Abraham And Tithing
The subject of tithing has become very controversial in recent years because of the way it has been portrayed in the church today. Tithing in some Christian circles has been preached as a source or gateway to material prosperity. Abraham and his material gift to Melchizedek from the spoils he recovered from his victorious war over Chedorlaomer and the other kings is one case study that is often used to justify this doctrine. Did Abraham truly prosper materially because he gave tithe to Melchizedek? Did Abraham continue prospering materially because of that singular action or did he continue tithing after his encounter with Melchizedek. We will give a scriptural perspective to the above statements.
When Abram came back from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the other kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in Shaveh Valley (also called King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the MostHigh God, brought bread and wine to Abram, 19 blessed him, and said, “May the MostHigh God, who made heaven and earth, bless Abram! 20 May the MostHigh God, who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!” And Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot he had recovered. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Keep the loot, but give me back all my people.” 22 Abram answered, “I solemnly swear before the Lord, the MostHigh God, Maker of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap. Then you can never say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing for myself. I will accept only what my men have used. But let my allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, take their share.” ( Gen 14:17-21 GNT)
This is the scripture that recorded the first practice of tithing in the Bible and as you read through this scripture, you will notice the following.
1. Abraham was returning from war and met with Melchizedek.
2. Melchizedek offered Abraham bread and wine and blessed him.
3. Abraham offered Melchizedek a Tenth from the goods/spoils he recovered from the war.
4. What Abraham did was willingly and in appreciation of the visit of Melchizedek and the victory God gave him.
5. It was not a commandment or instruction from Melchizedek to Abraham.
Please also note that before this war, Abraham was a very wealthy man, who God has blessed in all things but there is no scriptural record of Abraham tithing from his vest wealth before meeting with Melchizedek on his way as he was returning from the war, Neither is there a scriptural record that Abraham continued tithing after his meeting with Melchizedek after returning from the war.
Abram went north out of Egypt to the southern part of Canaan with his wife and everything he owned, and Lot went with him. Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold. (Genesis 13 :1- 2 GNT)
So, Abraham was already a very wealthy man before he gave tithe to Melchizedek from the goods/spoils he recovered from the war. It is worth mentioning that the tithe he gave was not from his vest riches and he did not continue tithing after this experience, yet he continued to prosper in all things till the end of his life.
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in everything he did. (Genesis 24: 1 GNT)
Therefore, from the life of Abraham we see clearly that tithing did not determine his material prosperity, rather his giving was an act of appreciation to God for the victory he recorded in the war.
The bible says that the New Testament Christian is blessed as Abraham was blessed.
If tithing was not the determinant of the blessings of Abraham, therefore tithing is also not the basis upon which the New Testament Christian is blessed.
The source of Abraham’s blessings was God and his obedience to God’s instructions, so we can confirm that the source of the blessings of the New Testament Christian is first God and secondly his/her obedience to the personal instructions from God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty. (2 Corinthians 8:9 GNT)
In conclusion, tithing from the life of Abraham was not a commandment that determined his material blessings, neither was it a continuous requirement for his prosperity rather it was a free will giving which he did in appreciation of the victory God gave him in the war.
Therefore, it is important to state that the believer in Jesus Christ does not prosper materially, nor are we blessed because of tithing, rather we have been blessed through Jesus Christ, and we go on to prosper materially as we listen to the Holy Spirit’s instructions as concerning our careers or work but the ounce will always be on each one of us to put in the needed hard work where necessary to turn those instructions to our success stories.
#PastorIhu
Last modified: March 8, 2024
