Tithes and Offerings

Malachi 3:8-12 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,”says the Lord of hosts.

Yesterday’s Sunday sermon reminded me of a devotional that I came across stating that today there is much talk of financial security. I was discussing the topic of “giving tithes and offerings” with our church board and the need for communicating God's word and the pure joy of this Christian blessing. God gave, God gives, and God's children, by nature, give to the church for the on-going work and mission of ministry and the advancement of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, the general reality of most of the churches that I’ve attended is that around 10% of the church members give 90% of the church’s income. The biblical formula in today’s passage, given to Israel, but applied to all, begins with a scathing indictment. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings”. What a terrible thing, to rob God. This teaching and promise has not been rescinded. One dime on a dollar, first and off the top of what we earn, back to the Lord that gave us that dollar, for His work in the church and its work in the community and the world. That way, God is not receiving our leftovers, if there are any; we put God first. The issue is not that God needs the dime on every dollar. The issue is that we need to “give” as a part of loving God, trusting God and obedience to God. We bring and give out of who we are, because of whose we are. 

2 Corinthians 9:5-7 “Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Giving to God is fundamental part of worship.

That devotion pointed out that God’s charge to us as given in Malachi 3:8-12 is in three steps. First, we are told to obey; i.e., "bring." This cannot be considered an option. Secondly, God proposes a test. "Prove me," He says, give and see if He lives up to His promises. Thirdly, trust His promise to meet our needs. Note that His promise is also threefold. It abundantly covers present needs, for He promises to "pour you out a blessing" unmeasurable in quality or quantity. Likewise, it covers the threat of future loss. Most precious is His promise to reward obedience and trust with a special relationship: "All nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightful land". Thus, we see that with less than 100 percent of our income at our disposal, we will have greater financial security than if we had kept it all to ourselves. To be blessed by God is true security.

Deuteronomy 26:1- 4, 8-11“And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ “Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”; and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me.’ “Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God. So, you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.

Bring, give and rejoice