malachi “major” thoughts from a “minor” prophet M

Tithing and Finances "There are three conversions a person needs to experience: The conversion of the head, the conversion of the heart, and the conversion of the pocketbook." - Martin Luther

Malachi 3:6-12 “ “I the L ORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the L ORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the L ORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the L ORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the L ORD Almighty.”

The covenant between God and Israel was composed of God’s promise to provide protection, property and His presence with Israel, while Israel committed to keeping His commandments – obedience to God. The people of Israel have shown a consistent propensity to turn from God. God has turned away from His people because of their disobedience. Because God now faces away from His people, He is unable to bless them as He so desperately desires, so His encouragement is for Israel to turn back to Him. Repentance involves turning away from sin, turning towards God, and is always accompanied by a promise.

Digging into Malachi 3:6-12 In verse 7, the Israelites inquire “how do we return?” or more accurately “of what must we repent?”. The Israelites fail to recognize the offense they have caused God by their behaviour. The Israelites have offended God by “robbing” Him. The Israelites inquire as to how they have robbed God. The Israelites either have no idea of who God is and what His requirements are or they know precisely what they are doing wrong and feign ignorance of God’s requirements.

God, in His mercy, answers their question; “you have robbed me by neglecting the tithe and offerings”. According to Old Testament law, the people of Israel were to bring 1/10 of their income to God, for use in supporting the Levites – the stewards of the Temple - and the physical upkeep of the Temple itself. Nehemiah describes that the tithe had been ignored by the people of Israel, forcing those who ministered in the Temple to abandon it to work the fields, so that they would not starve to death. By abandoning the Temple, the regular upkeep of the Temple ceased also, causing the Temple to begin to get run down. This is what God found so offensive …

Haggai describes that God prevented the Israelite’s crops from flourishing and that he caused a significant drought to fill the land. The Israelites of Malachi’s time are ignorant of the signs of God’s displeasure – crop failure and drought – in fact they took these as excuses to give less. Repent and turn toward me by rectifying the tithing issue and I promise to bless you beyond your wildest imagination, God says.

If the Israelites were to correct this behaviour, God promises to open the floodgates – literally God pledges to open the windows of heaven and rain blessing on His people. The frustration God had submitted the Israelites to in terms of crop failure would cease and their fields will produce so much “that there will not be room enough to store it”. Notice, however, one additional outcome – “all the nations will call you blessed”. There is an aspect of witness involved here.

Am I robbing God and if so, how? “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.” (Hebrews 10:1) Tithing is only a launching point for us as followers of Jesus into something much better and not an end point in itself. Psalm 24:1 tells us “the earth is the L ORD ’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”. In the grand scheme of things, to whom does the “cosmic everything” belong? In the end, our finances all belong to God anyhow, yet even in the strictest sense of tithing – a hard 10% - He allows us to use 90% of His wealth. That’s pure grace!

“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)

Giving is to be generous and sacrificial. This is not a strict 10% sort of giving described here; it’s a beyond 100% giving that Paul describes. It is a giving based on God’s indescribable gift to us in Jesus Christ. This type extravagant and generous sacrifice – Christ’s incarnation and death on a cross - is to define our giving as followers of Jesus. Do I give only what I’m able or do I find myself giving generously and extravagantly? Something “better” …

Secondly, giving is to be done cheerfully and eagerly. The Macedonians quite literally beg Paul to take their offering to support those in Jerusalem. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Paul suggests that an internal consideration should be made, so that giving results in cheer and not reluctance. Paul is suggesting that each of us decide what our giving will look like, in concert with and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do I give cheerfully and consistently under the direction of the Holy Spirit?

Giving is to be seen as a privilege. Placing our money in God’s hands by giving to the church is doubly efficacious … not only do we bless others, but it’s also an act of worship and witness to God … we kill three birds with one cheque, I guess. Do I see giving to the work of God in our world as a privilege rather than a chore?

Concluding Questions Might we be frustrated in our faith because we ignore the command to give generously, cheerfully and as a privilege? Might our frustration be related to a lack of obedience to God’s word? With the Spirit’s leading, settle in your own hearts what to give and then give cheerfully. Test God’s promises by giving sacrificially, cheerfully and as a privilege and see if God does not bless you to overflowing.