~Chapter One~ Tithing Before the Law Began

By Hazel Holland

Before we begin our study on the subject of law-based giving under the Old Covenant, we will first examine the only two passages of Scripture that speak of a tithe being given before the Law was given at Mount Sinai. These two instances involve the two patriarchs, Abram (later called Abraham) and Jacob.

As we examine the following passages, let’s remember that the Law—including the law of tithing—was given 430 years after Abraham (Galatians 3:17).

Abraham and Tithing

Here in this passage of Scripture we learn that Abram had gone to war on behalf of Sodom in order to rescue his nephew Lot who had been taken captive by the four kings who had also seized the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah. Returning victorious from battle, Abram gave a tithe (10%) of these spoils of war to Melchizedek as an expression of gratitude to God for enabling him to rescue his nephew Lot. However it is interesting to note that in Numbers 31:25-31 God only required 1% of spoils of war.

• “When Abram heard that his relative (Lot) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan… He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. The king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.’ But Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me…’” (Genesis 14:14-24; compare the same event mentioned in Hebrews 7:1-10).

Notice that Abram told the king of Sodom that he would take none of the spoils of war for himself. He refused to take any of it, but allowed the king of Sodom to keep 90% of it. Clearly, Abram did not give a tithe from his personal possessions, but rather gave a tithe of the booty of war taken from conquered nations.

I found it interesting to discover that most commentaries on this passage agree that when the king of Sodom told Abram to give him the people, Abram could have kept all the goods for himself. Apparently this was an example of pagan Arab tradition. However, we know from the passage of Scripture that Abram refused to have anything to do with this pagan tradition.[2]

Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense to explain that Abraham’s tithing of the spoils of war to Melchizedek is an example for Christians to give 10% of their income to God. Notice that Abram also gave 90% of the spoils of war to the king of Sodom! What are Christians supposed to do with that example of Abram?

There is no evidence in this passage of Scripture that God commanded tithing. Everything in the text leads us to conclude just the opposite. The giving of this tithe from the spoils of war was completely voluntary—not mandatory. It was Abraham's decision and choice. Quite the opposite of what we shall discover later on in our study of this subject.

Furthermore, this is the only tithe ever mentioned in Scripture that Abram gave. Although Abram’s tithing of the spoils of war predated the Law of Moses, it should not be used as evidence that tithing was Abram’s general practice, or that he ever tithed on a regular basis on his own personal possessions. Also since Abram had no Levitical priesthood to support (See Chapter 2, First Tithe or Levitical Tithe), he had no place to bring tithes to during the many moves in his nomadic life.

It is very dangerous to single out one unparalleled event from the Bible, take it out of context, and use it as Scriptural proof that Christians should give 10% of their annual income to the church for the support of the ministry, and for the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What we need to grasp from this passage of Scripture is that Abraham, the “father of the faithful,” gave willingly from his heart—not because it was mandated by law!

Jacob and Tithing

The second passage of Scripture also deals with how Jacob tithed to God before the Law was given. In these verses we learn that Jacob made a vow in response to a visitation that he had from God in a dream (Genesis 28:13-15). God promised Jacob that He would be with him, and keep him wherever he would go and bring him back to this land.

In response, Jacob vowed that if God kept His promise, he in turn would give God a tenth of all that God gave him. In other words, Jacob only planned to give a tenth to God if God blessed him first. God not only honored Jacob’s tithing proposal, He continued to honor this same tithing principle throughout Israel’s history.

• “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth’” (Genesis 28:20-22).

Let’s carefully observe what the text actually says. Nowhere are we told that God commanded Jacob to give Him a tithe. Following Abram’s example of tithing, it appears that the giving of this tithe was also completely voluntary on Jacob's part. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever in the text to remotely suggest that tithing was the general practice of Jacob's life. Even if Jacob did begin to tithe after God fulfilled His promises to him, he still delayed tithing for the next 20 years![3]

Summary

• These two examples of Abram and Jacob giving a tithe are the only examples of tithing to be found in the Old Testament before the Law of Moses was given.

• Both are examples of voluntary giving that God did not require.

• Both Abram and Jacob were blessed because they believed in God and trusted in His promise to protect them and prosper them.

• In both instances we do not see an example of tithing as a general practice of life.

• Since neither Abram nor Jacob had a Levitical priesthood to support, they had no place to bring tithes to during their many nomadic wanderings.

• If our only evidence to obligate believers under the New Covenant to tithe rests on these two passages in Genesis, it seems to me that we are walking on very shaky ground!

Questions for Refection

1. Do the narratives of Abram and Jacob in any way support Christians "tithing" 10% of their monthly income to the church? Give reasons to support your answer.

2. Did the blessings that God poured out upon Abram and Jacob depend on the 10% that they gave or promised to give to God? Give reasons to support your answer.

3. Did God promise to bless Jacob before or after Jacob made a deal with God? Should we place conditions on God and make demands of Him like Jacob did today? Give reasons for your answer.

4. Have you ever heard Jacob being used as a good example for Christian tithing today? Why do you think this is so?


Notes:
[2]Russell Earl Kelly, Ph. D, “Should the church Teach Tithing?” A Theologians Conclusions About a Taboo Doctrine, (www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com).

[3]Brian Anderson,
(www.evangelizeamerica.org/apologetics/apologeticssub/tithing1.html).