What if the curse for not tithing no longer applied? Understanding Malachi 3:9-12
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For as long as I can remember, an elder in my church taught me that the central message of the book of Malachi is "If you don't tithe, God will curse you." I am not alone in this, by the way. The book of Malachi is where the vast majority of Christians first learn about tithing and the consequences of not tithing. More than three decades have passed since I first heard the words of Malachi 3:9–12, and I can still hear the voice of that elder. Words can have a profound effect. Words we hear and read mould our lives.
Malachi 3:9–12 is frequently cited by those who doubt and oppose the practice of tithing as the ultimate Trojan horse and accuse those advocating for the tithe of deliberately fleecing God's people. Paul's teachings on generosity provide the foundation for their view, which they refer to as "spirit-led giving." (2 Corinthians 8 & 9). On the other hand, proponents of tithing view the Bible in a very literal way. In charismatic circles, the phrase "If God said it, then that settles it" is often heard.
In this post, I'll discuss what I believe to be Malachi's main point. Malachi mentions tithing in a much larger context than is usually considered by those who are either pro or anti tithing.
Let's do a bit of history, theology et al. Bear with me.
Who is Malachi? There is a dearth of information about the author. Bible scholars have hotly contested Malachi's authorship of the book of the Bible. Malachi was probably written sometime after Judah fell under foreign occupation. Perhaps Malachi was giving his sermons when the Temple of Solomon lay in ruins, and the Jewish people had either stopped offering sacrifices or were presenting the wrong sacrifices. The latter is correct.
Malachi repeatedly used these words: defiled, the blind, the lame, the sick; the table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit, its food, is contemptible; the stolen; and blemished. Using vivid language, Malachi illustrated how the Israelites had strayed from the norm. The standard practice of sacrifice required an animal without blemish or defect. (Exodus 12:5, Leviticus 3:6) The Old Testament faith held that an animal without a spot or imperfection would have to stand in for the sinner for God to forgive sin. The clean took the place of the unclean. The righteous died in the place of the sinner. According to Malachi, God cursed them for ignoring this normative practice. God no longer took any interest in them or their sacrifices. The inevitable consequence of neglecting or disregarding this truth was judgment—the curse. Without an unblemished sacrifice, the punishment for sin fell on the sinner: they were despised and humiliated, and God became a swift witness against them. (Malachi 3:5)
Who was to blame for these unacceptable practices? Levitical priests were held responsible. (Malachi 2:1–9) Levi and his offspring had failed to instruct the Jews on properly bringing the animal sacrifice. Then in direct defiance of God's laws, Jews married non-Jews and divorced their Jewish wives with abandon. The society was in a state of total anarchy. The domino effect was plain to see.
However, the God of all grace provided an escape for them. The tithe is due, so turn around (shub, in Hebrew which means repent) and bring it to me. (Malachi 3:10) Exactly what did God have in mind when He instructed his people to bring the tithe? Asking for something that they were already doing might sound ridiculous. Should more animals (in terms of quantity) have been brought in? When placed in its proper context, the answer is obvious. This was not a quantitative problem but rather a qualitative one. The quality of the sacrifice, rather than its quantity is what mattered most when a sinner made atonement.
Now if the Old Testament saints during Malachi’s preaching brought the correct sacrifice, animals without defect or blemish, God promised he would open the windows of heaven for them and pour down a blessing for them until there was no more need. God would rebuke the devourer for them, so that it will not destroy the fruits of their soil, and their vine in the field would not fail to bear. Then all nations would call them blessed, for they would be a land of delight, said the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-12) Please note that the Mosaic Law promised blessings to those following its precepts. "If you paid, you played."
New Testament Christians today don't make animal offerings of any kind. Does Malachi have anything to say to us in the present day? Is it possible for a New Testament believer to present an imperfect sacrifice? Absolutely not! Here's why. God took action to reduce the likelihood that we would offer flawed or imperfect sacrifices. He gave us two things - the Lord's Supper and the tithe.
The Lord's Supper, I believe, represents the unblemished sacrifice. God, in his wisdom, "standardized" the whole process so that the bread and cup of blessing are always perfect. Jenny and I never have to worry about offering a tainted sacrifice because the grape juice and matzo bread we eat ad drink are indeed the spotless body and blood of Jesus. The same principle applies to the tithe. By tithing, Jenny and I are saying that we recognize and accept that our wealth and provision is wholly dependent on the perfection of another.
Schulter, aren't you basing your life on the Old Testament promise that God rewards good behaviour? Not in the slightest. The Old Testament promises can be claimed by anyone who knows how to read them in light of who Jesus is and what He did.
In the New Testament, we don't partake in the Lord's Supper so that God can forgive our sins but rather celebrate the fact that He has already forgiven us. Second, the Lord's Supper becomes a means through which the never-ending supply of forgiveness reaches us. By the way, the Lord's Supper is considered a means of grace; a term used in the Westminster Confession and widely accepted in the church. I venture say that the tithe is also a means of grace).
The same principle applies to the tithe. We don't tithe to get blessed but rather to recognize and accept that our provision is wholly dependent on the perfection of another. Second, tithing is a means through which the never-ending supply of wealth and provision reaches us. Now I can appropriate the promises offered in Malachi 3:10-12. I apologize for sounding like that charismatic TV preacher you always skip over.
In light of who Jesus is and what He did., I finally understood what Malachi was talking about, and it set me free profoundly. I no longer worry about being cursed because I know that even if I don't tithe, I will never be. Second, since there is no longer any fear of punishment or condemnation, I can tithe with great pleasure. Finally, when I tithe, God’s blessings flow in me and through me. This is the paradox of the gospel of grace. The gospel of grace contains this seeming contradiction. It releases one from guilt and condemnation and causes them to be more generous than they were before when the curse hung over their head. Finally, it rewards the receiver for using the grace it gave so freely. No other faith or worldview offers this. Taking part in the Lord's Supper and tithing has become something I look forward to doing.
That's what grace looks like.
Photo by Leiada Krozjhen on Unsplash