The word “tithe” comes from the Hebrew word that literally means tenth, and it is a common understanding that believers need to give a tenth of their income to the church. A lot of people don’t like to talk about the tithe, and a lot of people don’t like to hear about the tithe because they feel like the church just wants their money and will think that they’re a sinner if they don’t give 10.

God required three types of tithing. The first was for the Levites; it was for the Levi’s. They had a special ability, a special responsibility to perform the work of the Tabernacle. The Israelites had to pay them a tithe, that was their income. God also commanded the Israelites to pay 10 percent of whatever their fields produced each year to the church as a tithe. And then every three years, the Israelites were told to bring a tithe in for the foreigners, the fatherless, and the widows who lived in that town.

God explains in Malachi that there’s a curse if they didn’t tithe. He called it robbing from him. This is in Malachi 3:8. He says that not tithing is the same as robbing him. In that same verse, God describes the blessings of if you do tithe. In those blessings, he promises to prevent pests from devouring your crops. He promises that vines would not drop fruit before they were ripe. He says that he will bless so much, he will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing so great that you don’t have enough room to hold it. It is so awesome.

But it’s very clear, his expectations were clearly described and defined. The Israelites knew what was expected of them. But what about us under the New Covenant? In the New Testament, I want to tell you that tithing is not commanded. In the New Testament, Jesus did speak of the tithe. When he was addressing those who were still living under the Old Testament law, his comments are the only time in the New Testament that tithing is even mentioned. When Jesus died on the cross, he fulfilled the law, and we as believers no longer live under its authority. So no, you are no longer required to fulfill the law, and especially the Mosaic covenants of tithing.

But there’s something that I want to look at with you, and that’s the question of why did God require tithing in the Old Testament. We knew that he wanted the widows taken care of and the Levites taken care of, and, you know, the temples and stuff taken care of. We know that. But is there another reason? And the answer to that is yes, and that’s in Deuteronomy Chapter 14, verse 23. It literally tells us the purpose of the tithe was so that the people would learn how to worship the Lord. That blew my mind when I read that. The purpose of the tithe, is not about money; it is about worship.

Okay, it’s not about obedience; it’s worship. So now, here’s my next question. If the Israelites, who were living under condemnation and law, had to give regular sacrifices for their sins to an inadequate high priest for temporary forgiveness. if they could give 10 in worship, then how much more should we, who live under grace, who have a perfect savior that gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could eternally live with our father in Heaven? How much more should we worship?

I also want to point out that giving, while not a requirement, is spoken of a lot in the New Testament. It’s something that should never be done out of obligation but should always be done as worship and thanksgiving for God’s amazing grace. Paul tells the Corinthians they should support those who preach the gospel. He says they should put aside money for collections; they should do so cheerfully. He explains to Timothy that those with finances should be generous and willing to share.

A set amount is not required by Paul anywhere in Scripture, but he says that they should give in accordance to what God has given them. Now, I don’t know about you, but 10 percent of my income does not seem like nearly enough compared to what God has given me. In my opinion, it does not begin to show the Lord how grateful I am for who he is, for what he has done, and for what he continues to do in my life.

But the most important thing is the tithe. It’s not about obedience to the law; it is an opportunity to worship your creator. It’s an opportunity to show him how much you love him. It’s an opportunity to fully surrender to him and trust and say, “I trust your plan.” It is an opportunity that we get to partake in every single week, and it’s one that I look forward to. I hope that you do too.

Now, if you say, “I’ve never given. I’ve never been able to take that step of faith,” and I want to challenge you today—give it a try. Give it a try and see if you aren’t blessed abundantly by the Lord in so many areas of your life. Remember a few minutes ago when I said, “Check out Malachi,” right? And he gave a promise to open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there’s not enough room to store. That promise is for you too. He wants to be in your life, and the blessings, not just financial, but he loves you, and he wants to provide for all of your needs, and he wants to do so abundantly. He just wants you to truly, genuinely trust and worship him.

Now, maybe you say, “Katie, I believe in tithing, and I’ve always given 10 percent of my income.” That is awesome. If you’ve never tithed, start small— a dollar, ten dollars, ten percent. But if you’ve always tithed, try something different. Why don’t this week you give 20 percent or 50? Or why don’t you give 100 percent of what you make this week? Give it to the Lord, sow it into his kingdom, and see what God does in your life. I promise you, you will be amazed.