Tithing

[sheep wrecked]

(07-28-2009 09:17 AM)Mark Wrote:  As for the before the law thing, we were told that since Abraham gave to Melchizedec, that it was a precursor to tithing. Since Melchizedec "had no beginning or end", he was a type of Christ which went into the New Testament and therefore showed that we were still expected to tithe.

If Heb 13-13 is going to hit the tithing of the mint text, I will zoom in on this one

If one reads the passage, Abraham gave Melchy a 10th of the "spoils of war". It was not money. We could say that Abram gave the "firstfirsts" of the goods that he took as victor of the battle.

Gen 14:9 With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
Gen 14:10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
Gen 14:11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
Gen 14:12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
Gen 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
Gen 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
Gen 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
Gen 14:16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
Gen 14:17 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.
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Gen 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
Gen 14:22 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,
Gen 14:23 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:
Gen 14:24 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.

In Hebrews, it shows us that the tithe Abram gave was the precursor of the Levitical priesthood, because Abram had "Aaron" [the High Priest] in his "loins".

When God gave the covenant to Israel, the tithe or the fruitfruits of their crops and cattle, were given to the Levites for their upkeep and for sacrifices. The Levities then tithed what they were given to the widows and orphans. There was no money involved

And for those who try to promote the tithe of one's income to equate it to the old covenant's system, it does not work - that covenant was given to the nation of Israel! And the NT never teaches "tithing"

Another interesting thing, is that the church has promulgated the 10% tithe as an "eternal" designated amount due to the old "testament" and then use Malachi 3 to prove their point - that one should not keep the tithe from the Lord or they will be cursed or some other nonsense. If Christians are in the New Covenant of Christ's blood, and believe that the old covenant was replaced by the New Covenant, then why are they following an old covenant law of "tithing" - albeit twisted and contorted from the original intent???