Bible Question: "Please explain Deuteronomy 14:22-29, especially verses 24-26. I understand the principle of why we should tithe."

Bible Answer: These verses explain the Old Testament principles of tithing, which lay the foundation for church offerings in the New Testament, which is, of course, our time as modern-day Christians.

First, let me emphasize, as Christians today we are living under New Testament grace, not under the Old Testament law. For instance, Old Testament law commands disobedient sons be taken outside the gates of the city and stoned to death by the people. That's probably a bit harsher than most Christians want to deal with their disobedient children, not to mention it would be highly illegal.

But the principle behind that Old Testament law remains for these New Testament times: children should still be made to obey their parents. Allowing disobedience with no consequences is a sure way to raise up a child who will be big trouble to society as a whole, as well as being a heartache all the days of the lives of the parents.

Tithing in the Old Testament was very simple. Give to the Lord one tenth of every thing you possess, from your crops, from your flocks, literally everything. Jesus notes in the New Testament that the religious Pharisees even tithed of tiny plants like mint and herbs.

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone," Luke 11:42.

They pinched off leaves from a mint plant to tithe, but then cheated and robbed their fellow men, Jesus says of these hypocrites.

So the real principle behind tithing is putting God first in all things, not only in our possessions, but our conduct, especially in regard to how we treat others. If we say we love God and then cheat and rob our brothers, we're the same as the Pharisees -- hypocrites.

Tithe literally means "tenth," or giving the Lord one tenth of what you own. That's what Moses is describing in Deuteronomy 14:22-29.

He commands the people of Israel to take a tenth of their grain crops, newborn of their herds, new wine and oil to the place where God has commanded them to worship, and "eat before the Lord."

In verses 24-26, Moses says if the people are on a journey and too far away to return to the place of worship, they were to sell their tithe for money and spend it "for whatever your heart desires" and use what they buy to celebrate and rejoice before the Lord.

We seldom have that problem today, being too far from our houses of worship to be able to bring our gifts and offerings to the Lord. But the principle is clear, if you're away from home, worship somewhere else and give your tithe or offering to that local church.

Bear in mind that Moses gave these instructions before there was a formal house of worship, long before there was a temple built in Jerusalem. At that time, the people of Israel were living in tents, still in the wilderness, not having yet arrived in the promised land.

When the Hebrews coming from Egypt took possession of Palestine, each tribe got an inheritance of land, which was spelled out by Moses in advance, except for the tribe of Levi, whose members were the priesthood.

The priests served in the temple when it was built and before that within the tent for the ark of the covenant. They had no land for an inheritance, so Moses instructed the people to include the Levites in the celebration, as well as the widows, orphans and strangers among the people, who likewise had no property or tithes to contribute.

The modern-day equivalent of the Levites are our ministers and clergy, who are to be supported by the people of God, just as the Levites were supported by the tithes of the people in Moses' day.

This is also a beautiful picture of how we should worship today, a celebration of rejoicing before the Lord. We do not bring our grain and sheep and wine to worship and cook and prepare our meals at church - except on special occasions when we have church dinners - but the principle is clear, have a celebration of rejoicing in worship.

And that's a good illustration of the relevance of the Old Testament to the New Testament. While we may not observe the letter of the law of the Old Testament, the principles laid down there still apply in these New Testament times, like tithing and worship.

The New Testament rules for tithing are also clear, as directed by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:7, "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

Nowhere in the New Testament are believers told to tithe. What you give to the Lord and His work is entirely between you and Him, and what He directs you to do in your heart. In my experience, I have always felt comfortable giving more than a tenth of my income.

Submit Bible questions by email to writeme@johnwmyers.com

(John Myers has been a Christian lay speaker, Sunday School adult teacher and newspaper Bible study columnist for more than 20 years.)