DAYLIGHT ROBBERY ((MALACHI 3:6-12)
Three Christians were asked how they tithed.
The first replied, “Ten percent of my earnings right off the top and sometimes I give an offering of more.”
The second said, “I take what I need and give the rest to the church.”
Then the last believer stated, “I throw it all up into the air. What ever God wants, he takes. What ever comes back down, is mine.”
Malachi, as you know, is the last book of the Old Testament, and like other prophetic books, the contrasting themes of jubilation and judgment , death and deliverance, trouble and triumph are clear, stark and unmistakable. In times of chaos, the Lord insists His name is not compromised. The phrase “my name” occurs seven times in the book (Mal 1:11, 11, 14, 2:2, 2:5, 4:2) and the phrase “My name shall be great” is unique, occurring twice in the book (Mal 1:11, 11). In the book, however, Malachi accuses Israel of “profaning” His name (Mal 1:12), the covenant of the fathers (Mal 2:10) and the holiness of the Lord (Mal 2:11).
As believers, how do we uphold His name? Glorify His name? Magnify His name?
Return from Transgressing
1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5 "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the Lord Almighty. 6 "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' (Mal 3:1-7)
Martin Luther was known to say these famous words: “There are two days in my calendar: This day and that day.”
God’s coming judgment upon the Israelites is popularly known as “the day” or “the day of the Lord,” a phrase that makes its debut in the prophetic books (Isa 2:12), also known as the day of the Lord's vengeance (Isa 34:8), the day of the Lord's anger (Lam 2:22, Zeph 2:2-3) and the day of the Lord's wrath (Zeph 1:18). Malachi’s unique contribution from other books on his subject is his preference for calling it as “the day of his coming” (Mal 3:2). The day of the Lord is contrasted to the time, or “days” (plural) in KJV, of your forefathers when Israel turned away from God and did not keep His decrees (Mal 3:7).
From chapter three onwards, the word “day” debuts to four times each in chapters 3 and 4, eight times (Mal 3:2, 4, 7, 17, 4:1, 1, 3, 5) altogether in the book, spelling the day of his coming (Mal 3:2) or the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal 4:5), where the wicked will burn like fire in a furnace or oven (Mal 4:1). They will be like stubble reduced to ashes (Mal 4:3). The people and their practices will perish in a painful process. What do fire and soap (v 2) have in common and for use? They are both cleansing agents. One for things - metals and minerals, and the other for people. Nothing cleanses like fire. Fire cleanses thoroughly, once and for all, but soap is external, for daily use.
After the justification was introduced in chapters 1-2, the judgment announced in chapters 3-4 could not get any worse. Many words are associated with fire. Silver and gold (v 3) are two most coveted metals, but fire reduce them to nothing. Compared to the 100°C or 212° F boiling point of water at sea level, gold melts at about 1064 Celsius or 1948 Fahrenheit, so melting gold over a stove top is a no-no. A man asked on the internet suggested a furnace for the job and a crucible to melt it in, one usually made of clay and sillica.
God’s judgment is associated with purifying, which is positive, and purging (refine), which is the negative in verse 3. Purify (v 3) is the same word for clean or cleanse in the Bible. One is for cleansing and the other is for clearing the unclean element. Purify means to enhance but purge means to empty something of unwanted material. To purge means to purify by getting rid of (removing or driving out) the impurities, the dross or the waste.
Yet Malachi is a very comforting book even though the beginning of chapter 3 seems ominous. Verse 7 is as compelling as any, urging and pressing Israel to return to the Lord. Return is an imperative, “return” occurring four times in the chapter, including verse 18. He is also known as Lord Almighty or the Lord of hosts eight times the chapter (Mal 3:1, 3, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17), and 24 times throughout the book. To return means to make a U-turn, to turn things around, to turn out for the better. It means to have a change or a conversion, to be committed to the Lord and be concerned for His name. The options are not to purify or purge (refine), but to return or be removed.
Repay in Thankfulness
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse ?the whole nation of you ?because you are robbing me. (Mal 3:8-9)
A new convert who was a farmer declared his determination to give all that he had for the Master. He said, “Pastor, if I had fifty pigs, I'd give twenty-five of them to the Lord.” “That's very nice,” said the pastor. “If you had thirty would you give fifteen to the Lord?” “Of course I would,” said the new Christian. “If you had ten would you give five of them?” asked the pastor again. “You know I would,” he answered. Then the pastor said, “If you had two, would you give one to the Lord?” “Now Pastor, don't ask me that. You know I have only two pigs.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 263)
Robbing (v 8) God is quite an accusation. Rob is another word that repeats three times in one verse (v 8) and once in verse 9. “Rob” is also translated as plunder (NIV) or spoil (KJV) (Prov 22:23). It means to take from others what is not rightfully yours. There are two aspects of robbing. One is take without others knowledge or without your acknowledgement. Why is it called robbery? Because that portion of our money - our tithes and offerings – belongs to God.
The tithe is a practical, positive and permanent way in the Old Testament to support the Levites financially for them to remain in service. Unlike other tribes, the Levites had no other inheritance, and in return for their service of the tabernacle (Num 18:21, 24), but withholding the tithe is not only a disservice to the Levites but tantamount to robbing God, which results in a curse (v 9).
The tithe must be one of the least favorite preaching topics in the church. Contrary to expectations, there are not a lot of books in the Old Testament concerning tithes. Merely eight of 39 books in the Old Testament address tithing – Genesis (14:20), Leviticus (27:30), Numbers (18:21), Deuteronomy (12:6, 14:23), 2 Chronicles (31:5), Nehemiah (10:37, 12:44, 13:5), Amos (4:4) and Malachi. So strictly speaking outside of the Pentateuch, only four books speak of tithing. Tithing in the Bible comes out of a grateful heart and not a grudging heart, rejoicing rather than resentful heart, out of praise instead of pain. The beneficiaries also include the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow (Deut 26:12).
True tithing is never giving (charizomai) to God – it is never an act of donation but an act of devotion. It is an offering and an opportunity instead of an obligation, an unpopular term today. Here are the preferable terms for offering in the Bible:
1. “Cast”(ballo), translated as “put in” (cast in KJV) in Mark 12:43:
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on. (NIV)
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 (KJV)
2. In Hebrews Heb 7:2, Abraham gave (merizo = distribute, divide) a tenth part of all.
3. “Parted” in Acts 2:45:
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted (diamerizo) them to all men, as every man had need (KJV).
4. “Carry” (phero) or “brought” (NIV) Acts 4:36-37
34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. (NIV)
Acts
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
5. 2 Cor 9:7 “a cheerful giver” (dotes):
The giver is derived from “didomi,” which basically deliver, the same word for “giving” alms (Luke 12:33). Another word for giving alms is “doing” alms (Acts 10:2).
Renew Your Trust
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty. (Mal 3:10-12)
Tithing is rightly called a test because it comes with preparation of the heart, perspective of the mind, and practice of the hands. I started tithing in 1977 when I accepted the Lord at 17, which is as good an age as any. Things were more complicated for me than most kids because my parents were divorced and they were seldom at home by the time I was a teenager, so I was given $3 a day pocket money for breakfast, lunch and dinner altogether, or $1.20 for two meals, and the rest of the 60 cents for breakfast and bus, which translates to 150 dollars a month because my allowance was a monthly allowance, not a daily allowance.
At that time, I did not know if I had to tithe from my food money, but by God’s grace I dutifully tithe 15 dollars a month. Tithing comes out of faith, not fractions. It is usually hardest in the first year, but once I got over the test of trusting God for my needs, which was not easy for a divorced kid, it became second nature to me. I have not considered it a hardship or a headache since.
Tithing is harder for those who accept Christ as an adult. A working couple’s tithe in the States is a handy monthly payment for a modest car in the States.
The tithe is a “test” as good as any other of the Lord’s faithfulness. “Test” is a verb and an imperative (v 10). It is a call and a challenge from the Lord. The noun form is translated as a tower (Isa 32:14) – it is that difficult - or a “tested” stone (Isa 28:16).
The first time the words “open” and “windows of heaven” (v 10) were initially introduced in the Bible refer to a single episode in Israel’s history, during Noah’s time when all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the “floodgates (windows in KJV) of the heavens” were opened and rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights (Gen 7:11-12), which means non-stop, no break and no letting up – continuous, constant, and consistent. “Floodgates/windows” is plural. Because the windows of heaven were opened,
the waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. (Gen 7:18-20).
“Pour out” is also translated as “empty” (Gen 42:35, Isa 32:6, Hab 1:17). Pour out is not as good as empty because pour out refers to the deed but empty refers to the degree. One is the act and the other is the amount. The step, endeavor versus the scale and extent.
