Malachi 3: 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the store- house, 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.
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.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
Before we begin the study, it must be established in our minds, in the clearest terms, that the first tenth of our increase is holy unto God, and should not be touched for any reason, unless God gives a direct command to do so.
The instruction does not take into consideration nor makes allowance for poverty, adversity, tariffs, rents groceries, student debt, or the sticker shock persons may encounter, when prices for goods and services are going through the roof.
All of the above are never to be reckoned as valid reasons why the tithe should be appropriated for personal use. It is holy unto God, and He reserves it to use at His discretion. This must first be clearly established from the Bible. Let’s read:
Leviticus 27: 30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord.
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.
33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he changes it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
Now, it is true that the Levites who worked for the sanctuary were given the tithes that were brought by the rest of the people. But even the Levites were commanded to return tithes on the tithes they were receiving. That’s because the law releases no one from returning tithes. Let’s read:
Numbers 18:21 And behold I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore, I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, when ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.
The command given to us by God to return a faithful tithe and offering, is intended to keep fresh in our minds, the all-important fact that we are created by Him and are constantly dependent on His sustaining power, for life and all that pertains to life.
It is also intended to create the habit of systematic benevolence, thereby counteracting the endemic issue of covetousness, which is the root of all sin.
If and when these two purposes are fulfilled, there will not be an atheist, and many of the problems we now face will be seen for what they really are, self- inflicted wounds in the overwhelming majority of cases.
According to the Bible, returning a faithful tithe and offering, could greatly mitigate the effects of global warming, it could solve the issue of persistent global hunger in many countries, it could solve the water crisis in the Midwest, and other places.
Very often, when places are in a state of persistent or extreme drought, the underlying problem is not global warming or a lack of rain. The issue is often due to unfaithfulness in returning to The Lord, that which is His.
In fact, returning a faithful tithe could in many cases mitigate several problems you encounter with your car, it could cause your dinero to stretch to the max, and it can cause your mango, and avocado trees to produce profusely.
All of these side effects and more, can in very many instances be tied directly to a person’s or a nation’s faithfulness or unfaithfulness in tithes and offerings, as the case might be.
For instance, when the people in the days of Haggai suffered from severe water shortages, it wasn’t due to global warming, or any of those underlying issues that science often points to. The problems stemmed from the people leaving God for last and, everything else first.
Thus, when persons refuse to acknowledge God as The Giver of everything the focus inevitably shifts to self, and manmade solutions to the problems that are very often incidental to unfaithfulness.
Thus, nations and individuals suffer unnecessarily, and chase after phantom solutions, while the simple answer is to be found in the Scriptures, in very many cases. Let’s read:
Haggai 1:1 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
However, it’s one thing to return a faithful tithe and offering when things are going good, when there is plenty of income, and when inflation is low. But if and when there’s a change of fortune, and adversity sets in for a prolonged season, being faithful at such a time as this can be a completely different animal.
When inflation is heading North and when the price for goods and services is skyrocketing, there is the natural tendency to squeeze, mash brakes and to be tightfisted. That’s all well and good, if doing so does not affect your faithfulness, for God expects us to be faithful, when inflation is low, and when it is high.
Nowadays, many persons are finding it necessary to cut back severely on their spending in order to make ends meet, and in doing so, a strong temptation will often come to the Christian, to put your tithes and offerings on the chopping block.
Miami Dade county is facing a budget deficit of 400 million dollars, and many other counties across the country are currently facing budget shortfalls.
Thus, to make up the difference, property taxes in Dade will be hiked in some places, to as much as 21 % according to the recent information sent out.
In addition to this, the cost of electricity, housing, rent, groceries and gas are taking a definite toll on millions of people, in so much that individuals and families are being forced to migrate, in what we call financial gentrification.
And according to current and foreseeable trends we haven’t seen anything yet, for when the truth of the matter starts to put a firm grip on your expendable income, some hard, and some very difficult choices may have to be made.
n fact, the new word for what is currently taking place is “Sneak-flation” where businesses, and your local grocery and hardware stores are finding some ingenious and innovative ways to hike their prices, since they could only absorb so much of the sticker shock increases for so long.
Again, persons are now finding it necessary to dip into their savings and their 401k, in order to make ends meet, and the credit card ghost is stalking a lot of well-intentioned people, in so much that in some instances, folks are being sucked into the vacuum of spiraling debt.
Thus, if you are a person on a fixed income, certain things may have to be on the chopping block, and things you once took for granted might have to be put on hold, to deal with the emerging situation.
But again, as was stated earlier, God expects us to be faithful in the good times as well as in the times of adversity, because the instructions on tithes and offerings were not designed or meant to be subject to changes in the economy, which tend to fluctuate ever so often.
Therefore, it’s important for us to understand that the tensile strength of the Christian’s faith is tested and certified mostly in times of adversity. In former days of wine and roses when things were going very smoothly, your faith might not have been ruggedly tested.
But as adversity looms on the horizon, and as the new abnormal is taking hold, we may find ourselves having to regroup, and do things differently, so as to be faithful in returning that which is due, through the financial covenants made to God.
An example of what is being spoken of took place in the days of Elijah, when, on account of the king and queen leading the people deep into idolatry, famine with all of its accompanying difficulties, shook the faith of some to the core.
The situation on the ground got so bad that persons were forced to adopt a bare-bones approach to life, in which the nonessentials had to be stripped away, and instead, survival mode set in.
The Christian living in our day will have to learn to eat some humble pie where necessary, for come what may, the tithe and offering which acknowledge God as The Giver and Sustainer of all, must remain intact, even if persons may go into survival mode.
This is what took place with the widow woman of Shunem, who was on her last meal, with nothing to expect for the future. Indeed, she was between a rock and a hard place, for she had her son to take care of, and with unemployment at record levels, it seems as if there was no recourse for her.
Thus, the question comes home forcibly to us: Does the Lord expect folks to still be faithful in tithes and offerings when they are on their last leg of existence or does He give us a pass, until better can be done?
In other words, let’s say the widow woman had to choose between feeding her son, and returning her tithe and offerings, what do you think God would expect her to do in such a life and death situation?
As we study the narrative, let us put ourselves in her shoes, and let us observe the principles of putting God, and the interests of His kingdom, first, for this is what faithfulness, in times of extreme adversity, demonstrates. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17: 8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
At this time water was so scarce that even Ahab the king had to lay aside his kingly robes, and go looking for water, just like everybody else. It was humble pie in the extreme, because the people and beasts were dying, left right, and center.
Thus, it is a very grim request Elijah is making, and the widow will have to make some difficult choices in this first round of testing. Would she put God first in the person of Elijah, or would she seek to provide for her son and herself first?
What would we do if placed in a similar situation? Would we seek for a way to escape our obligations, or would we bite the proverbial bullet and trust the promises of God?
Believe it or not, these are some of the stark choices that may come your way, but let us remember that faith that is not tested, cannot be trusted, especially in times of adversity. Let’s read:
1st Kings 18: 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
[Prophets and Kings pp 124] A year passes, and yet there is no rain. The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived.
Streams dry up, and lowing herds and bleating flocks wander hither and thither in distress. Once-flourishing fields have become like burning desert sands, a desolate waste.
The air is dry and suffocating; dust storms blind the eyes and nearly stop the breath. Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality. Famine, with all its horror, comes closer and still closer.
Again, the question is asked, what should the widow woman do in such a grave situation? Let us say she was living today in Gaza, where food and water are quite scarce to say the least, and her son has been reduced to a skeleton.
If God were to send His servant to request her water that is almost gone, what should she do, and what is the right thing for the you and me to do, if we were in her shoes. Without a murmur, the widow goes on to acknowledge God as the Giver of all things.
But the test of faithfulness hits even closer to home when Elijah asks her to make him some bread from her scanty store. This second test will definitely put her life on the line, for it was barely enough for her and her son. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God lives I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
This brings us to an understanding of the command to return a faithful tithe and offering, because God does not ask us to do so without giving us promises to support our faith, especially in times of adversity.
Thus, the real question at the heart of the issue is whether or not we would trust God at His word, or whether we will go with logical reasoning that seeks to justify a deviation from principle, because of dire circumstances.
The Lord does not expect the impossible without the supernatural, hence the reason why in Malachi, in Deuteronomy, in Leviticus, in Exodus, and in the current narrative, God always backstops the return of a faithful tithe and offering with promises.
As we study several examples, we will see a pattern of requirement and promise taking shape, for where there’s the command, the supporting network of His promises are surely to be found. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.
Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the store- house, 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.
Haggai 1: 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.
Haggai 2: 18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it.
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
[Education pp 126] Every command is a promise.
[MB pp 76] In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command.
Apparently, it always comes down to whether or not persons will believe God. This seems to be the crux of the problem, for God does not ask us to return to Him that which is His, without giving us the backing of His promises.
And so said, so done, for after the widow woman Obeyed the command, after she made a deliberate choice to put God, and the interests of His kingdom first, the sacred record tells us that everyone in her household was well fed. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elijah.
Again, because we are living at a time of increasing adversity and financial hardship, there will be strong temptations to withhold that which belongs to God and His cause. Poverty, and desperation should not drive the Christian to deviate from principle, for if we do we become the sport of circumstances.
In the New Testament there was another widow who also decided to be faithful in times of adversity. Like the widow in Elijah’s day, she too had been in a bare-bones situation, and as she got dressed to go to church, she realized that all she had remaining was two mites.
The logical thing to do may seem to be her keeping her pennies and trying to stretch them ever so far. But logic and common sense are often the diabolical enemies of faith, and so she takes her two mites to church in obedience to the command of God.
What follows next is worthy of note, because God does not assess situations and motives the way we do. Being faithful is not so much about quantity, as it is about quality, for God loves and approves of the cheerful giver. Let’s read:
Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
From the experiences of the two widows, and from the instructions given in the Bible, we can take away four essential points to guide us, even as we head into choppy waters.
[1] God requires, and He expects the Christian to be faithful when things are going well and when things not going so good.
Luke 16: 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
[2] He desires that we make deliberate plans to give, and not to leave giving for the spur of the moment, to be driven by feelings, appeals, or shaming, as the case may be.
1st Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
[3] We should seek the kingdom of God and the interests thereof first.
[4] The promises of God are given as a backstop to base your faithfulness on.
It always comes down to believing God, not only on the issue of tithes and offerings, but on every other issue, command and instruction we receive from His word. In fact, everything that pertains to victorious Christian living, inevitably boils down to believing God.
Yes, you do have urgent bills to pay, no one would dispute that, and yes there are things that are very important that need to be addressed, or else. But they are not more important than being faithful to God, by acknowledging Him as the Giver of all things.
Your groceries, mortgage, rent, pet food, car notes, electric bills, cell phones, student loans, manicures and pedicures, credit card bills, water bills, gas bills, and general maintenance of the home all have to be taken care of.
But the principle of putting God first is the ordained means by which the storehouses of heaven are to be opened up to the believing person and therefore, if God can trust you with ten thousand, then He can trust you with ten million, because your faithfulness will run as a common thread throughout your entire life experience.
Let there be major changes in our perspectives and practice wherever warranted, because the just shall live by faith. We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that will encourage us to faithful, even in times of adversity, because the promises of God are designed to withstand, tariffs, inflation, recessions, and sticker shock. Let’s read:
Matthew 6: 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
God Bless!