Bring The Tithe - Let's Eat!

“You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.  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. [Deuteronomy 14.22-23]

In a largely farming and ranching type of community, the Israelites' financial gain was mostly measurable in crops and livestock.  Therefore the tithe amounted to grains and vegetables and meat.  This tithe (1/10th, or 10%) was to be brought to the designated place of worship.  There, at that designated place of worship, the tithe was to be eaten. 

Eaten?

As the instruction of Deuteronomy goes on, it becomes clear through the prescribed festivals that the abundance of one family (as clearly defined by their tithe) feeds not only that family, but the Levites, the poor, and the helpless as well.

If ever modern Christianity (those who truly wish to please and serve God) was to mirror the early "assembly" of God's people, then it would require a benevolence system where the abundance of the rich is NOT taken from them and given to the poor, BUT everyone offers the same fair amount (10%) gathered into one place and THEN it is enjoyed by all without regard for who contributed what.

The problem with modern church financial systems is that they accomplish little to nothing similar to the intended purpose that the tithe was designed to accomplish.  Instead, these modern systems build edifices (sometimes quite extravagant) that stand largely idle for most of 6 days each week.  Then, when everyone comes together and contributes their "tithe," that is the end of it... No one walks away with anything (rich or poor) - all have given and none have benefited.

Could it be that God commanded His people to rest every seventh day because that was about how long a person could go without food and still function?  I am just wondering.  This deserves more research!

Modern God-followers (Christians) could possibly learn from Old Testament writings that the tithe was designed to help the society as a whole.  It was a social program that re-distributed wealth fairly (everyone paid 10%) in order to cover those in hardship and misfortune.  The Bible supports what I am saying here in that it says, "Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship... and eat it there in His presence."  In other words, everyone contributes, and then everyone receives.

Perhaps every church should have a potluck meal each and every Sunday so those who truly suffered throughout the week could at least get one good meal that day.

I am living and writing this in a time in the USA when the government is attempting to exercise some form of this re-distribution of wealth.  The problem with this is that it is being administered, not in the name of the LORD, but in the name of Big Government, Socialism, and ultimately Control.  The church has sat idly by allowing this to happen.  The very principles upon which the government is sadly and corruptly failing to implement are the very principles at the foundation of the Church!  But the Church has been asleep.

Father, please forgive me for my role in contributing to a broken system.  Help me to genuinely help the poor and needy.