Tithing Before The Law (Adam, Abel, Abe, and Jake)

Tithing before the law is one of the reasons some Christians believe tithing is valid post-Calvary. Did tithing happen before the law? Some people believe that it did. I’ve heard preachers mention Adam and Abel when discussing the tithe. Were those legitimate acts of tithing? Abram gave a tenth of war spoils to the King of Salem. Does that make tithing obligatory for Christians? Plus Jacob offered God ten percent.

There are believed to be four instances of tithing before the law. Adam, according to some failed in the Garden. Abel essentially tithed but his brother Cain failed. Abram, the father of the Christian faith, set the example of tithing to the Priest of God Most High. Abram’s grandson, Jacob, continued the tradition by tithing before the law.

Are these instances Biblically legitimate?

Tithing Before The Law — Adam

Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV) And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I’ve heard this sermon more than once. Each sermon was based on opinion and not proper biblical interpretation.

God placed the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. He then commanded Adam to eat from any tree but that one. It was a simple command.

The Bible does not indicate how many trees were in the Garden. I imagine that it was more than ten. Tithe, by definition, is tenth. For this tree to be God’s tithe then it would require no more than nineteen trees.

Is it more likely that God had other reasons for prohibiting Adam and Eve’s consumption of the fruit? Could it simply be an issue of obedience?

Tithes are meant to be consumed. Levites and Aaronic priests ate the Levitical tithe. The Festival tithe was used as food during the Festival Celebrations. The Charity tithe was eaten by the poor, the widow, the stranger, and the Levite. Here’s an informative article titled, The Three Tithes of the Old Covenant.

Who would have consumed the Garden of Eden tithe?

Tithing Before The Law — Abel

Genesis 4:3-5 (NIV) In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering, he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Cain and Abel are discussed often in general and occasionally about tithing. This preacher states that the tithe was implied with Abel, revealed to Abraham, established in the law, and relevant today. I must admit that his string of words is carefully crafted and strongly established. However, it’s theologically inaccurate.

The Bible is silent about God’s expectations of Adam’s family. People declare that God required an animal sacrifice. If so, the Bible doesn’t make that clear.

The Levitical tithe was a combination of animals (every tenth whether good or bad), fruits, vegetables, and grains. Fruit, vegetables, and grains were consistently at 23.33% annually. Animals were only every tenth one. If a farmer had nineteen then he’d only give one.

My point?

More was expected, under the law, from the farmers than ranchers.

Farmers also had to leave the edges of their fields for the poor to glean (Leviticus 23:22). Vineyards couldn’t be picked twice. Grapes that fell couldn’t be collected. These were for the poor. Forgotten sheaves were left for the needy (Deuteronomy 24:19)

God is not moody. Why would He require an animal sacrifice as a tithe but reject fruits and vegetables? Perhaps there is more.

The Faith of Abel

Hebrews 11:4 (NIV) By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith, he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith, Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

The writer of Hebrews sheds additional light on Abel’s offering. He implies that the great differentiator was faith not what was offered.

Moses doesn’t indicate that God demanded an offering in Genesis. We simply see that Cain first presented an offering of the fruit of the ground and Abel provided fat portions.

God provides some insight into Cain’s mopiness.

Genesis 4:5-7 (NIV) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain did not do what was right. Shortly after this interaction he goes from mopiness to murder.

Calling Abel’s offering a tithe is at best a stretch.

Tithing Before the Law — Abram

Finally, we can get into a text that at least uses the word tithe or tenth. The other two were theological stretches.

Genesis 14:18-20 (NIV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Abram’s nephew Lot was kidnapped. An army of 318 men routed the four kidnapping kings and looted the plunder. They also recaptured Abram’s nephew. Melchizedek suddenly appears with bread and wine. He pronounced a blessing on Abram following the victory. Abram then gave him 10% of the war spoils and Melchizedek disappeared.

The King of Sodom met Abram and asked only for his men to be returned. He offered to allow Abram to keep the war spoils. Abram refused and gave the other 90% to the King of Sodom.

Tithing Before the Law Argument

Christians who support tithing believe that this text is a key to their argument. Few hang their hats on Adam, Abel, or Jacob. Most put all of their eggs in the Abram basket.

Here is the argument: Tithing was before the law, in the law, affirmed by Jesus, and it was not condemned in the epistles. Since all four of these things are true, it then becomes moral law and is relevant in the New Covenant.

Abram gave 10% of war spoils and not of his income or wealth. Abram was rich. However, he only gave ten percent of the war spoils. This could have been money or it could have been stuff — we don’t know. Plus, he gave the remaining 90% to the King of Sodom. Where do we draw the line from a Biblical perspective? Why aren’t we building a doctrine around giving the 90%?

Tithing in the law was required — for farmers. Money was rarely involved. When it was there was a fee attached to it. Few preachers would want you to bring them every tenth sheep or ten percent of your vegetable garden.

Redeeming the Tithe?

Somehow, the tithe was changed from edible food items to money. There is no scriptural evidence supporting this massive shift, though. Preachers claim, “Well, they were an agrarian society.” Yes, they were but they had money. When someone wanted to redeem their tithe (pay money instead of pomegranates) they added 20%. What was the 20% and the 10%? Money!

Jesus was under the law. He would always encourage a person under the law to keep the law. Even his conversations were challenging. He was squeezing self-righteous Pharisees in their microscopic keeping of the law. Here’s an entire article on what Jesus said about tithing that will be beneficial.

The argument of silence is used about the epistles and tithing. Advocates say, “tithing was so deeply ingrained in the society they didn’t need to teach it.” Many in the church were not converted Jews but Gentiles. Gentiles were unfamiliar with Old Testament laws. If anything, they would require particular training and didn’t get it.

The law was front and center in Acts 15. What laws didn’t Christians need to keep?

Acts 15:19-20 (NIV) It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

Oops, tithing must have slipped Pastor James’ mind.

Tithing Before The Law — Jacob

Genesis 28:20-22 (NIV) Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear to that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Jacob played “Let’s Make A Deal” with God. His agreement to give ten percent was conditional.

Here’s what Jacob required: God had to be with him, had to watch over him, God had to give him food and clothes and make sure he returned safely home. If all those things came to pass then he would graciously give God ten percent.

News flash friends, we don’t give God conditions.

Plus, there’s no evidence that Jacob ever fulfilled his end of the deal. It’s also not like he has a great track record of honesty.

Evidence that Jacob tithed at all, much less continually, is flimsy.

Tithing Before The Law — Conclusion

There is insufficient evidence that tithing began before the law. Adam’s tree and Abels’s fat are circumstantial at best. Abram gave a tenth of war spoils. However, scripture is silent on whether that was a one-time event. We never hear of him giving a tenth ever again. Jacob’s negotiation doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Biblical tithing began in the law. Its practice should have ceased when the New Covenant began.

Hebrews 8:13 (NIV) By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Tithing Articles For Your Edification

Tithing is accepted without question or investigation by many Christians. Yet, much of the teaching is inaccurate. Here is an article with 21 Tithing Questions to help you discern the truth about tithing.

Most pastors camp out at Malachi 3:6-12 when discussing tithing. There are many more tithing verses and they all should be taken together for proper context. Here are 41 Bible Verses About Tithing for your edification.

Tithing is a comprehensive subject. There are many arguments for its validity. Tithing: An Ultimate Guide addresses most of those arguments with Biblical answers right here.

What Are The First Fruits? Often tithes, offerings, and first fruits are used synonymously. Are they the same?

God mercifully Saved From The Prosperity Gospel over a decade ago. I was uncomfortable from the beginning but there were a few specific encounters that soured me — thankfully.