Tithing

Tithing predated Moses. Abraham tithed to "the righteous king of peace" after he had left his Father Terah's house.

Tithing had a purpose and a function in society which has little to do with what people imagine tithing is today. There are several layers of misunderstanding about this term. The word tithing came from a word meaning ten, but contrary to popular belief it had nothing to do with "ten percent."

Tithing in early Israel was an essential part of a national structure that held the nation together. It was originally a voluntary contribution granted by the eldest Father of a family unit. It was given to support men who provided an important function in a social structure that, if properly maintained, could guarantee their survival as a people in the face of disaster and calamity.

Normally, tithes in ancient times were paid by the eldest father, often a grandfather, or great grandfather, of a large family group. These funds came through to this elder father of the community by way of his sons and grandsons.

When we see tithing in early Israel, it was merely the repetition of this same precept seen in the time of Abraham and before. This fundamental idea of support and honor within the family was expanded to a national level. The responsibility of the eldest son as priest within the family remained the same, but the responsibility on a national level was granted to the first born of the nation in order to assist that nation in remaining a strong body without the sacrifice of any freedom or liberty.

There were two types of national priest. Those who received freewill offerings of the people according to what was right in his own eyes were the ministers of God's kingdom.

Judges 17:6 In those days [there was] no king in Israel, [but] every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.

The other type of priest was one who could compel the offerings of the people because the right to choose had been vested in that office. These were the priests and gods of the governments of Nimrod, Pharaoh and Caesar. This was the path or way followed by the Pharisees and Sadducees of Judea at the time of Christ.

In the case of Abraham who had parted from the ways of Terah, he was found paying directly to the eldest father of his family group.

These contributions were not called "tithing," but were honorariums of respect to your father even after you started a family of your own. Those funds given in honor and respect to the heads of the family by its members were used to help others in the family. It was to keep the bonds of the family strong, healthy and prosperous, so they remain viable as a unit. These funds were usually handled by the eldest son of that family group but remained under the authority of what was called a patrimonial right of the father. Those offerings were a portion of the honoring "thy Father and Mother" even before the writing of the Ten Commandments.

These granted gratuities were utilized as a common fund by the families. This domestic arrangement functioned like a family bank. It made available an emergency resource based on natural bonds of love and caring. It was commonly managed by the eldest son in each family, who, being first born, held the role of priest within that family unit. The Father acted as the family king and overseer, of this son, who when he came to age, became the family priest. The family could easily include dozens of individual families and span several generations.

No man proclaimed himself Sui Juris, "in possession of his full rights", or, as the Greeks would say Rhomaios,¹ as long as his Father was alive. If a son wanted to marry he asked his Father for permission, and though he gained a certain independence when he married he still remained under the coverture of the Family, through the father. Any problems that arose in his Family the members would turn first to the Husband’s Family for assistance.

For thousands of years the Family had been the foundation of all social insurance. It was bound by both love and mutual caring, as well as a lifetime of sacrifice and concern. But, what if the family broke down under familial tragedy, societal upheaval, wars, or earthly catastrophe?

There was guaranteed social insurance and entitlements offered by some systems of government, but not without the price of their freedom and the sacrifice of some of the freewill choice granted by God.

Those schemes of government were in places like the city states of Cain and Nimrod, Pharaoh and Caesar where the state took on the role of father.² And, within the jurisdiction of those civil states there was a form of social security³ but, as always, such protection drew subjection. They were also a breeding ground for jealousy, envy, avarice and sloth. These systems of venality might be established by application and membership, but they were maintained by force. Although, the leaders were called benefactors, they exercised authority one over the other. In order to guarantee full benefits, they resorted to forcing the contributions of the people who became citizens subject to the administration of governments to which they had applied to for benefits and now were dependent upon.⁴

To desire these benefits one was, in fact, coveting their neighbors goods. When people gathered together in those city-states they soon found the demands of the men in authority increasing, and the central treasuries depleted by corruption and self-serving abuse. Men who sought to exercise power were drawn to those offices of power like a moth to a flame.

When natural and human resources ran low in that nation, or the subject population rebelled against the increase in taxes, corruption, or decline in conditions, excuses were made to plunder neighboring peoples or nations in order to maintain their standard of living. They were accustomed to coveting and using force, and the beast in their cultivated fallen natures easily justified aggression against more distant or different neighbors upon, what was often, the flimsiest of excuses.

There were numerous methods employed to maintain these civil structures. The wealth was centralized, and sometimes gold and silver was taken out of the hands of the people. Education was controlled, and eventually everything was regulated from speech to prices.

This national and mutual oppression of a subject but covetous population made it necessary for neighboring free families and groups of families to also gather together for common defense from what often came as an aggressive threat. We see an example of this with Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, who was gathered with other rulers like himself in the days of Melchizedek. They conquered one city state after another and anyone else they came upon in the process.

They conquered Sodom with impunity and took who and what they wanted. But there was another element on the earth in those days. There was Abraham and his altars of stone.⁵ Those stones were not dead rocks, but living men of peace and charity. Those altars were composed of men who sought to serve the people, not exercise power and authority over them. These people had formed not a civil state of subject members, but a freewill network of charity, hope and faith.

That network saw to the needs of any who fell on hard times. Sometimes disaster struck a particular family or a local area and people needed to get help from a larger group, or from farther away.

Chedorlaomer was a disaster on the move, and Abraham’s altars⁶ were the cure. Overnight he mustered an all volunteer army that destroyed this ravenous beast and freed the people it had taken.

One of the greatest logistical problems of an army is its supply lines. Napoleon said that an army moves on its stomach, and it was no different for Abraham.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God. Genesis 14:18

Abraham and his instant army of volunteer minutemen received supplies from this Melchizedek. Evidently Abraham had been tithing directly to this Melchizedek since he had left his Father’s house. Was Melchizedek one of Abraham’s grandfathers?⁷

Abraham had set up a way in which people could remain free yet have a reason to come together when there was almost any kind of trouble. These altars could take care of local problems within small groups of families but they were linked by a network of ministers to handle even much larger issues. Flood, famine or war could be dealt with efficiently if the spirit of faith, hope and charity was cultivated on a daily basis.

When one of these city states began to exercise authority upon their neighbors the people could come together like minutemen to the rescue. The illustration of Abraham’s defeat of Chedorlaomer is a perfect example, but certainly was not the only example in history.

Abraham was offered a reward for his services, but he would not touch even a thread of the spoils from Sodom after saving the people of that civil State along with many others. Sodom and other city States operated like Ur and Haran which was much different than Melchizedek or Abraham. One operated in righteousness and freedom under God with the power and responsibility in the hands of the individual people, and the other operated by subjection and forced contributions. Once you became a member entitled to the protection of the State, your liberty declined.

Tithing in Israel was for the Levites, but not mandated by law. It was only given according to the service of the Levites, not as a guaranteed individual salary. It was a tenth of a families' produce, because each Levite served ten families. It was full time work because he was a major part of the government - serving the needs of the people in congregation such as higher education, health, welfare of widows, orphans, the poor, emergency funds, social insurance etc.

These same congregations of ten families supplied the voluntary militia in time of military conflict. In whatever platoon you served in time of war, it was along side the same brothers, cousins and neighbors with whom you grew up. The fighting dedication of the soldiers was enhanced by these personal bonds.

The whole tithe was for the Levite and his family who served together as a single unit as it was their only wage for the services supplied. This made it in the best interest of the Levite to see that families prospered, which meant long lasting marriages, no adultery, good education for obedient upright sons and daughters. A healthy functional family meant a healthy functioning nation.

Things like forgiveness and thanksgiving⁸ were essential to keep these congregations together and thriving. Patience, charity, mutual love and caring were not just a good idea or some moral code, but they were essential to the survival of the individual, the family, the congregation and the nation.

A TITHING, in English law. Formerly a district containing ten men with their families. In each tithing there was a tithing man whose duty it was to keep the peace, as a constable now is bound to do. St. Armand, in his Historical Essay on the Legislative Power of England, p. 70, expresses, an opinion that the tithing was composed not of ten common families, but of ten families of lords of a manor. ⁹

The tithing in Israel was not "ten percent" from each individual, but a share given by the ten families. Ten family groups gathered together to form a congregation which tithed to their ministers. Many family groups consisted of several families with one elder or eldest father at the head of a family group. Only the eldest Father was Sui Juris. He was Lord of the family and to him was given all honor due to the Father of the Family. These fathers gathered in a group of ten families and chose the princes and ministers of the ten families. The honor given to the chosen minister of such a congregation was given by each of the ten elders of those families.

The most important thing to remember is that the tithe was at the discretion of the people. They chose who would be their minister from a pool of men who qualified to be what became known as a Levite. What their service was worth was decided by the people they served. They only tithed ‘according to his service’¹⁰ as the Bible tells us. Ten Levites also tithed to the ministers they picked and this eventually supplied those who took care of the tabernacle which moved from tribe to tribe. This system of voluntarism managed to keep the kingdom of God one people in charity under the perfect law of liberty. It was never meant to be the superstitious centralization of power we see at the time of Christ's birth.

These Levites were not performing some bizarre or mindless ritual of killing and burning up animals so that God would be pleased with the smell of the smoke. Such fabrications resulting from a misinterpretation of the language, and deceptive sophistry has led to felonious fables and absurd speculations by religionists over the centuries.

The Levites were the "first born" of the nation of God with a practical purpose, duties and functions. They were not the priests of the individual families, but the priests or first born of a nation. They formed a free people without the privation, incorporation or abridgment of God given rights and responsibilities. Congregations were linked throughout the nation of God by love and charity. They did not take funds from the family unless that family chose to give those funds as free will offerings. There was no minister of God forcing contributions from the people by exercising authority. Freedom under God is devoid of such practices and policies, and Christ forbade it.

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; Luke 22:25

There is of course some social pressure from those within a local congregation and communities of congregations to pay your fare share. We are to rebuke one another when slothful, but there was no compelled offering for the kingdom of God except by God's will written in our hearts and minds.

Later Israel began to compel the contributions as they did in the cities that Cain and Nimrod built and like Sodom and Pharaoh’s Egypt.

This was a clear violation of the Law of God because it was a matter of coveting your neighbors goods, and such systems led to usurious title to property and away from commodity money into other systems of usury. This soon became the unrighteous Mammon. Jesus freed us from the statutes the Pharisees, but he did not free us from the Ten Commandments or the precepts of God. He clearly instructed us to follow the Ten Commandments and shunned the idea that you can call him Lord and not do what he told you to do.

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord,
and do not the things which I say? Lu 6:46¹¹

There are some people who think they see no need for ministers of Christ's gospel under the perfect law of liberty or see no value in supporting ministers. But then most ministers do not understand the duties and mission of ministers who earned the tithe by actual and practical service to the congregation and the nation. People who think we have no need for ministers probably have chosen the administrators of the gentiles as their administrators. The services once rendered by these ministers of sacrifice and service have been replaced by the authoritarian benefactors of modern civil bureaucracy.

But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Matthew 20:25...

I have actually had ministers of modern Churches tell me that this only pertains to Church government. They actually believe that on the other six days a week it is absolutely okay for Christian to be like the governments of the gentiles. They are content to depend on those administrators who obtain the tithes and contributions of the people by force rather than the free will offering of the people spoken of by Moses, Jesus and the apostles. They seem to enjoy the government of the gentiles who exercise authority, wallowing in its ill gotten benefits, like the pig in the mire.

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:22

They even take part in such authority by choosing covetously to increase their benefits at the expense of their neighbor. Even though God, Moses or Jesus never said to do anything like that and often said quite the opposite.

But Jesus called them [to him], and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mark 10:42

Those people have chosen to come together in a common purse of rights and wealth, which of course as we know runs towards death.¹² They are tempted to seek the benefits of another man's sweat and blood and find themselves snared in their own trap. We covetously think our neighbor should be a source for our desired benefit, and become human resources for the will of these tempting rulers.

Such systems of exercising authority where 51 percent of the voice of people¹³ can take away the goods of their neighbors household and convert them to satisfy their own desires are a rejection of the spirit and ways of God in Heaven. They also rob the people of their free will choice of charity and love, to say nothing of coveting their goods. This is why Jesus forbade such behavior for those who followed him no matter how good the benefits are from such systems. That is simply not the Christian way, but the way of the anti Christ. The end does not justify the means and those who feel justified in this Nicolaitian¹⁴ way which is hated by God are void of the salvation of Christ.

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. Luke 22:25

Of course most people professing to be Christians or followers of Christ are operating under a strong delusion and have believed the lie that the kingdom of heaven is not at hand. They have been taught a watered down gospel, devoid of the kingdom and the message of Christ.

The kingdom of Heaven is within you but if that is a true statement then by the very nature of God’s kingdom within and your belief in Jesus as Lord, you will do as Jesus said. If you really love Jesus you will find it very difficult to covet your neighbors goods or desire the benefits offered by men who exercise authority in the taking from your neighbor to supply those offered benefits.

The question was asked, “Should we tithe to the modern Church?”

Well I would not call it a tithe. It is really just a cover charge for entertainment. People go to Church to feel good and to be reassured by the men and women working in those church buildings that they are saved and that God loves them even though they do not do the will of the Father.

Those ministers are not preaching the kingdom is at hand, they are not taking care of the widows and orphans, nor any of those things that use to be a part of the first century Church or the Church in the wilderness.

I heard a minister say we don’t have to do that any more because the government does that for us. The fact that the Roman¹⁵ government did the exact same thing people are doing today for anyone who would apply to the Roman government seems to have escaped his education entirely. Christians would not apply or participate, and that is why they were persecuted.

Those Pharisees in what John called the Synagogue of Satan did the same thing, offering entitlements under a system of Corban condemned by Jesus. It seems to have made little impression on anyone that at baptism they were cast out of such systems. Christians would not apply or ‘pray’ to such institutions because those systems did not rely on charity or love. They made the Law of God to no effect. Those systems were the opposite of what Christ was teaching. Eventually those institutions persecuted the Christians who would not participate, apply or make offerings on their civic altars.

It astounds me that people can pretend they are Christians and do just the opposite of what Christ said and what the first century Church was doing.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:5

Israel was literally the kingdom of God on earth. Of course at first the kingship was in the hands of the patriarch of each family represented titularly by the appointed elders of individual tribes through a process of mutual consensus of the individual people. Some 3,000 years ago Moses managed this society of about three million people and was led to organize them by establishing captains of ten families and captains of ten captains, etc..

That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who [were] the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered: Numbers 7:2

The word over is from amad translated stood 171 times and stand 137, and is almost never translated over in more than 500 appearances. Amad means to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand. The word does not really mean over as a king or a ruling general might be over his subjects, but more in the way of enduring, standing or endorsing an office of service, respect and duty.

The word numbered is from paqad which means to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for .

And again this same pattern of tens and ministers was seen repeated in the early Church as represented with 120 families present by name, with twelve apostles appointed in service.

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Acts 1:15

One-hundred and twenty two families and twelve ministers. The pattern is repeated in lands all over the world for the next 1000 years.

"To that field the head of each family led his sons and kinsfolk; every ten families (or tything) were united under their own chosen captain. Every ten of these tythings had, again, some loftier chief, dear to the populace in peace; and so on the holy circle spread from household, hamlet, town,--till, all combined, as one county under one Earl, the warriors fought under the eyes of their own kinsfolk, friends, neighbours, chosen chiefs! What wonder that they were brave?" ¹⁶

In the first millennium after the Apostles preached the kingdom of heaven, the Anglo-Saxon form of government had something called a Tithingman who oversaw ten families composed of freemen, a Hundredman [or gerefa - in Saxon language, it became reeve] who oversaw ten Tithingmen, and an Eoldorman who was overseer to a thousand families known as a Shire. A tithing in English Law was formerly a district containing ten men with their families. The key to their success was the intimate consensus of each group.

Most of the ministration of justice was through these men by the mutual consent and aid of the people. The prime responsibility for bringing offenders to justice still remained with the victim and their family but through these men and the customary law an organized structure to assist the Hue and Cry of the people was established. In the case of more national calamities or needs this network could immediately muster a well regulated army of thousands. They were the minutemen of the national militia that functioned all across Europe for the first millennium.¹⁷

As Jesus came preaching the kingdom of heaven there were a few things he was going to do:

ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. Leviticus 25:10

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:43

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

Under the perfect law of liberty each father was the head of a household and by the nature of that fact he was an elder of his family group. When the apostles appointed elders they were not granting the office of elder, they were appointing elders to the office of minister. Those ministers were chosen by the people. This system continued even after Constantine¹⁸ ordered everyone in Milan to become Christian. There the people picked one bishop for the whole city. That Bishop began to exercise authority and appoint those who ruled the Church and in conjunction with the Kings of the gentiles began to issue “edicts and commands”. These of course were not true Christians but manufactured or instant christians with more fear of Constantine than love of Jesus. The system that grew out of this departure from the “Way of the Lord” was contrary to the wishes and words of Jesus Christ.

Before 600AD the Anglo Saxons had formed a government with these Tithingmen who oversaw the needs of ten families. With the Eoldorman and Hundredsmen a thousand families known as a Shire could work as a large body. One key to these successful societies was that no person was responsible for communicating directly with more than 10 people to notify the whole nation and each man was free to choose the Tithingman of his choice and each Tithingman in small intimate groups of ten chose their Hundred man etc..

These were not men of power and authority but men of service and support. They were a key part of the viability of a system based on liberty. Their function was to serve the people and in order to do that they knew they must keep the people in a family type group bound by genuine concern and love. The charity managed by the Church through this same network of tens cemented these bonds. The practice of charity was a daily ritual. These tithing ministers tended to the needs of the individual families.

This was a system of bottom up authority as opposed to top down dictation. These ministers although they formed a national government they did not make laws for the people except within their own families. The authority of the Hundreds man and the Eolderman was titular, not sovereign.

Not only did the people choose their tithingmen who would serve them as a sort of a ministering public servant, but they also chose what to pay them. The Bible speaks about picking your tithe as in

Le 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, [even] of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

Some want to turn this idea into a dogmatic rule but the truth is that God is simply expressing the idea or precept that you should be fair and unbiased in the distribution and compensation.

Many ranchers supply free beef to their hired help. Most are generous with this allotment, but I have known some to fish through a freezer full of prime cuts in order to find tough and unwanted portions of a cow to give to the man who worked all day in the fields. In the same manner one aspect of the Levite ministers job was to receive the free will temple contribution in the national treasury. These funds were handled by the porters or gatekeepers of the temple. They were allowed a portion of this contribution to support their needs. They could cut off a piece of the sacrifice for their own use. It was to be a fair share but often was cut much thicker than normal. This thick piece eventually evolved into what became known as a porters share and brought about word usage like Porterhouse Trust or a Porterhouse Steak.

Just as they were to be fair in payment for his service, so also was the minister to be fair in the division of his services. He and his whole family were to serve ten families. The minister had no right to compel a salary by force of arms or law. How could he? The right hand of government remained in the hands of the people. The people retained their rights under the perfect law of liberty which included the right to choose who and how much they would tithe. There was no enforcement of the tithe as there is with modern taxes in governments that exercise authority.

For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. Jeremiah 10:21

The old testament mentions the Nedabah or nadab almost 50 times, which is a freewill offering or voluntary offering. The precepts of God are unchanging. It just amazes me that Modern Christian churches have the audacity to demand a tithe while they have delivered the people back into the bondage of Egypt.¹⁹

The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness. Jeremiah 22:22

The Modern Christians apply to gentile type governments to get those benefits and become subject to more taxes than were paid in Egypt. Once they apply they will have to pay Caesar, but if the Churches were really Churches they would not have to or want to apply. You would only be applying to God.

Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Jeremiah 23:1

But the people are all back in a worse condition than Egypt. They are all a surety for a debt.²⁰

He that is surety for a stranger shall smart [for it]: and he that hateth suretiship is sure. Proverbs 11:15

Just like the Bible says they have returned to the mire. Men with great swelling words have tempted the people and made merchandise of them through their covetous desire for such ill gotten benefits.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.... For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 2 Peter 2:3... 18

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:30...

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