Actually, the Jews were required to give more than a tenth. (1) Deuteronomy 26:12 said the Jews had to give an extra tithe every three years for their welfare program. So, if someone tithed $900 a year, s/he would have to tithe an average of $300 more per year for the welfare program, equaling $1,200 year. If the yearly income was $9000, this would take it up to 13.3% a year. (2) Also, according to Leviticus 27, they had to pay for their vows, which in many cases were really special prayer requests. (3) They also had to buy animals for sacrifices for intentional sins, unintentional sins and sins requiring restitution. (4) If they wanted to thank God for anything, they had to buy grain for a sacrifice (Leviticus 1-5). If they didn’t have to buy the animals or grain, they had to take them out of their own supply, thus depleting their own “pay check.” (5) And every time one of their flocks or herds had a first-born, they had to sacrifice it ~ another depleting of the “pay check.”
So the good Jew under the Law of Moses did not just tithe. He ended up giving about one third of his income. Galatians 5:3 says that, if we keep one part of the Law, we have to keep all of it. There were over 600 burdensome commandments in the Law of Moses!
Exercise to Determine Your Annual Giving Budget Under Law of Moses
Vows
- Genesis 28:20 – To have a safe journey (“traveling mercies”)
- Leviticus 27:2 – To dedicate someone for special service to God
- Numbers 21:2 – To be delivered from enemy army
- 1 Samuel 1:11; Proverbs 31:2 – To have a child
- 2 Samuel 15:7-8 – To return to homeland and reconciled to family
- Psalm 22:11, 25; 66:13 – To be freed of troubles and desertion by friend
- Psalm 76:11; Isaiah 19:21 – To prove allegiance to God before others
- Psalm 116:8, 14, 18-19 – To thank God for a verdict of not guilty
- Job 22:27; Jonah 2:7-9 – To recover from illness
(Leviticus 27:2-7) – Find your category by gender and age. Multiply the number of shekels required times $5.00. How much would one vow cost you? _____________ At one vow a month, how much would that be a year? _________________ Add that figure to your annual giving budget below.
First-born People & Livestock
Since each family only has one first-born their entire existence, we will not count this in the Annual Giving Budget below.
Numbers 3:45-47 – If your herds had twenty females giving birth for the first time in a year, you would owe how much in shekels to buy back (redeem) all five from becoming burned offerings? _____________ How much would that be in dollars? Add that your Annual Giving Budget below.
Animal Sacrifices
Let us give an average value of $25.00 per animal (5 shekels of silver).
Leviticus 1:6, 8-13; 8:18-21; 16:24 – This BURNT OFFERING was wholly consumed by fire. It was voluntary to atone for unknown, unintentional sin, expression of devotion, or complete surrender to God. If you asked God to forgive you for unknown, unintentional sins every week at $25.00 each, that would be how much in a year? ___________ Add that below to your Annual Giving Budget below.
Leviticus 4:1 – 5:13; 6:24-30; 8:14-17; 16:3-22 – This SIN OFFERING was required to atone for a specific unintentional sin (probably done in public) and involved confession, forgiveness, and cleansing from defilement. If you asked God to forgive you for one unintentional but public sin a month at $25.00 per animal sacrificed, that would be how much in a year? _______________ Add that to your Annual Giving Budget below.
Leviticus 5:14 – 6:7; 7:1-6 – This GUILT OFFERING was required for sins requiring restitution of an added 20% such as for stealing (intentional) or destroying property (unintentional). Let’s say you are real good and never get into this kind of trouble. Don’t add it to your Annual Giving Budget below.
Grain Offering
Grain offerings were usually cooked and eaten by the priests. They were flour, oil, incense (flavoring), bread, and salt. Let us give each such offering a $5.00 value.
Leviticus 2; 6:14-23 – This THANKSGIVING OFFERING was voluntary. Let’s say you, a good Jew, have a positive attitude and thank God for things once a week. How much would your grain offerings add up to during the year? __________ Add that to your Annual Giving Budget below.
Leviticus 3; 7:11-34 – This FELLOWSHIP OFFERING was voluntary and another form of thanking God for his goodness. Let’s say you make this kind of offering once a month. How much would your grain offerings add up to during the year? _________ Add that to your Annual Giving Budget below.
Annual Giving Budget of Good Jew
$____________ Tithing for the year
$____________ One-third of tri-year welfare tithe
$____________ One vow a month for a year
$____________ Twenty first-borns in herd for the year
$____________ One unknown sin a week (burnt offering)
$____________ One unintentional sin a month (sin offering)
$____________ One thanksgiving offering a week for a year
$____________ One fellowship offering a month for a year
$____________ TOTAL GIVING FOR A GOOD JEW