Tithes: Key To Access Heavenly Blessings

The kingdom of God operate by mysteries which Jesus referred to as “keys of the kingdom” of heaven in Matthew 16:19 - “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”

Jesus said that these mysteries are only understood by few people and not all. Luke 8:10 “And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.”

That is why not all Christians understand the power of tithing. It is the same reason why not all Christians will engage in tithing. In fact, some good committed Christians will fight the subject of tithing tooth and nail.

Because tithing is a kingdom mystery, whether we fight it or not, we do not affect its efficacy. Tithing is a commandment. When we don’t pay our tithes, we break God’s commandments.

Malachi 3:10 - “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house,…”

When God demands the payment of tithes, then tithing becomes mandatory. Payment of tithes is not optional. The Word of God equates failure to pay tithe to robbery.

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8)

The first question in this verse is a very serious direct question. Will a man rob God and get away with it? The choice of words here is very important.  There is a difference between ‘rob” and “steal’. You steal when no one is seeing you. Nobody can steal from God. He neither sleeps nor slumbers and His eyes run to and fro the whole earth - Proverbs 15:3-The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. So it is impossible to steal from God. One can only steal without being seen.

To rob means to apply force to take that which does not belong to you defying the law at any cost. One does not rob gently. You rob in the presence of the victim, without his approval. You take items of interest and worth by force disregarding both the law and the opinion of the owner.

This is the point God is demonstrating here. People, who refuse to pay tithes, literarily ask God to do whatever He wish and walk out on Him. Paying tithe is obeying the will of God. It is compulsory for all godly and righteous people to pay tithe. Tithe is important for the work of the Gospel.

Some ministers of the Gospel claim that paying tithe is remaining under the law. However, a careful look at the scriptures reveals that tithing existed long before Moses who received the law on behalf of the Israelites.

 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all (Genesis 14:18 -20)

Abraham loved the lord long before the Law was given to the people of Israel through Moses. In the above passage we see Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek who was a Priest of the most High God.

Abraham must have paid tithes in obedience, honour and love for God. That is why the payment of tithes continued right through the period of the law, and even went beyond, to our present generation. Scripture attests to the fact that the payment of tithe is still relevant and important today. This is so clear in the following Scripture.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. (Hebrews 7:8)

The tithe that we pay here on earth is physically received by men (priests) but at that same time, a spiritual transaction takes place when Jesus receives it in heaven. Tithing is a spiritual mystery.

The account in Hebrews 7:1-8 shows that tithe is payable to Jesus Christ our High Priest today. So long as Jesus is still the High Priest today; so long as Jesus is still the High Priest of our faith; tithes must be paid.

No one is exempted from paying of tithes, not even Bishops, Pastors, Apostles and all other ministers of the Gospel.

Ministers of the Gospel in our days are not only expected to teach and preach on the payment of tithes, they themselves must pay tithes on their income. It is scriptural. It is demanded of them. They also need the windows of heaven to be opened to them for God to pour out His blessings upon them. The windows of heaven also pour divine revelation from heaven which makes the Ministers more effective in their teachings. A Minister who does not pay tithe will hardly access fresh revelations from heaven for his sermons. His sermons will remain dry. It is dangerous for a minister of the Gospel to keep feeding his flock with dry messages. The purpose of a minister is to feed the flock with knowledge and understanding.

And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.(Jeremiah 3:15)

What Jesus Said Concerning Tithing

The words of our lord Jesus Christ are concerning tithe are well recorded in Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Jesus speaking concerning the Scribes and Pharisees said:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23)

This is also repeated in Luke 11:42

“But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone”

These passages are of great significance. They show where tithe ranks in God’s priority order. Jesus commended the Pharisees for the meticulous way they gave their tithes; but chided them for neglecting the weightier matter of the law, in which they prided themselves.

Jesus never canceled the payment of tithe. Neither did He in any way suggest the cancellation of tithe. Payment of tithes existed before the law came in, was upheld during the dispensation of the law and is still in force to date. The era of grace does not do away with the payment of tithes.