Going Old Testament with Your Tithe

When we think about tithing today, we often picture ourselves giving ten percent of our paycheck to a local church. Sometimes that involves making a donation through a mobile app, sometimes it’s dropping a check in the plate as it’s getting passed by.

Either way, we tend to think of tithing as a practice of giving money. But how did tithing work in the Old Testament, when it began? You might be surprised to know that:

  • People more often donated grain, wine, and animals than money. (They could give cash, but that was a little more expensive.)
  • Those donations didn’t just go to the clergy of the times—some went to the community, and some was eaten as a feast.
  • The people of Israel may have given anywhere from ten percent to twenty-three percent of their income!

There’s a lot we can learn about how tithing worked in Bible times, so we put together an infographic to illustrate. Check it out—and if you know anyone who would get a kick out of this information, please share!

HowTithingWorkedinOT

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 Would you like to learn more about the tithe and generosity in your church? Connect with an Auxano Navigator and start a conversation with our team.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Derek Gillette

My name is Derek Gillette and I am the Communications Manager for eChurchGiving and Pushpay. I like to use analogies and metaphors as a way to tell better stories. If you are a church, ministry, or non-profit leader, contact me to learn how eChurchGiving & Pushpay helps engage with young and first time givers to build lasting relationships.

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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for this information. I'm going to use this article to improve my work with the Lord.
 
— Abel Singbeh
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you Ed for sharing your insights into the Church Growth Movement. I have my reservations with Church Growth models because it has done more damage than good in the Body of Christ. Over the years, western churches are more focused on results, formulas and processes with little or no emphasis on membership and church discipline. Pastors and vocational leaders are burnt out because they're overworked. I do believe that the Church Growth model is a catalyst to two destructive groups: The New Apostolic Reformation and the Emerging Church. Both groups overlap and have a very loose definition. They're both focus on contemporary worship, expansion of church brand (franchising), and mobilizing volunteering members as 'leaders' to grow their ministry. Little focus on biblical study, apologetics and genuine missional work with no agenda besides preaching of the gospel.
 
— Dave
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for sharing such a good article. It is a great lesson I learned from this article. I am one of the leaders in Emmanuel united church of Ethiopia (A denomination with more-than 780 local churches through out the country). I am preparing a presentation on succession planning for local church leaders. It will help me for preparation If you send me more resources and recommend me books to read on the topic. I hope we may collaborate in advancing leadership capacity of our church. God Bless You and Your Ministry.
 
— Argaw Alemu
 

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