Preamble

  • Good morning, and a very warm welcome to Medway Church. 
  • If you've been with us over the past few weeks, you'll know we are journeying through the Book of Malachi – the final book of the Old Testament. You'll also know it hasn't always been comfortable reading. Well I am pleased to let you know that it is not going to get any easier.
  • As you will now know, Malachi directs a series of serious accusations at the Israelites. Although written thousands of years ago, his rebukes remain powerfully relevant to us today as the church.
  • My prayer this morning is that this passage will challenge you, prompting a response that spurs you to honour God more fully in this area. Not out of a sense of duty nor out of a sense of guilt, but rather out of a love and a reverence for Him, and deep gratitude for what He has done for us. 
  • If you happen to be visiting this morning, please don't let the challenging nature of the passage deter you; we encourage you to stick with us. You have chosen the right week to attend.

Context & Background

Now, before we dive into today's text, it’s helpful to briefly revisit the context and background of this book. My aim isn't to repeat everything already covered, but simply to set the stage and to take stock.

  • Malachi, his ministry, and the writing of this book takes place around the time of Nehemiah, roughly a 100 years after the first exiles had returned from Babylon.
  • There are three pieces of evidence that help us to pinpoint this:
    • First, Malachi mentions a functioning temple (Malachi 1:13, 3:10), which had been destroyed at the beginning of the exile.
    • Second, he refers to and uses the Persian word for a governor (Malachi 1:8), and Nehemiah was the final civil authority in that period.
    • Finally, the specific problems Malachi addressed – a corrupt priesthood (Nehemiah 13:29 cf. Malachi 1:6-2:9), issues with marriage in Israel (Nehemiah 13:23-25 cf. Malachi 2:14-15), and the withholding of tithes (Nehemiah 13:10-11 cf. Malachi 3:8-12) – are also the same concerns Nehemiah dealt with.
  • The Israelites were originally exiled from Judah as a consequence of their disobedience, and their idolatry (worship of other Gods). God stirs the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, and he issues a decree allowing them to return home and to rebuild His Temple in Jerusalem.
  • After 70 years they are restored - the temple is rebuilt, sacrifice and feasts have resumed. 
  • They are in the right place - the Promised land - they have the right institutions - temples and sacrifices - they are worshiping the right God - Yahweh - AND yet something was missing, something is wrong…
  • The blessings and promises of prophets like Haggai and Zechariah - had not materialised (Malachi 2:2). The nation was discouraged and disappointed in what they thought were unfulfilled promises. As a result, their respect for God diminished and they dishonoured Him.
2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.
  • You see when the early Israelites had returned from exile, they had tackled the rebuilding of the temple with passion and there was a deep desire to fulfill their side of the covenant.
  • However, the fervor of those early returning Israelites had given way to an apathy for the things of God. There was rampant corruption among the priesthood and a spiritual laziness among the people.
  • Malachi came along at a time when the people were struggling to believe that God loved them.
  • They were focused on their unfortunate circumstances but refused to see their sinful deeds as the cause and reason.
  • God points a finger back at them, through Malachi, who presents a series of indictments against them… formal accusations
  • CEASE and DESIST letter
    • Last year our company received a formal CEASE and DESIST letter
    • Now I won’t go into the details…
    • There are a number of ways we could have reacted… we could have gone on the offensive from the start… deny, deny, deny
    • We chose rather to be introspective… Our first action was to look internally to see if we were in the wrong
    • Once we had reviewed each accusation and the supporting evidence, we compiled a formal response
    • It turns out that there was no evidence to support the claim, in fact the opposite was true
    • Once the response had been sent, we never heard back
    • BUT I must admit for the first 48 hours it completely unsettled me! I was emotionally uneasy and distracted, it was all I could think about.
    • Now I don’t know why this person sent us this letter, but it certainly had an impact and made us think long and hard about what we say and do as a team. Maybe that was his intent.
    • THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF Malachi!
    • He wants to shake them awake, he wants them to think deeply about the accusations. And to hopefully change their behaviour.
    • However, Unlike our CEASE and DESIST letter, the accusations raised in this book are not baseless.
    • I suppose that the reason I mention this is that, as we go through these accusations, the Lord may be challenging you in your walk with Him and your initial response might be to push back. A bit like the Israelites, and respond “who me?” I want to encourage you to pause and ask yourself: is there truth to this challenge that God wants to use for my growth?
  • Malachi levels six disputes at the Israelites, and the method he uses is that he 1) Makes the accusation; he levels a charge at them 2) they respond with an excuse 3) and then evidence is provided:
    • The First Dispute: they are questioning God’s special love shown them (David)
    • The Second Dispute: they are offering sick and lame animals for sacrifice and giving God their left-overs (Stuart)
    • The Third Dispute: their unfaithfulness to their marriage vows; they were marrying people who worshiped foreign gods (Andrew)
    • The Fourth dispute: people question God’s Justice - God points to their morality -- evil is good and good is evil (Andrew)
    • The Fifth dispute: the one that we are going to deal with this morning: they are robbing God

The Fifth Dispute

Please turn in your Bibles to Malachi 3 and read verse 6-12 together.

Malachi 3:6-12 (NIV)
Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes
6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.
“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
  • Malachi begins the book reminding them that if it were not for the Lord’s love for them, that they would have been destroyed. (Malachi 1:1–4)
  • He reminded them that God’s judgement can result in the destruction of an entire nation. To illustrate this, he reminds them of Edom's sin and subsequent obliteration. While in contrast Israel had been preserved.
  • Here in v6 Malachi once again reminds them that they ONLY still exist because God is faithful and unchanging. The only reason that they have not been obliterated like Edom is because God has upheld his side of the covenant.
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (ESV)
  • You see Israel's survival was not dependent on their own merits.
  • In fact quite the opposite—they deserve severe punishment (Numbers 18:32)—in accordance with the Law, defiling the offering was punishable with death.
  • The one and only reason they have not been annihilated is because God does not change, and so His promises are secure.
  • Already this would have been quite a sobering message.
  • God is not saying, "you have survived because you deserve mercy," or even "because I love you, you remain." rather Israel owes its survival entirely to the faithfulness of God.
  • In other words, it is only His unchanging and perfect promises which have kept Israel from suffering the same fate as Edom.
  • He does not change! He does not break His promises.
  • Rather it is the Israelites who have turned away from His decree.
7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them.
  • HIKING FAMILY:
    • De Villiers Dam walk
    • Starts at Constantia Nek → up the track
    • Once at the top you get the most glorious view of the city → and the path you have walk
  • Malachi’s position as the final book in the Old Testament is unique - a vantage point from which he looks back at the rich history and struggles of the Israelite nation, and also a glimpse into their hearts.
  • They are a nation chosen by God, descendants of Abraham. Their history tells of glories like the exodus from Egypt and the faithfulness of God to King David, but also of how they experience judgement in the desert and the shame of exile from the Promised Land.
  • At the time of Malachi, it is well over a thousand years since Abraham, and they had the advantage of being able to look back on their history, they knew of the rewards of faithfulness as well as the punishments of judgement - And yet they still strayed.
  • They were like Jacob. They did not respond to their new name Israel.
  • Israel has a long track record of disobeying God, despite all of His blessings - their unfaithfulness is not a surprise to God!
  • And yet - He appeals to them to return - to be faithful once again, and in so doing they can experience the blessings of His covenant with them.
7 … Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 
  • It is a simple call to repentance.
  • Repentance, in its most basic sense, is a turning away from sin and turning to God. It is not just saying SORRY.
  • True repentance requires a change in behaviour.
  • Think of someone lost in the woods. Saying "I'm lost" isn't enough. Repentance is the act of retracing your steps, orienting yourself, and actively returning to the path.
  • Repentance is the very act of returning.
  • Before the accusation is even leveled at them; before the evidence has even been laid out; they are being reminded that no matter what they have done, there is a way back to a relationship with Him.
  • Their response:
‘How shall we return?’ 
  • Now let's not mis-read this, they are not saying - “We know that we have done wrong and what must we do to return to God.”
  • They are NOT acknowledging their sin - there isn’t a recognition that they have done wrong - NOR is it a desire to correct the situation.
  • They are completely blinded by their sin. It is as though a dark veil has been drawn over their eyes.
  • You see, Israel has drifted so far from God that they don't even recognize that they've fallen away.
  • This is the effect of spiritual blindness, not only do we stop seeing God accurately, it also stops us from seeing ourselves properly. 
  • We think our sinfulness is not that bad and that our goodness is better than it really is.
  • Malachi then poses them with a rhetorical question. A question which on the face of it is absurd.
8 Will man rob God?
  • It seems strange to think that a man could rob God. What could someone possibly steal from God?
    • Psalm 24:1
“1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
  • Well, in some ways it is more than a question, it is an expression of astonishment: Will a man rob God?
    • Astonishing because it is such a daring thing to do. I mean the seer breathtaking audacity of thinking you can steal from God.
    • I mean how incredibly ungrateful, and self-destructive. Do you think that this would go unnoticed by God, did you somehow think that this would go unpunished?
  • And with that Malachi launches straight into the accusation.
    • Yet you rob me.
    • ‘How are we robbing you?’
    • In tithes and offerings.
  • They were taking what belonged to God and using it for themselves.
  • Israel was robbing God by not giving Him what He was owed.
  • The law mandated that a tithe, or a tenth, of the produce of the land be given to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30). 
  • Not only that 10% was to be offered for the poor, and additional specific offerings were required, as well.
  • In Malachi’s time, the people were holding back on bringing the full offering, they were keeping a portion of the tithes and offerings for themselves, in so doing they were breaking the law and, in effect, robbing God.
  • They were taking what belonged to God and using it for themselves.
  • God didn't need the offering itself; it was the act of giving that honoured Him. Withholding it, then, was a way of robbing Him of honour due.
  • The consequences of this was in verse 11: instead of knowing and enjoying the blessing of the Lord, they rather find themselves outside of that blessing and cursed because of their disobedience.

Okay so how can we take what we have learnt here this morning be applied to our Christian lives? Well the first question we need to ask ourselves is are we still required to tithe?

To Tithe or Not to Tithe

I don’t have time to get into a more detailed discussion of tithing this morning, but what I would like to do is to make four summary statements

First statement

  • Tithing is an Old Testament concept and tithing was a requirement of the Law. 
  • Jesus came to fulfill the Law, and nowhere in the New Testament is there a command nor even does it recommend that Christians submit to a legalistic tithe system.
  • However, while we are no longer under the Law, it’s still possible that we rob God when we don’t give Him what He is owed: 
    • our wholehearted love, trust, obedience, service, and worship.
    • Financial giving remains a very practical way to honour him, it is part of our worship.
  • And so tithing is a good benchmark for believers | it’s a good place to start, sort of like a “minimum guide” for giving.
  • This is something that my parents were faithful in doing; and Zena and I have endeavoured to do in our lives.
    • There is much that we as a couple get wrong… trust me, Zena has a list… but neither Zena nor I have said no to the other when they have been prompted to give

Second statement

  • It’s easy to tithe and yet miss out on what’s really important. Jesus took the Pharisees to task not because they didn’t tithe, but because they had become so legalistic that they no longer cared about their love for God or for their neighbour.
  • In Luke 11:42 Jesus says the following:
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
  • In other words what Jesus is saying is that giving is important, but it cannot be a cloak or a cover for injustice and lovelessness.
  • God looks at the heart, not the hand. He focuses on the heart of the giver, not the gift.
  • You can GIVE but not LOVE, but you cannot LOVE and not GIVE.

Third statement

  • The practice of tithing is a good reminder of who’s in charge of my life.
  • And it is an opportunity to put our trust in Him.
  • If you make R10,000 per month how much of it belongs to God, R1,000 right! NO, the whole R10,000 belongs to the Lord.
  • Why do we give? Let's be honest God does not need our money. God wants what your money represents—you. My use of money shows what I think of Him because my giving is a thermometer of my love.

The fourth and final statement

  • God promises to provide for us and protect us when we put Him first with our finances.
  • Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 
  • In other words when you trust him to meet all your needs, when you give him the first fruits God will protect us, provide for us, and bless us.
  • In Malachi 3:10 is says this:
Test me in this
  • This is one of the very few if only places in the bible where God instructs us to put him to the test - in fact we are explicitly told not to put the Lord God to the test - but in this case we are given a free pass of sorts
  • It is as if God is saying “trust me - I dare you!”
  • There are also at least two consequences of not tithing.
  • First, when we don’t put God first in our finances, like the Israelites did in the time of Malachi, we end up robbing Him.
  • Secondly, as we’ve already pointed out in verse 10, those who don’t tithe are actually robbing themselves of blessings.

Giving Guidelines

  • While the New Testament has a lot to say about giving, I want to draw several principles from 3 passages in the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians this morning.
  • Please turn to 1 Corinthians 16:2: 
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
  • We see three parameters for giving in this verse.
    • 1. Giving should be regular & punctual.
      • The verse here says that believers are to give on a regular basis:
“On the first day of the week.”
      • Although it is good to give when you are promoted to do so, giving should be a regular discipline.
      • Nowadays where most of us are now paid monthly this would be monthly.
    • 2. Giving should be personal. 
      • Giving is something that must be between you and God. At the same time, the Bible makes it clear that every believer is to give:
“each one of you”
      • Giving is not just a suggestion. God expects each of us to be givers.
    • 3. Giving should be proportional. 
      • We are to give according to how God has blessed us. 
      • As believers we are to set aside:
“a sum of money in keeping with his income.” 
      • The more God blesses us, the more we’re able to give. 
      • That’s New Testament grace giving, which may involve more than just giving 10%. 
      • According to Malachi, the more you give, the more you are blessed. 1 Corinthians teaches that the more you’re blessed, the more you can give. 
      • The Old Testament gives a command to tithe by setting a standard of percentage giving. In the New Testament the command becomes a model as we’re urged to practice unlimited proportional giving.
  • Now please turn with me to 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
  • Here Paul gives us the principle of giving with grace, the procedure, and a promise
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
  • Principle
    • Verse 6 provides the principle:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
    • It’s a fact of life. What we sow, we will reap. When you plant the seed, God will provide for your need.
    • That’s exactly what we learned in Malachi 3. When we put God first and become abundant and gracious givers, He will bless us.
  • Procedure
    • 1. Give thoughtfully. 
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give
      • When we give it should be something that we think through beforehand. Giving should be a deliberate decision based on prayer and planning, not just an emotional response.
    • 2. Give enthusiastically. Paul tells us to not give reluctantly.
    • 3. Give voluntarily. If you feel pressure to give, then something is wrong.
    • 4. Give cheerfully. God loves everyone but He’s ecstatic about those who give joyfully.
  • The Promise
    • If we do this then the promise is true.
God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
    • That doesn’t mean that God makes every Christian wealthy in material things; but it does mean that the believer who practices grace giving will always have what he needs when he needs it.
    • Why? So that:
“you will abound in every good work”
      • God blesses us materially and spiritually so that we can be a blessing to others. God wants us to be channels of blessing, not reservoirs of blessing.
  • And finally if you can please turn with me to 2 Corinthians 8:7-9.
  • Paul is writing to the church at Corinth to help them see their responsibility to giving
  • There is so much to be learnt from this chapter, the Macedonians were in extreme poverty and they overflowed with joy, not normally something we put together, joy and poverty. But despite their struggles, they gave generously, as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.
  • They were a model of Christian giving.
7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
  • The challenge that I would like to leave you with this morning is the same challenge Paul leveled at the Corinthians.
    • If we think about what the Lord Jesus did on the cross on our behalf - He is the Creator and our Sustainer, there is no one higher than him.
    • For our sake he became poor and set aside His glory and lived in poverty amongst sinful people and He gave His life for us. From the vast glories of heaven, He gave all of this for us.
    • WE have received every spiritual blessing as a gift from Him, everything that we have is from God as a gift of grace.
    • How do we/I respond to Him?
    • Paul’s challenge is this:
see that you also excel in this grace of giving
    • If this is an area of your Christian life where you are struggling. Maybe you are a young believer and you have never regularly tithed before. Maybe you are a well seasoned warrior, but you have been holding back on your giving. The Lord has been prompting you, and you have been resisting. You are fearful of what the future holds, you are concerned that you don’t have enough for retirement.
    • "Put me to the test", says the Lord.