Many people have many opinions, and strong ones, regarding who should pay taxes and how much. YHWH gives us some insight into how He approaches the topic in regards to how He provides for the Levites.
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 sure sounds something 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.
This is largely consistent with the concept of the tithe, which is presented elsewhere in the Biblical text. Once can draw two focus areas from this…one is how we vote and get involved with government to manage taxes “fairly” and appropriately. The other is how we willingly and joyfully choose to give to support those in God’s full time service. By providing for them income, they can work full time focused on serving the Lord in their calling.
—-
Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.