Question; why would God command you to do something that would cause you to sin and die?
BEAR SIN AND DIE...YES, FOR TITHING.
One of the most misused scripture, AND ONE TWISTED COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTEXT, is Malachi 3:10...
"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."
Tithing teachers love to quote Malachi 3:10 to their followers representing it as a direct command to Christians to "bring the tithe to their church," a church often claimed to be the "storehouse to be tithed to."
For the sake of argument, let's agree with pastors who claim their church or ministry is a "storehouse to be tithed to."
The problem with that claim is that God's Word makes it very clear that anyone who is not a Levite being directly managed by a Priest of the Tribe of Levi who is a direct descendant from Aaron (while bringing tithes to the storehouse) will be sinning, ("will bear sin"), and die if they attempt to bring a tithe into the Temple Storehouse. IN THE CLEAR CONTEXT OF TITHING; this is found in Numbers 18:21-22...
"And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth [the tithe] in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die." ..."BEAR SIN, AND DIE."
With an exception of the Levites, the Nation of Israel, God's people, were not authorized by God to bring any tithes to the Temple Storehouse. God's Word makes it clear that the only Children of Israel that were to tithe to the Temple were the Levites. The remaining tribes were forbidden to approach ("come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation") the House of God with their tithes...
"And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house." - Nehemiah 10:38
THAT'S NOT FOR ME!
"That doesn't apply to me," you say? That's correct, it doesn't, because we are not under the Law of Moses (see; Romans 7:6, Romans 6:14). Neither does the rest of the Law of Moses apply to New Testament Christians, including Malachi 3:10, which is based on and pursuant to the Law of Moses;
"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
But, if you do apply Malachi 3:10 to yourself, as tithing teachers attempt to convince you to do, then you must live on ALL THE LAW OF MOSES;
Anyone deciding to live under the Law of Moses, such as doing as Malachi 3:10 commands, must do so perfectly or be cursed...
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." - Galatians 3:10
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend on one point, he is guilty of all." - James 2:10
"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." - Galatians 5:2-3
But, you say; "I'm a Gentile (a none Jew), I'm not a child of Israel, so therefore it's doesn't apply to me." Do you think God would prohibit a none Levite child of Israel from bringing the tithe to the Temple Storehouse but permit a Gentile to do so? NOT LIKELY! How do we know? This is how...
"He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord." - Psalm 147:19-20
The Gentiles had no commandment or God given authority to bring tithes into the Temple Storehouse.
CONCLUSION
So then, next time your pastor or favorite or tithing teacher says "Bring all your tithes into the storehouse," perhaps you should reply with "NO THANKS, I DON'T WANT TO BEAR SIN AND DIE!"
Of course, NOWHERE in God's Word is a New Testament church (including the pastor, building or organization) described by God as a "Temple Storehouse to be tithed to." So, maybe it would be better to inform your pastor that fact, and say NO to tithing when the golden plate comes sailing by during the next Sunday service.
>> Ref.;
"And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you." - Malachi 2:1
"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
"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
"And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die." - Numbers 18:21-22
"And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house." - Nehemiah 10:38
>> SEE CHART BELOW...
_______________________________________________
