Educational

1. TITHES
AND
OFFERINGS

2. PART 1
GOD’S INVITATION

3. God’s Invitation
“Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in
mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open
you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not
be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:7-10

4. A Special Study
Let all study with special care the third
chapter of Malachi. That chapter contains
warning and instruction in righteousness
for every soul. The Lord is still testing us to
see whether we will prove faithful servants.
He is calling upon his people to consider his
goodness, to respond to his mercy, and to
give proof of their loyalty by bringing all the
tithes into his storehouse."
{SW, October 9, 1906 par. 12}

5. A Choice of the Heart
Every man according as he
purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity:
for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7

6. Liberty in Liberality
Take ye from among you an
offering unto the LORD:
whosoever is of a willing heart,
let him bring it, an offering of the
LORD.
Exodus 35:5

7. No Systematic Compulsion
Systematic benevolence should not be made
systematic compulsion. It is freewill
offerings that are acceptable to God. True
Christian benevolence springs from the
principle of grateful love. Love to Christ cannot
exist without corresponding love to those
whom He came into the world to redeem.
Love to Christ must be the ruling principle of
the being, controlling all the emotions and
directing all the energies. 

8. No Heart Stirring Appeals
Redeeming love should awaken all the
tender affection and self-sacrificing
devotion that can possibly exist in the
heart of man. When this is the case, no
heart-stirring appeals will be needed
to break through their selfishness and
awaken their dormant sympathies, to call
forth benevolent offerings for the
precious cause of truth. {3T 396.2}

9. Complete Freedom
The plan of redemption was entirely
voluntary on the part of our
Redeemer, and it is the purpose of
Christ that all our benevolence
should be free-will offerings. {RH,
January 1, 1875 par. 17}

10. An Old Principle
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the
herd, let him offer a male without
blemish: he shall offer it of his own
voluntary will at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation before the
LORD.
Leviticus 1:3

11. A Consistent Principle
Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of
the strangers in Israel, that will offer his
oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill
offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD
for a burnt offering. Ye shall offer at your own
will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of
the sheep, or of the goats.
Leviticus 22:18, 19

12. A Consistent Principle
And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings
unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own
will.
Leviticus 19:5
And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanks-
giving unto the LORD, offer it at your own
will.
Leviticus 22:29

13. A Consistent Principle
And when any will offer a meat offering
unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine
flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and
put frankincense thereon
Leviticus 2:1

14. Sacrifice Still Required
All are required to have an interest in
this work …Some have never made
any sacrifice for the cause of God,
and are asleep as to what God
requires of them…This individual
sacrifice is not required because the
cause of God is suffering for
means.

15. A Living Principle
But every heart will be tested and
its character developed. It is
principle that God's people must act
upon. The living principle must be
carried out in the life. {4bSG 53.2}

16. A Principle For Today
All our blessings come from his
bountiful hand. In turn he would
have men and women show their
gratitude by returning him a portion
in tithes and offerings,--in thank-
offerings, in freewill-offerings, in
trespass-offerings. 

17. The Principle Applied
Should means flow into the treasury
in accordance with this divinely
appointed plan,--a tenth of all the
increase, and liberal offerings,--
there would be an abundance to
carry forward the Lord's work. {RH,
February 2, 1911 par. 16}

18. An Everlasting Principle
There is ever to be in the treasury of the
Lord means to be used for enlarging the
work, for entering new territory, and
building sanctuaries where those who
accept present truth may worship Him in the
beauty of holiness. God calls upon His people
to bring of their means, in tithes and
freewill offerings, to Him… {RH, December
17, 1901 par. 9}

19. A Forward Moving Principle
Those who are laboring in new fields
should be encouraged to plant the
standard in new places, to annex new
territory for God. Camp-meetings are to
be held in many places. Churches are to
be raised up and organized. There is to
be a pressing into new territory.

20. Forward with Freedom
Will not my brethren and sisters
throughout the world consecrate
themselves and their possessions to God?
God help them to bring freewill offerings
to Him who gave His only begotten Son to
save them from eternal death! {RH,
December 17, 1901 par. 15}

21. God’s Requirement?
0Never should the laborer who raises up
little companies here and there give the
impression to those newly come to the
faith, that God does not require them to
work systematically in helping to sustain
the cause by their personal labors and
by their means. GW92 269.3

22. Grumbling Requirement?
0 Now, I wish you to understand fully that God does not
want, neither will he accept, an offering made
grudgingly and murmuringly. [For] all that you have
given with this spirit you will receive no reward, for not
one cent of your money will God accept, only as you make
it a freewill offering, feeling that it is a pleasure for you
to be acting stewards of God, the Lord passing the means
into your hands and you passing it out as His cause
demands. If you have not means to pay your pledge, then
don't grumble. The Lord does not require what you have
not. Do the very best you can. {21MR 247.5}

23. Grumbling Requirement?
0 I was shown that there have been unhappy results from making
urgent calls for means at our camp meetings. This matter has been
pressed too hard. Many men of means would not have done anything
had not their hearts been softened and melted under the influence of
the testimonies borne to them. But the poor have been deeply
affected and, in the sincerity of their souls, have pledged means
which they had a heart to give, but which they were unable to pay. In
most instances urgent calls for means have left a wrong impression
upon some minds. Some have thought that money was the burden of
our message. Many have gone to their homes blessed because they
had donated to the cause of God. But there are better methods of
raising means, by freewill offerings, than by urgent calls at our large
gatherings. If all come up to the plan of systematic benevolence, and
if our tract and missionary workers are faithful in their department
of the work, the treasury will be well supplied without these urgent
calls at our large gatherings. {3T 510.1}

24. Freewill Requirement
0When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy
God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD
thy God will surely require it of thee; and it
would be sin in thee.
0But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin
in thee.
0That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep
and perform; even a freewill offering, according
as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which
thou hast promised with thy mouth Deut. 23:21-
23

25. NT Applications
The plan of systematic benevolence is
pleasing to God. I was pointed back to the days
of the apostles, and saw that God laid the plan
by the descent of His Holy Spirit, and that by the
gift of prophecy He counseled His people in
regard to a system of benevolence. All were to
share in this work of imparting of their carnal
things to those who ministered unto them in
spiritual things. 

26. NT Application
 They were also taught that the widows and
fatherless had a claim upon their charity.
Pure and undefiled religion is defined, To visit
the widows and fatherless in their affliction,
and to keep unspotted from the world. I saw
that this was not merely to sympathize with
them by comforting words in their affliction,
but to aid them, if needy, with our substance.
{1T 190.1}

27. Last Day Application
"Will a man rob God? … (Malachi 3:7-12
quoted) I saw that this scripture has been
misapplied to speaking and praying in meeting.
The prophecy has a special application to
the last days, and teaches God's people their
duty to bring a proportion of their substance as
a freewill offering to the Lord. {4bSG 53.3}

28. Application for Us
There is order in heaven, and God is well pleased
with the efforts of His people in trying to move with
system and order in His work on earth. I saw that
there should be order in the church of God, and that
system is needed in carrying forward successfully
the last great message of mercy to the world.
God is leading His people in the plan of systematic
benevolence, and this is one of the very points to
which God is bringing up His people which will cut
the closest with some. {1T 191.1}

29. The Divine Plan
He has given His people a plan for
raising sums sufficient to make the
enterprise self-sustaining. God's
plan in the tithing system is
beautiful in its simplicity and
equality. All may take hold of it in
faith and courage, for it is divine in
its origin. 

30. A Plan for All
Every man, woman, and youth may
become a treasurer for the Lord and
may be an agent to meet the
demands upon the treasury. Says the
apostle: "Let every one of you lay by
him in store, as God hath prospered
him." {3T 388.4}

31. The Biblical Blueprint
But unto the place which the LORD your God
shall choose out of all your tribes to put his
name there, [even] unto his habitation shall ye
seek, and thither thou shalt come:
And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings,
and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave
offerings of your hand, and your vows, and
your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of
your herds and of your flocks:
Deuteronomy 12:5,6