of exchange for goods and services. In today’s economy, dollar bills and coins are two forms of money. The balances in our checking accounts are also money, because many goods and services can be bought by writing a check or accessing an account electronically. Stocks and bonds are not money because you can’t walk into a store and trade them for groceries. There are many other type of financial instruments that are not money because they cannot function as a medium of exchange. People will not accept them in exchange for their goods and services.

There is a great example of money as a medium of exchange in the Bible:

Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, Deuteronomy 14:22-26.

Notice the exchanging of the tithe of the crops, herds and flocks for money, then going to another place designated by God and converting the money into goods before consumption. Notice, too that the money is just a medium for getting the goods to another place; it is not part of the goods being exchanged, nor is it being tithed.

3. As a store of value

As a store of value, money is of a form which people can hold wealth. To understand this function, think about a fruit farmer. If his farm is more productive than is usual in a particular year, he may decide to set something aside for the next year when times could be harder.

 The farmer can’t save the extra fruit he produces, it will rot, making it worthless. Fruit is not a good store of value. The solution is to exchange the extra fruit for money. If the farmer keeps the money in a safe place, he will have it next year when he needs it and it can be exchanged for whatever he needs.

 Money’s store of value function has become less important in advanced economies. The financial system has produced instruments with returns higher than money. In most economies today, holding money is better than holding fruit, but holding some other security is best, because it pays more interest or dividends. People with financial knowledge use money as a medium of exchange, but they hold most of their wealth in other assets.

Exceptions occur mainly in poor countries. In some places the financial system are not as developed so that few assets are more attractive than money. In Trinidad and Tobago the financial systems are not as developed or as volatile as in the United States so people hold much of their wealth in cash. But there is a twist: most of this cash is foreign currency, United States dollars, rather than the local money TT$.

Who Owns the Money

Money existed and was used as an instrument of exchange before coinage and paper bills had been invented. Then, whoever held it was its owner.

In the subsequent period coined money was used and did all the work of money before any act of legal tender or any legislative regulation had been conceived. When money was first coined, it belonged to the king or ruler whose image was on it (Mark 12:16, 17); and money tokens were at first regarded and used as a means by which taxes could be conveniently paid and tribute rendered. The affairs of State were thus first served by money, and afterwards commerce discovered in it a suitable medium of exchange for goods and services.

In modern times the person or institution issuing the money owns the money. In most countries this is the Government or some banking institution it has designated for this purpose, example the Bank of England or the US Federal Reserve System and the US Treasury. It says on US bills “In God We Trust” but the person you are really trusting when you accept one of these in payment for your good or service is the Secretary of the US Treasury and by extension the Chairman of the Federal Reserve System. When anyone exchanges his goods or his labour for US money, he is essentially trusting Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the US Treasury and Jerome Powell chairperson of the Federal Reserve System since February 5, 2018, under the presidency of Donald Trump (at the time of writing). Every country has its counterpart to these people. In my country of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago that person is the Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago currently Dr Alvin Hilaire who was appointed on the 23 December 2015 to a term of five years.

Who Owns Your Money In The Bank

Most people believe the money they deposited with a commercial bank belong to them. Well, they are wrong! Legally, it belongs to the bank. When you make a deposit  into your bank savings account, the bank does not keep your money in a vault or strong box like we see in the old western movies. Instead the bank records it as their money and take legal ownership; at the same time they record the liability to you. In accounting and finance, this is called the double entry system. It is a liability to them because at some time they will have to return it to you.

Who Owns The Money You Have In Your Hand

Money is no longer backed by gold. In the United States, the “Gold Certificate” label on paper money was replaced by “Federal Reserve Note.” What does that mean? It means that today’s currency is fiat money, money with no intrinsic value. Fiat money cannot be made into jewellery, baked into bread, smoked or otherwise put to use and it is not backed by any commodity. No government or bank has promised to exchange anything for your bills. These bills are money “by fiat,” which means the government has simply declared it to be money. “Gold Certificate” meant that money could be traded for gold, but “Federal Reserve Note” doesn’t really mean anything. It’s just a label for a worthless piece of paper representing the debt by the entire society to the holder.

From a Christian point of view, it might seem odd that people trade goods and services for fiat money. Take a construction worker, for example. He works hard all day using his strength and energy and often endures long hours of strenuous activity. What does he get in return?  Nothing he can eat or wear. His employer gives him a fistful of worthless pieces of paper. Why does he bother to work? The answer: he can trade the worthless pieces of paper for things he needs or values. The paper is a medium of exchange. The baker will give him bread for the worthless paper because  the baker knows that others will accept the worthless paper from him. With fiat, people accept worthless paper because everybody else does. Thanks to this behavior, dollar bills serve their purpose as money.

Today’s fiat money, such as paper money, is still intrinsically worthless, but is deemed to be money by the Government. Paper money circulates, but it is not backed up by anything other than the Government’s promise that it will refrain from printing too much money so as to make it entirely worthless. Since Bretton Woods and the demonetization of precious metals, money the world over is fiat.  The problem is sometimes governments break their promise.

Money’s True Nature

What makes something like paper, copper, or silver, money is not its quality or intrinsic value, but the functions they perform in human economy and society. This is clearer now that there is no relationship between currency and precious metals. A set of social, cultural political and economic, arrangements are required for the money to operate. Therefore, human societies and their money evolved together, the nature and functions of money changing through time within cultural, economic, societal and political contexts. For this reason we cannot import wholesale what the Bible says about money and apply it to your own situation, indeed this could not be done for any other historical period. Money in the Biblical period operated under a different set of socio-economic and political arrangements which differ considerably from that of today.

Today, money is regaining its true nature of a right or title to acquire some satisfaction in the future. This satisfaction must be in the form of goods or services from someone else. When you accept money in exchange for another commodity, you cannot eat, drink, wear, or shelter with it. In addition, it provides no satisfaction for the product you have given up or the labor you have put out. You agreed to accept it in exchange for your goods or services, because you believe or have confidence, you can exchange it for some satisfaction, at any time you please in the future. This is actually Credit and a kind of security. Money itself is nothing but a kind of Security, which we receive upon parting with our goods or services. It is hope or assurance, that we shall be repaid in some other or even the same commodity in the future.

How True Money Works

You provided me with some goods and in return I gave you a hundred dollars. You now have a hundred dollar bill in your hand. What does it mean in your hands? It is   evidence of you having provided some goods to a member of society and you did NOT get some other goods in return. You have allowed me, another member of society, to enjoy your goods. This hundred dollar bill states the value of the goods  you provided to me and also witnessed you received nothing in return from me; an equivalent of goods or services, as is your right in an exchange.

The bill also gives you the right, to goods or services to the value of one hundred dollars from anyone in society and you can exercise that right when and how you please. Our Society, by my hands, has given you a title, in the form of an hundred dollar bill, to goods or services sometime in the future. Society owe you this amount of goods and services.

It follows that the more fiat money a person has the greater the amount of goods and services he has right to at his time of choosing. Everyone in society is indebted to him for this amount. The receipt of payment issued by a single person is securely guaranteed by the entire society. Whoever is holding the money is more advantaged to keep it as long as possible rather than present it for collection.

Notice also, if profit is ignored, you are not richer because you have the hundred dollar bill, because you had to give something, goods or labor, of equivalent value to get it. Money, therefore cannot make you rich unless you acquire it but did not surrender an equal amount of goods or services.

Another example: Take the case of an American woman vacationing in Europe. How does she live there? European Society feeds, accommodates, entertain and do for her many other things. For all these things, requiring labor, travel arrangements, and commercial operations, what goods or services did this woman give to European Society? NONE. Why then are all these people performing actual services and giving their goods to her?

Her husband is a medical doctor who rendered services to American society and received, not goods and services, but money; the right to demand other goods and services, in the future, in the place, and in the form of his choice. It is for these goods and services society is paying today. A number of operations took place to reach this result, and all persons doing these operations were compensated for their pains. The rights accumulated by her husband have passed from hand to hand culminating in the consumption of this woman.

CONCLUSION

We desire or demand stuff for the satisfaction they give, but only desire money as a means of getting stuff. Money represents debt; or services due to the its holder, and it represents the right or title, which its holders have to demand some product or service in recompense for some service they have done to someone else.

As long as nations continue in a low state of civilization, all the Money, or Credit, is made of some material substance. But when they advance in civilization they make use of intangible money. At this point in our development, the world is a global village and fiat money is almost universal and necessarily so. We are obliged to use money every day to live, it may no longer be possible to pursue self-sufficiency to the point where we don’t use money.

Categories
Tithes & Tithing

Malachi’s Tithes

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:6-10 KJV

INTRODUCTION

These verses are often cited to support tithing as applicable to Christians today and if not paid then the Christian is guilty of robbing God; does it apply to us today? Pastors are adamant in their assertion. Do they care if they are placing, Christians, God’s people, under the curse of the Law?

At the time of Malachi’s warning there were references to four tithes in the Scriptures: Abram’s, Jacob’s, Mosaic and the King’s tithe. Which one of these was being stolen? Of these the tithe going into a storehouse of the Lord was the Mosaic.

For the office of High-priest and Priest, God chose Aaron and his sons respectively and none other under the penalty of death. It is to be noted it was God’s choice, there was no volunteering. They were forbidden to take tithes of the people, but the Levites out of their tithes (inheritance), were to give the tenth portion to the Aaronites; a tithe of the tithes. So, the only tribe paying tithes to a priest was the Levite. These, together with various first-fruits according to their devotion were the part for the Priests and High Priests.

There was no law to compel the Israelite or the Levite to pay the tithe. If they refused, they were not visited by the priest to exact the tithes; they only incurred the displeasure of disobeying the orders of God and were cursed in the field. Contrary to the actions of the Popes later, they were not executed. God has His mysterious ways of motivating people “to give over into your bosom.”

PRESENT TEACHING

It is held that although Malachi was addressing the Israelites, he was scolding them for a situation similar to the one in existence today; therefore the charge of robbing God still holds if Christians withhold the tithe.

The Church tithe, practiced today, is not after the Mosaic Law but is supposedly an “eternal principle” given to Adam and his descendants by God and therefore is binding on Christians. The local Church or the Pastor is seen as the “storehouse” referred to in the text above and those who do not bring in ten per cent of their income are cursed with a curse.

By rebuking the non-tithers, the Pastor is seeking their best interest, ensuring they do not fall under the curse.

REFUTATION OF THE PRESENT TEACHING

The persons referred to in the text are not Christians.

The prophet addressed them as the sons of Jacob” and this whole nation. They are the Israelites; it is not addressed to Christians and therefore cannot be applicable to us today. The Israelites who were obligated to pay the tithe under the Mosaic Law but had not paid nor had they provided appropriate animals for the sacrifices of the Temple. Therefore, they were “cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation” (verse 9).

Some preach this as an indictment by Malachi against the Christian notwithstanding that there were no Christians in the time of Malachi. Are Christians under a curse for not tithing? Can such a curse be on Christians when non-tithing persons are saved every day? Is Jesus saving people so they can tithe? The answers to these questions are found in the first Council of the Church in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 15. I encourage you to read the entire chapter of which the following excerpt is relevant:

But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them (Gentile who believe), and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Acts 15:5 – 11 KJV.

The “Pharisees who believed” desired to have the “Gentiles who believed” “keep the Law of Moses,” Notice, in this council, circumcision was a separate issue from the keeping of the Law of Moses. We will not discuss circumcision here, but will focus on the tithe, which was included in the Law of Moses (Lev. 27:30-34). Peter, in this passage, called the Law “a yoke of bondage upon the neck of the disciples…”

The Galatian disciples, whether they were Jew or Gentiles matters not, attempted to keep the Law and the Apostle Paul called them “foolish”; furthermore, he said they were not obeying the truth:

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? Gal. 3:1 KJV

Returning to the passage in Malachi, this tithe was not ordained for Christians in the first place!

“But ye say: Wherein shall we return?” Who is the “ye” who does not wish to return? To whom Malachi is referring? The answer is plainly given. It was those called “the sons of Jacob”; ancient Israelites existing in the time of Malachi. Verse 8: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me, But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” Who were these “robbers”? The people of Israel, “the sons of Jacob”. Malachi was scolding the robbers.

“Tithing brings a great blessing,”

For the LORD will “open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to hold it” (Mal. 3:10). The claim that there is a link between the works of the Law and the blessings of God. However, Christians are not blessed or cursed on the basis of tithing. The Lord said in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matt. 6:33). On the contrary placing ourselves under the Law of Moses concerning tithing will bring us under its curse (Gal. 3:10).

It is claimed that Christians who do not tithe have stolen property, but we share rightful legal title to the goods we possess with Jesus Christ. This is stated in more than one place in the New Testament (Rom. 8:16-17; Gal.3:26-29; Tit.3:7).

Is the Church a storehouse?

For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered (Jeremiah 10:21).

The modern storehouse is seen as the Church or specifically the Pastor. The word translated as storehouse in Malachi 3:10 is also rendered “treasury of the Lord.” (See Jos. 6:24:19; 1Ki. 7:51; 14:26; 15:18; 2Ki.12:18). These storehouses existed apart from the Temple.

When the Kingdom of Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom called Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, a rival worship was setup in the Northern Kingdom by ten of the tribes. This resulted in a fall in the tithes collected by the Levites who now had only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to collect tithes from. This decrease caused two things:

a) The Levite had to plant his own garden to survive.

b) Withholding of the tithe by the Levite from the sons of Aaron the priests. This action prompted the prophecy of Malachi against them. 

Tithing Only For the Land of Israel

Another factor that has often been overlooked concerning the biblical tithing system is it applied to those Jews who lived in the land of Canaan. Jews who lived outside the land of Canaan could not tithe; the tithe from outside places was “unholy.”

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. Leviticus 27:30.

Notice, it is All the tithe of the land … is the Lord’s. It is used with regard to a specific piece of real estate (Exodus 3:8, 17) promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The term, as used in Leviticus 27:30, referred only to the land of Israel. See Leviticus 19:23; 20:2; 25:10, 18; 26:32. As the Gentile nations were not given tithing laws and had no counterpart to the Tribe of Levites, they were not instructed to tithe. The term “the land” in Leviticus 27:30 referred only to the land of Israel.

Gentile countries, on the other hand, such as Asia Minor, Greece or Italy were not allowed as lands which could tithe. The produce of those lands was considered as unclean, and unfit for the service of God, that is, it was not “holy unto God”. Alfred Edersheim said, even the very dust of heathen lands was reckoned as defiled. This is why tithe was not acceptable from these lands. The strict reading of the law demanded that the tithe come only from the land of Israel.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MALACHI’S TITHES

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Galatians 3:10 KJV

The curse in the text of Malachi above is the same as the curse given by Paul in Galatians 3:10 above.  Therefore, if you are trying to gain God’s blessings through the “works of the Law,” you are placing yourself under the curse of the Law. This is adequate proof that you who practice tithing as a Law or “universal principle” are the ones who are “cursed with a curse” and are not “obeying the truth.”

The two main “works of the Law” which Christians are guilty of trying to obtain the blessings of God with are tithing and sabbath keeping. The Apostle Paul warned the Galatian Christians; even though they had been redeemed from the curse of the Law they were again placing themselves under the curse so that Jesus’ Blood would avail them nothing.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4 KJV

American preachers are guilty of teaching that their country is under a curse for not paying them (American preachers) the tithes! The USA is one of the richest and most bountifully blessed nations in existence at any time. While there may be other socio-economic and political problems in the USA, to claim that the nation is under a “financial curse” because they don’t pay 10% of the GDP to the Pastors and Preachers is preposterous. Yet gullible Christians in the US fall for it all the time. There is no country of the world that is cursed. The promise to Abraham was “in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed.”

Thus, the nation warned by Malachi, was Israel; the keeping of the Law was national; for the entire nation. The whole nation had gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai and made a covenant with God to keep the Law. This was the only country which owed a tithe and offerings to its priesthood. It is not any other country in the world past or present.

The nations of this world do not owe their priests ten per cent of their GDP, not the US, not Britain and not my country. Therefore, this scolding by Malachi, for their failure to pay tithe, and in not bringing appropriate animal sacrifices for the service of the Temple at Jerusalem, was exclusive to the nation of Israel in the time of Malachi, early fourth century B.C. It cannot be applied to any other people.

Verse 7 says “From the days of your fathers…”

This is proof that the tithe, spoken of, is not an eternal principle, but was only from the days of their fathers. God said He was robbed. Can we determine when and who robbed Him? Yes we can. Malachi’s use of the past tense, robbed, informs us it was not Christians, but the people he was addressing who had robbed God in the past. The paragraph is not a prophecy of Christians robbing God sometime in the future, but of the sons of Jacob, robbing God in the past.

The current teaching ignores the passage of time between Malachi’s warning and the Christian era to present.

The application of this warning was only until the cross; after this the believer in Christ has victory over the Devourer and his curses. If this scripture is applied to Christians today, then anyone reading it is guilty of “robbing God”, whether you pay tithes or not! God is pro-active on our behalf; Jesus is not waiting to see if we pay tithes to rebuke the devourer. He is already victorious over him. Anyone in Christ has the benefit of that total victory freely, without tithing. When Pastors turn your attention away from Jesus’ victory to tithing as a source of protection they take your eyes of Jesus and place you under the curse.

Tithing brings fear, tension and confusion upon its practitioners.

 Every Church practicing and preaching tithing, on the basis of Malachi 3:10, is riddled with fear, tension, and spiritual confusion. They are afraid of “robbing God” or afraid of the devourer destroying their livelihood. Now, fear and confusion is not from God. Those who teach tithing from Malachi 3:10 makes the Bible contradict itself. In Malachi, the tithe is the same as the Mosaic tithe (3:7). Ministers use this passage of scripture to accuse Christians who don’t tithe of robbing God and keeping stolen property. Some think the Early Church exempted the Gentiles from the Law, but they had no power to exempt anyone from the Law. The Gentiles were never under the Law and thus were never under Malachi’s curse (Mal.3:10).

The tithe discussed by Malachi is the grain and the animal tithe of the Mosaic Law.

The prophet was speaking about food, not money. The storehouses were located in the 48 cities of the Levites all over Israel and there was one in the temple at Jerusalem as well. The storehouse at Jerusalem was built by King Hezekiah (2Chronicles 31:4–10). It was for the King’s Tithe (1 Sam. 8:11-19). He then ordered to bring the tithe of the agricultural produce into the storehouse—and the people brought such abundance that the Levites had to lay it up in heaps. Hezekiah then had chambers made in the Temple to hold the surplus. They held grain, not money, they were not banks.

Malachi was a Prophet and therefore had an interest in those storehouses being full. He was also speaking on behalf of the Priests, Levites, Prophets, the poor, the fatherless, widows, strangers to have their food in the House of God. These people were fed from the “meat” in the Lord’s house. Malachi, desired the grain produce to be tithed and put in the storehouse so these people (mentioned before) would not starve or have to beg from the very people who were withholding the tithe. The tithe of the tithes which was required by law (Deuteronomy 12:6) was supposed to be sent only to the Temple at Jerusalem.

A similar situation to Malachi’s is in the thirteenth chapter of Nehemiah, a contemporary of Malachi:

“And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said: Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries (storehouses).” Nehemiah 13:10–12

In the time of Nehemiah and Malachi, after the captivity, while the country was being restored there were food shortages and much poverty in Israel (Neh. 5:2–6). It was in relieving that bad environment that the prophet Malachi promised the Jewish people a help from God. But the country was in bad shape after being uncultivated for more than 70 years while the people were captive at Babylon, the land was recovering from a curse. But Malachi promised the Jews in Palestine a relief. If they would turn from the evil ways, they were to have abundance (Malachi 3:10).

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your good, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your land; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts” Malachi 3:11.

CONCLUSION

Preachers accuse Christians of not paying the Mosaic tithe and insisting they are under a curse if they don’t, have not perceived that receiving the tithe which God gave to the Levite is also robbing God and they are under the same curse.

Some of this may have shocked you; it did shock me when I did the study, but I have not presented anything debatable. These are all revealed in the Word of God and corroborated by history. Many preachers and evangelists know these facts [if they don’t, they should not be preaching about tithes], but they keep their people in the dark because they also believe the people would not fund their churches if they were aware to these facts. But all persons ought to know the truth of the Bible.

A clear understanding of the Biblical Laws of tithing is necessary to understand this warning of the Prophet Malachi to “the sons of Jacob”. It will also give you needed insight on how far Preachers and Pastors advocating a tithing system for Christians have departed from the simple truth which is in Christ Jesus. Their arrogance, carelessness and mishandling of God’s Word and resources when taking out of context the teachings is apparent.

People, with what some preachers regard as the wrong view of tithing, are still greatly blessed according to their faith and the Grace of God. God’s Grace is not sufficient for those who want to live under tithing laws and principles. Does God care for tithe, and not people? Would He curse His children if they did not give Him money?

THE END

Categories
Tithes & Tithing

The Mosaic Tithe

INTRODUCTION

Have you wondered why Israel did not pay tithes during the 40 years of wandering in the desert?

The tithe of the Old Covenant, Mosaic Law, was connected to the land promised to Abram’s seed. As a result there was no tithing during the 40 years in the wilderness for this area fell outside the boundaries of the Promise Land. This is logical because no tribe had yet an inheritance and the Levites who were given the tithes of the other Tribes as their inheritance could not be given their inheritance before there was any inheritance from which to tithe.

The nature of the tithe demanded Israel’s presence in the Land. According to Deuteronomy 12:10-11 the statutes and judgments concerning the tithe were  not to take effect until Israel was in the land, and were to be observed as long as Israel stayed in the land.

For the office of High-priest and Priest, God chose Aaron and his sons respectively and none other under the penalty of death. It is to be noted, it was God’s choice, and there was no volunteering. They were forbidden to take tithes of the people, but the Levites out of their tithes, were to give the tenth portion to the Aaronites; a tithe of the tithes. So, the only tribe actually paying tithes was the tribe of Levi.

In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Gen.15:18-21

But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD: Deuteronomy 12:10-11 KJV

Leviticus 27:30-32 is the only place in scripture where the tithe is explained. This passage explains the tithe as the tenth part of the crops and the fruit of the land, and the tenth animal to pass under the rod. Tithing, therefore, was only on the increase of the crops, herd or flock of the farmer. For instance, if a farmer’s flock increased by 15 lambs during the year, the first lamb would be given to the priest as first-fruit and the tenth lamb would be the tithe. Therefore, his tithe to the Levite would be one lamb. If he had a hundred new lambs, the tithe would still be one lamb, the tenth (See my Blog on ‘What is Tithing’).

Tithes or tithing began amongst the Jews in the time of Moses and meant the tenth part in Israel was given by God to the Levites as an inheritance. This was not for priestly duties for these were carried out by Aaron and his sons. It was not for preaching or teaching the word of God, but for an inheritance. I reiterate, it was not tithes but an inheritance of the Levites.

PRESENT TEACHING OF MOSAIC TITHES

The tithe is perceived as a universal eternal principle established by God as provision for His Ministers of the Gospel. In particular, it is was not an ‘inheritance for the Levite but is mandatory of every individual to pay the tithe for the upkeep of the Church and the Ministers’ salary.  It is binding on all persons all over the world at all times. This eternal universal principle, God gave to Adam in the Garden of Eden and codified in the Mosaic Law.

The tenth is a “fraction” (or 10%). It is not an “ordinal number”. Some interpret the scripture as saying there are three tithes; one each for the Levite (Minister), the poor and the upkeep of the temple.

This, together with various first-fruits according to their devotion are taught as being binding on all Christians. Most churches accept money only as tithes. The tithe could be exchanged for money, justifies the acceptance of money alone as tithes. God must receive His portion first before any other expenditure for yourself. This is so on the basis of “seek ye first the Kingdom of God…”

REFUTATION OF THE CURRENT TEACHING

The Mosaic Law was given to the ancient Israelite only.

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Romans 9:4 KJV

The law was specific and defined the tithe to Israel. It was not universal, and only applied to the Land of Israel. The law was not given to other countries. The law allowed for freewill offerings but they were not the ma’aser and were not called ma’aser. The law was not divisible into units or parts and was referred to as such by Jesus and the Apostles and indeed by all Jews. Some mischievous persons have insisted on extracting only tithing as mandatory on Christians. The New Testament makes it clear that if you place yourself under any part of the law then you are obligated to fulfil the whole law. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.

The Mosaic Law was not universal.

The poor the fatherless, widows, orphans, and strangers did not pay tithe, but instead received from the tithe. Jesus did not tithe because He was poor (2Cor.8:9). Only the landowners, and herdsmen and shepherds paid the tithe. In addition, the tithe could only be given to the Levites. It must be noted that Aaron and his sons who were the Priests and High Priests were also Levites. To give it to someone of another tribe was a grave sin.

The things tithed crops and animals also came from God or His works, not from the labor of man. Although he did not collect a tithe from the Corinthians, Paul observed this same principle in making the collection of food for the saints at Jerusalem during the famine in the time of Claudius Caesar (1Cor. 16:2).

After the exile, the country was subdivided into three different zones of “holiness” by Ezra and Nehemiah. Only tithes from the “most holy land-zone” could be brought to the temple. Tithes from lesser holy land zones within Israel could provide for local synagogues and the poor, but could not be brought to Jerusalem.

In the time of Jesus, Galilee, where the people sat in darkness, did not take their tithes to Jerusalem. However, since even the “dust” from pagan Gentile lands defiled, it is certain that no temple tithe could come from “defiled” ground. (Alfred Edersheim – Sketches of Jewish Social Life).

How many tithes; one, two, three or six?

And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, Deuteronomy 14:23-26 KJV

This passage was addressed to the Levites concerning the tithe of the tithes which he had received. He had to take it to Jerusalem and give it to the Priests (Sons of Aaron) who served in the Temple. If the way was too far for him to travel with the produce and the animals, he could convert the “tithe of the tithes” into money and take the money to Jerusalem. However, he could not give the money to the Priests, he had then, to convert the money into produce and give it to the Priest.

The Levites “take a tithe of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren,” (Heb.7:5). This verse shows there was only one tithe. The phrase, “The tithe is the Lord’s” shows there was no tithing before the law was given. If there was, the language would have been “A tithe.” However this is not a grammatical law and does not necessarily mean any of the foregoing. But, “The Law” means there was only one law of tithe and it was the law enacted in Lev.27. A law means that there are other laws.

The tithing laws as given in Leviticus was to the generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt. This is the actual law concerning tithes. The law in Numbers and Deuteronomy is the same law being expounded by Moses approximately forty years later to the new generation of Israelites about to enter the Promised Land. Some Pastors have been mistakenly calling the tithe of Numbers and Deuteronomy a second and third tithe respectively. This is a grave error.

The scripture is clear there was one tithe; the tithe of the field, herd and flock. This was the only tithe. Some see a second tithe in Numbers 18:1-32; however, a careful reading shows that Moses is explaining to the Levites and Aaronites how to organize the Priesthood. Verse 24-32 explains to the Levite how to take the tithe of the people but it is the same tithe of Lev. 27:30-34. That it is addressed to the Levite (Aaron and Sons were also Levites) is evident by the following paragraph:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fulness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’S heave offering to Aaron the priest. Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress. And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die. Numbers 18:25-32 KJV

So the Levites were to give the tenth of their tithes as a heave offering to the Aaronites or Priests. Some see a third tithe in Deutronomy 12. But this is the second reading of the Law by Moses to the new generation of people who were to go in and inherit the land. The people seeing the second and third tithes are those who collect tithes; some see as much as six tithes, but these seers are all collectors of tithes.

It is not a third tithe, but another statement of the same tithe of Lev.27:32-34. Forty years had passed since the first reading of the law and all that generation which had come out of Egypt had died, except Caleb and Joshua. Moses was reading and explaining the same Law to this new generation who would inherit the land. Furthermore, three tithes do not equal a tenth.

To offer a tithe of money was a grave sin.

By demanding a “money tithe” of man’s labor, Church leaders have removed the tithe from God’s blessing to man’s achievement. In the modern church man has replaced God with himself.

Any wage earner was not to tithe. Jesus was a carpenter and so was not required to tithe. A wage did not involve any increase from God. Peter, James and John did not tithe, they were fishermen and the tithe was of the land of Canaan, not the waters. Other non-tithing occupations included bakers, candle makers, carpenters, clothing makers, hired farm workers, hired shepherds and herdsmen, hired household servants, jewelry makers, craftsmen, masons, metal workers, musicians, physicians, soldiers, tanners, teachers, tent makers, fishermen and many more. All these could be classified as wage earners and it is to be noted that their income involved no increase from God or increase of the overall GDP of the Theocracy, but were merely transfers of income from one person to another. This illustrates that the tithe was a tax; it was not a gift. Freewill gifts were voluntary expressions of love for God coming from the heart:

The tithe could not be used for the development of the Sanctuary

 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. Leviticus 22:29 KJV.

In Exodus 25 we have an account of a freewill offering:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. Exodus 25:1-9 KJV See also 35:4-29.

We notice, an offering for the development of the sanctuary was freewill, and those who gave, all gave the same amount. The giving continued until the people had to be stopped (Ex. 36:3-7). This was a type (preview) of the age we now live in; people give more than is required so Pastors are able to drive around in fancy cars and jet planes. Grace always outperforms law, greedy pastors and those who preach the law know not this. They never have enough for the work of God, but always want more for themselves.

Notice, also  the tithes could not be used for the development of the sanctuary for it was the inheritance of the Levites.

Status of Mosaic Tithe Today

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

Whatever is written in the Bible about ancient time, history, poetry or laws, has been written for our learning. We may educate ourselves by reading Genesis or Deuteronomy; Matthew, Mark, or Malachi or any other writer; all was written for our learning, but not all was written for our application. The Bible speaks to three different groups of people in Biblical times,

Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 1Cor 10:32.

The church of God is made up of Jews and Gentiles. The Old Testament is addressed to Jews that were living under the law. Jesus Christ had not yet come. The price for the atonement of our sins had not yet been paid. The Savior had not yet arrived and there was no church as yet. As Paul says,

But before faith came, we (Jews, for the Galatians were never under the law) were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:23-26.

There was the time before the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord, the period of the law. And there is the time after the sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord, the time that we live in now. There are vast differences between these two periods, because what was valid in the first period, the law, is no longer valid in the second period. And what is valid in the second period – grace and being children of God through faith in Jesus Christ – although available in the first period was not the method of salvation.

Can we learn from what was valid in the first period?

 Definitely we can. Do we apply it in our lives? Not necessarily. You can read the Psalms and the Proverbs and get guidance for your life today. It is God’s eternal wisdom that crosses time. On the other hand, you can go to law-specific passages, such as the passages concerning tithes, or the passages about the sacrificing of bulls or the celebrations they had in Israel; although you can learn about Jesus from these passages, they are not applicable to us for practicing. The same is valid for all that refers to Mosaic Law, for the simple reason that this law came to an end with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Rom.10:4 KJV.

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Ephesians 2:15 KJV.

Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 2 Corinthians 3:12-13 KJV.

It is similar to reading the code of laws which are no longer valid in your country. You can learn from them but they are not to be applied, for they are obsolete. The reader is advised to read a book on daily life in Bible times and you will find the dozens of trades skills and varied income earning activities which were not tithed; because they had nothing to do with the Levite or the Land.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOSAIC TITHES.

Do Jews today tithe?

When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; Deuteronomy 26:12 KJV.

But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: .Deut.12:5-6 KJV.

Israelites are more knowledgeable about the law than Christians. The majority know that all the tenth was given by God to the Levites, because they have the Pentateuch for their Scripture and so it commands. The persons and the place where the tithes were taken and given to were named in the Law.

Now, there is no Temple in Jerusalem equipped with Levites or Priests serving; two major factors in fulfilling the laws of tithing do not exist; so Jews do not tithe.

The Bible commands the Jew to pay the tithe to Levites. It would be wrong to pay it to anyone else.  At present, there exists no official Levitical order of Priests ministering at a Temple in Jerusalem. This makes it illegal to pay any biblical tithe to anyone else at any other place. However, if a Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem, with the Levites and the Priests in attendance, every Jew who lives in the tithing zones of the Land of Canaan will be required to tithe according to the biblical commands. To pay the biblical tithe at present, without Levites and Priests in their ordained offices serving in the Temple, amounts to breaking the commandments and both the giver and the receiver would be guilty of a grave sin.

In all this there was no law to compel the Israelite or the Levite to pay the tithe. If they refused, they were not visited by the priest to exact the tithes; they only incurred the displeasure of disobeying the orders of God and were cursed in the field. Contrary to the actions of the Popes later, they were not executed. God has His mysterious ways of motivating other people “to give over into your bosom” (Luke 6:38).

 Thus, if Jews are to obey the law, they cannot pay tithe unless they pay it to those ordained by God to receive the tithe. If you are not descended from the tribe of Levi, then you are not eligible to receive tithe. The same applied even to Jesus while he was on earth since he was of the tribe of Judah and also to the Apostles Peter and Paul. Neither Christ nor those apostles were Levites so they were all disqualified from receiving any part of the biblical tithe.

God’s special Promised Land was the land of Canaan. Israel’s holy inheritance was only the land of Canaan. Whereas the eleven tribes divided this holy land into twelve (or thirteen, Joseph was given two) sections, the inheritance of the Levite was the tithe from the land in Canaan.

The Levites were not given territorial lands like other tribes. They were allotted forty eight cities among the other tribes to dwell and could earn a living. They received a reasonable amount of acreage to cultivate when they were not serving in the tabernacle. Not all the Levites were called upon to serve at the same time but they were divided into orders and a particular Levite may be called upon to serve once or twice during a year. They also provided other services to the community.

Tithes were the inheritance of the Tribe of Levi

“And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho saying: Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and open land round about the cities shall ye give unto the Levites. And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their open land shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.” Numbers 35:1–3

God provided the Levites the means by which to live without being totally dependent upon the tithe. The Levites that received tithe were those who attended the service of the Tabernacle. At other times they had to earn their own living within the cities and lands allotted them. The Levites were expected to work for their livelihood like any other normal citizen within the community of Israel.

This is why the Levites were provided with open lands surrounding the cities. These facts show that the Levites did not live solely off the tithe of the other tribes. In no way was this true. The Levites had to work for their living as anyone else. The tithe was to support the Levite only when he was engaged in the service of the Tabernacle (Deuteronomy 18:6–8).

Moreover, God was quite concerned that the Levitical lands remain within the tribe of Levi perpetually: “But the fields of the open land about their cities may not be sold; for that is their perpetual possession” (Leviticus 25:34).

What the Israelites received in return for the tithe.

Though the Levites were scattered throughout the land of Israel, there was only one place in the land where they could assist in the service of the Tabernacle (and later, the Temple). When Israel got the possession of the Land of Canaan, they set up the Tabernacle first at Shiloh and later in the time of Solomon it was finally moved to Jerusalem where the portable structure was abandoned for the permanent Temple. But the greater number of the Levites did not perform services in the Temple; the building was simply too small for all of them to work there. Most Levites performed duties in other employments within the nation of Israel. The occupations of the Levites were in what is called professional fields today. Moses expected this to be the case.

They were ordained to be teachers of the nation (Deuteronomy 24:8; 33:10; 2 Chronicles 35:3; Nehemiah8:7). 

They also represented many of the judges of the land, and in the time of Ezra they were the sole members of the Sanhedrin — the Supreme Court of the nation (Deuteronomy 17:8–9; 21:5; 1 Chronicles 23:4; 2 Chronicles 19:8; Ezekiel 44:15, 24).

Most medical services were in their care (Leviticus 13:2, 14:2; Luke 17:14).

They were professional singers and musicians (1 Chronicles 25:1–31; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 34:12).

Producers of books and librarians were almost exclusively Levites (2 Chronicles 34:13).

This indicates the tithe was not only for religious purposes.

And while the ordinary Israelite gave his tithe every third year to the Levites (and the destitute), look at the services he got besides the management of the Temple. Israel got teachers for their children, physicians for their ills, scribes, musicians, singers, judges, and law enforcement officers. A part of their tithe even went to support a type of social security service every third and sixth year for the destitute.  It was to support the educational, cultural, health and law enforcement agencies as our taxes do today. All Israel benefitted from their tithing system. Today, however, only the clergy benefits. The “tithe payer” gets only the sole responsibility of supporting his church’s administration and that’s it.

This law was intended for a particular people at a particular time.

The tithe laws necessitated a society based on agriculture and animal husbandry. The laws also demand a community which necessarily had to set its own laws: Capital punishment, for instance, formed part of this system; obviously we know that we can’t just lift this out of the Old Covenant and claim that the Church should be practicing it! In like manner, tithing presumed an economy with no currency with only flocks, herds and crops. So, again I ask, why just lift tithing out of this system, a system which Hebrews 8:13 plainly tells is now obsolete?

CONCLUSION

Again, tithing was part of the Old Covenant concept of a holy inheritance. It is unscriptural to separate tithing from the Holy Land from which it came. This would be analogous to applying the Laws of a foreign country to the United States of America or another country.

This tithe was not a fraction, but an ordinal number, ‘the tenth’. It was the tenth animal or bushel (one animal or bushel) and could not be exchanged for any other, the ninth, or eleventh etc.

The items to be tithed came from God’s hand, not the sweat of man’s face. Increases due to man’s labor were not required to tithe. God is the owner of the heavens and all the earth (Genesis 14:19, 22), but this is not the reason for the tithe nor is the Mosaic tithe concerned with the whole world. If Jesus, Peter and Paul did not use the Mosaic tithe to fund their Ministries, Christian ministers today, as well ought not to use the Biblical tithe. The Jewish leaders of today respect the statements of Word of God about the tithe, but Preachers and Pastors have no respect and have made their own legislation which are at variance with the Biblical.

END

Categories
Tithes & Tithing

What Is Tithing

The manner of tithing, as described by Moses Maimonides, was this:

“He [the owner] gathers all the lambs and all the calves into a field, and makes a little door to it, so that two cannot go out at once; and he places their dams without, and they bleat, so that the lambs hear their voice, and go out of the fold to meet them, as it is said, whatsoever passeth under the rod: for it must pass of itself, and not be brought out by his hand; and when they go out of the fold, one after another, he begins and counts them with the rod: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and the tenth that goes out, whether male or female, whether perfect or blemished, he marks it with a red mark, and says, ‘This is the tithe.'” (Hilchot Becorot, c. 6, sect. I; from Gill’s Exposition on Lev. 27:32.)

INTRODUCTION

“Tis ridiculous to say, the tithes are God’s part, and therefore the clergy must have them; why? so they are (God’s) if the laity has them.” (John Selden).

Defining the modern Church’s tithe is very elusive. However, as a believer, writer and former practitioner I have made the following observation: The majority of organizations practice a mandatory tithe, few practice voluntary tithing.

According to this view, tithing is to pay 10 % of your money income to the church you attend and are “spiritually fed.” Opinions vary as to whether the income is gross or after tax. It is a grave sin to withhold the tithe, that of robbing God. The scripture used to validate this is Malachi 3:8-12.

Merriam-Webster Online dictionary gives us the modern meaning of tithe: a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax, especially for the support of the clergy. This meaning has been the same since 1994.

THE PRESENT TEACHING

The modern Church system divides the congregation into “clergy” and “laity” for tithing.

The clergy is the church hierarchy of leaders who receive tithes while the laity pays.

It is the duty of the clergy to instruct the laity how to cheerfully pay the tithes.

The doctrine of monetary tithing to maintain the clergy is unquestionable.

The laity must be taught to recognize that buildings, programs and educating instructors, ‘cost money.’

There is little objection by the laity as making a contribution from their income towards the financing of the organizations spiritually feeding them is seen as good, right and proper.

However, it is not always presented this way, rather the introduction to tithing of new believers is gradual and very subtle.

They are taught that God has ordained a system of priesthood or leadership in the Church to which their submission is expected.

In addition, it is the divine right of this priesthood to be financed by tithes, first fruits, offerings and any other regular demands. The tithe, therefore, is not just a suggested amount, rather it is said to be the command of God given to Adam in Eden to pass on to all generations. Therefore, Christians are to pay tithes according to this universal law implicit in the Bible.

Many leaders in the clergy soften the legalistic form of this requirement by presenting various passages of Scripture as if the verses agreed with this teaching. They say people should be gracious in giving of their tithes.

Many Pastors use the verses from Malachi to announce that not bringing the “tithes and offerings” to the house of God, is an unpardonable sin which separates people from their “blessings”. The problem of using the above passage and other similar Old Testament passages, to support the application of tithing is these passages and the Law behind it belong to the Israelite. The Law is a part of the Holy Scriptures inspired of God, but not for that purpose.

LIMITATIONS OF THE PRESENT TEACHING

Today’s Church tithing is not the same as the Biblical.

You cannot give something you owe; you can only pay it. The supporters of tithing claim it is  a condition to entering into the Kingdom. It is not enough to be born again, but you must also pay your way.

Biblical tithing was of the “land, the flocks and the herds.” Money income was never tithed.

Tithing is not Good Works or Righteousness.

If all redemption, protection and blessing depend on the tithing of money income, then what good to us is the righteousness we have been given as a gift?

The righteousness which tithing bring to us isn’t good for anything.

If failure to tithe makes me a robber of God then all of my righteousness depends on tithing; it matters not what kind of righteousness is imputed to me by Jesus, I am still an unrighteous man and I cannot be saved.

The Blood of Jesus will do me no good, even though it washes all my other sins away. I still need to tithe so that all of my righteousness and consequently all of my salvation depends on my paying tithes.

This doctrine is nowhere to be found in the Bible; yet it is taught all over the world in churches.

Tithing causes a type of mental bias when studying the Bible.

The modern tithe payer tends to search the Word of God for “financial principles” to practice in order to gain His favor. These principles set aside the plain meaning of the Scriptures and substitute personal assumptions about money and riches.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TITHE

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 concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth (animal) shall be holy unto the LORD. Leviticus 27:30-32 KJV

In all of God’s Word, Leviticus 27 is the Chapter where the Biblical Tithe is defined. The Levites were the only persons who were permitted to “take a tithe” of the rest of Israel. It was their inheritance in the land.

The persons who they took the tithe from were:

1. Farmers who planted grain and certain fruits.

2. Shepherds who owned flocks and herds; animals whose blood could be sprinkled on the altar and burnt. It is notable that money wages (income) was not tithed for this did not represent an increase in goods.

It has been observed, there is no Hebrew word in the Old Testament which can be translated tithe. Yet, the Hebrew word ma’aser or ma’asar is translated tithe, an archaic English word for tenth even in modern English versions of the Bible. Note: (To avoid confusing my readers, I will continue to use the word tithe. The reader, however, should remember it means “the tenth” and not 10%.)

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when this word was translated tithe, the assumption was made that such a thing as tithing existed in Bible times. This is evident since the same Hebrew word, ma’aser is translated as “tenth” elsewhere in the Scripture (Num.18:21, 26; Eze.45:11, 14) where the context has nothing to do with tithes.

To add to the confusion, there is also another Hebrew word translated tithe, aw-sar (Deut.14:22; Neh.10:37, 38). Aw-sar too is translated “tenth” and “tenth part.”

The actual English equivalent of ma’aser is the tenth. It is translated as tithe in some places in the Old Testament and as tenth or tenth part. I wish to emphasize, the ma’aser is not the equivalent of ten percent, but the tenth.

Ma’aser as used in the Bible indicated an ordinal number not a mathematical percentage. It does not equate with ten percent. It means the tenth bushel, or the tenth animal and is different from the sixth or eighth bushel or lamb. In Lev. 27:33 it was forbidden to exchange any other for the tenth indicating their difference.

For example, if a sheep farmer had fifty lambs born in the year, how many animals did he give the Levite? Five is incorrect! One is correct! He gave the tenth lamb passing under the rod. He could not exchange it for the 11th or 12th.

The manner of tithing, as described by Moses Maimonides, was this:

“He [the owner] gathers all the lambs and all the calves into a field, and makes a little door to it, so that two cannot go out at once; and he places their dams without, and they bleat, so that the lambs hear their voice, and go out of the fold to meet them, as it is said, whatsoever passeth under the rod: for it must pass of itself, and not be brought out by his hand; and when they go out of the fold, one after another, he begins and counts them with the rod: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and the tenth that goes out, whether male or female, whether perfect or blemished, he marks it with a red mark, and says, ‘This is the tithe.'” (Hilchot Becorot, c. 6, sect. I; from Gill’s Exposition on Lev. 27:32.)

The origins of the modern tithe

The modern concept of tithing originated not with Abraham or Moses or the Bible, but is of England as the word itself. It was imposed on the Bible in the translation of the Scriptures into English during the 16th and 17th centuries. The English word tithe was assigned a special spiritual meaning, however this is not so in the Hebrew Old Testament.

Where Lev.27:30 said, “the tithe of the land”, should have been rendered “the tenth of the land”. This means the tithe was in relation to a specific country, the Promised Land.

The Israelites were not required to tithe in the land of Goshen or while wandering in the wilderness of Sinai because these places were not specified in the Law. Although, they had animal and grain produce, as well as money in Goshen and Sinai, they did not pay tithe.

The tithe was not imposed on persons.

It was imposed on the increase of animal, grain and fruit produce of the land; the things God gave to them. We may plant and water but it is God who gives the increase.

The Apostles’ instructions are contrary to the tithe.

1Tim.5:8 tell us to provide for our immediate family and our relatives before providing for others. If everyone followed this there would be no want in the world. You should provide for your family and relatives first before giving to the Church. Many preachers teach that you should first give to God and the way to give to God is to give to the Church.

Compare this with Matt. 25:42-45, we give to Jesus by feeding the hungry, giving to the poor, etc. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that giving to the Church is giving to Him.

This practice of extracting a percentage of someone’s income is considered unprofessional and unethical in the world of business.

It involves charging an open ended fee for a definite service. For example, if your income amounts to $100 US per week, you pay a $10 tithe. If someone else, in your church, income is $200 he will pay double the amount for the same “spiritual food”.

This is considered unethical by the unsaved businessmen but is considered a blessing by Pastors.

The modern Church tithe is debt or tax.

It is incurred by being saved; so that Jesus is saving people so they can support the clergy by paying this tax.

Tithing is LAW.

It has nothing to do with the Grace of God!

It sets aside the teachings of Jesus and institute the teachings of men using their cleverness as a way of rejecting God’s teachings to uphold the “traditions of men.” The universal law of tithing, untold to and unknown by Adam in the Garden of Eden is nothing but the traditions of men.

CONCLUSION

Money income was not tithed as in our Church today.

It is a curiosity, but God gave no currency to Israel, possibly because they were not to trade with the surrounding Canaanites. Many hundreds of years before Israel was given the Law, the concept of money was known in Canaan; money was used by Abraham to purchase a cave to bury Sarah. I believe it is an error to exalt tithing of money as the most important thing in the New Covenant.

While it is made of paramount importance in the preaching of some ministers, it was only a small part of the Mosaic Law. It is not a part of the Abrahamic Covenant nor is it a part of the New Covenant as established by Jesus Christ. It was only a part of the Mosaic financial system to provide an inheritance for the Levites. There were many other gifts, sacrifices, freewill offerings and ordinances that were included in the Mosaic system. To simply pluck tithing, and a mangled form of it, out of the system is wrong and inaccurate.

Categories
Tithes & Tithing

Jacob’s Tithe

 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 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. Genesis 28:10-22

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

INTRODUCTION

Have you vowed to return a tenth of all you are blessed to God? As we have seen my blog on the History of Tithes, Jacob tithes was the least amount a person could pay because of the limitations of counting in those days. A tenth was the smallest part known. Jacob was offering to God the least amount he could imagine. This was consistent with his character as the sup-planter.

The conception is also suspicious. The idea is: if you pay God a “tenth”, He will bless you; or its converse, if God has already blessed you then you should return a “tenth” to Him to be assured of future blessing. The only other mention of a tenth of something before Jacob’s tenth was Abraham’s, and as we have seen this was a one-time tenth given of the spoils of war. Further, we notice this is Jacob, the sup-planter, before he wrestled with God, had his “Jabbok experience” and name changed to Israel. This tithe appears to be a mere promise on the part of Jacob, which he had no intention of fulfilling.

PRESENT TEACHING

Although there is no scriptural record showing Jacob ever carried out his vow, preachers sometimes insist that he knew of and was following an eternal principle laid down by God in the Garden of Eden.

LIMITATIONS OF THE PRESENT TEACHING

The Bible clearly states “Jacob vowed a vow…,” (v.20) yet preachers and ministers insist Jacob made a covenant with God. A vow is voluntary. A vow is not a covenant; a covenant is initiated by God. Neither Jacob nor any other man has standing on which to initiate a covenant with God since cutting a covenant with God required the death of the testator. Even if Jacob made a covenant, its duration could only be for as long as Jacob was alive and was not binding on the rest of humanity. All of the Biblical covenants were initiated by Jehovah, while men like Jacob and Jephthah only vowed rash vows.

Careful reading of the paragraph reveals he was motivated by fear, rather than the faith of his grandfather and father, Abraham and Isaac.

There was no faith to be counted as “righteousness”, but he is driven by greed and did not take God at his word, but attached his own conditions to the promises of God. He bargained with God on the basis of his fears and unbelief.

Those who tithe as a means of getting things from God are following Jacob’s carnal mind of unbelief.

They think they are following an eternal spiritual principle while they are following the thought of their own carnal minds. There are no eternal principles of getting things from God; but we have the word of God and the grace of God. These should be sufficient.

Jacob would not acknowledge God as his God unless He proved Himself.

In this matter Jacob behaved as though Jehovah is his servant. Jacob had more evidence of his grandparents and parents of what God had done in their lives and of the promises He had made. Yet his response was one of unbelief: “If God will…then shall the LORD be my God.”

This event shows Jacob setting conditions to be fulfilled by God before he would give the tenth.

This bears no similarity of the way any Christian should behave toward God. Jehovah had unconditionally given him the promise of Abraham (28:12-15) and promised safe return from wherever he may go. On awaking, he began setting conditions he thought God should have included in the promise. God did not require these things of him or of anyone else; therefore this incident cannot be used to show tithing was an established requirement.

Jacob set the time or regularity when he would return the tenth to God.

He would give to God only after he had received. Thus, he was not responding to any universal principle or command from the LORD God to tithe to a particular person or ministry or pay for a spiritual service provided by a priest for God appeared to him, in a dream, without any intermediary.

Jacob decided the amount of a tenth.

It is clear God did not ask him to follow the example of Abraham as some has claimed. As we have seen, Abram gave a “tenth of the spoils” of war to the Priest, but Jacob proposed to give a tenth of “whatever God would bless him with.”

He showed no knowledge of the incident with Abraham and Melchizedek.

If he did, he did not associate it with his dream. There is no indication in the scriptures whether Jacob ever fulfilled his vow and if so, to whom he gave the tenth. Nevertheless, Jacob’s vow is not the modern Church tithe on gross income but on “all that God shall give me.”

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF JACOB’S TITHE.

Jacob was a Patriarch and a grandson of Abraham.

He was fifteen years old when Abraham died. Therefore, he certainly knew whether a tithe was a requirement, or if it were an eternal principle, or if his grandfather and father practiced tithing on a regular basis. If it was an eternal principle or requirement, then, why was he setting conditions for tithing here? Jacob’s tithe is nothing more than a rash vow. It’s the sup-planter trying to scheme God out of a blessing He had already given. I believe it is similar to Jephthah’s vow (Judges 11:29-40) to give something to God, He had not requested, when God had already granted their requests.

The focus of this passage is not Jacob’s vow, but God’s renewal of His promise to Abraham.

GOD had made an unconditional covenant with Abraham and Isaac and was now passing it on to Jacob. Although, God is involved, He gave no eternal principles; it is quite clear He did not require anything from Jacob but was simply informing him of the promises he had inherited from his father. 

This “tithe” makes it evident, if there was tithing before the Mosaic Law it was voluntary and negotiable.

In the account, Jacob uses if, a conditional. If tithing was an eternal, universal, spiritual law for all peoples and for all time, as many teachers, preachers and pastors profess, this vow of Jacob does not belong to that classification; by placing the word if into his vow Jacob made it conditional.

The use of if created a situation in which God first had to perform something for Jacob and then Jacob would be obedient. His use of if meant his vow cannot be the following of a well-known, eternal, universal, spiritual law. We cannot treat known laws in this manner. It is analogous to someone saying to God: “If you will bless me and keep me in all my ways then I will not steal.” One does not slight the laws of God by making them conditional. However, it is not wrong to think this way if a voluntary thanksgiving offering were in mind. If, makes the tenth Jacob said he would return, a free will offering and his promise, conditional (Lev.22:23). As clear as it can be, both Abraham and Jacob were the ones who set the parameters, not God!

CONCLUSION

I believe Jacob’s tithe to be a rash vow made when he was overwhelmed by the presence of God. While God was present it is clear that no covenant for tithes was made.

A vow is personal; it involves only the person and GOD.

When the person making the vow dies or fulfil its terms and condition, that is the end of the vow. A vow therefore is not binding on the whole world, nor does it establish an eternal principle, but concerns only the person making it, for the specified period. There are laws established under the Mosaic system governing vows; one such law is,

If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. Numbers 30:2 KJV

Categories
Tithes & Tithing

Abram’s Tithe

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. Genesis 14:17-24.

INTRODUCTION

Abram was returning from his victory over five kings when Melchizedek, Priest of the Most High God, came out to congratulate him. Abram gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek. This incident took place some 500 years before the Law of Moses. The modern Church tithe, it is claimed, has its origins in this payment by Abraham. While some claim Abram was following a practice he had learnt while living in Babylon, Ur of the Chaldees, others believe it was taught to Adam by God Himself in the Garden of Eden and then passed on to all nations. Abram, therefore was following a universal principle of prosperity.

In this post we will investigate whether Abram was following a universal principle known to all men.

CURRENT TEACHING ON ABRAM’S TITHE

The current teaching about Abram’s tithe focuses on the phrase tithes of all. Some claim Abram tithed of all his possessions to the priest of the most High God approximately 500 years before the Mosaic Law.

After this incident, he is alleged to have done so on a regular basis. Since Christians are Abraham’s seed, it is claimed, and Melchizedek is a type of Christ, it is reasoned, Christians should also pay tithes to their Melchizedek, Jesus Christ.

Further, it is claimed, in tithing to Melchizedek, Abram was following an eternal principle established by God with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Cain and Abel were acting in accordance with this eternal principle in bringing their tithes to sacrifice before God.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS TEACHING

There is no Scripture showing Abram to be obeying a universal eternal principle.

There are no records of Adam paying tithes to God! The text above shows other persons had an interest in the spoils; Aner, Eschol, Mamre, Lot and the King of Sodom; who were all ignorant of this eternal, universal principle.

The is no resemblance to the modern Church tithe.

The Church tithe is defined as “ten per cent of a person’s gross income.”. In fact, this tithe is on the spoils of war and not gross income for a period. There is nothing in the passage to connect this tithe with the modern Church tithe.

The scripture has been strained and inferences made which cannot be supported by the text.

Can we ignore what God said and accept the speculations and inferences of men. For example, it is inferred Abram gave a “tenth of all” means all of the spoils and all of his personal possessions.

It would have been very reckless of Abram to take all his possessions to war; these included large flocks and herds of animals. Surely these would have hindered him in the fight.

The tithe was from the spoils of war, not income.

An examination of the things tithed reveals it was not Abram’s goods; it was the spoils of the war (Heb. 7:4). The scripture is clear,  the goods did not belong to Abram and GOD did not want him to have it. The word spoils, in the Bible, means stolen goods, goods taken forcibly from a person or place; as a verb spoil means to diminish or destroy the value or quality of something or someone.

Although Abram did not steal the goods, but he recovered it, he did not claim it as his own. Several other persons had claims to it; Aner, Eschol, Mamre, Lot and the King of Sodom. In addition, part had been eaten by Abram’s servants. Abram refused it, an indication of its unsuitability for combining with his personal goods which were a blessing from God.

These goods bore no resemblance to the tithe which was “holy unto the Lord” (Lev.27:30).

It was not of the crops of land nor of the specified animals, but of the spoils of war. It was the goods of “wicked men sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Gen. 13:13).

What was the extent of Abram’s tithe?

Did he tithe on his personal income and was it a continuous arrangement with Melchizedek? Was it a tenth part of all the spoils and so given voluntarily and on a special occasion? Or, was it a tenth of all his personal assets and therefore something paid as a due?

Hebrews 7:4 says it was of the spoils (goods of Sodom) and careful reading of Genesis 14 also shows it was the spoils. Some preachers argue that the use of the “all” means the spoils and all of Abram’s personal possession. However, this would require him to take along all of his possessions, thousands of sheep and cattle and much silver and gold with him to the war, a very ridiculous thing to do.

Arguments are made from assumptions.

It is claimed these individuals did certain things because they were following an eternal principle. The reasoning seems to be, “Abram gave tithes to Melchizedek in 1900 BC and this was something good he had done, therefore, I must pay tithes too.”

This is illogical. Why am I bound to imitate Abram’s tithing or any other action of Abram? His tithing did not make him righteous, but his faith was counted as righteousness. The clear evidence of the scriptures shows no evidence of any existing principles that could be binding on believers today.

However, Abram may have acted on the basis of the existing custom which was to give a tenth of the spoils of war to the priest. He did it because the surrounding pagans he lived among did it. He lied about his wife so that he would not be killed for her, because the pagans did this. He paid tithes to Melchizedek because the surrounding pagans did.

Consider the person who received the tithe.

Whoever Melchizedek was, he was not Abram’s priest. A priest is someone who mediates between you and God by praying for you and making your sacrifices and offerings.

Abram did all these things himself; there was no man mediating between him and God. No Priest, Pastor or Pope was present when God appeared to him (Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1) and made a covenant with him.

This tithe is not connected to the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 15.

Some has seen it as the “Kingdom Connector”, connecting the one who paid tithes to the Priest of the Kingdom of God.

They think that it was only after Abraham tithed to Melchizedek that God made a Covenant with him. However, to see and to enter the Kingdom of God ye must be born again, not pay tithes. To get connected to the Kingdom of God you must be born again.

It is not stated in the Scriptures that payment of tithes is required for entry to the Kingdom of God. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6).

God does not say “because you have honored me with your tithes and offerings I will make a covenant with you and your descendants to continue this forever,” but He counted his faith for righteousness. When GOD reaffirmed the Abrahamic covenant with Isaac (Genesis 26:3-5), again nothing is said about tithes to Melchizedek or any other priest. This would have been the place to say it, if the tithes were an eternal thing.

It was not the reason for his prosperity or the fulfilment of God’s promises to him.

He was already extremely wealthy before he met Melchizedek. God made him rich because of His promise only, not because he gave Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils.

There is no scriptural evidence suggesting Abraham tithed again in his life.

Spiritual principles cannot be invented from incidents in the Bible; spiritual principles must be stated. How then would we know whether we are serving God, following men or serving the devil?

Next, the persons tithed, it was a tenth of the goods of Sodom.

It is not certain who is paying the tithe here. The modern Church tithe is personal, that is, it is based on your personal income.

Abram swore to God, before going to the war, he would not take as much as a “shoe latchet” from the spoils, save what his servants had eaten; the spoils were not personal, but belonged to others as well, Aner, Eschol and Mamre (v24), who also participated in the war.

Next, the timing of the tithe.

It is also claimed that Abram regularly gave tithes to Melchizedek. Again there is no record of this in the sacred or secular literature. Abram’s tithe was a “one off” case. It may not have been an exact fraction. Further, modern translations disagree with the KJV here, translating the word as a tenth.

It has its roots in the pagan customs as has been shown by historians, notably Professors Maspero and Sayce. This was Sodom’s tithe to Melchizedek and it certainly could not be termed “a sacred tenth” with the men of Sodom being described as sinners exceedingly before the Lord.

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ABRAM’S TITHE

The main focus of the passage is not the tithe.

But the generosity of Abram, his bravery in the rescue of Lot, his recognition and blessing by the Priest of the Most High God and the conversation between Abram and the king of Sodom.

The king of Sodom suggested, “Give me the persons (including Lot), and take the goods to thyself.” Abram’s response is significant: “I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:”

A tithe of Sodom’s goods did not make Abram rich; the preceding chapters of Genesis shows it was God who had blessed Abram and made him rich.

Abram clearly stated that he had promised God not to take to himself any of the spoils and this promise was before he went to war.

His reason, it would not make him rich because God had before blessed him. This was recognized and confirmed by the pronouncement of a blessing by Melchizedek. Those who claim that the blessing of Melchizedek made Abraham rich have not read the scriptures carefully.

We must consider this incident in relation to the future Law of Moses on Tithing.

There is no agreement whatever with the law of tithing later revealed in the Book of Leviticus. The Law required the tithe be paid only on the increase of the land and animals (Leviticus 27:30–31). But Abram did not work to produce any of the spoil he had recovered.

Spoil does not represent an increase from farms. There was no biblical teaching which showed that Abram was required to give a tenth of the spoil to Melchizedek.

Much later in the time of Moses, the Israelites were informed how spoils such as Abraham’s should be disposed. The ratio to the Levite was not the same, a tenth, and spoils were not to be tithed.

When the Israelites spoiled the Midianites, Moses insisted that the priests receive 1/500th of the goods from those who had gone to war—not 1/10th as a tithe would require (Numbers 31:9, 27–29).

The Levites got more booty than the priests, 1/50th of the congregation’s half of the spoil (verse 30). Again, the law concerning “spoils” in war had nothing to do with the later ordained tithe.

Consider the action of Abraham.

If Moses was recording in Genesis a universal law of tithing when he wrote about Abraham giving a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek, why does he depart from that very law, with a completely different set of figures?

The Mosaic Law on Tithing also abolished all previous laws with it:

These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God. …For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD: Deuteronomy 12:1-4; 9-11 KJV

Moses instructed the Israelites not to do the things which the pagan people and Abram did but to follow after the new laws which God gave them. No eternal principle was established.

The Law also abolished all previous tithes practiced.

The persons seeing an eternal principle expressed in these passages, did not do their own reading of the paragraph, but adopted the teaching because they were taught it, they heard it on television or they receive tithes themselves.

Consider it in relation to the Israelites spoiling the Egyptians.

Before the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, God told them to spoil the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35).

Spoil is the booty of war similar to that of Abram’s. The booty belonged to the Israelites and they were not to return it. There is no evidence of the Israelites giving a tenth of it to anyone.

There was at that time no priesthood among the Israelites, however, Moses was God’s representative and also a Levite, yet he did not take a tithe on God’s behalf.

This proves that Moses was unaware of any eternal principle of tithes. And if there was, these must be reckoned as spoils of war, not income or compensation.

Moses ordained a different set of laws for spoil, as previously explained. Thus, there were no laws, concerning tithes, eternal or of shorter duration, when the Israelites left Egypt.

Abram’s tithe was not initiated by the Priest Melchizedek, but by Abram who gave the tenth of the spoils. Ministers today are very bold in demanding tithes of people, especially those to whom they have not blessed, nor provided a service.

We are not even told if Melchizedek was aware of God’s promise to Abraham or not. God’s blessing of Abraham and his seed had already been promised and started long before he gave the tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek (Gen.13:2).

There is no biblical or even historical record of him continuing the practice.

In summary, Abraham was not following any law of tithing on spoil or on anything else. Abraham’s tenth was only in the nature of a voluntary (free will) offering of thanksgiving to God for the deliverance of his nephew from captivity. In determining the amount to give Melchizedek, he used the smallest fraction he knew, a tenth, the equivalent of one of his fingers.

CONCLUSION

We examined the passage to determine whether Abram gave the tenth part of the spoil in keeping with an eternal principle which requires an individual to pay ten per cent of his gross income to a priest who is His representative on earth.

Abram’s tithe does not provide a pre-law justification for tithing by the Church and this incident was not used to validate tithing after the Cross by the Apostles, yet many Pastors and Preachers continue to use this incident as a means of exacting a tithe of their congregation.

If any principle was revealed in this passage, it is a fraction of the spoils of war was given to a priest in ancient times.

You are not Abram and you’re not living before the law. “Christ is the end of the Law…” (Romans 10:4). The death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the point at which the entire nature of man’s relationship to God changed.

It matters little now who Milchizedek was or why Abram gave him a tithe. These things are not a part of being in Christ, in fact, they are incompatible with Grace.

There are many other things Abram practiced which do not bind us today.

Everything Abram did was done before the Law for he lived his entire life before the law. Of particular interest is tithing, circumcision, animal sacrifices, clean and unclean meats and keeping of concubines (Genesis 25:6) with whom he fathered many sons. Why choose tithing as the one thing to practice?

My conclusion is the modern church tithe bears no resemblance to Abram’s tithe. No purpose of this tithe nor its frequency given in the Scriptures. It is a one-off event and from the spoils of war.

Of the 66 references to Abraham in the New Testament, none requires us to tithe as he did. There is no evidence in the scriptures to show that Abram ever tithed before or after this event.

Therefore, I believe it is an error to use this example to claim tithing had been established before the law and therefore is brought into the New Testament Church. Since Abram gave nothing of his own, it is an error to find the concept of a tithe in this context and apply it to everyone’s personal income or property.

THE END

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Categories
Tithes & Tithing

A Brief History of Tithes

A Brief History of Tithes

Sylvan James

INTRODUCTION

“It is revolting to all Christian principles enunciated in the New Testament that men should be imprisoned, or their goods seized, or, even as it happened in Ireland within this century, be shot dead because they refused to pay tithes.” H. W. Clarke

This blog presents a short and clear history of the rise and growth of the system of tithes, free from technical and language difficulties.

Evidence showing the “tithe” was not a strict “tenth” or indeed any other fraction will be presented. Although the written secular history shows that it may have been universal, this does not prove that it was instituted by God.

I will also show that the pre-law tithe was abolished by the institution of the Mosaic Law and how the Church and the secular authorities copied this tithe.

The supporters of tithing today often demand an explanation for the prevalence of the tithe among ancient nations.

It is argued, if, for religious purposes, everyone decided to give according to his inclinations, then how should so many nations have arrived at a tenth rather than any other fraction?

Does the seeming universality of this fraction point to a time when the ancestors of all nations lived together, and so derived the custom from a common source?

No historian, and no traditional account known in any country, has given the origin of the tithe, nor is the Bible explicit about it.

But, do we really have to account for the payment of a tenth by pagans to their gods in ancient times?

Are we allowed to frame a hypothesis from the Biblical facts? The answer is NO.

Again, the Biblical facts are only what God appointed. If it’s not Biblical, then God did not appoint it.

Is it reasonable to suppose that God wanted us to practice something and then omitted to mention these things? The answer is again NO.

Can we entertain the hypothesis of men that from the beginning God taught Adam to tithe? NO.

God taught Adam many things which he disobeyed, hence the fall. We should concentrate our attention on what God is saying to us today by His Holy Spirit and the written Word He has been pleased to give us rather than hypothesizing of what may have been said to Adam but was not revealed to modern Christians in the Scriptures.

PRE – MOSAIC LAW TITHES

The secular method of studying the antiquity of tithes is insufficient to determine if it is an eternal principle given by God.

By this method, instances of the use of the word “tenth,” not tithe, in connection with religious offerings or sacrifices are gathered from the ancient literature of various nations

Then it is inferred, “the universality of the practice points to a time when the ancestors of all nations lived together and so derived the knowledge from a common source.” Abraham’s and Jacob’s tithe fall under this heading.

However, my research found no exact mathematics in this stage of development in any land.

When men were hunters, fishers, and gatherers; no hunter or fisher ever thought of giving exactly “one-tenth” of any animal or his catch to a god; mathematics were unknown to them.

Instead, the best pieces: the head, the right shoulder, the thigh, the breast, kidneys and liver, or the fat, were given. These customs survived when domesticated animals replaced wild game.

Therefore, the Old Testament does not command a “tenth” of an animal killed for food, but a piece of some other animal set aside for this purpose.

In the time of the Judges, the seer or priest took “potluck”. He contented himself with any part of the sacrifice his forks fished up (I Sam. 2:13).

The use of the “tenth” by heathens cannot mean that God gave them the principle before He gave it to us. This assumes that primitive man worshipped the true and the living God, before He introduced Himself to Abraham.

But, did primitive people worship God? St. Paul does not think so and told the Corinthians as much. “The things which the gentiles sacrifice are unto devils…”

HOW PRIMITIVE PEOPLE COUNTED

There is sufficient evidence to show primitive people learnt to count only as far as their fingers allowed.

Sometimes they may have understood the idea of one finger as the smallest convenient portion (fraction), so the word “tenth” may only mean fraction or portion rather than a strict mathematical percentage.

An example from the Old Testament is available, Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:4, Abram gave the priest a tenth of the spoils of war, but in Num.31 when the spoils of a war was divided, it is not 10% but 0.2% and 2%.

Therefore, the theory of an equal and exact percentage from all persons and all booty is incorrect.

According to our best knowledge, Moses wrote both Genesis and Numbers. Either the Israelite did not use the Abrahamic principle of giving a tithe (10%) OR the tithe was simply a “finger”; any fraction. 

This same incapacity for dealing with fractions appears in the estimate of time e.g. first watch, night watches etc.

The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard is another example; the owner of the vineyard cannot or will not calculate a fraction of a day’s pay.

Therefore we can safely conclude that given a group of units, primitive men could set aside one out of each ten, if necessary, but they could not calculate a tenth of any number of units.

The fact of such incapacity for arithmetical computation in early Hebrew days as well as in the later Jewish times is admitted by historians.

It is also clear from the two fractions which appear so often in the ancient customs, one fifth and one tenth, arose from counting upon the fingers of one or both hands (Lev. 27:30, 31) and the toes if necessary.

In addition, some biblical idioms are expressive of the writer’s inability to count large numbers e.g. sheep without number, comparisons to the stars of heavens and the sand of the seas (Gen.13:16; 15:5).

God is able to reveal to Abraham the exact number of his descendants, but would Abraham understand? Therefore, God uses an idiom which Abram understood, the stars of the sky.

The first striking fact concerning tithing is that the Scripture has little to say about it prior to the time of Moses.

The first eleven chapters of Genesis cover some 2,000 years. While sacrifices and several other rituals are mentioned, the subject of tithing never emerged as a topic of discussion.

The first mentioned is the account of Abram’s Tithe in Genesis chapter 14.

Following the slaughter of the kings, Abraham returned with his nephew Lot, the other captives, and with a large amount of spoil recovered from the rescue (verses 16–17).

Abraham then met Melchizedek and gave him a tenth of the spoil, “he gave him tithes of all” (verse 20).

The remainder of the spoils were returned to the king of Sodom (verses 21–24). This “tithes of all” was a “one-time” gift to the High Priest. For more on this tithe read the blog on Abram’s Tithe.

There is further proof that tithing as a universal principle did not exist before the time of Moses.

The example of Joseph reveals no knowledge of such a principle. While in Egypt he was inspired to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams about seven full years of harvest and seven years of famine.

When Pharaoh saw the wisdom and the Spirit of God in him (Genesis 41:38–39), he set him ruler over all the land of Egypt. For seven years they gathered in the harvests and stored the grain.

When the famine came, the Egyptians used all their money to purchase some of the grain reserves (Genesis 47:14–15). They then gave all their cattle to Joseph in exchange for grain (verse 16). Finally, they bartered themselves and their land for food (verse 18–20).

This meant that Pharaoh, through the advice of the patriarch Joseph, came to possess all things found in Egypt.

At this point, if there was a universal tithing principle known to all nations Joseph would have used it, but Joseph didn’t, instead the Bible says:

Then Joseph said unto the people, ‘Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that you shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. Genesis 47:23–24.

Joseph, a man in whom was wisdom and the Spirit of God, did not command a tithe instead he commanded the fifth part.

This amount was not equal to what his father Jacob had proposed (see blog on Jacob’s Tithe), nor by his great grandfather Abraham (See blog on Abram’s Tithe), who gave a tenth to the priest.

Moses stated that a tenth of the increase had to be set aside for the Levites. But Joseph said no such thing. He declared that a fifth part (two tenths) was to be Pharaoh’s for his own personal use, while all the remainder went to the people.

Joseph did not give a part of the increase to the priesthood proving that he was unaware of any universal law of tithing. Joseph knew nothing of the so-called universal tithing principle because they never existed.

He also respected and obeyed his father, Jacob, more so than his brethren, he would have known about Abraham’s tithing example and the conditional tithe of Jacob, yet in Egypt Joseph chose not to institute the tithe on the people.

This was not an act of disobedience because he was “a man in whom the Spirit of God is” (Genesis 41:38). Joseph said nothing about giving a tenth of the increase to any priesthood because there was no universal tithing law before or after Moses.

The Semite’s tradition before the Mosaic Law was to pay no tithe on land because he did not own any land. Instead he paid the god, or ancestor, who was considered the owner, a portion of the harvest or the rearing of animal; this portion was burned. To live in the land, he paid nothing.

The connection of the tithe with a primitive god or patron saint also explains why no tithe is exacted from untilled land. The propitiation of the divinity for digging up the land is found in most primitive people but the regularity of a tithe upon grain varies from area to area.

The payment of the tithe became equivalent to the actual cleansing rite. Therefore, the presence of a worshipper of strange gods in the land was tolerated if he paid the necessary “fees” for the cleansing of the land.

The rate of the ancient tithe was the same as for booty taken in war and also the modern Church tithe and this gives the possibility of where the modern Church tithe originated.

We also find that the tithe and purification was originally the familiar and universal purification from war or defilement by the dead bodies in the war. This was practiced in all parts of the world by primitive men.

The payment of a fee was the equivalent of the actual “salvation” and the presence of an unbeliever was tolerated if he paid the necessary fees (tithes) for the cleansing of the land from defilement.

Abram, Jacob and the pagan primitives giving a tenth of their possessions to a priest or god before the Mosaic Law, is not relevant today.

These persons lived before the Law and everything they did was before the law. Why do we single out the tithe as an “eternal principle”?

A tradition cannot automatically become an eternal principle because it is old, very common or even widespread. The fact that it was present in much pagan cultures as was idolatry, worship of other gods, witchcraft, voodoo and necromancy.

Look for my next post Abram’s Tithe