Gifts & Sacrifices: Tithes & Offerings

Giftsandsacrifices.com was created to reveal an underestimated perspective about tithes and offerings. I have spent numerous hours studying and praying about this message and believe it was given to me from God. For that reason, I am compelled to share my revelation with you. All of the references mentioned in this blog are derived from the Contemporary English Version of the Holy Bible, unless stated otherwise. Bible references are indicated in red and cross-referenced with hyperlinks.

The bottom line is that Christians should not be coerced to give ten-percent of there income in fear of curses, going to hell, or being neglected of blessings. The church should not even speak of tithes, offerings, the “altar,” or contain the bronze tithe and offering bins which are all symbolic giving animal and food sacrifices. Since Christ gave his life as the “ultimate sacrifice” for our sins, these practices should be eradicated immediately.


I have personally tithed for several months. I decided to stop tithing after it felt like I was giving just to "fit in" versus giving from the heart. Originally, tithing was never about giving money anyway.

The tithing principle was formally established in the book of Leviticus. The "High Priests" honored the Lord by offering "gifts and sacrifices" or "tithes and offerings" in ceremonies to be forgiven of sin. Because Jesus Christ has given his life as the "ultimate sacrifice," we no longer have to give these sacrificial offerings. With close observation, the infamous phrase "tithes and offerings" looks as if it has been paraphrased.

This is how the official agreement read: “Malachi challenged the people and especially the priests to be faithful to the agreement the Lord had made with Israel. They were to honor the Lord by offering the right kind of sacrifices and by giving ten percent of their harvest to Him. Then the Lord would bless them.” Essentially, the Lord emphasized that one-tenth of all that was offered to Him could only consist of proper types of sacrifices (undamaged, unmaimed, untainted, fresh, “the best and the firsts”). We can practically say that the tithe and offering represented a single obligation.

Here is another reference on the tithe and offerings.

Leviticus 27: 30-32:
“Ten percent of everything you harvest belongs to me, whether it grows in your fields or on your fruit trees… When you count your flocks and herds, one out of ten of every newborn animal is holy and belongs to me…”

Often times, theologists mention that tithing was documented before the "Levitical Law." Tithing was mentioned before the book of Leviticus in Genesis. Abraham gave Melchizedek one-tenth of what he collected from war. The same reference is mentioned in Hebrews 7.

Hebrews 7:5 (NIV):“The Law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people, who are descendants of Abraham…”

Hebrews 7:1-12 (NIV): “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (on the basis that the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come… For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.”

The Lord promises a better agreement that no longer requires us to surrender a sacrifice (i.e. the tithe or offering); according to scriptures, this is defined by the law of Moses. The New Agreement, the new covenant and spirit-led relationship is “faith-based”—faith that Jesus Christ has given his life for our sins, as the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all.

Galatians 3:10-13: Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The scriptures say, “Everyone who doesn’t obey everything in the Law is under a curse.” No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.

The Law isn’t based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands. But Christ rescued us from the Law’s curse, when he became a curse in our place…”

YOU CAN'T BE CURSED!

Here are a few laws Galatians refers to:

Deuteronomy 12: 1 “Now I’ll tell you the laws and teaching that you have to obey as long as you live…” 17-18 “…take one-tenth of your grain, wine, and olive oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle, sheep, and goats. You and your family and servants will eat your gifts and sacrifices and celebrate there at the place of worship…

Malachi 3:8:“…You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. That’s why your whole nation is under a curse.”


The tithe was never money! In the book of Leviticus where the law of tithes and offerings was established, the sacrifices offered for thanks or to ask for forgiveness and blessings was either animals or crops, only. The ceremonial sacrifice to ask for blessings was strictly a bull or a cow sacrifice. Read chapters 1 through 7 of Leviticus for yourself. The law commanded offering of a series of sacrifices. When the law was followed correctly, the sacrifice to ask the Lord’s blessings would then be fulfilled. In retrospect, the sacrifice to ask the Lord’s blessing could never be rewarded unless the correct sacrifice to ask for his forgiveness was given appropriately. Overall, all sacrifices were given to repay God for our sins.

The entire book of Leviticus contains the law of giving “tithes and offerings.” As you continue your studies, you will notice that the Bible [only] speaks of the word "sacrifice" for forgiveness of sin, blessings, thanks, etc. Only in the last (5) verses of Leviticus does the Bible mention the tithe summarizing His point with: “ten-percent of everything you harvest belongs to God—even one-tenth of the flocks and herds.” This is the first and official command of the "tithing” principle.

As you finish reading the book of Leviticus, notice that chapter 26 is an elaborated version of Malachi 3:8-12—the church’s “final say-so” to tithe and offering. Malachi is an extension of Leviticus. Understand this to get a complete grasp of the topic. The official agreement should be much clearer: "Malachi challenged the people and especially the priests to be faithful to the agreement the Lord had made with Israel. They were to honor the Lord by offering the right kind of sacrifices and by giving ten percent of their harvest to him. The right kinds of offerings are those sacrifices: not blind or crippled, and the "best" and "firsts" of the harvest. My revelation is that the "tithes and offerings" are essentially one item. In layman terms, all that God should have had to ask for was the "tenth" itself.

At this time you should be ready for the ultimate connection. Throughout my research, I discovered the Bible had used a different name for tithes and offerings:

NUMBERS 18:25-32: The Lord told Moses to say to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron,  so the best of what you receive will be mine.
After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. You won’t be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me.

The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.

You have now discovered my personal observation. The Holy Bible translates and paraphrases God’s command for “tithes and offerings” as “gifts and sacrifices.”

In Hebrews 5:1, the Bible ironically mentions that gifts and sacrifices were for sin—just as the tithes and offerings were documented in Leviticus.

Hebrews 8:3, states, "Since all priests must offer gifts and sacrifices, Christ also needed to have something to offer."

During the time a High Priest was in charge of the temple, money [was not] used as a sacrifice. If God expected money, the Bible would clearly state that they offered currency and not bulls, cows, etc. Instead, the Lord asked the people to offer gifts and sacrifices such as grain, oils, wine, cattle, sheep, etc. These were the only things the Priests could have offered on the altar. Several scriptures clearly distinguish the use of money and non-monetary items.

EXODUS 30:11-16 The Lord said to Moses: Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them. Each man over nineteen, whether rich or poor, must pay me the same amount of money, weighed according to the official standards. This money is to be used for the upkeep of the sacred tent, and because of it, I will never forget my people.

EXODUS 36 The Lord has given to Bezalel and Oholiab and others the skills needed for building a place of worship, and they will follow the Lord’s instructions. Then Moses brought together these workers that were eager to work, and he gave them the money that the people of Israel had donated for building the place of worship. In fact, so much money has been given each morning, that finally everyone stopped working and said, “Moses, there is already more money than we need for what the Lord has assigned us to do.”  So Moses sent word for the people to stop giving, and they did. But, there was already more than enough to do what needed to be done.

DEUTERONOMY 14:25-26 But suppose you can't carry that ten percent of your harvest to the place where the [Lord] chooses to be worshiped. If you live too far away, or if the [Lord] gives you a big harvest, then sell this part and take the money there instead. When you and your family arrive, spend the money on food for a big celebration. Buy cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer, and if there are any other kinds of food that you want, buy those too.

If you truly enjoy giving one-tenth of your earnings to an establishment, then by all means do so. 2 Corinthians 9: Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give… For God loves a cheerful giver! The message I want to deliver to you today is that you will not be cursed if you choose not to. However, if you are living in terms of the law, you are! Galatians 3:10: Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. My assumption is that this curse is a curse of confusion, greed, and oppression—characteristics that we see in church today.

Again, money was never used as a sacrifice to ask for forgiveness of sin or for His blessings—just animals and food. Bible scholars have already done the work to make the word interpretable. Not everything in the Bible is “symbolic.” We have to accept many scriptures as they are. We may never understand the supernatural miracles and phenomenon of God, but the Word was written so that we could have understanding.

Be blessed!

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Wonder why you have been blessed and successful today? Check out Pastor G. Craig Lewis' quick explanation of tithe and offering! A message you will never forget!

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