Malachi 3:8-10
Malachi 3:8-10 ~ "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. ~9 You are with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ~10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."
Malachi 3:8-10 is one of the most misrepresented and misused verses within churches today. This collection of verses is misquoted by pastors as the “offering” verse before the plates are to raise the weekly offering. You have most likely attended a that has used this set of verses to encourage you to give a tithe, or 10 % offering. Most American church pastors sell this set of verses as a “blessing” verse in other words, if you want a blessing from God you need to give your tithe so God can bless you. Pastors that promulgate this teaching are not only misrepresenting what Scripture teaches about the tithe, but they are enforcing Old Testament law instead of preaching about the grace found under the New Testament covenant.
When we look at the context of Malachi 3:8-10, we can see that these verses are not applicable to the modern day church for several reasons. However, this is not to say that the principals of the book of Malachi are not applicable to the New Testament church, as with all of God’s Word it is still beneficial to us today. First, to understand the context of Malachi 3:8-10 we must understand who Malachi was written to and why it was written? The Book of Malachi is an oracle: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi (1:1). This was God’s warning through Malachi to tell the people to turn back to God. Malachi wrote the words of the Lord to God’s chosen people who had gone astray, especially the priests who had turned from the Lord. Priests were not treating the sacrifices they were to make to God seriously. Animals with blemishes were being sacrificed even though the law demanded animals without defect (Deuteronomy 15:21). The men of Judah were dealing with the wives of their youth treacherously and wondering why God would not accept their sacrifices. Also, people were not tithing as they should have been (Leviticus 27:30, 32). But in spite of the people’s sin and turning away from God, Malachi reiterates God’s love for His people (Malachi 1:1-5) and His promises of a coming Messenger (Malachi 2:17–3:5).
As pointed out above, the book of Malachi was written for God’s people, the Israelites and to correct the Levite priesthood's mis-use of sacrifices and tithes and bring God’s chosen people back to Him. When we look even more closely at the book of Malachi, specifically the whole of chapter 3, where the misquoted verse originate from we learn the following; Malachi 3:1-6 is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist. He was the Messenger of the Lord sent to prepare the way (Matthew 11:10) for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We can see that the whole of Chapter 3 has nothing to do with “being blessed” for tithing, but instead verse 8-10 run in accordance with the prophecy that is about the coming of John the Baptist and his preparing the way for the Messiah.
So to recap when we look at the full context of the book of Malachi we see that it was written first to the Israelites’, secondly as a correction to the Levite priesthood, and thirdly as a prophecy foreshadowing John the Baptist and the coming Messiah. When we keep the biblical context in mind, we must remember that when pastors try to preach about “God blessing you” for tithing, using Malachi 3:8-10, that they are indeed taking this set of verses out of context. Do not let any pastor tell you that you need to tithe in order to be blessed by God, if he does tell you this; he is not preaching the Grace of the New Testament but instead is preaching the Levitical law of the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we find that giving is between us and the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:7). Malachi 3:8-10 ~ "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. ~9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ~10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."
Malachi 3:8-10 is one of the most misrepresented and misused verses within churches today. This collection of verses is misquoted by pastors as the “offering” verse before the plates are to raise the weekly offering. You have most likely attended a that has used this set of verses to encourage you to give a tithe, or 10 % offering. Most American church pastors sell this set of verses as a “blessing” verse in other words, if you want a blessing from God you need to give your tithe so God can bless you. Pastors that promulgate this teaching are not only misrepresenting what Scripture teaches about the tithe, but they are enforcing Old Testament law instead of preaching about the grace found under the New Testament covenant.
When we look at the context of Malachi 3:8-10, we can see that these verses are not applicable to the modern day church for several reasons. However, this is not to say that the principals of the book of Malachi are not applicable to the New Testament church, as with all of God’s Word it is still beneficial to us today. First, to understand the context of Malachi 3:8-10 we must understand who Malachi was written to and why it was written? The Book of Malachi is an oracle: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi (1:1). This was God’s warning through Malachi to tell the people to turn back to God. Malachi wrote the words of the Lord to God’s chosen people who had gone astray, especially the priests who had turned from the Lord. Priests were not treating the sacrifices they were to make to God seriously. Animals with blemishes were being sacrificed even though the law demanded animals without defect (Deuteronomy 15:21). The men of Judah were dealing with the wives of their youth treacherously and wondering why God would not accept their sacrifices. Also, people were not tithing as they should have been (Leviticus 27:30, 32). But in spite of the people’s sin and turning away from God, Malachi reiterates God’s love for His people (Malachi 1:1-5) and His promises of a coming Messenger (Malachi 2:17–3:5).
As pointed out above, the book of Malachi was written for God’s people, the Israelites and to correct the Levite priesthood's mis-use of sacrifices and tithes and bring God’s chosen people back to Him. When we look even more closely at the book of Malachi, specifically the whole of chapter 3, where the misquoted verse originate from we learn the following; Malachi 3:1-6 is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist. He was the Messenger of the Lord sent to prepare the way (Matthew 11:10) for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We can see that the whole of Chapter 3 has nothing to do with “being blessed” for tithing, but instead verse 8-10 run in accordance with the prophecy that is about the coming of John the Baptist and his preparing the way for the Messiah.
So to recap when we look at the full context of the book of Malachi we see that it was written first to the Israelites’, secondly as a correction to the Levite priesthood, and thirdly as a prophecy foreshadowing John the Baptist and the coming Messiah. When we keep the biblical context in mind, we must remember that when pastors try to preach about “God blessing you” for tithing, using Malachi 3:8-10, that they are indeed taking this set of verses out of context. Do not let any pastor tell you that you need to tithe in order to be blessed by God, if he does tell you this; he is not preaching the Grace of the New Testament but instead is preaching the Levitical law of the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we find that giving is between us and the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:7). Malachi 3:8-10 ~ "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. ~9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ~10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."
