Pay Your Tithes, God Wants You To Eat Them!

If you pay your tithes, God wants you to eat them! That’s what it says in Deuteronomy. Read this 8-minute Bible lesson for more facts.

Updated: Thursday, October 6, 2022

graphic with cows for pay your tithes Bible snack

STM Bible Lesson

Lesson focus: Deuteronomy 14:22-23 [read Deuteronomy 14:22-29 (22-23)]. Bible lesson background: 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. The Bible Knowledge Commentary

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:

  • the tithe of thy corn
  • of thy wine
  • and of thine oil
  • also of the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks

Give [pay] a tenth [tithe] of all the yield from your seed that comes out of the field every year. 23 Eat the tithe in the presence of the Lord your God in the place that he will choose to establish his name [i.e., in the city in which the Temple was built] —the tenth of your grain [corn], your new wine, and your fresh oil, as well as the firstborn [firstlings] of your herd and flock, so that you may learn to fear [respect] the Lord your God always. Deuteronomy 14:22-23 (EHV)

Pay Your Tithes; FYI, they should be edible!

Numbers 18:13 and 31 (NLT)
13 All the first crops [tithes; tenth] of their land that the people present to the Lord belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.
31 You Levites and your families may eat this food [tithes] anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle [of the congregation; read Numbers 18:25-32].
Deuteronomy 14:22 (NLT) and 26:12 (ERV) [read Deuteronomy 26:1-15 (12)]
14:22 “You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.
26:12 “Every third year is the Year of Tithes. In that year, you must give one-tenth of your harvest to the Levites, to the foreigners living in your country, and to the widows and orphans. Then they will have plenty to eat in every city.
Malachi 3:6 and 10 (CEV) [read Malachi 3:1-12 (6 and 10)]
Undeniably, this message was to the descendants [KJV: ‘sons’] of Jacob. AKA, the children of Israel or the Israelites. But definitely NOT to the church or born-again believers.
6 Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. That’s why you haven’t been wiped out,
10 I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent [tithe] into the storehouse, so there will be food [meat] in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.

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 (KJV) [read Leviticus 27:1-34 (30)]
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 [Romans 3:19 (ISV) read Romans 3:9-20 (19)].

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. Ephesians 2:15 (ICB) [read Ephesians 2:14-18 (15); Galatians 3:10-14 (10); Colossians 2:11-23 (14); Hebrews 8:7-13 (13)].

Quick review

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! Psalm 147:19-20 (CEV)
  1. Tithes [a requirement in the law of Moses] were to be eaten.
  2. 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].
  3. Jesus brought that law and its requirements to an end.

“But none of the offerings may be eaten at home. Neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor anything you have vowed to give the Lord, nor your freewill offerings, nor the offerings to be presented to the Lord by waving them before his altar. 18 All these must be brought to the central altar where you, your children, and the Levites shall eat them before the Lord your God. He will tell you where this altar must be located. Rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you do.“ Deuteronomy 12:17-18 (TLB)

I pray that you have enjoyed this Bible lesson. Blessings to you and your loved ones— Tim. ☺

Related studies/lessons/snacks for further Spiritual growth:

Reference Scriptures

Note: parenthesis (#) encloses the key verse(s).
Genesis 28:10-22 (13); Exodus 6:1-13 (8). Leviticus 27:1-34 (30). Deuteronomy 12:1-28 (17-18), 14:1-29 (22-23), and 26:1-15 (12); Numbers 18:8-32 (13, 25-29, and 31). Malachi 3:1-12 (6 and 10)
Romans 3:9-20 (19); Ephesians 2:14-18 (15); Galatians 3:10-14 (10). Colossians 2:11-23 (14); Hebrews 8:7-13 (13)

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