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What's all this
business about
TITHING?
ls tithing only an ancient financia/ custom irrele–
vant to the modern world? O r is it a practica/
financia/ law that pays
off
today?
M
OST PEOPLE
today have
never heard of "tithing."
Few churches practice it.
In our "now generation," the subject
of
t~thing
seems remote - like a
ghostly specter out of the old reli–
gious woodwork of theological or–
thodoxy.
And no wonder. The word "tithe"
itself is an old English word. It sim–
ply means "tenth." A tithe is a tenth
of one's income.
But does tithing have anything to
do with one's income today? Should
we be concerned about it?
What You Can' t Ignore
We all face the reality of financia!
worries, whether we be rich or poor.
It is time we asked whether there
has been a missing dimension in the
handling of our financia! affairs. l s
there something really practica)
about tithing which applies to
everybody today - regardless of
background, beliefs, or status in
life? Let's understand.
PLAIN TRUTH Moy 1973
by
William
f.
Dankenbring
A Historie Custom
Many ancients realized there was
something important about tithing.
It was a custom practiced by many
ancient nations. Assyrians, Egyp–
tians, Babylonians, Cbinese, and
Greeks all practiced a form of tith–
ing. That is, the rulers and religious
leaders of tbose nations required, or
themselves paid, a tenth of their
produce or spoils of war to their
particular "god."
However, the earliest record of
tithing is found in the pages of the
Bible. About four thousand years
ago, an ancient patriarch discovered
that his nephew had been captured
by an invading army. This patriarch
gathered bis men, armed them, and
pursued the invaders, overtaking
and defeating them. He rescued his
nephew as well as severa! other per–
sons. In addition, all the goods
stolen by the Assyrians were re–
covered.
Then, thankful to Almighty God
for granting him success, he gave to
the priest of the most high God
"tithes of all" (Genesis 14:
18-20).
This patriarch was Abraham, and
his nephew was Lot. Abraham was
the grandfather of Jacob, who was
the father of twelve sons who be–
carne the ancestors of the twelve
tribes of Israel mentioned through–
out the Bible.
Abraham was an exceedingly
prosperous man, mightily blessed of
God. One of the reasons why he be–
carne so wealthy and prosperous
was the fact that he knew God,
obeyed him, and kept his com–
mandments (Genesis
26:5).
And
Abraham tithed - that is, he re–
turned to God one tenth of all the
produce and income that God pro–
vided for hirn.
Many years later, Abraham's
grandson, Jacob, also determined to
obey God's 1aws and serve him. Ja–
cob told God: " .. . of all that thou
shalt give me 1 will surely give the
tenth unto thee" (Genesis
28:22).
And Jacob, the book of Genesis re–
lates, also became a prosperous
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