Now your question might be, “What is the purpose of tithing?” The answer was found in Malachi 3:10, “That there may be meat in my house.” This illustrated the point of supporting the Levitical priesthood with tithes because the only inheritance they received were the tithe. 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 says, “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” The priesthood must be supported by the giving of the congregation, but the tithe should not only help support the ministry leadership, but also to reach out to those in need!

Deuteronomy 26:12 says, “When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.” The tithe was to not only support the priesthood, but also the fatherless, stranger and widow, those who lived in a poverty state. If the church or ministry that you tithe into is not feeding the poor and hungry, then your obedience does not fulfill its purpose, and you should look for another storehouse to tithe into! James 1:27 says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Pure religion gives to those in need out of generosity, compassion and love. Jesus said, “My meat is to do the will of my Father,” which means that we give so that meat can be in His house, to do His perfect will by displaying the love of Jesus Christ through giving to those in need!

Because part of our tithe goes to the ministry leadership, does that mean they are excluded from tithing? Absolutely not! Numbers 18:26-27 says, “Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.” Nehemiah 10:37-38 says, “And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.” Our ministers of the gospel should be the greatest examples of tithe and offering givers on the entire planet! That does not mean that they should be the greatest because they are indulged with riches when the truth is nobody should make themselves rich on the gospel, but that they should be the best examples of giving according to what they have in their possession.

I have proven to you through Scripture why you should tithe, but now I want you to examine the blessings that you will receive. Malachi 3:10-12 says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” When you are obedient in the tithe, you will sit under an open heaven, with complete unlimited access to God’s throne. You will not abide under a brazen heaven and upon an iron earth, where God seems so far away that He does not even exist, when you give the tithe, but the windows of heaven will open over your life where you will continue to walk in the blessings of God. Also, every time the enemy tries to devour your harvest in your work for God, the money that you store up to feed the hungry and reach to the lost, just know he will not be capable of succeeding because God’s hand will be on your harvest! Those that see you will also call you blessed because of the victory that you walk in. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” You will never be “in want” when you remain obedient to God. That does not mean that the devourer will not try to come and attack you, but it does mean that he will fail in his attempt to destroy your harvest!

What if the whole church was obedient and tithed? What more could we do to expand the Kingdom of God? The question is not, “How could I afford to?”, but rather, “How could I afford not to?” Always be obedient in your giving to God, and you will truly reap the rewards!