SBC Philippi 10/23/05 am
Rev. Jeff Simms
Being a Good Steward
Malachi 3:8-12
Primary Purpose: Encouraging people to give their tithe and offerings as an act of obedience
Background:
This is one of those passages where a basic understanding of the situation the reader was in is helpful in interpreting what is happening and how it really relates to us. We know almost nothing about who Malachi was or if that was his proper name. There is no mention of a Malachi as a proper name anywhere else in the Bible. Many people think that Malachi was a title because the name actually means “my messenger”. Nevertheless, Malachi was a brave and courageous prophet who spoke the Word of God to the people. It is believed that Malachi wrote these words about 100 years after the people came back from Babylonian captivity that would be around 450-400 B.C..
The problems mentioned in Malachi mainly have to do with worship and how their carnal relationship with God affected their relationship with others. The main problems in Malachi are:
1. A polluted worship- they were offering weak and sick animals on the altar as an offering to God 1:7,13. They were claiming to give the tithe, but weren’t. God clearly says that he is not pleased with them for this. 1:10. He says that he desires that his name be treated with respect and as a great name. He is to be treated as a great king. He would rather them not bring anything than to show such disrespect to Him 1:10. Notice the concern that God has for His name again. God is concerned that we show proper respect and reverence for His name in worship.
2. The people were not respecting the marriage covenant and divorce was prevalent. Marriage is to be until death do you part, not until you find someone better. God hates divorce. 2:16. This tells us that God takes the covenant that we make with our spouses at the marriage altar to be sacred and special. Jesus taught the same idea in Matthew 5:31-32.
Another reason that God had for telling us in his word not to be bound together with unbelievers 2 Corinthians 6:14. The unbeliever has a tendency to discourage the believers walk with the Lord and to drag them down. If you remember, King Solomon had many wives who led him astray with all of their idols. The idols of the unbelievers were a particular stumbling block for the Israelites who married foreigners. Sometimes the unbeliever’s idols in their lifestyle can still become a stumbling block for believing spouses.
3. A lack of reverence for the name of God and a sense of self-righteousness. Two times the people answer God’s statement with a question in 1:2 God declares his love for them and they ask “How hast Thou loved us?” Then, again in 3:8 they ask how have we robbed Thee?” For God accuses them of Robbery in their worship and giving. But, they can’t see their own sick even though they are worshipping with sick and blind animals and treating others with contempt 3:5.
Tithing and Worship
Tithing in the Old Testament was seen as an act of worship. Their was a variety of ways to give offerings in the Old Testament and in the early church. The word tithe is literally a “tenth part”. We are commanded here to bring that tithe into the storehouse vs.10. The word storehouse (rcwa pronoucned o-tsaw’) has to do with the storage rooms inside the temple of God or the house of God. God commanded back in Lev 27:30-33; Numbers 18:20-32; Deut 14:22-29 that we are to tithe what we make in our employment. That is what God requires of us to give to the church with which we are a member.
The offering was different in that it was like the free will offering. Notice that a different word is used in verse 8 for that. The word offering (ter-oo-maw’) literally means a contribution and there is no designation of a percentage on that. It is a free will offering and it is up to the individual to pray about that and give what they can. Deut 16:17 tells us that we are to give as we are able and as the Lord has blessed us. When Paul was gathering a free will offering to the church in Jerusalem that was experiencing hardship he said in 2 Corinthians 8:12 that if “the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he does not have.” Then again in 2 Corinthians 9:7 Paul says that we are required to give with a “cheerful” heart. A free will offering is like some of the special offerings we have today for a particular ministry or to missions like Lottie Moon offering.
God voiced his objections to the Israelites accusing them of robbery. The word robbery is a strong word and it means defrauding. It signifies someone taking by force something that belongs to someone else. Their indifference in worship was leading them to pretend they were giving a tithe when they weren’t. Their indifference in worship reflected their indifference to the God they worshipped. As it always does when we understand truly how much God has done for us it will lead us to desire more to worship Him and to love Him and express praise to Him.
A tithe is sometimes very hard to do. But, when we don’t do it God sees it as an act of disobedience. As a direct result we miss out on some blessings that he wants to give us because we aren’t respecting his right to tell us what to do with our money. His right to reign and rule in our lives includes every part of our lives that includes our finances. When we give our tithe we are acknowledging that God is the owner of it all and we are simply stewards of it. Of God’s right to reign and rule Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created by Him and for Him.” Tithing is a way of acknowledging God as owner of all things.
The tithe and offerings are also an act of faith. Some were saying in Malachi’s day that it didn’t make any difference whether or not they worshipped God (see Mal 3:14-15). But, they really weren’t worshipping him in the right spirit or with their whole hearts, but it was only ritual. Giving when we find it hard to give is a way of acknowledging that God has the ability to take care of us with what it left over. God has promised to bless, but not to bless disobedience. There is a promise of care associated with giving the tithe found in verse 10-11. God has promised to rebuke (ga’ar) the devourer of the crops and to overflow the believer with blessings. God tells us to test him now and see. The word test means “Bachan” which means to examine, try, prove. God has made a promise and those who take God at His word won’t be disappointed.
God declares his love early on in this book 1:2. He desires for them to return to Him 3:7. He desires for them to test him, so that he can bless them. God doesn’t bless for his own benefit, but for ours. God clearly doesn’t desire to judge, but to bless. But, God cannot bless us when we walk in disobedience.
