Nehemiah 10:35-38

[Russ Kelly]

How do you reconcile these texts with Malachi 3:8-10? The first-fruits were taken to the priests at the Temple storehouse while the tithes were taken to the Levites and priests in the Levitical cities.

I think that Hezekiah made a mistake in 2 Chron 31 by first telling the people to bring tithes to Jerusalem. They made a mess in the streets and it probably ruined. In 2 Chron 31:15-19 he corrected the mistake and distributed them from the Levitical cities where 98% of the Levites and priests lived with their families.

 

[AresMan]

I don't think the "storehouse" was a requirement originally in the Law. Hezekiah instituted the Temple storehouse to manage the clutter caused by the zealous return to observing the Law.

God did condemn the Levite priests in Malachi for not bringing all the tithes into the storehouse, because the storehouse was how they had implemented the process of redistribution to Levites, fatherless, widows, and foreign visitors. So, whether God Himself instituted the Temple storehouse for tithes, or whether Hezekiah did, the point is that tithes were supposed to be distributed to the recipients that God had commanded in the Law.

Of course, I for one question the current mandate of many fundamentalists today to practice some form of church "tithing" of the paycheck which cannot be justified as Scriptural from any tithe passage be it Old or New Testament.

 

[Russ Kelly]

Although we agree that tithing is not a Chritian doctrine, we still disagree about the storehouse. I think that Hezekiah was wrong and corrected his initial command and told the people to bring their tithes to the Levitical cities.

Neh 10:35 irstfruits ... to the house of the LORD:
Neh 10:36 firstborn ...to the house of our God, unto the priests
Neh 10:37a irstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God
..................
Neh 10:37b and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
...........
Neh 10:38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.KJV
....................
Please read the verses above very carefully. They prove that the PEOPLE were only commanded bo bring the tithe to the Levitical cities as in 1 Chron 31:15-19.

The Levites and priests then brought the priests' portion of the tithe to the Temple.

This proves that Malachi 3:8-10 is only speaking to the PRIESTS in a continuing discussion from 1:6 and 2:1.

Why would God tell the people to bring ALL of the tithe to the Temple when 98% of those it was designed to feed lived in the Levitical cities? You did not address my question.

 

[mountainrun]

{double-post}

 

[mountainrun]

I don't think Hezekiah made a mistake.
In verse 4 "he ordered the people LIVING IN JERUSALEM" to give their tithes to the priests and Levites.

Verse 6 says the men living throughout the country ALSO brought their tithes.

It seems as though people got a little carried away and he had to give further instruction to the overzealous tithers.

MR

 

[Russ Kelly]

1. There were 24 courses of priests.
2. Each course of priests normally served in the Temple one week at a time.
3. While the men were serving, their wives, younger children, etc. were still in the Levitical cities. Neh 10:37, 38
4. DO THE MATH. That means that only about 2% of the total populatin of Levites and priests was at the Temple at any given time.
5. Do you really think that God would command that ALL of the tithe be brought to the Temple when 98% of those it was intended to feed were elsewhere?
6. That is insane logic adn a lot of useless moving back and forth of food.