what is the difference in firstfruits and tithes?

Question

Please give biblical references if possible

Answer 1

Firstfruits - your time and talent given to God
Tithes - the first 10& of your income returned to God

Answer 2

You don't really need Biblical references, they're unclear on the topic.

What you have to do is imagine exactly how Moses is going to try to enforce a 10% tax on the people. There are questions that arise:

10% of wheat by bushel or by acre? by weight or volume? before or after harvest?

10% of sheep: at what age? at birth or full grown?

Does quality matter? Should I give the best 10% or the worst?

The various ways that the Bible describes tithing comes from these problems, and the Bible attempts to interpret the practice so that the people could easily respond.

For animals, the Bible states "every 10th animal that passes under the shepherd's rod". This would have been during a census of a shepherd's flocks, and that would seem to presume only adult animals at a time when they had selling value to the shepherd.

For fruit trees, the Bible gives the term "first fruits", which seems to mean that at harvest time, the fruits are counted as they ripen on the tree, and the tithe happens at harvest, when the fruit begins to have actual value to the farmer.

When you're dealing with a tax on perishable goods, you then have a question of quality. If you wait until the fruit is rotting on the ground, you've committed tax evasion. So it's not the last fruit, it's the first fruit, and it's given at the time when it's quality is best.

By the same token, if you offer up the crippled goat in your heard, you haven't really given 10% of your selling value, so the law obligates one of your choice that has no visible flaws.

Answer 3

I'm sorry I do not have time to give you the biblical references. But the first fruits in that first harvest or increase of whatever you have recieved. For example, if God blesses you with a job. After two weeks you get your paycheck. The "first paycheck" is the first fruits of your harvest. Most Christians give the first paycheck unto the Lord. Now every paycheck after that is not considered a firstfruits. Rather, you take out ten percent of each paycheck and give it unto the Lord. This is the tithe. In Leviticus, the Lord commanded that fruit trees which yielded their first crop were not to be touched, but left alone and considered holy unto the Lord. However, after all the fruit which was yielded after the "firstfruits" could be eaten.

Answer 4

firstfruits were a certain portion of the beginning of Israel's harvest.(nehemiah 10:35,36) It was a sheaf of the grains, the firstborn of your sons, or the first of your flock. http://churchtithesandofferings.com

TIthes, were counted 1 out of every 10. Tithes did not have to be the best, or biggest, or better looking. As you counted your flock or harvest you counted them and put the tenth one to the side for God. (Leviticus 27:32) Whichever sheep turned out to be the tenth one, was the one that you gave to God, no matter its condition. Giving the firstfruits of our tithe is a distortion of doctrine. Israel gave firstfruits, tithes, and offerings separately, kind of like we give our tithes and offerings separately. except we've included the firstfruits into our tithe. The firstfruits were a resemblance of Jesus Christ the tithe was not( I Cor 15:20-23 )

Answer 5

ask paula and randy white.