Bible Studies

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"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." Zechariah 11:12

This is the prophecy in the old testament describing the transaction that takes place in the future of the exchange of Christ for money. It even gives the amount that was paid, thirty pieces of silver.

It is my contention that this is also a prophecy of the practice of tithe collecting in the church age. The prophecy says, "give me my price". This word translated 'price' is better translated wage, salary, hire, or reward.

Those who collect tithes insist that money does as well as the dictate of the law to give the fruit of the land as a tithe. Does it? As I have written before, the fruit of the land took over from the manna as the supply of food for the children of Israel. To put a tithe of money into the storehouse is the same as replacing the tithe of the manna in the pot with money. That is, replacing the bread of heaven with money.

Now we will look at what it means to wiegh silver. The bible has a few things to say about the act of weighing silver. There are twenty-one uses of the Hebrew word for 'weigh' in the bible. Seven of those are in the prophets. This use in Zechariah 11 is the last use of the word in the bible.

Usually you will find that in the act of weighing silver there is the need for a scale to weigh the money. If you can, get a picture of Jesus in the one side of the scale and the thirty pieces of silver in the other. In anyones mind, when they are making a purchase, there is this scale. Looking for a balance you try to come up with an amount that you figure your labor for that item you are purchasing is equal.

There is one use of this Hebrew word for 'weigh' that will give us insight into the act of giving money in the place of the corn, oil, and wine, i.e. the fruit of the land.
"Wherefore do ye spend (shaqah, weigh) money (kaceph, silver) for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?" Isaiah 55:2
If you read this in straight Hebrew with no English words added in between, it reads like this: Weigh...silver...bread...labor...satisfies...not.

In verse one of this chapter, God says to come to the waters to drink without silver. This contradicts the misuse of the challenge. "Prove me now, and see if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing..." Malachi 3:10 Now God asks why they are weighing silver for his bread also. You can substitute manna in place of this bread. You can also replace corn and oil in place of this. This is the bread they had in the land.

Does God want us to pay for these blessings? NO. Does he want us to pay money to his representives for these blessings? No. The workman is worthy of his hire, but the collecting of tithes is not the place to get this money. Our bread is the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave himself freely for all who would accept the sacrifice of himself.

On the one side of the scale is the tithe of the land, on the other is Jesus. This is a just balance. Do not put money on the other side of the scale from the tithe of the land. This place is reserved for the son of God, the bread of eternal life. He has given himself once for all. Do not repeat the error that gave him over to the enemies of God. They did not know what they were doing. Tithe collectors do not know what they are doing, either. This is their error, do not contribute to this error by 'paying your tithe'. The blessings are yours already. The price has been paid on your behalf.

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