“See,” they say, “tithing was a necessary practice way back in the days of Abraham.”
But read the context which, in this case, is the entire chapter.
The first thing you find is that the “everything” in question did not belong to Abram. It was the property
of other people, including Abram’s nephew, Lot, who had been captured by the armies of several kings.
Abram and a small group of his servants had gone to battle against these great armies and—against all reasonable
expectations—had won. Melchizadek recognised that God had granted this miraculous victory (v.20).
Notice Abram’s statements in verses 22-24. He owned none of the property in question before the battle and, although
entitled to the spoils as the victor, he refused to take any of it: “I will accept nothing belonging to you…”
(v.23).
This was a once-only event. It has nothing to do with the now common teaching that you should give ten per cent of
your gross weekly income to a group of professional religious leaders.
If such people insist that you follow the example of Abram in Genesis 14, you should go to their homes and take
ten per cent of their property and give it away.
“See,” they say, “tithing was a necessary practice way back in the days of Jacob, long before the
Law was given.”
1. He made a vow, a promise (and there is no record in the Bible that he ever kept that promise.)
If that is “tithing”, feel free to make a list of everything you want from God and—once you have received
it all—start making your once-every-twenty-year payments.
In the meantime, on the basis of Genesis 28, you don’t owe your religious leaders a solitary cent.
1. The people paid a general tithe to the Levites
“I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while
serving at the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 18:21).
All the tribes of Israel, except the Levites, had a designated geographical area as their “inheritance”.
But the Levites—in return for their work within the nation—received income tax of 10% from the rest of the population.
The Levites functioned as:
• the Health Inspectors,
• the Police,
• the Justice Department,
and
• the Education Department.
To put it simply, the Levites were the Public Service in Israel, and they were supported by a system of income tax
called “tithes”.
2. The Levites paid a tithe of the general tithe to the priests
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites
the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering…to Aaron
the priest…’” (Numbers 18:25-31).
All the priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. The priestly caste were descended from Aaron and they
had specific responsibilities related to the Temple worship.
The second tithe guaranteed the financial security of the priests, and thereby protected the Temple system.
3. The people kept a tithe to pay for their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and
oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling
for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.
But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe
(because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take
the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose.
Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish.
Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice (Deuteronomy 14:22-26).
The people of Israel were required to assemble three times a year at Jerusalem (as the place chosen by the Lord) for
the major feasts.
This was meant to be a time of rejoicing and the Lord ensured that everybody had sufficient resources available to
enable them to fully enter into the rejoicing by commanding that they set aside 10% of their annual income for that purpose.
Notice the next verse (27), “And do not neglect the Levites…” This was a reference to the
first tithe. In other words, the third tithe—for the annual feasts—was not to be confused with the separate and
distinct general tithe for the Levites.
4. The people paid a tithe for the poor, the orphans and the widows
At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit
it in your town. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow
who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of
your hand which you do (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).
This tithe went to the poor, the widows and the orphans. In Australia, we call that “Social Security”.
It was payable once every three years, which equals one-third of a tenth annually.
These tithes were not ‘gifts’, they were taxes. The total tithes paid by the Israelites were 23.3% of their
total income, about the same as what the average Australian pays today in income tax.
Tax to whom tax is due…
Render to all what is due to them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom
honour (Romans 13:7).
As we move into the New Testament, we find that nothing has changed. We still pay taxes to finance the Public Service
and the Social Security system.
Bring the whole tithe…“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food
in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven,
and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows” (Malachi 3:10).
Here we have the tithing teachers’ favourite verse in the whole Bible. On this verse they hang most of their
doctrine. But if we take a close look at the verse, we will find something very interesting.
Remember that there were four tithes in Israel under the Old Covenant. Which one is referred to here?
And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall
bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse (Nehemiah 10:38).
[ Note: The word ‘storehouse’ is translated as ‘treasure house’ in the KJV. The Hebrew is the
same in both Nehemiah and Malachi, outsair, meaning a treasure or a store house. ]
Which of the four tithes is in view in Malachi?
The tithe payable by the Levites, not the tithes payable by the people. Malachi is not rebuking the people,
he is rebuking the Levites.
When our modern day tithing teachers point this verse at the people, they are really pointing at themselves—except
that most of them are too ignorant to recognise the fact.
Under a curse…If you want to understand the book of Malachi, read Malachi 4:4, “Remember
the Law of Moses…” That is the whole thrust of Malachi.
But we do not live under the Law, we live under the grace provided in Jesus Christ. If you choose to submit yourself
to even part of the Law of Moses, you have a problem.
For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does
not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them” (Galatians 3:10).
If you choose to place yourself under the works of the Law, you are under a curse, for the simple reason that you cannot
keep the Law of Moses. Your fallen, sinful nature will see to that.
The purpose of the Law is to act as our tutor, or “school master”, to lead us to Christ, that we may
be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24).
The first Church CouncilIn the early church, there were those who tried to force the Gentile Christians
to live under the Law. A dispute arose which quickly lead to the first ever church council.
And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to
the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and
Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they
reported all that God had done with them.
But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up, saying, “It is necessary to
circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses”.
And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. It is my judgment
that we do not trouble these who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from
things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood” (Acts 15:1-2, 4-5,
13, 19-20).
The question being answered by this council (v.5) is:
Do Christians have to observe the Law of Moses (which,
of course, includes tithing)?
What was the answer?
They were given four instructions:
Abstain from
—things contaminated with idols,
—fornication,
—what
is strangled, and
—blood.
Where does tithing come on the list?
Nowhere! The first ever Church Council decided that Christians are
not required to tithe.
Did Jesus endorse tithing?“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue
and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done
without neglecting the others” (Luke 11:42).
When Jesus said “these are the things you should have done…”, did He mean that we should tithe?
Look at His comment in context.
Who was Jesus speaking to?
The Pharisees.
What was significant about being a Pharisee?
They considered themselves to be “separated unto the Law”
— that’s what the word ‘Pharisee’ signifies.
Paul was a Pharisee. He said of himself that he was “blameless” before the Law (Philippians 3:3-6).
Jesus was saying to a group of people (who prided themselves on keeping the Law perfectly) that they should do their
thing without neglecting justice and the love of God.
Jesus was not speaking to the disciples, and He was not imposing tithing on them. We are not under the Law, we are
under grace.
Which one was justified?Jesus taught us about two men, one of whom tithed and one of whom did not.
“Two men went up into the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood
and was praying thus to himself, ‘God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers,
or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all I get.’
But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was
beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself
shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14).
Which one was justified before God, the tither or the non-tither?
Tithes are ‘Corban’He was also saying to them, “You nicely set aside the commandment
of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who
speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death’; but you say, ‘If a man says to his father, anything
of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ you no longer permit him to do anything
for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many
such things as that” (Mark 7:9-13).
If you have money your family needs, but you withhold it from them in order to pay it to the church as ‘tithes’,
you are doing exactly what the Pharisees did. You are saying your money is “Corban” and Jesus taught that by doing
so you were invalidating the Word of God.
What does the New Testament teach about giving?
We are to agree with God that He owns us, and
in keeping with that belief we are to present ourselves to Him.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable
to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1).
Now brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that
in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according
to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favour of
participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord
(2 Corinthians 8:1-5).
Your giving must stem from your relationship with the Living God.
Motivation is everything
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish,
but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Most people ignore this verse in the context of giving, but God’s giving has to be the very foundation of our
giving. Notice three things about God’s giving:
1. His motivation was love.
2. In giving His Son, the Father gave
of Himself.
3. God’s giving was in response to our need, not our greed—that we should not perish.
There is a form of sacrificial giving that God despises:
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and
if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).
God looks on the heart, and He is not impressed by loveless giving. Your motivation is everything.
In response to need
We are to give in response to need, not in response to greed.
Christians today are beset by demands that they give ever increasing sums of money to professional church leaders who
live in luxury homes, drive the latest cars and jet around the world, while building multi-million dollar, family-controlled
empires—all for ‘the glory of God’, of course.
Typically, these greedy empire-builders demand that the people tithe to them, with the threat that God will
turn the devil loose on their finances if they don’t.
The Bible says nothing to encourage giving to the greed of such people. Rather, it teaches that we should respond to
genuine need.
For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring
the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need
(Acts 4:34-35).
Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and began
to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. [ Notice that the genuine prophets
predict famine. The modern false prophets in the various Pentecostal churches always predict ‘prosperity’ and
‘revival’. Then they whip the people into a grateful frenzy of enthusiasm before relieving them of huge offerings
for the purpose of “supporting their ministry”. ] And this took place in the reign of Claudius. And in the
proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren
living in Judea (Acts 11:27-29).
They responded to need.
Secretly and humbly
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your
Father who is in heaven.
When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and
in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you (Matthew 6:1-4).
We are to give in a secret and humble way.
According to what we have
We are to give according to what we have.
For if the readiness [to give] is present, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to
what he does not have (2 Corinthians 8:12).
If you have $10 and owe $10 to someone, but rather than pay your debt you give the money to a religious organisation,
God does not accept your offering. It is “unacceptable” to Him.
Don’t ever give what you do not truly have.
And don’t be sucked in by the “give in faith, expecting God to return to you one hundred-fold” manipulative
rubbish that is commonly dished up in Pentecostal churches these days. The Bible says clearly that such ‘giving’
is unacceptable to God.
Cheerfully
Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful
giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
What the Bible is saying here is: Give what you are genuinely happy to give.
It is not saying: Give more than you can afford, and then pretend to be happy about it.
The closest thing to a formula for giving in the New Testament is found in the words, “…as he has purposed
in his heart…”
God wants you to give what you want to give, what you are comfortable in giving. If you cannot give it cheerfully,
don’t give it at all. God doesn’t want it, and He won’t accept it.
…from every man whose heart moves him…
“Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise
My contribution (Exodus 25:2).
This offering was for the construction of the tabernacle, the most important thing in the Old Testament. God only wanted
contributions from those who were genuinely happy to give them.
And in the New Testament, nothing has changed.
Tithing—the curse of the ‘kings’
And (Samuel) said, “This
will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots
and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots…
And he will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers
and to his servants.
He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men
and your donkeys, and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourself will become his servants.
Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves,
but the Lord will not answer you in that day” (1 Samuel 8:11-18).
When you submit yourself to the spiritual authority of a man (no matter whether he is called
the king, the Grand Pooh Bah, the Fuehrer or the National Superintendent), instead of to God, you will end up:
•
Paying him tithes,
• Being a virtual slave to him, his family and his organisation, and
• Having God ignore
your prayers.
[ God cannot answer you, for you have placed your faith in a man. If He answered your prayers,
He would be reinforcing your confidence in the flesh. ]
What does the Bible really teach about tithing?
Tithing
has nothing to do with being a Christian.
Spiritual abusers have frequently used tithing as a method for squeezing
God’s people dry.
Don't get fooled again!
The Tithe
An
email excerpt from Dean VanDruff concerning modern convoluted ideas and legalism concerning the tithe of the old covenant.
This may be a challenging read for some, but it is submitted for your reflection, consideration, and to test with Scripture
yourself.
"The tithe" as part of the Law is no more
applicable to us than making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year is. It is mentioned in the New Testament only a
couple of times, generally in the context of rebuke to the Pharisees concerning fastidious observance of the ceremonial
Law.
If God had intended to carry tithing over into the New Covenant, then the chance was missed in Acts 15. You will
note tithing is not mentioned in the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council rulings; though for modern legalists this is a favorite extra-biblical
"exception" or "carryover" from the Old Covenant Law.
Christians in general reject the idea that we are "under the law", yet tithing somehow gets exempted. But it is all
or nothing, when it comes to the law, is it not?
Gal 5:1 (NKJ) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled
again with a yoke of bondage.
Gal 3:10 (NRS) All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not
continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
Gal 4:21 (NIV) Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
So clearly, to embrace old covenant tithing is a dangerous thing indeed, however popular.
But there is another problem as well, and that is in the understanding of what the tithe really is. To find this
out, Acts 17:11's advice would lead an honest inquirer to Deut 14:22, if it could be found... (Yes, I will explain.) The reality
and fulfillment of the biblical tithe will likely shock a few, but is useful to understand in the new covenant.
The tithe is perhaps one of the most artificially twisted doctrines in the modern church. In fact, I detect
a minor conspiracy. As evidence of this, please note that you will not find Deut 14:22 and the rest of the chapter--the largest
single text in scripture concerning the tithe and its formal definition (it is even so headed in many versions)--in
most Bible concordances. I have checked a dozen or so Bibles around the house here, and not one of them has this text listed
under "tithe". Hmmm...
Here is a sample from the middle of the text of interest, but you ought to read the whole and in context--thus, I am
deliberately leaving out the meat of it. I encourage you to stop now, go get your Bible, and read Deut 14:22 and onwards with
your own eyes...
Here is a section giving specific instructions concerning "the tithe":
Deut 14:26 (NAS) "And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine,
or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice,
you and your household."
As you can see, the Lord in the Old Testament Torah describes a very different practice of the
tithe than what we moderns have been taught in our religious traditions of men.
For the Jews the tithe was a "party" (or feast, if you like) and was to be "consumed in the sight of the Lord".
God's command to tithe includes consuming "whatever your heart desires", including "strong drink"! Imagine using
up a tenth of your agricultural increase every year in a single party! Wasteful, extravagant, and flesh mortifying; yet God's
clear command. With this Jewish (and historic) perspective, no wonder the prophet Malachi (3:8-11) asks: "How have we robbed
from You, Lord, by not tithing?" If you understand the Jewish idea of party-tithing, you will appreciate
his question. God commands His people to enjoy themselves by bringing the bounty together so that "There may be food in my
house" and then feasting and enjoying themselves in His sight.
Beyond debunking modern misconceptions, understanding the tithe properly makes for a richer understanding
of scripture. As you read Deuteronomy 14 and see the concepts of "throwing a feast", and "not forgetting the poor" and making
sure to invite "the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows"...
does this not have a familiar ring with teachings of Jesus? For yet another example, Moses wanted "to go the place our Lord
has commanded" to... guess what? The feast of Shavuot; to tithe (Ex 5:1), and this staged the basis of the ensuing
conflict. Pharaoh said "OK, but only the men... without the livestock... at the place I [Pharaoh] choose...," and Moses said,
"No, we have to go to the place God selects... with all."
Rom 15:4 (NIV) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us...
Let us consider for a moment the spiritual meaning of the Old Covenant Law of the tithe.
God commands the Jews to consume a tenth of the year's agricultural increase in festive and lavish celebration. Think about
the ramifications of this in actual fact. A father might spend this much money on a wedding for many guests, but consider
if everyone present were spending the same amount. Some reception, eh? It would be hard to figure out how to spend
it all! The message is clear... God wants His people to enjoy themselves in His presence. From a carnal point of view, it
would seem better and more pragmatic to horde and/or save for a rainy day. Why should this money and wealth be wasted? While
God does not discourage good planning, savings and thrift, it would seem that with the tithe He is also trying to
get us to see how ephemeral this world is. "Go ahead and use it up before I burn it up," seems to be the message. "He who
dies with the most hoarded... loses!"
And Jesus says, "When you throw a feast [party], do not just invite those who can pay you back or help you share expenses.
Rather... do not forget the poor..." (Luke 14:13). Hmmm... Sound familiar?
Jesus was accused of being a "winebibber" and glutton, and of associating with low-life people (Luke 7:34) while on
earth.
"Use your mammon to buy friends for yourself in heavenly places..." (Luke 16:9)
I must return, unfortunately, to the conspiracy of deliberate collusion to maintain false "religious" notions and man-made
traditions about the tithe. The pathological twist usually goes something like this. "The Bible speaks more about
money than about prayer" (true). "Thus, my sermon today is on tithing..." (All wrong--about tithing--of course...
and a great leap from money (oft spoken of) to an emphasis on a subject largely absent from New Testament teaching--excepting
a few (negative?) references in rebuke to the Pharisees or concerning the law.) And here we must be more sober-minded than
we may like, and see the situation as it really is; for many of these preachers and teachers have been to seminary, have read
the Bible (including Deuteronomy 14) many times, and so ostensibly know better. Perhaps it is time to recognize that the Holy
Spirit was/is right and that there are "many false prophets" among us... preferring the way of Balaam (a prophet for profit)--just
as Jesus told us there would be.
Hey, the way of Balaam has paid off many a church mortgage!
Sin breeds even more sin...
2 Cor 2:17 (NIV) Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we
speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
The New Testament--and the whole of scripture--encourages giving and offerings of many kinds, just as
the Old Testament has other forms of tithing, taxation, and spoils-of-war sharing as well. Generosity is a personality trait
of those who have been born from above. God has proven Himself rich and lavish in His grace and loving care towards us, and
if we really have His life in us, then we will be like Him.
In fact, the New Testament teaching is much more radical than the paltry Old Testament tithe. We have an entire
Bible study on Money posted--accurate to the proportionate emphasis on how money is spoken of in Scripture, at: http://www.acts17-11.com/money.html if you have not seen it already.
The verse that most sums up the New Testament teaching on giving is:
2 Cor 9:7 (NAS) Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion;
for God loves a cheerful giver.
This is a good one-verse answer to give to the tithing legalists spreading their leaven among
us nowadays. And let us admit that there is something in us that hankers to be "under the law," even if just a little bit.
2 Cor 9:7 (NIV) Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
The verse is clear enough. Each one must give what the Holy Spirit has led him/her to in each and every
situation with two conditions: never grudgingly, and never under manipulation (compulsion). It is impossible
to imagine how legalistic adherence to the Old Testament tithe (and that woefully misunderstand!) could be compatible
with this instruction.
The teaching of 2 Cor 9:7 is much more difficult than "rue and mint and cumin" at 10%. It is a John 3:8 sort of thing.
There is no "law" about it (Gal 5:23b), this new wine will surely break the old wine skin. God wants us to give what He is
asking now!
And this amount may be all, as in the case of Acts 5. God made a rather deadly point to underscore how serious
He is about the new instruction of giving that was instituted in the New Covenant.
Heb 8:13 (NAS) When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete
and growing old is ready to disappear.
Let us not, then, trifle with the form of things. The reality is here. Jesus is our Sabbath rest, our
tithe feast, our Lamb of sacrifice, and our leader, example, and reason for sacrificial giving and living.
Tithing is no more appropriate for believers than killing a bull in our front yards next Saturday as an "offering"
with the idea that "Hey, it is commanded in the Bible, isn't it?" (Isa 66:3). God has no interest in such (Ps 50:8-9,13) and
to hanker after things like the tithe may well be an indication that we like the old wine better than the new (Luke
5:39).
Gal 5:9 (NRS) A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.
James 2:10 (NIV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
2 Cor 9:6-7 (NIV) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
For futher study: a posting on Abram's "tithe" to Melchizedek.
