What is the purpose of tithes? The purpose of giving tithes is to make sure that there is food in the house of God. But of course this does not mean that if men don’t give tithes the house of God will lack food.
If God provides food for the birds of the air that neither sow nor reap, can He fail to provide food in His house? Definitely no.
Why then are tithes required?
Tithes are required so that men would honor God above their material possession. By men offering a tenth of their harvest to God, it ensures that at least a tenth of their heart honors God above the harvest.
Whoever does not give a tenth of his harvest to God is called a robber.
However, giving a tenth of the harvest does not guarantee that the giver honors God. Some give a tenth of their harvest yet their hearts are far from God. Their giving is merely to please men.
Some give tithes in churches to preserve their good reputation in the eyes of the pastor but they care little about pleasing God.
This is why in the New Testament God asks us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. No longer is God interested in the tenth of our harvest but rather He wants our hearts.
Jesus asked us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, our souls and our strength. God knows that if we love Him with all our hearts, souls and strength, we will give tithes and even more.
The emphasis should no longer be on us giving tithes but rather on us offering ourselves to God. Through making ourselves living sacrifices, paying tithes will follow automatically.
Whoever claims to have offered himself fully to God as a living sacrifice but does not give tithe is a liar. It is harder to offer oneself to God as a living sacrifice than it is to give a tenth of your harvest. How then can you achieve the harder part and fail at the easy part?
What is the purpose of tithes? To help us honor God above our harvest after we have offered ourselves to God as living sacrifices.
God bless you!