Read 1 Chronicles 26-27, Malachi 3, and 3 John.
This devotional is about Malachi 3
Malachi 3 began with the promise of the coming of Messiah (v. 1), then described the day of his coming in terms of cleansing (vv. 2-4) and judgment (v. 5). Many Old Testament prophecies predict in the same paragraph events that are fulfilled many years apart. Scholars compare this to looking at mountains through a telescope. From a distance, through a telescope, the mountain peaks appear to be very close together, but in reality there are miles between them. So here in verse 1, Malachi predicted the coming of Messiah which was fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming, then in verses 2-5 he prophesied about what Messiah will do in Christ’s second coming.
Verse 6 reminded Israel of God’s covenant with her and that the covenant remains valid because of God’s unchanging nature. Then, in verse 7, God called his people to repent and return to him in obedience. Specifically, God wanted Israel to return to obedience by tithing (v. 8). Again, verse 8 says, “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings.” Tithes and offerings belonged to God because that’s what the covenant Israel made with God required. To keep what belonged to God was theft.
But the story is deeper than that because by not tithing, God’s people were distancing themselves from God spiritually. To paraphrase Jesus, “Your heart is where your money goes.” So, by depriving the Lord’s work of the tithe, God’s people were showing their distance from him through financial disobedience. Verse 9 informed the people that the whole nation was under a curse for their refusal to tithe. Verse 10 commands them to bring “the whole tithe” to the temple so that his work would be provided for: “that there may be food in my house.” Then, amazingly, God commanded his people to test him (v. 10b), promising to bless them financially (v. 10c) and protect them financially, too (v. 11), if they do what he has commanded through tithing.
New Testament believers question whether or not tithing is for today or whether it is part of the Old Testament civil and ceremonial law that was fulfilled in Christ. It is true that there are no New Testament commands to tithe. But consider these New Testament principles:
- The New Testament calls us to generous giving (2 Cor 9:6-15),
- It promises eternal abundant rewards to those who give generously (Lu 6:38). and
- It suggests a degree of prosperity in this life so that we can continue to give (see 2 Cor 9:10-11).
- Of course, I’ve already alluded to Jesus’s statement, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” in Matthew 6:21.
That list of New Testament principles regarding giving sounds a lot like what God told Israel about tithing here in Malachi 3, where God promised blessings for tithing and called on Israel to test him to see if he provided that blessing or not.
I believe that tithing is an excellent financial discipline for a Christian and I have seen God bless in my life and others who give generously to his work. So while there is no legalistic demand to tithe in the New Testament, the Christian who does not tithe should consider where his heart is (see Matt 6:19-21) and review the blessings and eternal rewards that God promises in the Old and New Testaments to those who worship him through financial support.
It is truly a blessing to support God’s work financially. Don’t miss out on it!