No tithe outside of Israel?
 

It is claimed by many that the Biblically commanded tithe was ONLY obligatory upon Israelites living in the land of Israel. Is this correct? Can it be proven from the Bible?

A factoid to keep in mind: the rabbis taught that Israelites living outside Israel were required to pay the "tithe for the poor".

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I believe it can by examining context and sticking with obeying the scripture as written. It a law for Gods people at that time under Gods government living in a land that God had blessed them with and God had greatly blessed the land as well.No scripture comes to mind that deals with tithing to God outside the borders of Israel.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

where is Tithesmaster when you need him?

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

No one outside of the commonwealth of Israel needed to tithe, or even keep the feasts. Anyone who wanted to sojourn among the people and eat of the passover needed to be circumcised. Then after circumcision they were considered proselytes and then required to keep Torah. God Fearers also known as Noahides weren't required to observe all the laws of Israel.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Im surprised both Esaias and EB believe this. I mistakenly assumed you both taught tithing in the Churches.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Let me take a crack at it. Chapter 12 of Deuteronomy,
verse one says . . .

Bible, King James Version

Deut.12 Verses 1

[1] These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

What are these?

They are statutes (laws).

Where are they to observe or do these laws?

In the land.

These statutes were to be observed in the land that God had given them. After verse one, Moses begins to list the statutes that they are to follow in the land. In verse six we encounter the tithe.

Bible, King James Version

Deut.12 Verses 6

[6] And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Does this mean that the Israelites were to ONLY observe the statutes that follow verse one in the land?

Well . . . it appears that way to me. If God had wanted them to follow the statutes wherever they happened to be, why would He say to observe to do them "in the land"?

What do you think Esaias?

I think this is a weak and insufficient argument in proof of tithing being limited to the land of Israel. Whether tithing is or is not limited to the land of Israel, the argument you presented does not prove it.

The reason is your proof proves too much. The statutes and judgments which were to be done in the land include for example the following:

Not eating blood (ch 12 v 16, 23-25)
Avoiding syncretism and paganism (v 30-31)
Not altering the Law (v 32)
Not following false prophets (ch 13 v 1-4)
Not eating unclean meats (ch 14)
Alms (ch 15 v 7-8)
Not bribing judges (ch 16 v 19)
Not setting up idols (ch 16 v 22)
Not practicing occultism (ch 18 v 10-12)
Not cross dressing (ch 22 v 5)

And many more. Yet, if your reasoning were correct, Israelites could violate all these rules (and more) as long as they were outside the land of Israel.

Therefore, the tithe being limited to that which was produced within the land of Israel would have to rest on some other basis than God saying "these are the things you will do in the land I give you".

The phrase "which you shall observe to do in the land" is not restrictive, anymore than a parent telling a child "in THIS house you will show good manners" is an authorization for a child to be ill-mannered at the neighbor's house. Which it would be if it were merely restrictive. Hope that makes sense.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

It is undeniable that God commanded the tithe to only be PAID in Jerusalem. There is no disputing that. But the question is "Are agricultural products of Israelites, sourced outside the land of Canaan, subject to being tithed?" If they were, they would of course still have to be paid in Jerusalem. I'm just trying to identify the actual Bible proof that ONLY agricultural produce from Canaan was to be tithed.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I'm surprised you are surprised.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I believe I have the answer, which I will present in a little while after I get my thoughts laid out coherently. It involves something that until yesterday I've never before seen mentioned in tithe discussions, even though its staring us all in the face. :)

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Tithing isn't a command for us today. I think it's a good guide though.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Genesis 14:18-24 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. (19) And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: (20) And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (21) And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. (22) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (23) That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: (24) Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

The tithe story usually begins here with Abraham giving tithes to Melchizedek. This is further elaborated upon by the apostle in his epistle to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 7:4-10 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. (5) And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: (6) But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. (7) And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. (8) And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. (9) And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. (10) For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

It is clear that Abraham gave tithes (tenths) to Melchizedek, the priest of God. The tithes were apparently taken from the spoils rather than from the goods that were recovered. The spoils would have been the "extras" that Abraham acquired in defeating the kings of the east, above and beyond the goods that were recovered. Those recovered goods were given back to their original owners, leaving the excess (the "spoils") from which a tenth was given to Melchizedek. Since the word tithes is plural, it seems that the spoils were divided into categories, and a tenth from each category was given. Whether the spoils included gold and other non-agricultural products we do not know.

Much ado is made of this story, but I think there is something that people miss. We may ask "Why does Moses include this particular anecdote concerning Abraham in his history of the Patriarchs?" It may be that Moses was intending to demonstrate that tithes were appropriately given to the priest of God, thus lending Patriarchal precedent for the Sinaitic regulations concerning tithing to the Levites and to the priests. But there is something that is brought forward by the apostle in his exposition of the Genesis account that many seem to overlook. Let's look a bit closer:

Hebrews 7:9-10 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. (10) For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

The apostle is saying that since Levi is descended from Abraham, and Abraham paid tithes, then Levi also (in a sense) paid tithes to Melchizedek. Now, Paul's purpose here of course is to show the superiority of the Melchizedek priesthood over that of the Levitical priesthood, and thus to show that Christ is a superior High Priest. But in doing so he reveals an idea, the idea that what a person does, his descendants do as well. It is the idea that there is a continuity between a person and their descendants, or between a person and his or her ancestors. This same concept is on display in Romans ch 5 where Paul speaks of Adam's relationship to mankind, and of Christ's relationship to mankind. "In Adam all die", expressing the idea that Adam's descendants somehow participated in Adam's disobedience. And "in Christ all shall be made alive", because by His act of obedience many are made righteous. In other words, what one does, the others do.

This of course does not mean that a person is "guilty" of some ancestor's sins, because Paul also says "for all have sinned". But this shows that by a person's act of sinning that person identifies with Adam and his sin, and participates in a sense with Adam. And thus, by having faith in Christ, we participate in a sense with Christ's act of obedience and thereby participate in the results of that obedience. This is also seen in Christ's condemnation of the scribes an Pharisees:

Matthew 23:29-32 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (30) And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. (31) Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. (32) Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

Here, the Lord affirms that by their unbelief, the scribes and Pharisees participate in the unbelief and sin of their ancestors who killed the prophets. The point is, there is a definite connection between a person and their ancestor, ratified by that person's adoption or rejection of the ancestor's character, values, deeds, etc. This is important for understanding where tithing comes from as a "law" for Israel.

(con't in next post)

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

(con't)

A lot of folks look at Jacob and his promise to tithe as a sort of template or example for us to follow today. However, I think most people really have no idea what is actually going on in the text. So let's look at it:

Genesis 28:10-22 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. (11) And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. (12) And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. (13) And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; (14) And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (15) And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (16) And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. (17) And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. (18) And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. (19) And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. (20) And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, (21) So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: (22) And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

So what actually happened here? God first promises to Jacob to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. He also promises to increase his descendants, and to keep him safe on his journeys, and to bring him back to the Promised Land. Most importantly, ask yourself What did God promise to give Jacob? The land of Canaan. And then in response, Jacob vows to give the tenth to God "of all that thou givest me". In other words, Jacob promised to give a tenth back to God of all that God gives him, which as we have seen was the land of Canaan. To make this clearer, Jacob is vowing to give a tenth of the produce of the promised land back to God.

Now, the record of Jacob's journeys and return to the land of Canaan is well known. What is not so well known is the fact there is no record of Jacob ever fulfilling his vow. In fact, there is evidence in Scripture that Jacob never did actually fulfill this vow, at least not upon his return. Remember, Jacob got rather rich working for Laban. He increased greatly in goods and cattle. Yet, there is no record of him offering tithes upon his return. After his run-in with the men of Shechem, he embarks on a pilgrimage back to Bethel (where he had made his vow), and there he sets up an altar and pours a drink offering and an oil offering. But no tithe! (see Genesis 35)

Now, we earlier asked "Why did Moses include the anecdote about Abraham and Melchizedek?" Let us ask the same question about Jacob and his vow of tithing. Remember, Jacob vowed to give a tithe of all that the Lord would give him. And what did the Lord promise to give him? the land of Canaan. So it is obvious why he did not tithe of anything that he got in Syria, while in Laban's employ. Because that cattle and wealth was not the product of the land which God promised to give Jacob. The vow concerned the land (and its produce) which God promised to give Jacob.

So why did Moses include this account? Along with no account whatsoever of Jacob ever paying his tithes and making good on his vow? Let's look at something Moses said about the tithe:

Leviticus 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.

Leviticus 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

A lot of people think that God just sort of came up with the idea for a ten percent tax on agricultural products, as a nifty means of supplying the Levites and priests with their sustenance. But closer inspection reveals something else going on. God says the tithe is His, it is holy unto the Lord. Something that is holy to the Lord is holy because it has been dedicated to the Lord. Which is exactly what Jacob vowed.

God promised to give the land of Canaan to Jacob. And Jacob vowed to give back a tenth of that land's produce (crops and herds grown on that land). This means that the tithe or tenth of all agricultural produce (crops and herds) was already sacred, devoted to God, it already belonged to God. why? by a vow concerning those things made by Jacob.

Now, Jacob himself never actually inherited full ownership of the Promised Land. but his descendants did. The promise made to him was fulfilled by his descendants taking possession of the land from the Canaanites several centuries later. Here we see that God counts what Jacob's descendants would do as if Jacob did it (inheriting the land of Canaan). In other words, there is that continuity again, between a man and his descendants. A promise made to Jacob, God fulfills to his kids. And a vow made by Jacob, God requires the fulfillment of it from them.

Now we see why Moses included the story about Jacob's vow. It was in order to show the legal basis for God's claim on the tithe of the produce of the land of Israel. The tithe was required because Jacob, their ancestor had made a vow, and that vow was still binding on his descendants.

And now we understand why Malachi asked "Shall a man rob God of His tithes?" The tithes belonged to God because Jacob vowed them to God.

(con't in next post)

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

(con't)

Now, as to the question regarding obligatory tithes from produce sourced outside the land of Israel. It would seem that normally, produce sourced from outside the land of Israel would not be subject to a mandatory tithe requirement, since Jacob never vowed a tenth of the agricultural produce of other lands (which he couldn't have done anyway, really, since they weren't given to him and weren't his to vow). The Sinaitic commandment concerning the tithe was enacted in order to fulfill Jacob's vow. He had vowed ten percent of the produce of the land, therefore it was dedicated to God and thus holy, it belonged to God. So Jacob's descendants, in whom Jacob would be given the land, would be required to fulfill their father's vow. Jacob would fulfill his vow in his children.

Israelites living in foreign lands would of course not be under obligation to pay a tithe on the agricultural produce generated in those lands - just as Jacob seemed to recognise no obligation to tithe anything he had gotten from Laban. Jacob's vow had nothing to do with foreign lands. Israelites living abroad would be living in someone else's land, subject to those foreign laws, vows, etc. Thus, no requirement to tithe that stuff to God.

Again, the obligatory nature of tithes depended upon Jacob's vow concerning the land of Israel. In fact, it may be that if Jacob had never made the vow he made, there would have been no requirement to tithe anything at all, to begin with.

Now, an interesting question arises concerning if and when Israelites obtained foreign lands by conquest (or by some other means). If they acquired a foreign land, and were not merely living in those foreign lands as strangers and pilgrims, but rather as the primary inhabitants or citizens, then it would seem the tithe requirement would kick in. The land would have been given to them by God. Thus, it would be considered to have been given to Jacob, and therefore possibly subject to the tithing vow.

In other words, did the two and a half tribes that settled on the east of Jordan have an obligation to pay tithes?

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

very interesting, Thanks Esaias.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I know a better way . . .

AND it is scriptural!

Bible, King James Version


2Cor.9
[7] Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Esaias,

Will you please not forget to provide scripture for this factoid? Like you want me to do for everything?

Thanks

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

It's a reference to something I read in the Talmud. Hence, "the rabbis taught..."

I'll see if I can find it again.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Mishna Yadayim 4:3

https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Yadayim.4.3?lang=bi

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

As appears from the Bible, the law of tithing was originally to be applied in Palestine only; the Prophets, however, ordained that tithing should be observed in Babylonia also, it being near Palestine. The earlier rabbis applied the law of tithing to Egypt and to the lands of Ammon and Moab (Yad. iv. 3); and the scribes seem to have instituted tithes in Syria (Dem. vi. 11; comp. Shulḥan 'Aruk, Yoreh De'ah, 331, 1 et seq.).

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14408-tithe

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

As you say, the law of tithing was originally to be applied in Palestine only. In this context what does the verse below say about changing it.

Bible, King James Version

Deut.4
[2] Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

It seems to me that somebody added to or diminished from the law. This is the specific law that was to be followed "in the land" and did not include the Ten Commandments, which were followed before they entered into the land.

Bible, King James Version

Deut.12 Verse 8


[8] Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.


This verse indicates that they were not bound by the law until they entered the promised land. They were of course subject to the ten commandments. "Here this day" refers to on this side of Jordan IMO. "Here this day" every man does that which is right in his own eyes, as opposed to when they cross Jordan they are to follow these new statutes.

I know you disagree Esaias, but if you read it I think you will see it.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Esaias,

This is a response to the mega post concerning the tithes of the Land of Israel being the tithe that Jacob promised God (with qualifiers of course).

First of all, thank you for taking the time and effort to put together the information. I have seen this before and been reluctant to embrace it because I believe it falls short on scriptural evidence. Having said that, I do believe it is in harmony with the body of information in the Bible regarding the tithe. If I had to guess (which we never like to do) I'd say there may be a lot of truth in this. Since I don't have to guess, I'll say that it is interesting theory, and may rise to the level of being true, albeit impossible to verify conclusively through scripture.

How's that for equivocating?

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Then you agree Israelites could consult witches, drink blood, and crossdress as long as they were outside the Promised Land.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

"If God will be with me, &c." - Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Genesis xxviii. 13-15; for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land. If, then, God shall fulfill these promises, he binds his posterity to build God a house, and to devote for the maintenance of his worship the tenth of all their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God; and so thoroughly had he been instructed in the knowledge of Jehovah, that we may rest satisfied no reverses of fortune could have induced him to apostatize: but as his taking refuge with Laban was probably typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt, his persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban, the bad treatment of his posterity by the Egyptians, his rescue from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in his own country, &c., were all typical of the exodus of his descendants, their travels in the desert, and establishment in the promised land, where they built a house to God, and where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship of God, they gave to the priests and Levites the tenth of all their worldly produce. If all this be understood as referring to Jacob only, the Scripture gives us no information how he performed his vow.

Adam Clarke's Commentary, Genesis 28:20ff

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

The promised land is part of the covenant. You may not understand this, and I wish I could help. Most people do not get it. I know that you are plenty knowledgeable and I am in no way trying to impugn your knowledge, it is instead a matter of understanding. We've been here before.

Why would you not want to receive the promise of God that has been part of your DNA as an Israelite for five hundred years?

The promised land was part of the covenant.

Without the land, there is no covenant.

Show me a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that does not include the land.

I think you can surely understand what I'm saying. For some reason you don't want to admit it even though there is ample evidence of it in the Bible.

If someone did not want to be part of the covenant, then I suppose they could go and do their own thing maybe. But if you separate the land from the covenant, it falls apart.

Suppose I entered a covenant with you to give you some land in exchange for one million U.S.D.. Now suppose when we met to consummate the deal that I could not deliver the title to the land.

Would you still give up the money?

That's sort of the deal with the Israelites and God. The "deal" was anticipated, talked about, and looked forward to for five hundred years. It is even considered a type of heaven.

Would you be disappointed if you didn't make heaven?

Would you decide that you would rather go somewhere else other than heaven?

I'm not going to try to convince you any further. If you can't or don't want to see it, I guess I'll be okay.

God bless you.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

You are putting words in my mouth that I did not say. Of course you understand that. I will say this. As long as they were outside the promised land, these laws did not apply. Unless of course you choose to disregard the Bible that I quoted.

Remember "every man does that which is right in his own eyes"?

Does this sound like they are adhering to the law?

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Look at your post quoted above from Adam Clarke. See if you can find land in it. Let me know if you can't. I'll be glad to help.

Likewise read the chapter referenced. Search for the reference to land in it. If you can't find it, let me know. I'm pretty sure it's there.




Unless . . .

You just don't want to see it.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

As long as they were outside the promised land, these laws did not apply.

Once again, you are proving my point. You just said "As long as they were outside the land these laws did not apply." Therefore, they could crossdress, drink blood, and consult witches AS LONG AS THEY WERE OUTSIDE THE LAND.

You are confirming what I said about your position and its ramifications.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I don't think you even know what you are arguing against. I quoted Clarke to show that he sees the same basic thing: Jacob's vow was fulfilled by his descendants.

Sometimes I think people on this forum are just trolling for effect.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Wow. You must have two tabs opened, and are arguing with someone on another forum, and getting your tabs mixed up.

:smack

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Okay Esaias,

Tell me what this scripture means to you.



Bible, King James Version

Deut.12 Verse 8

[8] Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Forget about my opinion. Just expound on this verse. What does this mean to YOU?

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Other than that the verse has no bearing on whether or not the law of tithing was put in place to fulfill Jacob's vow?

The context indicates that altars for sacrifice were to be found only in one location (to be determined by God) to which everyone was to bring their offerings. There was to be a unified prescribed worship for all Israel.

Your love gift can be sent via Paypal just pm me for details. :)

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Does anyone know if the 2 and a half tribes east of Jordan ever tithed? I can't seem to find anything on that.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Brother, I tell you what I love about you. Your sense of humor! I do need to send you a love gift, however I am concerned that your Paypal info could be compromised. Just pray that God will impress me with your info and I will send the "gift" in Bitcoin. It is far more secure that way.

:thumbsup

I am concerned about your fixation on cross-dressing. Is there something I need to help you pray about?



j/k

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

It is my understanding that the tithe was strictly in relation to those living within the land of ancient Israel.

Leviticus 27:30-34 King James Version (KJV)
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord.

It is also my understanding that under the law only agricultural products were tithed. They included grain, fruit, and livestock. Only products produced within the boundaries of the land of Israel were to be tithed. Jews living in Gentile lands were exempt. Others exempt from the tithing law included the hired hands, fishermen, miners, lumber workers, construction workers, soldiers, weavers, potters, manufacturers, merchants, government workers, and priests. In short, all who were not farmers were exempt.

The Jewish farmers in the land could redeem (buy back) the tithes of their crops with a penalty of one fifth. In other words, if a farmer wishes to keep his tithe of grain worth $1,000, he could pay the cash equivalent of $1,200 (Leviticus 27:31).

The Lord Jesus Christ did not ask for or receive a tithe for support of His ministry. Being of the tribe of Judah (not Levi) He could not without breaking the law (Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5). Neither Peter (not of the tribe of Levi) nor Paul (of the tribe of Benjamin) could receive tithes for the support of their ministries.

Even the Jews do not practice tithing today because there are no Levites, priests, or temple worship in Jerusalem. Jewish rabbis know biblical law well enough to know that tithing under the present circumstances is unlawful. According to them, when the temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem with a consecrated altar with priests and Levites officiating, all Jews living within the biblical tithing zones will tithe.

Paul the apostle to the Gentiles does not mention tithing but says a great deal about Christian giving. (Romans 15:25,26; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians chapters 8 & 9; Galatians 6:6-10; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Timothy 5:9-18).

Christians are to give regularly, joyfully, and systematically in accordance to the needs of the church and the ministry.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I really don't know the answer to this question. My assumption is that they did. The logical conclusion might be made that if they tithed outside of the promised land, then it was okay to do so. This assumption could be wrong. The Israelites did many things that violated the laws in general and the tithe laws in particular. Even Moses and Aaron blatantly disobeyed God and paid the price of being unable to enter the promised land because of it.

On another note I have heard rumors that there are well-intended saints in the modern church that tithe money (a balatant violation of tithe law) from outside the land of Israel (another infraction), to folk who do not qualify to receive a biblical tithe. I almost believe the rumors to be true. Surely not.

The bottom line is that just because they may have tithed from outside of Palestine, does not mean they were being obedient to God in doing so.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I think a factor to consider is travel.

Remember, since the tithe was grain, produce, and livestock... they would have to transport all those harvested goods quite a distance. I'm not sure if the average farmer could do that with any efficiency outside of ancient Israel. Then one would have to consider how they kept such items preserved in the heat during that journey (they didn't have refrigerated trucks back then). I guess what I'm saying is that at some point the distance needed to travel in order to pay the tithe as required in Scripture would become a logistical nightmare if one lived outside of ancient Israel. Also, I don't remember reading about any massive caravans of farmers with a tithe journeying from distant lands recorded in Scripture. So... it makes logical sense that the tithe be required only of those living in the holy land, within a certain distance of Jerusalem. Else the priests would be sifting through mounds of aged produce, grain, and weary dehydrated cattle for weeks.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

Deut 14:22-26 provides for sending tithes across large distances. It is pretty well established that tithing was a tax on the produce of Canaan (in fulfillment of Jacob's vow), so an Israelite sojourning in say Asia Minor would not be subject to the tithe requirement. Mainly because the tithe was a requirement of the land, not merely of Israelites per se.

My follow up question has to do with land controlled by Israelites (as in the case of the two and s half tribes who settled east of Jordan).

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

I'm not wanting to assume, so I'm looking for any kind of historical data concerning their status and history.

Re: No tithe outside of Israel?
 

What you are saying here is that it is a SIN to give ten percent of your income to anyone as an act of worshipping God.

Which is preposterous in the extreme.