Is the Tithe Only for Levites?
Is the Tithe Only for Levites?
By
James Scott Trimm
Friends, if we want to see the message of Torah and Messiah flourish, we must observe not only the Sabbath, the Biblical Kosher laws and the Biblical feasts, we must observe the of YHWH as well. If we maintain that the whole Torah is for today, then that must include the commandment of the tithe.
Now one might ask: Where in the Mosaic Torah is the commandment “Thou shalt tithe?”. The answer is, nowhere. When Moshe went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, he did NOT receive a commandment to tithe. Nowhere in the Mosaic Torah is the Tithe instituted. Instead the very first mention of the tithe in the Mosaic Covenant is not until the end of Leviticus where we read:
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is YHWH’s: it is Set-Apart unto YHWH.
31 And if a man will redeem aught of his tithe, he shall add unto it, the fifth part thereof.
32 And all the tithe of the herd, or the flock, whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be Set-Apart unto YHWH.
33 He shall not inquire whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it. And if he change it at all, then both it, and that for which it is changed, shall be Set-Apart; it shall not be redeemed.
34 These are the commandments, which YHWH commanded Moshe for the children of Yisra’el in mount Sinai.
(Lev. 27:30-34)
Notice that this first mention of the “tithe” does not initiate the tithe, it simply recognizes the fact of the tithe saying “it is Set-Apart unto YHWH”. In fact Abraham had paid the tithe much earlier in Gen. 14:18-20 and Hebrews makes it clear that this was the same tithe that the Levites later received (Heb. 7:4-10)
Notice also this first reference to the tithe in the Mosaic Covenant says nothing about Levites or Priests. It does not say that the tithe belongs to the Levites, but rather to YHWH Himself.
When next we read on the Tithe in the Mosaic Covenant is in the book of Numbers:
And unto the children of Levi, behold,
I have given all the tithe in Yirae’el for an inheritance,
in return for their service which they serve,
even the service of the tent of meeting.
(Num. 18:21)
Notice that these are two different precepts of Torah. Lev. 27:30 recognizes that the Tithe belongs to YHWH, while a separate commandment in Num. 18:21 tells us that the Levites were to be paid out of the tithe, for their service in the Tabernacle (later Temple). The tithe was not directly paid to the Levites, it was paid to YHWH and from that “fund” the Levites were paid. This was so that the Levites could devote themselves to full time Torah Study (2Chron. 31:4-5) so that they could in turn teach Torah to the people of Israel (Deut. 14:22-23; Ezek. 44:23-24).
Nowhere are we told to pay the Tithe to the Levitical priesthood. We are told only that the Tithe is paid to YHWH and YHWH gave the Levites payment from the Tithe “for their service.”
Paul tells us that those who “labor in the word and in teaching” are entitled to receive the same support as the Levites who labored in the Temple and at the alter:
Those elders who conduct themselves well
should be esteemed worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in the word and
in teaching, For the Scripture says that
`you should not muzzle the ox, while threshing,’ (Deut. 25:4)
and `the laborer is worthy of his wage.” (Mt. 10:10)
(1Tim. 5:17-18)
Paul also expands on this thought in 1Cor. 9:6-14:
Also, I only, and Bar Nabba, have we not the power not to work?
Who is this who labors in the service (ministry) by the expanse of his nefesh?
Or who is he who plants a vineyard and from its fruit does not eat?
Or who is he who tends the flock and from the milk of his flock does not eat?
Do I say these [things] as a son of man?
Behold, the Torah also said these [things]. For it is written in the Torah of Moshe,
`You shall not muzzle the ox that threshes.’ (Deut. 25:4)
It is a concern to Eloah about oxen? But, it is known that because of us he
said [it] and because of us it was written, because it is a need [that] the plowman plow unto hope and he who threshes, unto the hope of the harvest. If we have sown spiritual [things] among you, is it a great [thing] if we reap [things] of the flesh from you? … those who labor [in] the Beit Kodesh [the Temple] are sustained from the Beit Kodesh and those who labor for the alter have a portion with the alter?
So also, our Adon commanded that those who are proclaiming his goodnews should live from his goodnews.”
(1Cor. 9:6-14)
The Tithe belongs to YHWH and may be used as wages for Levites who labor in the Temple at the alter, or by any teacher who labors in the Word and teaches the Word of YHWH to the community.
The old Worldwide Church of God under Armstrong flourished in the 20th Century, built two colleges and distributed massive amounts of free literature, even distributing the Plain Truth magazine free to more subscribers than Time, Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report combined. This was all accomplished by a fairly small group of people because they were serious about the tithe.
I could cite many other examples of what can be done when even a relatively small group of people begin tithing.
Our forefathers responded faithfully to YHWH in building the tabernacle and two temples. They responded faithfully in bringing in the tithe of YHWH to bring about restoration. Shall we do any less in these last days? Elohim has given us greater blessings that He has given our forefathers, shall we fail to show our appreciation by being less faithful than they? Let each believer will have to answer this question for himself (and one day to YHWH).
By
James Scott Trimm
Friends, if we want to see the message of Torah and Messiah flourish, we must observe not only the Sabbath, the Biblical Kosher laws and the Biblical feasts, we must observe the of YHWH as well. If we maintain that the whole Torah is for today, then that must include the commandment of the tithe.
Now one might ask: Where in the Mosaic Torah is the commandment “Thou shalt tithe?”. The answer is, nowhere. When Moshe went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, he did NOT receive a commandment to tithe. Nowhere in the Mosaic Torah is the Tithe instituted. Instead the very first mention of the tithe in the Mosaic Covenant is not until the end of Leviticus where we read:
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is YHWH’s: it is Set-Apart unto YHWH.
31 And if a man will redeem aught of his tithe, he shall add unto it, the fifth part thereof.
32 And all the tithe of the herd, or the flock, whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be Set-Apart unto YHWH.
33 He shall not inquire whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it. And if he change it at all, then both it, and that for which it is changed, shall be Set-Apart; it shall not be redeemed.
34 These are the commandments, which YHWH commanded Moshe for the children of Yisra’el in mount Sinai.
(Lev. 27:30-34)
Notice that this first mention of the “tithe” does not initiate the tithe, it simply recognizes the fact of the tithe saying “it is Set-Apart unto YHWH”. In fact Abraham had paid the tithe much earlier in Gen. 14:18-20 and Hebrews makes it clear that this was the same tithe that the Levites later received (Heb. 7:4-10)
Notice also this first reference to the tithe in the Mosaic Covenant says nothing about Levites or Priests. It does not say that the tithe belongs to the Levites, but rather to YHWH Himself.
When next we read on the Tithe in the Mosaic Covenant is in the book of Numbers:
And unto the children of Levi, behold,
I have given all the tithe in Yirae’el for an inheritance,
in return for their service which they serve,
even the service of the tent of meeting.
(Num. 18:21)
Notice that these are two different precepts of Torah. Lev. 27:30 recognizes that the Tithe belongs to YHWH, while a separate commandment in Num. 18:21 tells us that the Levites were to be paid out of the tithe, for their service in the Tabernacle (later Temple). The tithe was not directly paid to the Levites, it was paid to YHWH and from that “fund” the Levites were paid. This was so that the Levites could devote themselves to full time Torah Study (2Chron. 31:4-5) so that they could in turn teach Torah to the people of Israel (Deut. 14:22-23; Ezek. 44:23-24).
Nowhere are we told to pay the Tithe to the Levitical priesthood. We are told only that the Tithe is paid to YHWH and YHWH gave the Levites payment from the Tithe “for their service.”
Paul tells us that those who “labor in the word and in teaching” are entitled to receive the same support as the Levites who labored in the Temple and at the alter:
Those elders who conduct themselves well
should be esteemed worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in the word and
in teaching, For the Scripture says that
`you should not muzzle the ox, while threshing,’ (Deut. 25:4)
and `the laborer is worthy of his wage.” (Mt. 10:10)
(1Tim. 5:17-18)
Paul also expands on this thought in 1Cor. 9:6-14:
Also, I only, and Bar Nabba, have we not the power not to work?
Who is this who labors in the service (ministry) by the expanse of his nefesh?
Or who is he who plants a vineyard and from its fruit does not eat?
Or who is he who tends the flock and from the milk of his flock does not eat?
Do I say these [things] as a son of man?
Behold, the Torah also said these [things]. For it is written in the Torah of Moshe,
`You shall not muzzle the ox that threshes.’ (Deut. 25:4)
It is a concern to Eloah about oxen? But, it is known that because of us he
said [it] and because of us it was written, because it is a need [that] the plowman plow unto hope and he who threshes, unto the hope of the harvest. If we have sown spiritual [things] among you, is it a great [thing] if we reap [things] of the flesh from you? … those who labor [in] the Beit Kodesh [the Temple] are sustained from the Beit Kodesh and those who labor for the alter have a portion with the alter?
So also, our Adon commanded that those who are proclaiming his goodnews should live from his goodnews.”
(1Cor. 9:6-14)
The Tithe belongs to YHWH and may be used as wages for Levites who labor in the Temple at the alter, or by any teacher who labors in the Word and teaches the Word of YHWH to the community.
The old Worldwide Church of God under Armstrong flourished in the 20th Century, built two colleges and distributed massive amounts of free literature, even distributing the Plain Truth magazine free to more subscribers than Time, Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report combined. This was all accomplished by a fairly small group of people because they were serious about the tithe.
I could cite many other examples of what can be done when even a relatively small group of people begin tithing.
Our forefathers responded faithfully to YHWH in building the tabernacle and two temples. They responded faithfully in bringing in the tithe of YHWH to bring about restoration. Shall we do any less in these last days? Elohim has given us greater blessings that He has given our forefathers, shall we fail to show our appreciation by being less faithful than they? Let each believer will have to answer this question for himself (and one day to YHWH).
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