Is It Not A Tithe?

Is It Not A Tithe? Within the Christian community, there are conflicting views on tithing. One view defines the tithe as a weekly or biweekly gift to a local church of a tenth of all monies acquired and/or time available. This view is very popular and is taught at many churches today. Another view on tithing is that the tithe is one of the many sacrifices offered in the Old Testament of the Bible. As an Old Testament sacrifice, this view requires that the tithe be fulfilled by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. There are many scriptures in the King James Version of the Bible that define or describe tithing, but only a few of them are very well known. The well known verses are Malachi 3:8, 10 and Genesis 14:20. There are 32 verses in the Bible that describe the tithe and 2nd Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine. Is it really that important which view is correct? Isn’t it important that we do something? Well, though we are believers, we ultimately need to do the will of God (Matthew 7:21). We cannot allow our drive to please God to be satisfied by just doing something, we must offer God what he has commanded (Leviticus 10:1, 2). So, what did God command? In order to answer that question we must ask five other questions. Those questions are: Who gets it? What is it?, When is it paid?, Where is it offered?, and Why pay it? I will attempt to answer these questions according to the scriptures concerning the tithe in the King James Version of the Bible. Throughout this letter, references to scripture are common, so please take time to stop and read the noted scripture before continuing on.

Who gets it? While many churches teach that pastors should be the recipients of tithes, the Mosaic Law is very clear on who can receive tithes. Deuteronomy 14:29 states that the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow that are within your gates can take part of the tithe. That phrase is used many times outside of the Mosaic Law. That phrase describes a specific group of people and is used often throughout the Bible. The Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow are spoken of in… Deuteronomy 10:18 Job 24:3 Jeremiah 7:6 Deuteronomy 16:11, 14, Psalms 94:6 Jeremiah 22:3 Deuteronomy 24:19-21, Psalms 109:9 Ezekiel 22:7 Deuteronomy 26:12, 13, Psalms 146:9 Zechariah 7:10 Deuteronomy 27:19, Isaiah 1:17, 23 Malachi 3:5 Most pastors are well known in their community. Some pastors inherit

their church from their father, while others are elected officials. Few pastors can, therefore, be considered as the stranger or the fatherless. Some have erroneously asserted that they are Levites. The Levites are a particular tribe out of the nation of Israel. They are the descendants of Levi, Jacob’s third son. In Genesis 34, Jacob’s daughter Dinah got into trouble and her brothers Simeon and Levi slew a city in response. In Genesis 49:7, 8 Jacob cursed both Simeon and Levi for their murderous actions and promised that they would be divided in Jacob and scattered throughout Israel. This prophecy is fulfilled in Joshua 18:7. Throughout Numbers and Deuteronomy the children of Israel, therefore, were commanded to take care of the Levites, undoubtedly because without land, the Levites couldn’t take care of themselves. The Levites were to work in the tabernacle; an example of this is Numbers 18:24 and Deuteronomy 18:1, 2. So to be a Levite, you have to be Jewish, and you have to be descended from Levi. Furthermore, according to Leviticus chapter 21, there were more qualifications to be part of the Levitical priesthood, other than just being a Levite. He could not have a bald head (verse5). He could not shave the corners of his beard (verse 5). He could not be married to a divorced woman (verse 7). He could not touch a dead body (verse 11). He could not leave the sanctuary (verse 12). He must marry a virgin (verse 13, 14). He can’t be blind, lame, or have a flat nose (verse 18). And it goes on and on. Our preachers today are not Levites, they are not fatherless, or strangers, so according to scripture why would they have any right to the tithe? Interestingly, the only thing that the Levite, the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger have in common is that neither of them can take care of themselves. Ephesians 1:5 tells us that we are adopted into Christ. Revelation 5:5 lets us know that Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, not Levi. Genesis 29:35 says that Judah was Jacob’s fourth son. Under the tribe of Levi we are weak and unprofitable (Hebrews 7:18), but under the tribe of Judah we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). We should lay claim to Christ of Judah, not Levi. Odd as it may seem, a primary recipient of the tithe is the payer. Deuteronomy 12:17-18 clearly states that your sons, your daughters, your servants and the Levite are supposed to eat WITH YOU! So according to scripture your participation in the tithe is not wholly defined as your giving away of a gift, but also by your taking part in it.

What is it? Many churches teach that the tithe is ten percent of a

person's time or money. Moses clearly defines the tithe as food in the Mosaic Law. There were actually two separate tithes mentioned in Leviticus 27:30-32, the tithe of the land and the tithe of the herd. In Genesis 9:3 and Deuteronomy 12:15, the children of Israel were allowed to eat whatever they wanted, whether from the field or the flock. Many Bibles have a title for the fourteenth chapter of Deuteronomy that is the “Law of the Tithe.” In this chapter, verses 3 thru 21 list the foods which are clean, which are permitted to be eaten, and a list of the foods which are unclean, which are forbidden to be eaten. The Children of Israel had to recognize clean and unclean foods, while observing sacrifices. The rest of the time they could eat whatever they wanted (Genesis 9:3 and Deuteronomy 12:15). At Deuteronomy 14:22, the Bible begins talking about the tithe, but does it ever really stop talking about food? Verses 23, 26, and 29 actually instruct us to “eat” the tithe. Deuteronomy 14:24 thru 26 explain that the tithe is not intended to be money. This completely contradicts the modern view. It says that food can be sold in order to make the trip to the Jerusalem, and then that money must be used to purchase more food. We are also instructed to eat the tithe in Deuteronomy 12:7, and 26:12 Though there are many scriptures concerning tithing in the Bible, everyone seems to quote Malachi 3:8, “Shall a man rob God?” No one should ever rob God, and the scripture explains further that we should tithe in Malachi 3:10. This scripture, however, uses an interesting phrase “meat in mine house.” This phrase occurs often in scripture such as Matthew 9:10, Mark 2:15, and Luke 7:37. The word "meat" is used in the Bible to mean “dinner”, examples are Luke 7:36, Mark 14:3, and Acts 2:46. These scriptures, such as Mark 14:3 cannot be interpreted to reference some sort of financial transaction, so why should Malachi 3:8 be interpreted that way. Strong’s Hebrew dictionary defines the word “tereph” (Malachi 3:10), which is interpreted “that there may be meat” as from 2963; something torn, i.e. a fragment, e.g. a fresh leaf, prey, food:--leaf, meat, prey, spoil. In Exodus 16:36 Moses and Aaron paid a tithe of the manna they were given, not the gold and silver they received when they left Egypt. Nehemiah 13:5 and 13:12 describe giving tithes of meat, frankincense, corn, new wine, and oil. Leviticus 27:30 and 32 describe tithes as the seed of the land, the fruit of the tree, the herd, or the flock. In the Matthew 23:23, while rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus says that they pay tithes of “mint and anise and cumin.” According to Jesus they left many things undone, but the part of the law that they actually did right was tithe. They paid tithes in mint, anise, and cumin. Mint, anise, and

cumin are all spices available at your local grocery store. Well, didn’t they pay tithes in food because they didn’t have money way back then? Absolutely not! The word “money” is actually in the Bible. If you counted the occurrence of the word “money” in the Bible you’ll find that it actually occurs 123 times, by comparison the words tithe, tithes, and tithing collectively appear only 32 times. In 123 verses containing the word money, the word money is never used to describe a tithe. No person in the Bible is ever shown to pay 10% of their money for a tithe. The book that uses the word money more than any other book of the Bible is Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Genesis uses the word “money” 26 times. Meanwhile, Genesis uses "ma'aser", the Hebrew word for tithe only twice. (Genesis 14:20, Genesis 28:22). The book of Genesis uses the word "money" nearly three times more times than any other book of the Bible. Genesis means "The Beginning", so they literally have used money from the beginning. Abram bought servants with money, Genesis 17:12, 13, and 27. Abraham bought a burying place for Sarah with money, Genesis 23:9. Joseph put money into his brother's sacks, Genesis 42:25. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt with double money to gain mercy from Joseph, Genesis 43:12. The next book by order of the most common usage of the word money is Exodus, the second book of the Bible. The word is used ten times in this book. The Hebrew word, keceph, is interpreted “money”, but is also interpreted throughout the Bible as “silver.” The word, keceph, is used in the original Hebrew 343 times, and again never is used to describe a tithe. So, obviously, they had and used money, but money was not associated with tithing. There is actually only one verse that associates both money and tithing, that is Deuteronomy 14:24-26. Those verses in Deuteronomy say that food can be sold in order to make the trip to Jerusalem, and then that money must be used to purchase more food to be eaten for the tithe. Jesus and Peter miraculously received money in Mt 17:27, but instead of tithing, Jesus instructed Peter to give all of it to the tax collectors. If anyone in Israel was capable of paying a monetary tithe it would have been the Pharisees, but, in Matthew 23:23, they paid tithes in spices. Luke 11:42 says that the Pharisees paid tithes of “mint, rue, and all manner of herbs.” The tithe and money are clearly two different concepts. There were other times in the Bible where money was given for religious purposes. These are some examples where the Children of Israel are seen to give gold, silver, or shekels. These scriptures include... Exodus 25:2, 3 The building of the tabernacle. Numbers 31:50 Atonement for souls Exodus 35:5 The building of the tabernacle.

Leviticus 5:15 Exodus 30:12-14 Joshua 6:19 1st Samuel 6:4 Mark 12:41-44

Trespass offering. Ransom for souls. The treasury. The Philistines return the ark. The widow’s mites.

Webster defines hermeneutics as the science of interpretation, or of finding the meaning of an author’s words and phrases. In the study of Biblical hermeneutics, when a word occurs for the first time in the original Greek or Hebrew text, that word can be very significant in helping to identify the meaning of that word and the general understanding that should be associated with it. This is known as the principle of first mention. Ma’aser, the Hebrew word for tithe, is first mentioned in Genesis 14:20, when Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoil. The first mention of the Hebrew word keceph, in Genesis 13:2, is translated “silver”. Keceph is used to describe Abram’s wealth. It does not indicate any religious purpose, and therefore no relationship to tithing. “Money” doesn't appear in scripture until Genesis 17:12, which is three chapters later, and is used to describe circumcision, not tithing. Some have asserted that Abram actually gave money to Melchizedek. To prove this theory, Hebrew 7:4 is quoted. Hebrew's 7:4 says Abram gave a tenth of the spoils. In modern times, we read the word "spoils" and we hear "spoils of war". We must be careful not to add to what the scripture actually says, Deuteronomy 12:32. Deuteronomy 20:14 describes spoils as women, children, and cattle. This scripture actually says that they ate the spoil. King Saul took sheep and oxen of the Amalekites that was called spoil in 1st Samuel 15:21. Saul planned to use the spoil in a burnt offering, to which Samuel responded that obedience to God is better than sacrifice (1st Samuel 15:21, 22). Saul planned to burn sheep and oxen (not silver or gold which don't burn) in a burnt offering. Job 29:17 also shows that the spoil was eaten. In Genesis 14:20, Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of the bread and wine that Melchizedek gave him in Genesis 14:18, only two verses before. Isn’t tithing really the same as giving? Tithing is not the same as giving. 2nd Corinthians 9:7 states that giving should not be of necessity, but accordingly as man purposes in his heart. Tithing is a commandment (Hebrews 7:5). In Deuteronomy 14:22, God commands the tithe in the same manner as the Ten Commandments. There, God says, “Thou shalt truly tithe…” Also in Deuteronomy 14:28, God says, “…Thou shalt bring forth all the tithe…” Leviticus 27:34 says that the tithe was a commandment

given from the Lord. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus commended the Pharisees for paying the tithe. Many preachers have used scriptures that explain giving to forward their view concerning tithing. Jesus told the rich young ruler in Luke 18:22 to give away all he had, not just a tenth, therefore this could not be a tithe. Another famous example of giving being called tithing is the story of the widow’s mite. Mark 12:42 and Luke 21:2 say that she gave two mites which made a farthing, so she clearly gave money. Mark 12:44 and Luke 21:4 both say that she gave all that she had, not ten percent. The widow’s mite was not a tithe because it was all that she had, not just a tenth of what she had, also the widow’s mite was not a tithe because she could not eat it.

When do you actually pay it?

Modern churches tell us that we are to bring a tithe whenever we experience financial gain. Most people have jobs that pay bi-weekly so a tithe is expected at least every other week. Again, this teaching is not found in the scriptures. According to the scriptures the tithe is to be brought tri-annually. Deuteronomy 14:28 says that the tithe should be brought at the end of three years. Deuteronomy 26:12 names the third year as the “Year of Tithing.” Amos 4:4 also says that the tithes are to be brought after three years.

Where is it offered? Many churches teach that the tithe should be paid at church with the offerings. The Bible says something different. The tithe was not to be eaten at home. It was to be eaten at the place where the Lord shall choose to set his name; that is, at His holy habitation, in the tabernacle in Jerusalem. (1Kings 14:21) This is pointed out in many scriptures. (Deuteronomy 12:5, 6, 11, and 18) (Deuteronomy 14:23, 24) (Deuteronomy 16:2, 6) (Deuteronomy 26:2) The tabernacle is the earthly image of heaven above (Hebrews 8:5). The church building is not the tabernacle. Exodus 25 and Hebrews 8:2 describe the old covenant tabernacle as containing the candlestick, the table of Shittim wood, and the showbread. Also inside the tabernacle through the veil was the Holy of Holies, and it contained the ark of the covenant with the Ten Commandment stone tablets inside and a golden pot of manna (Hebrews 9:3,4). Finally the new covenant tabernacle cannot be the church building because the new tabernacle is not made with hands (Hebrews 9:11).

Why pay it?

Many churches teach that giving the tithe will make God’s blessings available to you. This is, understandable taken from

Malachi 3:11. However the careful reader will notice that earlier in the chapter in Malachi 3:3 and 3:7, that the point of the passage is that the children of Israel had stopped performing all of God’s ordinances. They had stopped observing all the God had ordered in the Old Covenant. The tithe is actually a type of heave offering (Numbers 18:24-28). When Malachi 3:8 says tithes and offerings, it is saying that God has been robbed of the sin offerings, the atonement offerings, the heave (tithe) offerings, the wave offerings, the trespass offerings, and the meat offerings. Many churches also teach that the tithe should be paid in order to fund the building, to pay off debts, or to provide for feeding the poor. These are definitely good intentioned motives, but they are not God’s purpose in the tithe. Deuteronomy 14:23 states that the reason for the tithe is that we may learn to fear the Lord God always. The phrase “learn to fear the LORD” occurs only four times in the Old Testament. These scriptures are Deuteronomy 4:10, 14:23, 17:19, and 31:13. Deuteronomy 4:5-10 explain the importance of teaching God's Law (verse 8) to your children and grandchildren (verse 9) so that they may learn to fear God (verse 10). During a prophecy of the royal line, not yet established in Israel, Deuteronomy 17:14-20 explains that the kings that sit in Israel must learn God’s Law (verse 18), so that they can learn to fear God. Deuteronomy 31:10-13, explains that during the Year of Release, the children of Israel must read God’s Law (verse 11) and that doing so they will learn to fear God (verse 12). These scriptures are explaining that by learning the Mosaic Law the people will reverence or learn to fear God. Galatians 3:24 further explains that the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Deuteronomy 14:23 is, therefore, saying that the tithe is a part of God’s Law that will teach us to properly reverence God and bring us to Christ. How does the tithe bring us to Christ? The tithes were one of the many sacrifices offered by the children of Israel. Deuteronomy 12:6 lists the sacrifices of the Children of Israel, and groups the tithe together with the burnt offerings, heave offerings, freewill offerings, vows, and firstlings of the flock. The tithe actually is a type of heave offering, Numbers 18:24-28, and therefore the tithe was one of the sacrifices that Jesus fulfilled on the cross. Deuteronomy 26 describes the tithe as a part of the first fruits. 1st Corinthians 15:23 describe Christ as the first fruit. In his book Hidden Treasures in the Biblical Text, Chuck Missler writes, “The Feast of First Fruits is generally regarded as simply a harvest celebration, but... There was a particular Sunday morning that, while the smoke was curling heavenward from the Temple offerings of the Feast of First Fruits, a group of disciples

were discovering an empty tomb. Hebrews 9:11 says that the new tabernacle was not made with hands, yet Deuteronomy 14:23 says that tithing must be in the tabernacle. Christ is a sufficient sacrifice to cover the burnt offerings, the heave offerings, the first fruits, and yes even the tithes (Hebrews 9:12). Maybe that’s why redemption is part of the law concerning the tithe (Leviticus 27:31) But aren’t we supposed to eat the tithe? We are actually tithing when we have communion. We take in the bread and wine (Genesis 14:18), which represents the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:26-28). Communion uses a cracker for unleavened bread to represent the body of Christ (John 6:48). He is the Seed of the Woman (Gen 3:15), the Root and Stem of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1, 10), and the Branch (Zechariah 6:12) and is, therefore, the tithe of the field. Communion also uses wine or grape juice to represent the blood of Christ (1st Corinthians 10:16). In order to eat the tithe of the field the blood of one out of the flock must be shed. Jesus is the Lamb that was slain (Rev 5:12) and is, therefore, the tithe of the flock. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and covered all of our needs, including the tithe. He fulfilled everything from A to Z (Revelations 1:8). Malachi 3:12 says that the person who fulfills God’s ordinances will be called blessed by all nations. However, those deny God’s ordinances will be called cursed (Malachi 3:9). Malachi 3:7-12 is speaking of a difference between cursing and salvation, which is a clear reference to Christ. We are not under the law, so are Christians even supposed to tithe? It has been said that the tithe precedes the law and therefore was not destroyed with the dispensation of grace. The careful reader of scripture will notice that most of the law is enacted before the law. Cain, Abel offered sacrifices in Genesis 4:4. Noah offered sacrifices in Genesis 8:20. Abraham offered sacrifices in Genesis 22:13. Jacob offered sacrifices in Genesis 31:54. We don’t offer animal sacrifices today because Christ is the sacrifice. (Ephesians 5:2) Circumcision was before the law (Genesis 17:20), but Galatians 6:15 says Christ covers circumcision. Marriage was before the law (Genesis 2:24), but Matthew 22:30 says that Christ’s coming covers marriage. Matthew 5:17 says that Christ did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Therefore, Christ did not come to destroy the tithe, but to fulfill it. In Genesis 14:20, during the first mention of the tithe, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek king of Salem, a priest of the Most High God. Hebrews 6:20 places Jesus as a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews chapter 7 explains how the priesthood of Melchisedec is greater than the Levitical priesthood. Melchizedek is a type of Christ. He who receives the tithe is the Priest of the Most High God, the

man Jesus Christ. Abram is also a type of Christ. Abram's name means "Father". Abram is portrayed as the Father who takes his Son to the mountain top to sacrifice him. Christ is also called the Everlasting Father in Isaiah 9:6. So symbolically during the first mention of tithes in the Bible, Abram, The Father, gives the tithe, and as Priest of the Most High God, Jesus Christ, the Father also receives the tithe. This is why Abram is the only person in the Bible shown to give, not pay the tithe. Jesus gave his life on the cross for us, and fulfilled all the law including the tithe. So, where as under the Levitical priesthood the priest received tithes, under the new priesthood Jesus receives them (Hebrews 7:8). Christ is the tithe, He is the priest to offer it, and He is the High Priest to receive it.

Conclusion. The common view of tithing has a negative overtone in that the tithe is transformed into an additional tax on Christians. Many people are turned from the faith because they believe that Christianity is all about money. The popular tithing concept also has some odd implications. Is the tithe only involved when cash changes hands? Should barter/trade transactions be considered “tithe-evasion” by the church? Are you supposed to give a tithe when your property value goes up? When you receive a scholarship? When your mutual fund rises? Is inflation a factor? How do you tithe if someone gives you a car or a house? Is a tithe owed if someone pays off a debt for you? Where did a monetary tithe come from? Catholicism has been responsible for many false doctrines. Catholicism produced the Crusades and the doctrine of indulgences. Catholicism has taught that the Pope can forgive sins. The Catholic Ten Commandments exclude the second commandment which states, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.” Pope Adrian I, a close friend of Frankish emperor Charlemagne, wrote the Libri Carolini, the letter which formally established the graven images of Christ, Mary, and the Apostles that are still present in Catholic churches today. The monetary tithe was also instituted by Pope Adrian I. There is no monetary tithe mentioned in the Bible because the first recorded monetary tithe occurred in 787AD, nearly 800 years after the death of Christ. So, by the time that Catholicism produced the doctrine of the monetary tithe, the entire Bible had already been written. In Colossians 2:8, Paul warned,” Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men [Pope Adrian], after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Apart from Catholicism, Christianity in general

also maintains some false beliefs. For example, Easter is a pagan holiday. Easter is named after the Ashtar, the Babylonian Goddess of fertility. Ashtar is the wife of the idol god Baal, made famous by the book of Judges. Christianity has also adopted the prosperity doctrine and the monetary tithe. Competitive sports teach that to be successful you need to figure out your competitor's next move. The Federal Government of the United States of America is opposed to the Church on most issues. The Supreme Court has legalized the murder of more than 50 million babies since 1972. Speaking against homosexuality can legally be considered a hate crime. The Church wants to protect marriage, while many states promote gay marriage. The Church believes in Creation, while the government promotes evolution. The Church believes that the worker should receive his pay (1 Timothy 5:18), while the Federal government believes that, through FICA, Medicare, and Social Security, it has the right to tax and automatically take away a person's pay before they even receive it. President Obama’s budget has already removed the tax deduction for charitable contributions. Laws are already on the books to allow the government to tax churches. Churches, however, are not taxed because of 501C3 or other exemptions. All that is necessary to tax them is to remove of the exemptions! On March 23, 2009, while hotly pursuing AIG executives, The House of Representatives passed HR1586, which sets precedent to enact tax rates retroactively and as high as 91%. On April 6, 2009, President Obama declared that America is not considered as a Christian nation!! If America is not a Christian nation, then how long will a tax exemption for Christians last? A 91% retroactive tax on just the tithe money that churches bring in would be devastating. We know where our enemy is going, so we should prepare for it now. None of that really matters because the tithe isn’t money anyway, it is an Old Testament sacrifice fulfilled by Christ on the Cross. Honestly consider the picture of a farmer who owns three hundred head of lamb. He then kills a tenth of them. That is thirty dead lamb laying around. He is going to have to eat them and call everyone in town to come by and help him to eat them, so they don't go to waste. There are many testimonies of the blessings people have received after giving ten percent of their money, but people are always blessed when they give. (Luke 6:38) A person can give ten percent or more of their money if the Holy Spirit leads them, but that makes it a gift, not a tithe. The tithe does not belong to the preacher, because it belongs to you, your family, your servants, the stranger, the fatherless, the widow, and the one who offers sacrifices for you, the Priest. The tithe cannot be collected every week, but every third year during the Year of Tithing. The tithe cannot be collected in a church building. It must

be collected in the tabernacle not made with hands. The tithe is not meant to fund a building, or pay bills. It is intended to teach us to fear God always. The tithe was instituted to be a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. Since Christ already fulfilled the tithe, giving a monetary tithe is actually denying the sacrifice of Christ. People should give money; they just should not call it a tithe. Some preachers probably lack the faith to believe that God will provide enough if all they collect is freewill offerings. The tithe was one of the many sacrifices offered in the Old Testament. The tithe is food because they were required to eat sacrifices. The tithe was to be eaten by everyone so that everyone would be covered by His sacrifice. The tithe had to be offered in the tabernacle. Jesus is the only High Priest that can enter into the Holiest of Holies in the midst of the Tabernacle made without hands in Heaven. The tithe is intended to teach us to fear God. We all can share in "eating" the tithe by eating the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). The Word was sacrificed for us (Matthew 26:28). Therefore we should eat the Word (Matthew 26:26). We should desire the sincere milk of the Word (1st Peter 2:2). But how then can we "Learn to fear God always"? The proper use of the word "fear" in context here is "reverence". We can reverence God by looking up at the cross, accepting His sacrifice, and humbling ourselves to His love, His power, His grace, His mercy, and His fulfillment of the all the Law, including the tithe.