A close look at Malachi 3:7; The Important Precursor to Malachi 3:8-10

Malachi 3:7...

Undoubtedly you have heard tithing teacher after tithing teacher, tither after tither, quote Malachi 3:8-10, or perhaps only Malachi 3:10, as a reason for "Christian tithing." These verses are almost universally the "flag ship" verses of tithers...

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, 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."

The above verses are used to claim that a Christian has a God ordained, God instructed duty to "tithe" on their income.

As with all scripture taken out of context, scripture twisted to say what false teachers want it to say, it is not being interpreted letting the Word of God interpret the Word of God. That is to say examining scripture in the light of other scripture, finding the whole council of God and not cherry picking a verse here and a verse there as needed to "prove your claim."

MALACHI 3:8-10 INTERPRETED BY MALACHI 3:7

In the case of Malachi 3:8-10, one must apply what is being clearly stated in Malachi 3:7 (and other scripture) to properly interpret Malachi 3:8-10.

Let's look at Malachi 3:7 in detail, statement by statement, and then apply that verse to Malachi 3:8-10;

Malachi 3:7...

"Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them."

1. God is stating that the Nation of Israel, as far back as their forefathers, were a nation that had a documented history of disobedience to God's ordinances, His Word, His Laws (i.e., The Law of Moses). God is addressing the Nation of Israel, the Priests of that nation, not the New Testament Church; "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you." - Malachi 2:1

"Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts."

2. God sends a clear message to the Nation of Israel that He desires to "return to them," if they will "return to Him." God sets a standard of relationship with His Nation that God being "with them" will require them being with Him. That is to say; obey His word.

"But ye said, Wherein shall we return?"

3. Using a rhetorical question, God anticipates what the Children of Israel will ask. They are asking "how do we return to you?"

NOW ON TO MALACHI 3:8-10; GOD'S ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION

> First, God clarifies the problem, the disobedience, in this case God is calling out robbery; "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me." - Malachi 3:8a

> Next, God goes into  detail concerning the robbery; "But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." - Malachi 3:8b

> Then, God reveals the results of their disobedience and robbery; "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." - Malachi 3:9

AND NOW THE ANSWER

God does not leave them without an answer. THE ANSWER IS TO OBEY HIS ORDINANCES; that is to say; RETURN BACK TO THE LAW OF MOSES WHICH INSTRUCTS THE NATION OF ISRAEL TO TITHE.

God tells the Children of Israel, the Nation of Israel...

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, 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." - Malachi 3:10.

The solution is obvious; the Nation of Israel was to return to God, WHICH WAS OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW OF MOSES, BY TITHING. In other words; BY TITHING AS INSTRUCTED IN MALACHI 3:8-10, YOU ARE PLACED BACK UNDER THE LAW, which was at that time how to return to God.

Malachi firms up that solution and repeats it in Malachi 4:4...

"Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments." - Malachi 4:4

New Testament Christians, Believers, now inheritors of the NEW TESTAMENT, are not under the Law of Moses and are not required to return to God by tithing...

"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave NO such commandment:" - Acts 15:24

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are NOT under the law, but under grace." - Romans 6:14

"But now we are DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." - Romans 7:6

CONCLUSION 

In order for Malachi 3:7-10 to be talking to a New Testament Christian directly, God would have had to have departed from you, and obedience to the Law of Moses would have to be your way of bringing God back. Jesus said to us: "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Malachi is not instructing a New Testament Christian to tithe, and God has NOT departed or forsaken a New Testament Christian if they don't tithe. Tithing is not a New Testament requirement or even a suggestion. Tithing has NOTHING to do with New Testament Christianity.
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