Here we will observe a Scripture that you will probably never hear a sermon on. No tithe-preaching preacher would use the example of how Jacob tithed.  Remember, Jacob is the grandson of Abraham, the father of the faithful, whom God also blessed tremendously. Not only did God approve of Jacob’s tithing proposal, but, He made it the foundational principle upon which all future tithing would be based. Here it is. (3) Gen. 28:20-22, “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, IF God will be with me, and ‘if God’ will keep me in this way
that I go, and ‘if God’ will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; THEN shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and
of all that thou shall GIVE ME I will surely give the TENTH unto thee.”
Wow! This one Scripture pretty much contradicts 99% of all sermons I have ever heard on the subject of tithing! This is the very first Scripture in the Bible that gives an account of someone giving a tenth or tithe of his
personal possessions back to God. But, oh how different it is from the teachings of most Christian Churches. First Jacob truly recognizes God as God. He then begins to proposition God. He states that “IF” God will do this
and “IF’ God will do the other things, “THEN” Jacob says, “shall the Lord be my God.” Jacob concludes his proposition to God, should God meet all of his requirements, by saying that of all the things that God will first give to Jacob, Jacob will give God back a tenth. In other words Jacob is saying, If God will bless me first then I will give to Him! Now don’t laugh. God honored Jacob’s proposition, and furthermore, God continued to honor this same principle of tithing all through Israel’s history. As Paul said, “Now what have you which you did not obtain?” (I Corinthians 4:7) All that we possess comes from God.

 And so, once more, we learn that Israel was not to tithe on what they did not first possess, unlike those today who teach that it is required to tithe on that which one does not already possess. God is not partial and God is not a hypocrite. This example of Jacob proves that God doesn’t expect a tithe until
He blessed the tithe payer first. We are to tithe out of our abundance! Everyone should put down this paper, call his minister, and tell him you want to hear a sermon Sunday morning on how Jacob paid tithes to God. Now hold your breath and wait on it.

 Let’s ask ourselves a reasonable question: Just how did Jacob actually give a tithe to God? Did he personally hand it to God? No, no one has ever even seen God. Did Jacob tithe to an angel? No, angels do not need and can’t use tithes. Did Jacob send his tithe to Heaven by Celestial Express? No. Did he take it to the local church? No, there was no local church. Did he take it to the Temple? No, there was no temple. Did he give it directly to one of the Levitic priests? No, there were no Levites as yet. Well how then did Jacob tithe to God? Was it even possible? Yes, there were actually two different ways that Jacob could tithe to God:”And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your TITHES, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, YE and YOUR HOUSEHOLDS, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee” (Deut. 12:6-7).”And even though there were no Levites in Jacob’s day, nonetheless, there were “…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 thin hand which thou doest” (Deuteronomy 14:29).In other words God told Jacob to have a party!That’s how God acknowledged a tithe from Jacob: By partaking of a portion himself and his family in communion and thanksgiving to God, and by sharing his fortune with those who were unfortunate, poor, strangers, etc. God’s not interested in the physical or the things of the flesh! “Now those who are in the flesh are not able to please God” (Romans 8:8). It’s all about the SPIRIT….not water, foreskins, and money!

 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Matthew 23:23) God doesn’t need or want ten percent of anything we have. God wants one hundred percent. Christ died for ALL OF YOU, and He wants ALL OF YOU, not just a percentage! God doesn’t want your money; He wants YOU! You are already bought and paid for in full with the blood of Christ Jesus — don’t try to add your two cents. We are now to live on a standard far above what we ever knew before Christ called us to become new creatures in the spirit. This can only be done through the power of God’s spirit. Our flesh profits NOTHING. “Yet you are not in flesh, but IN SPIRIT, if so be that God’s spirit is making its home in you” (Romans 8:9). One living in the spirit is not all concerned about physical things of the letter and of the flesh. The apostle Paul wasn’t called to “baptize,” “circumcise,” or “collect tithes.” The kingdom of God is not food and drink. Paul’s whole ministry was proof of that. If people feel they need to give something to God, something physical, something they can see and feel good about, then try this:”I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove that is that good and acceptable and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). The Apostle Paul said:”Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of NECESSITY: for GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER.” (II Corinthians 9:7). How do you give to God? By giving to the fatherless, the orphans, the strangers, the widows, the poor, and the needy, the homeless, and the beggar on the street, as God gives to you, the wherewithal (necessary means). See how Jesus tells how we can give to Him, what we can do for Him….Matthew 25:36-“I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.” “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me! You want to give to God then give to those who are His! Give to reputable charities if you have extra. Give to your family members and relatives in need, don’t humiliate them by making them ask you first. Give to a neighbor in financial distress. Even when tipping someone, let it be a reflection of the One that you are representing in your Christian walk. Our God is a generous God….may you become generous also. Develop a “love for giving.” Paul tells us in Acts 20:35b to:Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, “IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.”

In His love,
Elizabeth