Did Jacob Tithe?
Some prefer to interpret the account given in Genesis 28 as a personal vow Jacob made, rather than a requirement. The reasoning is that if tithing was required Jacob would have been obligated to pay a tenth to God whether he prospered and returned in peace or not. The problem with this notion is that one tithes on his increase. One in business for himself, as Jacob was, could only tithe if he had been blessed and received an increase. Many businessmen suffer losses and do not tithe unless they have had profits. Jacob promised God that from now on any increase he had would be tithed upon, and he was so sincere in his commitment that he vowed to do so.
Notice the account:
And he [Jacob] 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. 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; 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. 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. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. . . . 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, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 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 (Gen. 28:12–16, 20–22).
This promise to tithe was not to be a onetime event. Jacob promised that from now on all his increase would be tithed upon. Jacob's vow was conditional because he knew that without God's divine protection he would not live to tithe anything. He claimed God's protection and promised to continually tithe. The question that should be asked is, why did Jacob select the ten percent figure as the amount? From Abraham, of course, as Jacob grew to be a young man before Abraham died. When Jacob used the "if" in his vow to God he knew that God would have to meet a condition. Jacob was on a dangerous trip alone. He was just starting out on his own in life. He needed God's blessing and protection in order to be successful. With the assurance of God's intervention and protection, he promised to be faithful to return to God a portion of what he had been given. Why did he make such a promise? Because he was aware of God's requirement to tithe and knew tithing was an act of worship. Of course it was a voluntary act on Jacob's part. All true religious worship is voluntary. But the guideline for what should be returned to God was made plain from the beginning, and those who worship God adhere to that principle.
Some who oppose tithing tell us Joseph did not tithe on the increase of Egypt, so tithing was not a law. The fact is: Joseph was not responsible for tithing in Egypt. Pharaoh was. And where would Pharaoh tithe? Certainly not to God. Also, we are told Israel did not tithe on the spoils from Egypt. There is no Scripture that states Israel did not tithe. To say this proves tithing was not a law is an example of determining a doctrine by means of omission. While this method can be utilized, it is not altogether foolproof and is not the most reliable way to come to understand the truth of any doctrine. The same can be said about the spoils of war listed in Numbers 31:26–30. While an offering was made in Numbers 31, the Scripture is silent on the matter of tithing. We should not assume, however, that it was not done and try to use this as proof.
Next: What Does Malachi Say?
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