God ordained the tithing principle for practical purposes. It is a spiritual discipline which was established for several important reasons. We will briefly examine the more prominent ones as follows:
- Tithing Is a Means of Worship – The scriptures exhort us to “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase” (Prov. 3:9). First and foremost, tithing represents a practical expression of worship unto the Lord. It is an act of worshipping the Lord with our substance. It is not meant to be a meaningless ritual but a sincere reflection of heartfelt honor, reverence, and gratitude unto the Lord for His loving care, compassion, and provision for us.
- It is a Means of Building Faith – Tithing is a means of reinforcing our confidence, faith, and dependence in God’s promise of provision and support. For this reason, when speaking about the responsibility of tithing, the scriptures challenge us to “Test me in this (the principle of tithing), says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Mal. 3:10, N.I.V.).
- It Provides Financial Support for the Ministry – The tithe represents God’s system of economic support for those called to full-time ministry: “But the tithes…I have given to the Levites” (Num. 18:24, K.J.V.). This divine method of financial support for the Old Testament priesthood was carried over to the New to provide practical support for the ministers of the gospel.
4. It Provides Financial Support for the Church – It is God’s ordained method of meeting the financial needs of the church. The tithe represents financial provision for the practical maintenance of the church and the continuation of the various facets of church administration, evangelistic outreach, and ministry. For this reason God stated: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house” (Mal. 3:10, N.I.V.).
