Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicodemus1968
Just looking to get your take on this.
Malachi 3:8-11
v.8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
v.9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
v.10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
v.11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Do any of these verses apply to us today? Is there a way we can rob God by not putting our tithe and offering in the storehouses? Im not talking about monetary coin alone, in your study on this subject, how can a we as the church today apply these verses of scripture?
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I’m going to give you hint. If you really want to know what Malachi is all about, read the whole book and follow along with who it is written to. You will find that the message is much different than just the focus of three verses.
Generally, the book is a scathing rebuke of the Levites.
Specifically about tithes? It is doing nothing more than reinforcing the Mosaic law. Which to put in simple terms is that:
1: If you own land that God has given you, (the promised land) and IF that land produces crops, flocks, and herds, then you are to tithe on that produce.
It is a very common misconception that all of the Israelites tithed. They didn’t. Unless they owned land and the land was a gift from God, AND the land produced according to the parameters above.
Almost without exception, the tithe was food. When you review the WHOLE book of Malachi, (it takes less than ten minutes) pay attention when it begins to talk about the table of the Lord, then becomes more specific about food. It is leading up to the tithe, which was nearly exclusively food.
In fact, the commandment concerning tithe was that they that were qualified would eat the tithe, where they would eat it and who was entitled to eat it.
In the event that an unclean animal was tithed that was not permitted to be eaten, God gave instructions for those occasions as well.
Malachi is entirely consistent with the law of tithing. The law of tithing is nearly unrecognizable from what is taught and believed today. In that vein, the book of Malachi is applicable to today. It is an excellent example of religious leadership abusing the law of tithing.
Another hint: whose obligation was it to bring the tithe to the storehouse of the temple?
Malachi is an excellent book to truly do a deeper dive Bible study on, because most of laity is afraid of it. They have been deceived as to the true meaning of Malachi so they avoid it as a rule.
That’s my take.