Before there was a law of Moses, Abraham paid tithing.
When he rescued his nephew, Lot, defeating four armies in the process, he was blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem, “and [Abraham] gave [Melchizedek] tithes of all” the possessions he had gained in battle (Genesis 14:20; see also Alma 13:15).
Later, when his grandson Jacob worshipped God at a place called Beth-el (“the house of God”), he pledged, “Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” (Genesis 28:22).
The law of tithing is simple: Everything we have comes from God, and in gratitude and devotion, we return to Him 1/10 of what He gives to us. But there is also a social aspect to this law, as evidenced by its implementation in ancient Israel.
When Israel moved into the promised land, each tribe was assigned land except the tribe of Levi. The Lord explained to Aaron that he and his fellow Levites would be supported by the other tribes as they engaged full-time in priestly service:
Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. …
But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance
Numbers 18:20-21, 24
The Levites were not exempt from the law of tithing. They in turn donated ten percent of what they received from the other tribes (“a tithe of the tithe”), so that they also received the blessings of paying tithing. (See Numbers 18:26, New Living Translation.)
What are those blessings? As the Lord promised through the prophet Malachi:
I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:11; 3 Nephi 24:11
These do not sound like blessings that an individual or a family can receive alone. They sound like blessings given to a covenant community who obey God’s law together.
In December 1837, church leaders in Missouri were struggling to raise funds to meet the Church’s expenses and to build a temple. On December 6, a committee consisting of Bishop Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, and John Corrill proposed that members make an annual donation consisting of a percentage of their net worth. The percentage would vary, depending on the needs of the Church, and would start at 2%. They suggested “that a voluntary free will offring from year to year will not only be pleasing in the sight of the Lord but will be in some degree fullfilling the law of consecration” (Minute Book 2, 6–7 Dec. 1837).
Seven months later, Joseph Smith received clear instructions on how members should support the Church financially in response to the prayer, “O Lord! Show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing.” The Lord responded that members “shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually” (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4). The voluntary donation would be calculated based on income (“interest”), not based on net worth, and the percentage would be 10% — the same given by the ancient Israelites.
The Lord said that all those who gathered to Zion should be tithed in this way. He added this warning:
If my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you.
Doctrine and Covenants 119:6
I understand this warning better when I think of tithing as a collective law instead of an individual one. Tithing is more than a private transaction between me and God; it is a covenant act that binds me to His people. Tithing connects me to other church members. We all donate, and we collectively enjoy God’s promised blessings.
Today, I will be grateful for the unity and belonging that come from contributing to God’s work. I will view my tithing as both an act of devotion to God and an expression of belonging to His church.
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