The First Fruits

Suomi       –          Portuguese

                                   

Tithe/fistfruits what does it mean?

To return the firstfruits or to tithe is an essential part of Christianity. However, there have been many doubts surrounding it. 

This post will help you to understand what the firstfruits are, and how to tithe correctly and enable you to conquer the blessings promised to you as a result of returning the first fruits. Tip: take your bible to doble check it!

It is important to understand the tithe’s literal and spiritual significance, and this cannot be done without first grasping its value. 

The word ‘tithe’ comes from the Hebrew language ‘asar’, meaning ‘ten’ or ‘the tenth part’. However, if we look deeper, we will discover that it means to accumulate, to grow, to enrich. 

In other words, when we give the tenth part of what we receive montly or of the profits of a business to God, we will be favoured with His blessings, receiving financial prosperity, growth and accumulating possessions. 

One of the greatest signs that returning the tithe brings prosperity is shown through how much God emphasises to the Israelites that it be brought to His house and, afterwards, test Him: 

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house.” (Malachi 3:10)

Because of this, God also promises to rebuke the demon that causes poverty, which the Bible refers to as ‘the devourer’. This demon has been prevailing in the lives of many people.

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground…”  (Malachi 3:11)

The spiritual meaning of the tithe as the firstfruits goes far beyond its monetary value. Souls are saved because of the first fruits, as it enables the Good News to be spread throughout the world. 

Because of the firstfruits, the Church can reach millions of people through radio and TV programmes, newspapers, leaflets, etc. 

The fisrtfruits are also used to maintain God’s house, where people who are tormented, sick, addicted and oppressed find relief, spiritual deliverance and have their lives transformed. 

The Church plays an important role in our society. It brings the lost and needy closer to God, leading them to a new, blessed and happy life. This is why keeping the doors of the Church open is crucial. And so, those who understand the spiritual meaning of returning the firstfruits are blessed; their faithfulness, connected to the salvation of millions of souls, makes them valuable to God in the war against the devil. 

“Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (2 Chronicles 7: 15-16)

The people of Israel always gave the first ten per cent of their crops and herds to God. 

Abraham was one of the first men in the Bible to return the tithe. Right after God promised him that he would be the father of a great nation and the owner of the land where he lived, Abraham built an altar for the offerings and the tithes:

“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12.7)

Abraham frequently presented the tithe on the altar. When Abraham defeated King Chedorlaomer and his allies when he took his nephew Lot captive, he separated the tithe of the spoils and handed it to the priest: 

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;  And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him a tithe of all.” 

(Genesis 14: 18-20)

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house…”
(Malachi 3:10)

God promises also to rebuke , through the Tithe,the demon that characterises the misery: the devouring spirit.
This demon has been the great villain in the lives of countless people on Earth.

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts”
(Malachi 3:11)

Obedience
Wisdom
Faith
Justice
Faithfulness

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TITHE

The law that established the tithe on the children of Israel arose with the need for sustenance of the tribe of Levi, which had been designated to care exclusively for the Tabernacle of the congregation.

The tribe of Levi would not work in normal trades and should be totally dedicated to the service of the congregation and everything concerning it. Therefore, as they could not work for their families, God determined that part of the crops, the offspring of animals and everything that was traded was to be delivered to the Temple to provide the necessary conditions for services and festive solemnities:

“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance…”
(Numbers 18:21-24)

Did Jesus Abolish the Tithes?

Tithing is so important that it was ordained long before the Ten Commandments of God’s Law and if it was important before the Law, and it was also during the Law, why shouldn’t it be so after the Law?

On one occasion, Jesus was rebuking the scribes and Pharisees about the formality with which they practiced in the Law. He taught that judgment, mercy and faith were the most important things that could be taken from the Law of Moses, but that even by practicing these, they should not omit those others that are also important. In the specific case of this passage, one of the “important things” Jesus Christ speaks of is nothing more, nothing less than Tithing:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”
(Matthew 23:23)

Jesus did not abolish the need to return the firstfruits, in fact it’s clean in this verse that He not only said it should be done but that we need also to be the tithe ourselves, having a separated character or in short live our lives in holiness.

“And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law...”

(Hebrews 7:5)

“Here mortal men receive tithes, but there He receives them, of whom it is witnessed that He lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes…”

(Hebrews 7:8-9)

BURDEN OR HONOR?

When God created the tithe, more than just support for His work, He want to give us the opportunity to honor Him. To present our firstfruits cannot be done as a burden, nor should a pastor, a church or anyone be charging or controlling you if you do or not. 

If you return your fisrtfruits (tithe) to God is because you believe in Him, so there is no need for no one to charge you in doing so. 

It should be a pleasure to be able to do it for God.

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase” (Proverbs 3:9) 

“…But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who 

honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” (1 Samuel 2:30)

GOD IS THE OWNER OF EVERYTHING

Let’s clarify the firtfruits by using the following example: People who own uncultivated land usually rent it to farmers so that they will look after it. The agreement is that they will clean and furrow the land, kill pests and harmful insects, sow the seed and take care of it until harvest. Then, they will pay the landowners part of what they have harvested, which is usually 50% of the produce. 

God asks for the first 10% of all our income-very little compared to what He has given us. Our life, intelligence, existence, the earth, rain, sun-in short, everything that exists in the world, as well as in heaven-belong to Him, and we just take care of them.

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. (Exodus 19:5)

 

PARTNERS OF GOD

Fullness of health, peace, joy, happiness, pleasure, food, energy, strength, love and life are what await you, becaming faithful. 

God wants to be our Partner. He wants us not only to enjoy His blessings, but also to help Him share His Word with everyone. When God created man, He made him according to His image and likeness, so that he would have communion with Him. God wants to have the same relationship with us that He had with Jacob.

The foundation of our relationship with God is: what belongs to us (our life, strength and money) belongs to God, and what belongs to Him (the blessings, peace, happiness, joy and every good thing) belongs to us. The Bible says that we are co-heirs with Christ and heirs of God: 

“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:7)

Throughout the Bible, we see God inviting humankind to have communion with Him and enjoy true happiness. God blesses everyone who calls upon Him in spirit and in truth. When we are His allies, we are committed to each other. God treats us in the same way he did Adam and Eve before they disobeyed, giving them an abundant life and having communion with them daily. 

TITHES AND OFFERINGS
THE BLOOD OF THE CHURCH

It wouldn’t be possible to spread the Gospel without one indispensable tool: money. It is for this reason that God established the law of tithes and offerings in the church. 

Money is for the church what blood is for the human body. Money makes it possible for people to receive the Word of eternal life wherever they are at home, in hospital, in prison, etc.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in
My house.”
(Malachi 3:10)

MONEY AND THE WORK OF GOD

Every Christian should have the desire to be blessed financially, to enjoy God’s generosity and show through their lives that God is truly the Owner of all the gold and silver on the face of the earth. As it is written:

“The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.”
(Haggai 2:8)

See the reports of people who understand the importance of Honoring God with the Firstfruits:

Mia Mokanda

Herve Mokanda

Dekala Johson

Other questions

Nobody should stop attending church or feel uncomfortable if they don’t believe in returning tithes, faith is individual and there can never be an obligation to do so. Not doing so should never stop you from coming to church, as you are never obligated to pay anything.

Attending meetings is open and free.

The tithe, as we mentioned before, is an individual act that expresses dependence on God. So it cannot be given on behalf of the husband, the wife, the children or relatives without their consent. 

This can cause confusion and inconvenience to others. 

For example: What can be done is the person that from their own earnings wants by faith separate an offering like tithe on behalf of their beloved, but it’s not going to be from the third part earnings so therefore it’s not the firstfruits from that person.

The firstfruits should be placed on the Altar of the church, as the Bible teaches. When you use bank transfer to return the firstfruits you can still make use of the envelope and place the amount written on a paper or even bring a bank receipt inside the envelope.

To work out the firstfruits of a business, you can use this 

 equation: 

(E – D) ÷ 10 = tithe 

To illustrate this better, these calculations should be followed in the examples below: 

Let’s say that in one month, your business had a turnover of 

€20.000 and the expenses for the employees, taxes, water, electricity, telephone, basic materials and the rent amounted to €12,800. 

20.000 – 12.800 = 7.200  ÷ 10 = 720. The tithe is €720

Even if you have a company whose revenue differs every month, follow the same calculations. In the case of larger companies, the basic calculation is always through the account balance, where it is deducted from the value of the profit or labour of the owner. 

Conclusion: The firstfruits of the business should be taken from the profit of the company and not from gross monthly bills.

Making such a mistake could cause damage, as can be seen in the following example. 

A company had a turnover of €20.000 and their expenses were €12.800. According to the equation above (20.000-12.800 = 7.200  ÷ 10 = 720.), the correct tithe is €720. But if the company gives the tithe of the gross value of turnover, that is €2.000, it will give €1.280 more than the correct value of the firstfruits owed; it would completely invalidate its activity, for not earning income for the maintenance of the company and of their families. 

There is still the case of the business owner wanting to tithe from the profit of the company, and not just from individual profit. In this case, they should do the calculations as normal, taking into account any peculiarities.

When you receive advance money at any other time than as part of your salary, you have two options: immediately give the tithe and deduct it at the end of the month, or save it all to take out the tithe when you receive the complete salary. 

However, to avoid forgetting and risking not giving your firstfruits, it is advisable to take out the firstfruits as soon as you receive the money, or any other income. 

If a tither buys goods, furniture, properties etc., the money used to buy them is already tithed. In this case, it is not necessary to separate the tithe again, except in cases in which there is profit. 

The firstfruits of the total sales of goods should be separated only if the owner, during the period of acquisition, bought with money that was not tithed or received it as an inheritance. 

Pensioners usually receive their wages on a monthly basis and without deductions, so they should give the firstfruits of the gross amount. 

It is important to remember that our faithfulness to God should be above any circumstances. Always give the tithe of what you have received that month to avoid any complications. 

“Honour the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase”. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

The tithe, as we mentioned before, is an individual act that expresses dependence on God. So it cannot be given on behalf of the husband, the wife, the children or relatives without their consent.
This can cause confusion and inconvenience to others.
For example: What can be done is the person that from their own earnings wants by faith separate an offering like tithe on behalf of their beloved, but it’s not going to be from the third part earnings so therefore it’s not the firstfruits from that person.

Yes. The purpose of the firstfruits is to maintain the house of God. The Bible does not mention a specific church. However, it is best to give the tithe in the church he or she attends. 

No, because the payment of the financial instalments has to come from a source of income that you should already have tithed.

The firstfruits of the salary of an employee should be taken from the gross monthly income and not from the net income. 

Let’s use a bricklayer as an example, who’s been hired to renovate a house for €50.000. 

50.000 ÷ 10 = €5.000. This is the correct tithe. 

If the value of renovating the house did not include construction materials, the bricklayer should include them as expenses. 

50.000 – 22.500 = 27.500 ÷ 10 = €2.750. The tithe would be €2.750.

The expenses should always be taken out of the monthly or weekly bill; the tithe should only be taken out from the profit made. 

When the tithe is taken from the gross income, it is possible that the tithe is being taken from what is not profit. 

This can be illustrated in the example that follow: 

A dressmaker sells a dress for €500, but the fabric cost €85 and the trimmings cost €45. 

500 – 85 – 45 = 370 ÷ 10 = €37 

The correct tithe is €37. If the dressmaker gives the tithe of the gross income of the dress that is, €50, it would be exceeding the amount of the tithe by €13. The tithe should always be taken from the profit and not from the gross.

The tithe is the first ten per cent of one’s income, which means that it doesn’t only apply to a salary or profit. If you receive benefits, you can return the firstfruits from it; if you receive monthly help from a family member, it can be tithed. 

But there are exceptions. A person should never give the tithe of what doesn’t belong to them. For example, a housewife receives money from her husband to do the shopping for the month or to pay the bills, and she decides to give the tithe on behalf of her husband.  This is wrong. No one can give the tithe for someone else without their consent, even if this person is their husband. He will have to choose to return the firstfruits for himself, as it is his salary and not his wife’s. 

If the husband gives his wife money to use as she pleases, then she can tithe it. 

People who buy and sell goods should take the tithe from the profit and not from the gross. 

For example, a car dealer buys a car for €10.000 and sells it for €15.000. With this sale, the profit is €5.000. Using the formula: 

15.000 – 10.000 = 5.000 ÷ 10 = 500. The firstfruits is €500. 

Just like a normal employee, those who work on commission should give the firstfruits from the gross salary. 

Yes and no. Yes as they both means the 10% but while the word tithe alone can mean any 10% out of the 100% when it’s in regard to return to God what He asked should be understood that if I want to do it correct it’s the first 10% out of the 100% so therefore the bible also mentions it as the firstfruits. 

Even with so many automatic deductions nowadays in salary we still can consider as separating as first moment when we receive it in our hands our incomes, so before our own necessities and to buy lists we should separate the FIRSTFRUITS at the envelope or make it already straight to the church account. 

If you think of your income as a cake that has 10 pieces, there will be only one first piece even if all the others looks the same the first is what should be directed to GOD. 

SOME IMPORTANT POINTS

God does not want anyone to be forced to do anything for Him, when I am forced or if I am afraid and that’s why I give offering or tithe this will not please Him by no means. Even tithe being a commandment yet I need to do it with love and joy not with a heavy heart.

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

“Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord…
The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.”
(Exodus 35:5,29)

As clear in the verses above, the man of God, asks and teaches but it’s your decision to put in practice if you believe or not. Not doing it also should never impede you to come to church, as you are never required to pay anything. Still have a question? Why not to ask the pastor? 

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