In Old Testament history, the patriarchal period, there are two examples of great servants of the Lord offering gifts to the Creator from their prosperity. Abraham gave to Melchizedek, a priest of God, ten percent of the “chief spoils” he recently had taken from some pagan kings (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:4). Later Jacob, after his dream of the ladder that reached from earth to heaven, set up a pillar to memorialize the occasion and promised to give a tenth of his resources to Jehovah (Genesis 28:22).
The Mosaic Law formalized the “tithe” (a tenth) as the required giving of Israel (Leviticus 27:3032). In addition, they offered various sacrifices, and gave “free-will” offerings. So actually, they gave more than the tithe, but ten percent appears to have been the minimum (cf. Malachi 3:10).
A significant purpose of the book of Hebrews is to show the superiority of the new covenant of Jesus Christ over the former covenant given through Moses.
Christ, as giver of the new covenant, is “better” than the angels (1:4). We have a “better hope,” i.e., as priests ourselves (1 Peter 2:5, 9), a more direct access to God (7:21). The new covenant is a “better covenant” because of the unchangeable priesthood of our Savior (7:22). The ministry of Christ is a “more excellent” one; indeed it is a “better covenant” enacted upon “better promises” (8:6).
From this we can see that we have far more revelation, and tremendously greater blessings, than the children of Israel enjoyed. How could a conscientious Christian, student of the Bible, contend that as a beneficiary of the new covenant, and as a part of the body of Jesus Christ, he could love less and thus give less?
We must give consistently, generously, and joyfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).
There is little doubt that if all Christians gave as much as 10% of their incomes, our contributions would soar far above what they now are!
Gregg Woodall