Why Do We Give Tithes and Offerings?

Giving in the form of tithes and offerings is an important part of Christianity. Tithing is frequently mentioned in the Bible, like when Moses said, “From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze.” (Exodus 35:5)

What is the importance of tithing and offering, and why do we frequently make these kinds of donations? Read on to learn the truth about tithes and offerings!

Importance of Giving Tithes and Offerings

Before we go further into the topic, we must examine why we tithe. Here are three reasons why tithing is important:

God Commands Us to Do So

Tithing is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. Scripture tells us, “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22)

God commands us to set aside one-tenth of what we produce for the church. In modern society, your “produce” can be anything from your salary to your business profits.

Tithing Shows Your Love for God

The tithe is the Lord’s way of asking us to show our love. Giving God a percentage of our earnings shows that we put our love for Him before our need for money.

Tithing Grows Trust in God

By sacrificing 10% of your income, we learn to rely on God. While 10% might be a sizable part of some people’s earnings, giving tithes means you trust that God will still provide you with enough food and wealth to live.

Difference Between Tithes and Offerings

Tithes and offerings are closely related because they both involve giving. However, there are two key differences between tithes and offerings:

Amount

Tithes literally mean “one-tenth”, so it has a set amount of 10% of your income, as defined by Scripture: “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” (Leviticus 27:30)

Meanwhile, offerings have no set amount. Everyone can decide how much to give with each offering, as mentioned in the Bible, “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 16:17)

Priority

Whenever you make money, you’re called on to give tithes first. This means tithing is the first priority when giving. Meanwhile, offerings are generally optional and come after the tithe.

Purpose of Tithes in the Bible

The main purpose of tithes and offerings in the Bible is to teach us to put God first. As said in the Bible, “Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” (Deuteronomy 14:23)

What Does the Bible Say About Tithing One Tenth?

The verse about tithing one-tenth of your income is found in Leviticus 27:30: “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” The 10% requirement specifically comes from the Hebrew translation of tithe, “עשר” or “ten”.

Other passages also talked about tithing, such as the following:

• Numbers 18:26: “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.”
• Deuteronomy 14:22: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.”
• 2 Chronicles 31:5: “As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the first fruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.”

So, does the Bible actually say to give 10%? Yes. Even before tithes were required by Mosaic law, Abraham tithed once (Genesis 14:20) and Jacob pledged to tithe all that he had (Genesis 28:22).

Later, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes for the Levites, temple operations and feasts, and the poor and unfortunate. In total, tithes came out to 20-30% of incoming money, plus any additional voluntary giving of first-fruit and freewill offerings, which we’ll detail in the next section.

Law of Tithes and Offerings

In the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, God gave Moses the Law that included instructions on how to generously give to God and His people. 

Here are some of the required tithings and offerings that the Israelites had to give:

• The First Tithe: All Israelite families were asked to give one-tenth of their produce, flocks, and herds. That amount was set aside and given to the Lord annually to support the Levites in their priestly service, as they had no other source of income or land ownership (Leviticus 27:30-33 and Numbers 18:21-24).
• The Festival Tithe: Israelites, mainly in Jerusalem, had to give another tenth of their resources to sponsor religious feasts and festivals throughout the year. These events were grand religious celebrations, so the Israelites spared nothing to bring thanks and praise to God (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).
• The Poor Tithe: Israelites had to give a tithe to the poor and needy every third year. It’s unclear whether this is a third full tithe or the second Festival Tithe was being donated to the poor that year (Deuteronomy 14:28-29), but there was certainly a tithe set aside for the unfortunate.

The point of tithing is to support the ongoing work of God’s people. This is different from the purpose of offerings, which was acted as a personal thanksgiving and repentance of sins:

• Propitiatory Offerings: These offerings were meant as a material sacrifice to atone for one’s sins, both known and unknown. There are two types in this category: the Sin Offering mentioned in Exodus 29:14, 36, and Leviticus 4, and the Guilt Offering mentioned in Leviticus 5:14 to 6:7.
• Dedicatory Offerings: These offerings reminded the Israelites of the ongoing goodness of God. There were three types in this category: the Burnt Offering mentioned in Leviticus 1:3-17, the Cereal Offering in Leviticus 2:1-16, and the Drink Offering in Numbers 28:14 and 29:6.
• Communal Offerings: These offerings include the Peace Offering in Leviticus 3 and 7:11-26 and the Votive Offering in Leviticus 7:16-17 and Numbers 6:21. A vow often accompanies the Votive Offering.

Why Do We Pay Tithes in Church

Tithing is a source of income for your church. Like any other institution, the church needs that money to pay upkeep costs and stay in operation.

Here are some examples of what the church may use your tithes for:

• Paying pastors, ministers, and other church staff members
• Funding outreach programs like soup kitchens and donations for the needy
• Maintaining the church building and equipment
• Supporting the Sunday school and other church programs
• Donating to local charities
• Raising funds for church youth groups

When Did Tithing Start in the Church?

Tithing started even before the Law was given to Moses, mostly as a voluntary return for how God helped His people overcome major challenges. We can see this in these two verses:

• Genesis 14:20: Abram “gave [God] a tenth of everything” to show his gratitude for defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings that allied with him.
• Genesis 28:18-22: Jacob promised God that, “of all that You give me, I will give You a tenth” in response to God’s blessing that the Covenant promises given to Abraham will now flow through him.

So, when did tithing start in the church? In a nutshell, tithing started in the Old Testament for the Israelites to support the temple. Today, although we are not required to give a tenth of all we have, we continue to use the tithe as a guide for the minimum amount to give freely and cheerfully to the church.

Connecting to God Through Giving

If you love money, you can’t love God and vice versa. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

We don’t truly own our wealth – we’re stewards entrusted with money and riches by God. As stewards, God trusts us to use this money for His glory. The truth of God’s tithes and offerings is that we bring ourselves closer to Him when we give. 

Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Giving tithes and offerings puts our love for God before our worldly wealth and shows that our heart is always with Him. 

Types of Tithes and Offerings

You have many ways to give in service to God. Here are four of the most common types of tithes and offerings for Christians:

Tithes

Tithes are offerings to your local church worth 10% of your income. You might tithe to church immediately after you get paid.

Offerings

Offerings are given after tithes and on certain holy days of the year. However, you can also make offerings throughout the year whenever you want. 

First Fruits

First fruits are typically offerings given annually at “harvest time.” If you’re not a farmer, “harvest time” can mean anything from work bonuses to tax refunds. Whatever your harvest may be, giving first fruits is a way to show your gratitude to God for His blessings.

Alms

Alms are a type of giving where you give directly to other people and not through the church. Some examples of alms-giving include:

• Donating money to soup kitchens
• Giving cash to the needy
• Donating clothes and food to charitable organizations

Encouragement for Giving Tithes and Offerings

Do you need more reasons to give tithes and offerings? Here are some of our favorite Bible verses about giving:

• “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
• “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25)
• “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” (Proverbs 18:16)
• “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

Conclusion

Tithes and offerings are an important part of Christianity because, by giving, we put our love for God before our love for money. Giving also supports the church to spread the Gospel and teach the Bible to members.