Copyright © S P Townsend
A form of tithing was practiced by Abraham on at least one occasion in his life. Abraham, along with others allied with him, had secured a great victory over Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and his allies. Abraham’s attack on Kedorlaomer was prompted by the Kedorlaomer’s defeat of the people of Sodom, and the consequential fact that Lot, Abraham’s nephew, had been taken captive along with his household and possessions (Genesis 14). After defeating Kedorlaomer and rescuing Lot and his household, Abraham met Melchizedek, King of Salem, who is described as a “priest of God Most High.” Melchizedek pronounced God’s blessing on Abraham, and Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils of battle to Melchizedek. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews uses this account to argue that the system of priesthood derived from Abraham – indeed the entire system of Law given to Abraham’s descendants through Moses – was subordinate to a higher and eternal priesthood (Heb 7: 11-25).
There is no inference that Abraham tithed on other occasions, and indeed the tithe described here differs considerably from the tithes described later in the Law of Moses. Abraham tithed the spoils of war; the Israelites tithed the produce they gained from the land. Abraham tithed an unexpected windfall; the Israelites tithed their basic sustenance. Abraham’s tithe was initiated by himself and was voluntary; the Israelites’ tithe was in obedience to God’s Law and was compulsory.
Even so, Abraham acted in a principled way, and we would be wise to try to understand the principles that guided him. The first thing to notice is that Abraham’s tithe was in response to God’s blessing. If Abraham had not realised that his victory over Kedorlaomer was entirely due to God’s aid and protection before he met Melchizedek, he certainly acknowledged it afterwards. Having recognised that what he had received was from God’s hand his immediate response was to give a tenth of it back to God as a token of his gratitude and as a witness to the others with him that God was his provider. I believe a similar desire rises within the hearts all God’s people when they truly come to realise that what they have received comes from God’s generous hand. Jesus taught his disciples, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10: 8).
The second thing to note is to whom the tithe was given. Unlike the artful child who threw his pocket money into the air telling God to keep what He wanted, Abraham directed his tithe to the safe keeping of another whom he could trust to seek God’s will and act upon it. God wasn’t there physically to take receipt of his tithe, so Abraham gave it to one who could be depended on to act on God’s behalf. It wasn’t given to good causes, although who can say what good causes benefitted from Melchizedek’s stewardship. It wasn’t given to feed the poor, although who can say what poverty Melchizedek relieved with what he received. It was given to one who would act as a diligent and faithful steward of what belonged to God.
The third thing to note is that Abraham’s tithe was not part of a bargain or covenant with God. Abraham did not make his tithe conditional on future blessing from God’s hand. He didn’t need to. He already enjoyed an unique relationship with God based on a covenant of grace. God had made an unconditional promise to bless Abraham and make Abraham a blessing (Genesis 12: 1-3). The only condition later set by God was male circumcision (Genesis 17: 9,10) and this was not so much a task to be performed to earn God’s favour as a continuing sign of the covenant, an act of faith renewed from one generation to the next. In a similar way the celebration of holy communion, or the Eucharist, is a sign for Christian believers of the new covenant God has made with them in Christ, under which they inherit the blessing of Abraham and much more (Galatians 3:14). Those who today teach that tithing is necessary in order to earn God’s favour, or to receive additional blessing from God, do not teach or understand Abrahamic tithing. Abraham enjoyed God’s blessing before he tithed, and would continue to receive it regardless of whether or not he tithed. His tithe was the expression of a grateful heart, not the purchase price of future favour.>
The final thing to note is what Abraham did with the rest of the spoils after the tithe had been deducted. The spoils comprised not only what previously belonged to Kedorlaomer, but also what Kedorlaomer had in his possession that he had seized from the peoples he had defeated, all the way from Mesopotamia to the Red Sea. As victor Abraham seems to have had right of disposal of all of the spoils. The king of Sodom requested that his people be returned, but that Abraham should retain everything else. Instead Abraham proposed that those who had helped him should receive an appropriate share, but that the remainder be returned to the king of Sodom. Abraham wanted to impress upon his allies and the king of Sodom that God alone was his provider. He wanted there to be no possibility that in future people would say that the people of Sodom had made him wealthy (Genesis 14: 22-24). So in actual fact this story is not about Abraham giving away ten percent of what he gained but of his giving away all of it. Essentially he demonstrated a principle of living by faith in God, and sought by his example to recommend that principle to his peers. He was prepared to reject any source of income, however great or attractive, that might be seen to undermine his testimony.
Later God judged these same kings that Abraham had rescued, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, remaining desolate even to the present day. It seems that they did not take on board the lesson God taught them through Abraham. Let us not fall into the same folly.
Copyright © S P Townsend