Priests for Pay

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God’s historical view on pay for priests

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Notice the “prophets” are criticized also:

8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.

11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.

Micah 3: 8-11

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How many sheep have been expected to give offerings after a “prophet” gave a service or “gave a Word” to someone?

Many denominations are like this.

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Micah 3 addresses the evil leaders in Israel.

They hate god and love evil.

They are after everything the people have:

2 Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

4 Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that put not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

God plans to remove all their “visions” from them, shame them, and put them in darkness , and NOT answer them:

6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

In Malachi, God continues his condemnation of bad priests:

2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

Those that oppress the widow and fatherless are condemned as being equal to sorcerers and adulterers

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:5

The priests have not kept the ordinances. They have robbed God and even the whole nation by stealing the tithes and offerings (This is still done today):

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, says the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Malachi 3:10

***Note. It is very common for religious leaders to exploit this passage to rob the congregation of tithes and offerings, so that the leaders can make their profit.

They pass the guilt to the people, and threaten them with this passage, instead of admitting this is what they are doing themselves.

This is violating the ordinances of God.

But when the passage is read in context, it is clear that it is NOT the people who are doing the robbing, but the priests and leaders.

And to this day, the people are robbed while their priests live off the “profit” they make off this exploitation.

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They are looking for a profit to serving God or they are not interested . They call evil good, and give lenience to the proud, the wicked and those that tempt god.

14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

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Jesus / Yashua also made note of those who take money from widows.

The story of the widow’s mite is NOT to teach us to give our last penny to God, so that we can starve, but a warning to priests, prophets and ministers to NOT rob the widow,

He see the leaders are greedy and hypocrites, not those worthy of donations:

38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.   (Mark 12)

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Conclusion:

If you are supporting your priest, prophet or preacher with your tithes and offerings, you are supporting a business venture, not a genuine ministry called by God.

The tithes and offerings are for the burnt sacrifice to God, and the poor.

Any partake of the offering was just for food that was shared to eat at that time. Nothing else.

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God condemns those who make a profit off their service to Him.

The early apostles, and early priests and prophets were not to draw salaries or take the offerings and tithe for themselves.

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Once ministers accept pay for their services, this establishes an entitlement mentality, where they will not do anything unless they are paid by man.

This means they are not serving God, but man, and obligated to their payers. This is an employment arrangement.

14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

This can also mean they are neither serving man, nor God, since their service is now motivated by money, not the inspiration of God.

Most modern ministers will not accept this, as they consider themselves full time employees of the church. So be it.

They are employees of a business, and they have their reward.

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Thought question:

How many people would serve God if they did not get paid for it?

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See also:

https://heavenawaits.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/tithing-for-jews-and-christians-for-internet-pdf-conversion.pdf

https://heavenawaits.wordpress.com/108/

https://heavenawaits.wordpress.com/arguments-for-and-against-pastor-salaries/