Many people have many opinions, and strong ones, regarding who should pay taxes and how much and also in regards to appropriate or “required” giving levels to the church. God gives us some insight into how He approaches the topic in relation to how He provides for the Levites. Recognize there is not a direct comparison between the Levites and the government we experience today, but this may be interesting to explore some Biblical principles of how the LORD instructs to take money from the people for a common purpose.
6“The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7“All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands. 8“As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”
Everyone pays something, even those with less. Those with more, pay more… in proportion to what they receive. This sounds like a fixed percentage… e.g. everyone gives 10% or something like that. Also, note that this was to provide for those in God’s service who would not otherwise “earn income” because they are devoted to Him. Nowhere in this scripture is YHWH telling anyone to give part of what they receive to others who should be able and willing to work their own inheritance. Note that this is not a call to take 50% from those who have more and only 10% from those who have less. Everything is in proportion. It is also not a call to take 50% from those with more and nothing from those with less. Everyone gives a portion.
This is largely consistent with the concept of the tithe, which is presented elsewhere in the Biblical text. One can draw two focus areas from this…one is how we vote and get involved with the government to manage taxes “fairly” and appropriately. This also ties into our attitude when we pay taxes. The other is how we willingly and joyfully choose to give to support those in God’s full-time service. By providing them income, they can work full time focused on serving the Lord in their calling. We can, however, also appreciate missionaries like Paul who worked to pay their own way and did not make themselves a burden on those they taught. Considering that the Levites are no longer here and there is not a Biblical command that necessarily automatically translates from the Levitical priesthood to the local churches of today. We must consider context and principles to understand how it applies.
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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money in God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .