Sermon Tone Analysis

To truly understand tithing under the Law, let us look at how the nation of Israel was structured.

all the tribes of Israel, except the Levites, had a land inheritance; the Levites were dedicated to God and chosen to oversee the worship of the entire nation of Israel; for their service, God gave to the Levites the tithes that the other Israelites presented as an offering to Him.

The tithe was to allow them to concentrate on the spiritual needs of the nation; all the priests were from the tribe of Levi, but not all Levites were priests; the priestly caste descended from Aaron and had specific responsibilities at the tabernacle and the Temple.

What the tithe was

The tithe is specifically mentioned in the Books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

It was a requirement of the Law in which the Israelites gave 10% of the crops grown and the livestock raised to the Levites.

The tithe was based on increase from food and herded animals, not income.

The tithe was not money

Who the tithe was for?

Under the Law, the tithe was defined as the tenth of all things dedicated to sacred use and its purpose was to meet the material needs of the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow.

The Law required multiple tithes for different groups and purposes, so there was a tithe for: the Levites (the First Tithe); the Priests (a tithe of the Tithe); use in the Temple and associated feasts (Eaten Tithe); and the widows and poor of the land, every three years.