Malachi 3:8-17 (NASB)
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts. “Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, What have we spoken against You? You have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape. Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”

Tithing can be an area that creates discomfort in church settings. Most people know something about the topic but few like to discuss it. To some, it means giving money to the church and having less money for their personal use. Others might say that, “I don’t need to tithe because that was part of the Law.” But let me ask you if this is really the truth or are these mind sets contrary to God’s plan to allow us to be financially free? God created the principle of the tithe over four hundred years before the Mosaic Law was given. The first person to tithe was Abraham and he gave a tenth of all in Genesis chapter twenty two. One of the most frequently quoted scriptures about tithing comes from the book of Malachi which is listed above. Many pastors only read verses eight and nine to their congregations and emphasize the part about the curse. When the passage is read in context we see the end portion giving us a better picture of God’s heart regarding why He wants us to tithe. God starts out by clearly stating that the tithe and offerings which He has required really do belong to him. If we are a child of God then He says that we are keeping His money when we refuse to tithe and give offerings. Why is it important to give? The tithe and the offering moves us into the Kingdom of God economy where we allow God to supernaturally watch over our provision and needs. He tells us that there are windows in heaven that can be opened when we give out of our finances on the earth. He wants to bless us. He wants to protect us from financial curses that devour our income and keep us filled with stress and anxiety. The biggest problem we face is our own belief that we know more about this than He does. He actually calls this arrogant thinking when we say that tithing does not work and people who disrespect God are more blessed than those who honor and obey him. He has been working with mankind a lot longer than we have been around. His method is tried and proven. I love the final part of the passage. It says that when those who feared the Lord began to talk about obeying Him, He wrote their names down. This is a wonderful scripture to meditate upon. God is asking us to take time to discuss His plan for finances with an open mind and respect for His heart towards us. He makes a promise to all who will be humble and teachable to His ways. He says that when the day of trouble comes He will protect these individuals like a father protects the son He loves. Wow! Now that is a beautiful picture! I am a father and I love my kids. I know that if trouble ever came their way and I was around I would step in and protect them from harm. God is explaining His plan to us in this same way. The world economy we are living in will have some perilous times. It can destroy individuals and families. We simply cannot trust it. We can trust God. He is a loving father that will protect and provide for His children. This is why He wants us to give our tithes and offerings. This step of faith opens the windows of heaven and allows us into a different economic experience for our lives.