Tithes & Offerings Mal. 3:8-12 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
This broadcast is about tithes and offerings. This passage is not doctrinally applied to the Church but rather to the nation of Israel. However, we can spiritually apply this passage to the Church with other New Testament cross references.
God promises Israel that if the will offer tithes and offerings, he will open the windows of heaven to bless them. You know how bountiful this blessing is because of the quantity of the blessing that can come when the windows of heaven are open. This blessing poured out would affect the bountiful harvest of the land. God promised to protect their harvest from the devourer. God promised to protect their land.
You can see in the life of Paul that the promises of this passage were not doctrinally applied to him. Paul didn’t even own a field. All nations did not call him blessed; they tried to kill him. He was a cheerful giver but he didn’t profit personally by it. Jesus, the greatest giver of all time, died penniless.
So, what about the tithe in Israel?
The tithe is the Lord’s – Lev 27:30 and it is a tenth Lev 27:32 – and this didn’t change in the New Testament; it is still the Lord’s.
The storehouse is part of the Temple – 2 Chr 31:10-12 – it is the place where the excess of tithes and offerings were stored. Churches don’t have “storehouses.”
The tithe was to take care of the Levites – Num 18:26-28 and the Levites gave a tenth of the tithe to the priests – Neh 13:10-12.
The tithe guaranteed protection and blessing – Mal 3:10-12 – the tithe yields blessing from God, protection from the devourer, and a delightsome land [contrast Ezra 4:15, when Israel is not tithing].
So, what about the tithe today?
The tithe is still the Lord’s – Lev 27:30 – whether you pay it yourself or whether it is exacted by the Lord, the tithe is the Lord’s.
The tithe is brought to the church – 1 Cor 16:1-3 – just like we receive the offering in the church today.
The tithe is to take care of the ministers and the ministry – 1 Cor 9:6-11 – like the tithe was to take care of the Levites and the priests, so the tithe today takes care of the matters of the church.
The Lord blesses the giver – Eph 4:28 – God gives to you to be able to give to others, Lk 6:38 – men have experienced that while they could not pay 100% of their bills with 100% of their money, they could pay 100% of these bills with 90% of their money when they began to tithe. That is the result of God’s blessing.
Conclusion: The tithe is still in effect today, but the consequences are different for us than they were for Israel.