Topical Bible: Idolatry: Other Customs of Tithes and Gifts

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Idolatry, in the biblical context, refers to the worship of idols or the excessive reverence for anything other than the one true God. This practice is strictly condemned throughout Scripture, as it diverts worship and devotion away from God. The customs of tithes and gifts, when misdirected, can become a form of idolatry if they are offered to false gods or used in ways that contradict God's commandments.

Tithes and Offerings in the Worship of False Gods

In ancient times, tithes and offerings were integral to worship practices, both in the worship of Yahweh and in pagan religions. The Israelites were commanded to bring their tithes to the Lord as an act of obedience and worship. However, when these offerings were directed towards idols, they became a form of idolatry. The prophet Hosea highlights this misuse: "They offer sacrifices given to Me and they eat the meat, but the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they will return to Egypt" (Hosea 8:13). This passage underscores the futility and sinfulness of offering gifts to idols.

Gifts and Offerings in Pagan Practices

The surrounding nations of Israel often engaged in elaborate rituals involving gifts and offerings to their deities. These practices were not merely acts of devotion but were believed to appease or manipulate the gods for favor and prosperity. The prophet Isaiah condemns such practices, stating, "Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made" (Isaiah 2:8). This critique highlights the absurdity and spiritual danger of attributing divine power to man-made objects.

The Danger of Syncretism

One of the persistent challenges for the Israelites was the temptation to blend the worship of Yahweh with the idolatrous practices of their neighbors. This syncretism often involved adopting the customs of tithes and gifts from pagan religions. The prophet Ezekiel warns against this, saying, "When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your sons in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day" (Ezekiel 20:31). Such practices were abhorrent to God and led to severe consequences for the people.

The Call to Pure Worship

The Bible consistently calls God's people to pure and undivided worship. The prophet Malachi admonishes the Israelites for their corrupt offerings, urging them to return to faithful tithing as an act of true worship: "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this," says the LORD of Hosts. "See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure" (Malachi 3:10). This call emphasizes the importance of directing tithes and gifts to God alone, as an expression of trust and obedience.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the focus shifts from the ritualistic aspects of tithes and offerings to the heart's intention behind giving. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of giving for show, as seen in the practices of the Pharisees: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4). This teaching underscores the importance of sincerity and devotion in giving, free from idolatrous motives.

The apostle Paul further elaborates on the principle of cheerful and willing giving, stating, "Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). This perspective aligns with the biblical call to worship God with a pure heart, free from the entanglements of idolatry.

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2 Kings 23:11
And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
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Daniel 11:38
But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
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Amos 4:4,5
Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:
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Library

Knox in St. Andrews Castle: the Galleys: 1547-1549
... Justification by Faith with the customs of pardons ... bishop; that the Mass is "abominable
idolatry"; that Purgatory ... That Knox, and other captives from the castle ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter iii knox in st.htm

Homilies on Galatians and Ephesians.
... Gentile customs, [290]8. ... Idolatry of Christians is covetousness, [339]134; its origin,
[340]135. ... Rites of the law, connected with each other, [518]37. ...
/.../homilies on galatians and ephesians.htm

Index i. Of Subjects
... 325, 334; customs and grades in the order, 326-328; ... Rabbinic hatred of Gentiles
and idolatry, i.85, 89-92; ... other manifestations of Christ, 651; ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/index i of subjects.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... Let the gifts of Vohu-mano be bestowed on ... of mighty empires, the history of no other
has suffered ... and invented an explanation consonant with their own customs. ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... The prophets, their struggle against Phonician idolatry, the story ... They retained
the customs and prejudices they had ... to become the leader, on the other, of the ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Pharisee and the Publican
... these to gather up the taxes and customs that the ... thee, that I am not as other men
are ... fornication," "Flee youthful lusts," "Flee from idolatry;" and, "Little ...
/.../bunyan/the pharisee and publican/the pharisee and the publican.htm

A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican
... by these to gather up the taxes and customs, that the ... thank thee, that I am not as
other men are ... lusts (1 Corinthians 6:18), flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse upon the pharisee.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... some time or other, to be saved; he will read some time or other, or, it ... the way
to heaven; but that a man without grace, though he have natural gifts, yet he ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm