The Product of Man's Work
One criticism built into the anti-tithing argument, as I noted last time, is that tithe is limited to agricultural products because these are the product of God's miracle rather than man's work.
It is absolutely true that plants growing and animals reproducing are miracles of God - even if a farmer does nothing, plants and trees will still grow and produce food, and animals will grow and have babies. In fact, God even commanded that every seventh year the people could not plant or harvest their land, but could eat whatever grew naturally (known as the Land Sabbath, found in Leviticus 25). In contrast to the anti-tithing argument that it is God's miracle that must be tithed on, the people weren't required to tithe on what they gathered to eat during the Land Sabbath year:
Leviticus 25:6-7It says that the "sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you," with no mention of giving a tithe to the Levites as in other years. If the reason for tithing exclusively on agricultural products is because they are God's miracle, then wouldn't the produce that naturally occurred during the land Sabbath need to be tithed on since this is exclusively from God without human help? God didn't command it to be so; thus, there must be some flaw in the assumption that it is God's miracle that must be tithed on.
And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food.
The error is that God does not simply ignore the hard work that the farmer puts in, and this example of the land Sabbath highlights this subtlety. God doesn't naturally cause corn to grow in perfect rows on square plots of land for maximal yield, and He certainly doesn't cause it to harvest itself into baskets that walk themselves to your doorstep. We cannot neglect the fact that every material blessing that we have comes from God's blessing in accordance with our own work rather than to the exclusion of our work. The truth is that God gives increase to people in professions other than farming. Every gain that we make comes from God, as does every loss - whether you're a farmer or an accountant.
Wine and Oil
Wine and oil are two products that are specifically listed to be tithed on in the law, and a consideration of how they are made will solidify the concept that God does require tithe on the product of man's labor. Both of these are secondary agricultural products - meaning that they are made from things after they are harvested (grapes and olives) rather than being the raw result of the harvest. Neither can be made without human intervention. In each case, the fruit itself must be tithed on, being the produce of the land, but also the resulting product must be tithed on.
God makes grapes grow on the vine. He also causes the fermentation of grapes that then produces wine, but He doesn't naturally cause grapes to grow in a way that facilitates this process. The commandment requires the farmer to tithe on his grapes. If someone bought those grapes, the commandment also would require the person who makes wine from those grapes to tithe on the wine. While the grapes could have grown naturally, the wine simply would not have been produced if the person had not put the grapes into a vat along with the other relevant ingredients. This is an example of God requiring tithe on the product of man's work, which He blesses in terms of the exact yield of wine. Regardless of how much blessing is given - whether the wine turns out good or bad - it must still be tithed on.
Whereas wine-making is subject to God's increase on how much sugar will be fermented into wine, the process of retrieving oil from olives requires only man's effort in pressing out what is already there. Consider a farmer who sells his olives to a person who then presses oil out of the olives. Both the farmer who grows the olives and the person who presses them for oil must tithe - the farmer on his harvest and the second person on the oil that comes out of them. Anti-tithers would argue that the farmer is tithing on God's increase, but what would they say that the person pressing the oil is tithing on? In such a case, God's increase has already been tithed on by giving a tithe of the olives themselves which, by extension, already includes the oil that is in them. The only logical conclusion is that the person must tithe on the result of their own labor that was required to press the oil out of the olives. God can certainly bless that labor so that more oil comes out, but, under normal circumstances, the fact remains that the person already owned every drop of oil that was in those olives to begin with - no normal biochemical process is occurring at that point to make more oil.
Tithing on wine and oil fully debunk the argument that we are to tithe exclusively on the product of "God's increase" or "God's miracle." The principle involved in tithing, as we have seen, is to devote a portion of our efforts to God rather than doing everything for our own gain. In view of this, I see no reason why this logic does not apply to non-agricultural products.
Summary
In summary, the scriptures do not explicitly say "you have to tithe on the money you earn." Neither do they explicitly say "you don't have to tithe on the money you earn." While there are lists given of specific things that are to be tithed on, there is no provision that says "these are the only forms of income to tithe on." Furthermore, as I'll show in a future article, these lists are never presented in a way that would lead us to conclude that they were definitive instructions on how to tithe. Therefore, it is insufficient to conclude from the silence on the issue that we should not tithe on money, and we should defer judgment to contextual evidence, which is what I have done here and in the previous article.
Therefore, considering that we are to rejoice in everything that we put our hands to in which God has blessed us during the feasts and that wine and oil production set a clear precedent for tithing on the result of one's labor, I conclude that we should tithe on whatever God's blessing on our labor earns us - the most relevant for today's society being monetary income.
Among the remaining topics on tithing that I would like to cover, I want to give further insight into the context of the lists of items to be tithed on. In particular, I will show that there is no reason to assume that these lists were ever intended to be exhaustive.
You said, “In contrast to the anti-tithing argument that it is God's miracle that must be tithed on, the people weren't required to tithe on what they gathered to eat during the Land Sabbath year:”
ReplyDeleteI don’t think any anti-tither argues that the tithe was on ALL of God’s miracles. God, Himself, said a tenth of the crops and animals. God, Himself, said no sowing or harvest in the seventh year.
You said, “If the reason for tithing exclusively on agricultural products is because they are God's miracle….”
Who ever said that the REASON for tithing exclusively on agricultural products is because they are God’s miracle? The REASON for the first tithe was to support the Levitical priesthood. The REASON for the second tithe was to honor and fear the Lord, etc. The REASON for the third tithe was to feed the poor.
It is God, no one else, who LIMITED what He wanted to be tithed. It isn’t an assumption, it is directly from scripture. Are not animals NOT in herds and flocks also miracles of God? Are not fish also miracles of God? There are many growing things and animals that God did NOT command to be tithed.
You said, “The error is that God does not simply ignore the hard work that the farmer puts in, and this example of the land Sabbath highlights this subtlety.”
Who said God ignores the hard work that the farmer puts in? That fact that God ONLY specified agricultural produce and certain animals to be tithed on certainly, but no means, says or infers that God IGNORES the hard work that the farmer puts in.
Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV) But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
Deut 8:18 is telling me that when I work, it is my labor, because God gave me that ability.
In Leviticus 27:30-33, God claimed a tenth of the crops and animals in herds and flocks to be HIS, not the farmer’s. It was HIS all along. The tithe was that tenth. The tithe was NOT on the labor. God gave the command as to what the farmers were to do with HIS tenth. They were to take it to the Levites. The farmers, of course put in some labor, but the tenth ALREADY belonged to God, BEFORE the farmer did anything.
The wine and oil – the tithe was on the tenth of the items that were used to make the wine and oil. A tenth of the crops.
You said, “Tithing on wine and oil fully debunk the argument that we are to tithe exclusively on the product of "God's increase" or "God's miracle."”
Not so. The tithe was on the increase of the land. A tenth of the grapes were to be tithed, not a tenth of the finished wine product.
Leviticus 27:30 (KJV) 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.
A tenth of the FRUIT, not the finished product.
Leviticus 27:31 (KJV) And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
You could redeem the grapes. Has nothing to do with the wine.
You said, “The principle involved in tithing, as we have seen, is to devote a portion of our efforts to God rather than doing everything for our own gain.”
ReplyDeleteNot so; not said or inferred in scripture.
To use your reasoning, an accountant would have to give a tenth of his accounting services, which is income. The farmer did not tithe on the revenue he received from selling his product.
The tithe has to do with ONLY food. Nothing else. That is why every single verse dealing with God’s commands to tithe is limited to food items.
The fact that only farmers and herdsmen tithed does not, in any way, say that God favored the farmers and herdsmen. EVERYONE was blessed when God opened the heavens and poured out rain as there would be food for everyone.
You said, “there is no provision that says "these are the only forms of income to tithe on.”
The list provided in scripture does not include ANY forms of income to be tithed on.
In my opinion, the following verse proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that tithing could not be on income:
Numbers 18:27 (KJV) “And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.”
IF tithing could be on income, the above verse is not needed. It would just be taking up space.
My focus on this distinction between "God's miracles" and "man's labor" comes directly from what I have heard from anti-tithers with statements such as "the tithe was only on God's miracles, not man's income." If I wrongly associated this with one of the reasons for which you (collectively) advocate against tithing on non-agricultural products, then I apologize, but that was the impression that I have been given. I don't think anyone has directly cited this as their primary reason, but I often see it used as a supporting refrain in these arguments.
ReplyDelete"The wine and oil – the tithe was on the tenth of the items that were used to make the wine and oil. A tenth of the crops."
Absolutely false. Deuteronomy 12:17 (among many other places) speaks of the "tithe of your grain, of your new wine and of your oil." If it were strictly on the crops rather than the wine and oil itself, it would simply say "the tithe of your grain, your grapes, and your olives." I agree that a farmer could redeem the grapes, but that has nothing to do with the wine that is produced from them. Although you raise a valid point for my study on redemption - there is no specific indication in Leviticus 27 of how to redeem wine or oil since these are not the same as the olives and grapes that they are made from.
"Deut 8:18 is telling me that when I work, it is my labor, because God gave me that ability."
God also gives farmers the ability to sow seed, water it, and harvest it. I fail to see a distinction between this and all other types of work.
"The farmers, of course put in some labor, but the tenth ALREADY belonged to God, BEFORE the farmer did anything."
You're neglecting the central point of my argument, which is that the tenth, God's portion, wouldn't even exist if the farmer had not done anything, as is evident from the example I gave of the Land Sabbath.
Concerning Numbers 18:27, you're missing the context of what is being said. I address this scripture in detail in the next article that I'm writing, but the simple explanation is that God is telling them that it belongs to them as though they had worked for it themselves. He goes on to specify that they could eat it anywhere, which is relevant because they were also allowed to eat various offerings with the condition that these had to be eaten under special circumstances or in certain places. While the offerings did not belong to the Levites who ate them, the tithes did belong to them as their wages for their service in the temple.
I've followed this series on tithing and have found it quite insightful and educational. I've never thought much about the technicalities of what to tithe and when. If I may, I'd just like to share a personal testimony regarding this.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first became a Christian I was taught the principles of tithing from the Bible. I was taught to return to the Lord at least 10% of my income which I did. I can't say that it was not without a struggle though. I work in the IT field and my paycheck was not chump change.
When I tithed I found myself having to fight the desire to selfishly retain it all for myself. As my income grew so did my tithe and sometimes so did my struggle to give. To top it off I learned of the 2nd tithe! Oh no! Give more of 'my money'?! After prayer and the gentle prodding of the Holy Spirit I did and the Lord continued to open the windows of heaven and my income grew.
Over time something began to happen. The temptation to 'keep it all' became less and less and the blessing of the Lord continued to increase. Presently I return over 35% of my income to the Lord and my bills are paid, my pantry is full, and I own a house and 2 vehicles. Basically the Lord has more than provided for my needs. It seems to me that tithing is one of God's ways of helping us to see our selfishness and to combat it.
When I think of what Jesus did for me, God gave us the greatest gift that heaven could bestow in sacrificing His Precious Son for me ... for us. Jesus is our example in all things. If He gave so much for me ... how could I nitpick about what to give back to Him? Do I have to wait for an exhaustive list of what and what not to give before returning tithe in thanksgiving to my King?
When that final day of judgement comes will the Lord stop me at the gate saying 'sorry but I cannot let you in ... you just returned too much in tithe'? We cannot outgive God!! I can surely testify that I would not be where I am in my career right now had it not been for the blessing of the Lord ... truly it is miraculous. I don't see it at all as my increase but it is all His increase for I would never have increased at all if it were not for His blessing.
I'd like to encourage everyone ... don't look for the bare minimum, God doesn't do that with us! We love Him! A marriage is not happy when a spouse waits for every duty to be minutely spelled out to them instead of doing what they know will please their mate.
May God bless each of us in our studies as we seek to grow closer to Him.
I'm glad to know that my studies here have been useful to you - thanks for sharing your story! People spend an awful lot of time and effort trying to reason their way out of fulfilling God's commandments instead of just doing them with gladness. Tithing is one of those commandments that people just don't like and so they will try any and every argument to justify not doing it. I just recently made a video (it's on the front page of my blog right now) about whether Christians should get tattoos, and I feel like it's the same type of dilemma: rather than accepting God's commandment, people will fight against it in every way possible to justify what they want to do. I'm actually planning another video now on this broader topic about what laws from the Old Testament are still in effect, and this attitude of people taking a negative approach towards the law is going to be a big part of the discussion!
Delete