When you pay your tithes, God wants you to eat them! Yes, that’s what it says in the Old Testament. Read this 15-minute Bible lesson for more facts.

Revised: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Pay Your Tithes; God Wants You To Eat Them!

STM Bible Lesson

This is the second lesson of the “Understanding Tithes” series. Did you know that if you pay your tithes, God said, you are to eat them before the Lord thy God? In other words, eat:

grain (corn)
wine
oil
first-born of your cattle (herd) and sheep (flock).

Lesson focus: Deuteronomy 14:22-23. Bible lesson background, Deuteronomy 14:22-29: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: The regulations about the tithe of the crops and livestock—which were to be eaten in a meal of fellowship at the central sanctuary—were connected to the preceding food laws (Deuteronomy 14:3-21). Eating the tithes in the Lord’s presence was another way in which the Israelites were to express their unique relationship to and dependence on the Lord in reference to their food.

Tithes from the Land or Ground

Deuteronomy 14:22-23 [read Deuteronomy 14:22-29 (22-23)]: You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. 23 Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God. (NLT); KJV: Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

Pay Your Tithes; FYI, they should be edible!

Deuteronomy 12:17-18 [read Deuteronomy 12:1-28 (17-18)]: You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings. 18 Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor. (NET); KJV: Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: 18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

The Third-year Tithe

Deuteronomy 26:12-13 [read Deuteronomy 26:12-15 (12-13)]: Bring [Finish paying] a tenth [tithe] of all your harvest the third year [14:28–29] (the year to give a tenth [tithe] of your harvest). Give it to the Levites, foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows so that they may eat in your towns [gates] and be full. 13 Then say to the Lord your God,
“I have taken out of my house the part of my harvest that belongs to God [what is holy/consecrated/sacred], and I have given it to the Levites, foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows.
I have done everything you commanded me; I have not broken your commands, and I have not forgotten any of them. (EXB); KJV: 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; 13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God,
I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me:
I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them.

Food for the Levites plus…

Deuteronomy 14:28–29 [read Deuteronomy 14:22-29 (28-29)]: Every third year, take the tithe of the food that you have grown in your fields that year. Store it in your town or your village. 29 Keep this food for the Levites, who have no land of their own. It is also for the foreign people, the widows, and the children who have no family.
These people in your town can eat as much as they want. If you do that, the Lord your God will bless you in all your work. (EASY); KJV: At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: 29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

The Message to Jacob’s Kin

Undeniably, this message was to the descendants [KJV: ‘sons’] of Jacob. AKA, the children of Israel or the Israelites. But NOT to the church or born-again believers.
Malachi 3:6 [read Malachi 3:1-12 (6)]: Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. That’s why you haven’t been wiped out, (CEV); KJV: For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Bring the Tithe (Food)…

Malachi 3:10 [read Malachi 3:1-12 (10)]: Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. (NRSVA); KJV: 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.

So why are you tithing money?

1. The Bible clearly says or shows that the tithe was edible (agricultural), i.e., from the promised “land” [ground; soil] of Canaan [Genesis 28:10-22 (13) and Exodus 6:1-13 (8)]. In fact, it means only the land owners that earned their living from the soil (i.e., farmers and ranchers) had to tithe (Numbers 18:25-29). The Levites were the exception, they had to support the Aaronic priests.

2. Wage earners e.g., craftsmen (‘wise hearted’ or garment makers Exodus 28:3), engravers (Exodus 28:11), art designers, house servants, carpenters, and tent makers, etc., did not tithe.

Considering these facts, why do you pay (monetary) tithes?

Leviticus 27:30 [read Leviticus 27:1-34 (30)]: A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. (NIV); KJV: And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.

Why are you refusing to accept the work that Jesus did to free you (us) from the law of Moses and this tithing system? That Law was to remain in place until Christ came.

The Jewish Law

Romans 3:19-20 [read Romans 3:9-20 (19-20)]: What the law says, it says to those who are ruled by the law. Its purpose is to shut every mouth and make the whole world accountable to God. 20 So no one will be considered right with God by obeying the law. Instead, the law makes us more aware of our sin. (NIRV); KJV: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Ephesians 2:15 [read Ephesians 2:14-18 (15); Galatians 3:10-14 (10); Colossians 2:11-23 (14); Hebrews 8:7-13 (13)]: The Jewish law [law of Moses] had many commands and rules. But Christ ended that law. Christ’s purpose was to make the two groups of people become one new people in him. By doing this Christ would make peace. (ICB); KJV: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Quick Review

Psalms 147:19-20 [read Psalms 147:19-20]: God gave his laws and teachings to the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel. 20 But he has not given his laws to any other nation. Shout praises to the Lord! (CEV); KJV: He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

Tithes [a requirement in the law of Moses] were to be eaten.
They [the tenth] were to come from the soil [land; Canaan] that God had promised [Jacob] to give them [Jacob’s descendants, AKA the children of Israel].
Jesus brought that law and its requirements to an end.

The Reforms of Hezekiah

2 Chronicles 31:4 [read 2 Chronicles 31:1-10 (4)]: Hezekiah commanded the people living in Jerusalem to give the priests and Levites the portion that belonged to them. Then the priests and Levites could give all their time to the Lord’s Teachings. (NCV); KJV: Moreover he (Hezekiah) commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord.

Edible Tithes

2 Chronicles 31:5-6 [read 2 Chronicles 31:1-10 (5-6)]: As the word spread around, the people of Israel gave generously for the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and all of the produce of the fields. They generously gave a tithe of everything. 6 The descendants of Israel and Judah who lived throughout the cities of Judah also brought tithes of cattle and sheep, as well as tithes of gifts that had been dedicated to the Lord their God. As these gifts were given, they were laid in piles. (ISV); KJV: And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. 6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them by heaps.

Plenty to Eat

2 Chronicles 31:10 [read 2 Chronicles 31:1-10 (10)]: And Azariah the High Priest from the clan of Zadok replied, “These are tithes! We have been eating from these stores of food for many weeks, but all this is left over, for the Lord has blessed his people.” (TLB); KJV: And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the Lord hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.

So believe it or not, God required the Israelites to eat their tithes! Thank you for taking the time to read this Bible lesson. I urge you to make full use of it. Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺