HOW TO USE YOUR SECOND TITHE
What
is "second tithe"? What is it for? How, when, and for what should it be
spent? Here are the answers to these often asked questions.
"A SECOND tithe — you've got to be kidding!!" may have been your reaction the first time you heard the term mentioned.
Most
people when first becoming converted are somewhat alarmed when they
hear that God's True Church teaches tithing. However, they generally
readily accept it, thinking "Well, it's going to be difficult, but I'll
do it."
Then, sooner or later they hear about a second tithe —
not to mention a third tithe twice in seven years. Usually the
discovery of the second tithe produces quite a shock. But once
experienced, most true Christians come to think of second tithe as a
fantastic blessing provided for by a thoughtful and All-Wise Creator.
All for a Reason
Being
a loving God (I John 4:8), He has not only provided a tithe (tenth) for
His ministry to do His Work on earth, but He has also provided a tithe
for you that you may grow spiritually and rejoice before Him.
Notice
Deuteronomy 14:22-23: "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy
seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat
before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place
his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil,
and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest
LEARN TO FEAR the Lord thy God always."
For Your OWN Use
Here
God is speaking to the people and telling them they are to eat of the
tithe of their corn, wine, oil, etc. This then is a separate or
different tithe from the one to be used to carry out the work of the
ministry!
The first tithe was originally given to the Levite.
But since the crucifixion of Christ, it is given to the Melchisedec
priesthood for the carrying out of the Work of God. It was absolutely
forbidden for people to take of that tithe for their own personal use.
But
this second tithe is for your use. Why ? "So thou mayest learn to fear
the Lord thy God always" (verse 23) — so you might learn to properly
stand in awe of, revere, respect and worship your Creator God at His
Festivals!
God has commanded that you keep this tithe strictly
for your benefit. It is to provide for your expense to the Feast — for
your transportation, for your food and for your entertainment and
pleasure during these days.
What a thoughtful and loving Creator
to command you to save a tithe for your own enjoyment and pleasure! Not
many people of the world can be assured a vacation completely paid for
each year. In fact, many people spend their vacations puttering around
the house and save for years to enjoy the kind of trip provided for us
each year. And yet. . .
Some Rob Themselves
In
spite of all this, some have complained about having to save this tithe
for their own use. Some save only a part of it. Others have waited
until it's time to leave for the Feast and take their last check or
two, pile the children into the car and start out for the Feast hoping
against hope they will have sufficient cash to keep from running up a
bill they cannot afford to pay.
Such people often wonder why
their car seems to break down more often, their gas mileage seems to be
low and someone always seems to get sick before they return home. They
are under a curse and don't seem to realize why!
Perhaps this is
the very reason some of you have not been blessed financially as
abundantly as many other brethren in the Church. If you have not been
paying God His full tithe, as well as faithfully saving your second
tithe, you are under A curse! You definitely will not be blessed until
you begin to keep all of God's commandments!
God is holding you
accountable for the way you use the money He allows you to have. His
tithe is to be used so that His Work may preach the Gospel to the world
as a witness and bring many more to repentance and deep conversion.
But what about the use of "second tithe"?
Managing Your Second Tithe
Ancient
Israel, being a farming nation, was told to bring the second tithe of
their corn, wine and oil to the place where God set His name. (Deut.
14:24-25). He then said that if the distance was too great and the
produce too bulky, they could sell this tithe, thereby getting money
which would be much easier to carry, and use that money to provide
transportation to the Feast and to purchase the food they would need.
Some
of you reading this article are farmers by occupation. You could
certainly bring a part of your second tithe in the form of canned or
frozen fruits, vegetables or meats, even today. This produce could then
be used to provide your meals while you are at the Feast. Others of you
work at some trade or occupation to earn your living. You are not paid
in the form of produce but with a salary check. A tenth of that check
should be laid aside each payday to provide for your expenses to, from,
and during the Feast.
Your second tithe should generally be
placed in a bank for safekeeping. Large sums of money should never be
stuck away in a drawer in your dresser.
One of the members of
God's Church had to learn this lesson the hard way. His house was
broken into and nearly $300 of his second tithe stolen. He learned a
bitter, hard lesson, but apparently the lesson was well learned. He
repented deeply of being so foolish and a few days later God allowed
him to get back the bulk of the amount which was stolen.
It is
usually better to keep this second tithe in a completely separate
account from your regular checking account. In that way you will not be
as likely to "borrow" (steal) from your second tithe, perhaps
unintentionally, and thereby find yourself in serious trouble.
A
few individuals have rationalized themselves into thinking they can
"borrow" from their second tithe for some special occasion and repay it
later. Some have borrowed from their second tithe to start a business
which they were sure would enable them to return the money in a short
time. Usually they have found that their business has gotten worse
instead of better and that they NEVER were able to repay the money they
had stolen! As a result, they had to lose out spiritually, miss the
Feast for a year, and learn a very bitter lesson.
By putting
your second tithe in a special savings account, you can obviate the
possibility of getting your personal money mixed up with your second
tithe, and at the same time earn a small amount of interest on your
account. In this way, you are using your second tithe to earn a small
amount more for you!
Learn to USE — Not ABUSE Your Tithe
God
expects you to use your second tithe properly and not just "blow it."
Anyone can throw money away. It takes a wise man to use it in a proper
manner. In Deuteronomy 14:24-27, God tells you some of the ways in
which you are to use your second tithe — specific things for which to
spend it.
One of the chief items, of course, is food. But here
the principle is also revealed that transportation to, from, and during
the Feast, lodging and any Feast-related expense is to be included.
Let's notice exactly how you should properly use your second tithe for
the Feast.
What About Your Automobile Expense ?
Can you
use a portion ot your second tithe for repairs needed on your
automobile in order to go to the Feast ? Can you buy tires? What about
a battery? Just what expenses can and should be paid from your second
tithe?
Under these circumstances, it is good to ask yourself the
question, "Is this expense necessary in order to attend God's commanded
Feast, or is it simply work the car needs and this would be an easy way
to pay for it?"
If your car needs repairs in order for you to
attend the Feast, you may pay a certain portion of the cost of repairs
from second tithe. You can prorate the expense as follows: Figure the
total number of miles you drive each year. Then figure what percentage
of those miles is driven in attending God's Feasts. If you drive on an
average of 10,000 miles a year and the total mileage driven to attend
God's Feasts is 2,000 miles, you could then pay one fifth of the annual
upkeep of your automobile from your second tithe. This principle would
apply to tires or any other necessary upkeep of your car.
But
the most important thing to remember is that you need to attend God's
Feast. That is God's command (Ex. 12:17; Deut. 16:16). It is
conceivable, in some cases, that you could spend the bulk of your
second tithe using this prorated method and then not have enough money
left to pay for your Feast expenses. Obviously this would not be the
thing to do.
If the portion of the upkeep on your car which
could be covered by second tithe would be so large as to take most of
.your second tithe, you should plan to use some other means to get to
the Feast. Perhaps you should do the repairs with your own money to
assure that you will have sufficient second tithe to attend God's
commanded Holy Days.
Can You Buy Clothing?
What about the
buying of clothing from second tithe? Normally, you should not plan to
buy clothing from your second tithe, except for special types of
clothing which would be needed at the Feast but would not normally be a
part of your wardrobe. Brethren from warmer climates who must travel to
the Feast in Squaw Valley or Penticton which have colder climates have
to buy heavier and warmer clothing than they normally need at home. It
is all right to use second tithe for clothing for the Feast under such
special circumstances.
It would be a very rare occasion when you
should buy an integral part of your wardrobe with second tithe money.
However, such an occasion might arise in the case of an individual who
simply does not have proper clothing to wear to attend God's Feast and
could not otherwise afford it. We should all appear before God well
groomed and nicely dressed out of respect to our heavenly Father.
"Whatever Your Soul Desires"
At
times people have asked whether they could buy slipcovers for the
furniture, tricycles for the children and a gun or fishing equipment
for Dad. In spite of the fact that these items would not be used
primarily at the Feast, they reason that the Scripture says you are to
buy "whatsoever your soul desires" and their soul certainly desires
slipcovers, tricycles, and a gun or fishing equipment. But this is
erroneous reasoning!
God is talking about your buying whatever
you might desire to be used at the Feast! He is talking primarily about
food and drink.
The whole reason for spending your tithe in this way
is that you may rejoice and learn to look forward to the wonderful,
enjoyable and pleasant time of the millennium.
Gifts?
Then
what about gifts for the children and family? Is it wrong for you to
buy gifts for your children on the way to the Feast? The answer is no.
But wisdom should be used. You should not buy your child great
expensive gifts simply because it is from your second tithe. A suitable
toy, books or games which will help make the Feast a pleasant and
enjoyable time for your child are perfectly all right. But do not buy
the year's supply of toys on the way to the Feast!
In the
meantime, you should teach your child the principles of tithing the
year around. If your child is old enough to have a small income from
mowing lawns or doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, teach him to
pay God's first tithe and to save a second tithe. Regardless of your
child'; age, take opportunity to teach him how to use money properly by
giving him a small amount and guiding him in spending it during the
Feast.
Help your child learn to make de cisions and learn the
value of monej by doing his own shopping. Let hirr learn early that he
only has a certair amount to spend and will have to staj within that
amount. These lessons ar< priceless in future years.
Side Trips?
In
journeying to the Feast, is it right and proper to plan your trip so
that one or two of the natural wonders and scenic spots might be
included on the way? Since these wonders help us to realize the power,
glory and might of our God, the answer is yes! Such side trips help us
worship God and appreciate Him more deeply.
These side trips
might take you as much as one hundred miles or so off your regular
route of travel. But when the trips begin to entail an additional two
or three hundred miles in the opposite direction of the Feast, they
should not be taken on second tithe. If a trip of this nature is to be
undertaken, it should be done at your own expense.
Some have
wanted to detour several hundred miles in order to see relatives and
members of the family and haven't been too pleased when a minister has
advised against it.
Let's look at this problem for a moment.
Sometimes it may be all right to plan to see your family before or
after the Feast. But such a visit must not be allowed to detract from
the main reason for the trip — the observing of God's Holy Days which
picture His plan of salvation! If the reason for the trip is to see the
family — and in-cidently you are going to one of God's Festivals —
brethren, that is wrong! We are to be putting the Kingdom of God first
in our lives, not our physical relatives. The second tithe is to help
us serve God more fully, not to visit our own families. Therefore, if a
minister advises against a particular trip, you should realize he has
your spiritual welfare in mind.
Use the Tithe at Home?
What
about those who do not have sufficient second tithe to go to the Feast
? Can they stay home and use what they have there? Deuteronomy 12:17-19
declares: "Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn,
or of thy wine, or of thy oil . . . But thou must eat them before the
Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. . . ."
God says we must use our second tithe only in going to and from the Feast and for our expenses while there.
During
the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the other Holy Days, services may be
held right in your own area. In that case, you could use a small amount
of your second tithe for expenses of those Feasts because that is the
place where God has put His name for those Feasts.
You could use
a small portion of your second tithe to help provide the food which is
so abundantly served during those days. If you were to have Church
members from an outlying area in your home at that time, a portion of
the groceries to feed these people could be purchased out of your
second tithe.
However, remember that the Feast of Tabernacles is
the time when God's Church all gathers together to keep the Feast.
Never cut yourself short financially by spending too much money at the
other Feasts so that you cannot be with God's people at the great Feast
in the fall!
Proper Use at the Feast
Just
how should you use your second tithe in going to the Feast and while
you are there? God tells us in Deuteronomy 14:26-27 that we are to
enjoy ourselves in what we eat and what we drink. He commands us to
REJOICE before Him!
Some families in the past have journeyed to
the Feast by sleeping each night in their car. In the morning, they
would stop at a supermarket, buy some fruit and cereal and eat them in
the car. When night fell again they would once more curl up in the car
for a few short hours of uncomfortable, cramped sleep.
It wasn't
that these people didn't have sufficient second tithe to eat in
restaurants and sleep in motels. They were simply denying themselves so
that they might turn in a large amount of excess second tithe once the
Feast was over.
They were unwittingly disobeying one of the
major commands concerning the Feast. They weren't able to rejoice
before God! They were stoically depriving themselves of the enjoyable,
pleasant time they should have been having.
Traveling to and
from the Feast, and during the Feast, you should use second tithe in
order to eat in good restaurants and stay in nice motels. You should
learn to enjoy and appreciate the finer things which you may not be
able to afford at other times of the year. You should learn to leave a
tip and conduct yourself in the proper manner in a public place.
This
is the time you can afford to buy the better wines and the more
expensive cuts of meat which are offered in good restaurants. In this
way, you will learn to appreciate quality. To some people, a rug on the
floor is a needless luxury simply because they have never had one. Yet
once you become familiar with these things, and learn their usefulness
and utility, you can see their desirability. And the lessons involved
here certainly have a spiritual application for eternity.
Be Balanced
God
expects us to live balanced lives, brethren. It is right to use your
second tithe to eat in good restaurants and to stay in fine motels. But
it isn't right to squander and throw away second tithe just to get rid
of it. God isn't a waster! He doesn't want anyone of us to be, either!
Since
the Feast is now being held in many different locations around the
earth, most of you, especially those in the United States, have far
shorter distances to travel in order to attend. Many of those with good
paying jobs find that they have an abundance of second tithe even after
they have paid all their own expenses.
Because of this
super-abundance, some few have brought reproach and ridicule on the
Church of God by the way they have "blown" their second tithe. These
people have unthinkingly squandered their money just to get rid of it.
They have felt they had to spend it all on themselves lest they be
deprived of what was rightfully theirs.
What if you are one of
those who has been abundantly blessed by God and have an excess of
second tithe? You have paid your tithe of the tithe, taken care of all
your needs and still have money left over. What are you supposed to do
with it ?
God's way is the way of giving and sharing. Jesus
said, "... freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). Paul
repeated the same thing in Acts 20:35 by saying, "... It is more
blessed to give than to receive."
God has given us love,
repentance and forgiveness. He has also blessed us from His abundance.
Should we do less for those less fortunate than we?
God
repeatedly exhorts us to remember the Levite, the widow, the
fatherless, the poor, and the stranger within our gates. The Levitical
priesthood has been replaced by the spiritual ministry of Christ today.
God's ministers do not save a second tithe even as the Levites didn't
save a second tithe. Your excess second tithe is to help pay their way
to the Feast so that they might teach and make clear the plan of
salvation to you.
Your extra second tithe also is used to help
some of the elderly or widows who have no second tithe to attend the
Feast. When you give your extra second tithe to the ministry, the
Church will make sure those who should will be given the privilege of
attending and rejoicing before the
Lord their God.
Remember, you are not to
deprive yourself in order to give more into the excess second tithe
account. God commands you to rejoice before Him, and that is your first
responsibility. But at the same time, you are not to deprive someone
else of the privilege of attending because you have misused the
abundance God has given you.
Remember, be BALANCED in all things.
Once
you see how much you need in order to rejoice before God and return
home again, you can turn any extra which is over and above what you
need into the business office at the Feast. God will bless you for
giving someone else the chance to share in-your abundance.
Now
let's all look forward to the most enjoyable and marvelous Feast ever
by determining right now to be there rejoicing before the Lord our God.
Really enjoy the abundance God has given you! Drive carefully. Remember
to be praying for the safety of one another and don't forget to thank
the loving God who makes your rejoicing at the Feast possible through
the second tithe He has given to you.
by Leslie McCullough, from the September-October 1971 Good News Magazine
