I find it very interesting that God has NEVER referenced or cited Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek as an example to follow, as a standard to tithe by, or a reason to tithe. Nowhere in God's word will you find Abraham as the progenitor of tithing.
In the Law, the Torah, where God established tithing for the Nation of Israel, NOT the Church, no mention of Abraham is made as a reason for, or an example of tithing.
The Children of Israel, who were also the Children of Abraham and Sarah, were never told to tithe based on Abraham's tithe. Incidentally; The Children of Israel (Israel/Jacob) were NEVER instructed to tithe because Jacob/Israel bragged to God that he would tithe "if God would be his God."
Also, nowhere in God's word did God ever instruct Gentiles to tithe at all, and certainly not because Abraham's tithe, or Jacob's unfulfilled promise to tithe.
Since God did not instruct the Children of Israel to tithe because Abraham did; why should the New Testament church do so?
As posted before...
The results of the first church counsel did not include instructions to tithe because Abraham did; why didn't the Apostle Peter (James speaking for Peter), after the first Church counsel, include in his instructions to the Gentile Believers to "make sure you tithe as Abraham did?...
"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." - Acts 15:28-29
Not one word from the Apostle Peter to tithe as Abraham did. If tithing was so important, and was to be based on "Abrahamic tithing," why did the Apostle Peter leave it out of his instructions?
Also, Abrahamic tithing left out of this verse...
"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
If we are supposed to be tithing as Abraham did; why are we not to be circumcising because Abraham did? Why just tithing?
God provided Abraham the covenant confirmed with circumcision, NOT TITHING; to tithing teachers, tithing, not ordained by God, is to be the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, which to them is held in higher priority than a God ordained covenant; the covenant with Abraham was confirmed with circumcision, not tithing.
Additionally; nowhere has God in the Old or New Testaments instructed Believers, Christians (Jew or Gentiles), to tithe using the examples of either Abraham or Jacob. God has also never instructed Jews or Gentiles to tithe based on the Law; we are not under the Law...
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" - Galatians 3:13
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Romans 8:3-4
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." - Hebrews 9:12
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21
"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." - Galatians 4:4-5
> Note in Galatians 4:4-5: "WERE" (past tense) under the law. We are no longer under the law, and have NO requirement to tithe.
>>> The point is this...
Since tithing teachers cannot teach (though many recently tried to do so for years) that we must tithe based on scriptures from the Law, (which if they did would be the same as claiming that we as Christians are still under the Law and to obey the Law), in desperation to keep the tithes coming in, will resort to the claim of "we must tithe because Abraham did."
In some sense, it's a good thing that they are resorting to the "tithe because Abraham did" lie because by doing so are running out of lies to fool people with, and are relying on a claim that is easy to refute. Sadly, as easy as it is to refute, many gullible and biblically uneducated Christians continue to fall for their lies. For these people we need to pray that God opens their eyes because Jesus said...
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32 ...in this case, free from the Christian tithing lie.
>> We are called by God to be free will cheerful givers, NOT tithers in any form. There is no such Biblical doctrine of "tithing because Abraham did."
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Saturday, March 7, 2020
THE BOOK OF MALACHI; PROPER CONTEXT IS THE KEY
>> Question; has a Christian been made by God to be "contemptible and base before all the people"? NO! Keep reading, you'll understand why that question is asked...
There are two types of scriptures in God's Word; scriptures written directly to Christians and scriptures written indirectly to Christians.
The difference is that scriptures written indirectly to Christians are not commandments or promises directed by God to the Christian. When God commanded Noah to build an Ark He was not talking directly to Christians, no Christian is instructed by God in His word to build an Ark. We can learn biblical basic principles such as obedience to God from the record of Noah and the flood, but we have no direct instructions from God to build an Ark.
On the other hand, as an example, Christians are instructed by God to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15. That verse, being part of the New Testament, is written directly to Christians, and is a direct commandment to us, not a suggestion. Also, it tells us that we need to learn how to "rightly divide the word of God." Divide what? For one thing; divide between what was written directly to us and what was written indirectly to us.
Knowing the difference between scriptures written directly and indirectly to Christians is very important. Tithers and tithing teachers often use the Old Testament book of Malachi in an attempt to teach or justify "Christian tithing" sadly ignoring all of the obvious clues in Malachi that makes it clear that Malachi was not addressing or instructing New Testament Christians to tithe. The book of Malachi is in no manner instructing Christians, or for that matter, anyone but the Nation of Israel, to tithe under the Law of Moses; of said law Christians are not under.
>> Using Malachi's words in his book, here is why attempting to use the book of Malachi to coerce Christians into tithing is taking scripture written indirectly to Christians and use them as scripture written directly to Christians; that is to say take them out of proper context...
THE BOOK OF MALACHI; was directly written...
>> Malachi Chapter One, verses;
1 "The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
5 "And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
6 "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
9 "And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
10 "Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
12 "But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
13 "Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand?" saith the LORD.
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
14 "But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
>> Malachi Chapter Two, verses;
1 "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
3 "Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
4 "And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, Tribe of Levi, not a New Testament Christian.
7 "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, those who were under the Law of Moses, not a New Testament Christian.
8 "But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, those who were under the Law of Moses, not a New Testament Christian.
9 "Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, those who were under the Law of Moses, not a New Testament Christian; has a Christian been made by God to be "contemptible and base before all the people?" NO!
11 "Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god." - to Israel, to Judah; to Israelis who had married the daughter of a strange god.
- to Israel, to Judah, not a New Testament Christian.
>> Malachi Chapter Three, verses;
3 "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."
- to Israel, the sons of Levi, not a New Testament Christian.
4 "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years."
- "to Israel, to Judah and Jerusalem, not a New Testament Christian."
6 "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
- to Israel, to sons of Jacob (i.e.; the sons of Israel), not a New Testament Christian."
7 "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?"
- to Israel, to those who God had departed from in Israel, not a New Testament Christian; God NEVER departs from us and does not have to return unto us; "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20
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."
- to Israel, referring to the Storehouse attached to the Temple in Jerusalem, Israel; not a New Testament Christian. God has NEVER designated a New Testament fellowship or ministry as a "storehouse to be tithed to."
11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, the Land of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
12 "And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, the Land of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
>> Malachi Chapter Four, verses;
4 "Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments."
- to Israel, the People of Israel, not a New Testament Christian. A New Testament Christian is NOT under the Law of Moses; "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." - Romans 6:14, and concerning tithing; "For there is verily a disannulling [ENDING] of the commandment [to tithe] going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." - Hebrews 7:18
5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
- to Israel, the People of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
>>> CONCLUSION; In fact, EVERY SINGLE VERSE in the Book of Malachi, EVERY LAST ONE, without exception, in one manner or another, makes it VERY CLEAR that the book of Malachi was written DIRECTLY TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL WHO WERE UNDER THE LAW; not directly to New Testament Christians.
The Book of Malachi was written to correct the unscriptural, unlawful and corrupt behavior of the Israelites – in particular; the priests – in post-exilic Jerusalem).
Any attempt to coerce Christians into "tithing" with the Book of Malachi, including using Malachi 3:10, is blatantly taking scripture out of proper context and is a deceptive practice. The Book of Malachi instructs NO CHRISTIAN to "tithe" anything to anyone at any time.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
There are two types of scriptures in God's Word; scriptures written directly to Christians and scriptures written indirectly to Christians.
The difference is that scriptures written indirectly to Christians are not commandments or promises directed by God to the Christian. When God commanded Noah to build an Ark He was not talking directly to Christians, no Christian is instructed by God in His word to build an Ark. We can learn biblical basic principles such as obedience to God from the record of Noah and the flood, but we have no direct instructions from God to build an Ark.
On the other hand, as an example, Christians are instructed by God to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15. That verse, being part of the New Testament, is written directly to Christians, and is a direct commandment to us, not a suggestion. Also, it tells us that we need to learn how to "rightly divide the word of God." Divide what? For one thing; divide between what was written directly to us and what was written indirectly to us.
Knowing the difference between scriptures written directly and indirectly to Christians is very important. Tithers and tithing teachers often use the Old Testament book of Malachi in an attempt to teach or justify "Christian tithing" sadly ignoring all of the obvious clues in Malachi that makes it clear that Malachi was not addressing or instructing New Testament Christians to tithe. The book of Malachi is in no manner instructing Christians, or for that matter, anyone but the Nation of Israel, to tithe under the Law of Moses; of said law Christians are not under.
>> Using Malachi's words in his book, here is why attempting to use the book of Malachi to coerce Christians into tithing is taking scripture written indirectly to Christians and use them as scripture written directly to Christians; that is to say take them out of proper context...
THE BOOK OF MALACHI; was directly written...
>> Malachi Chapter One, verses;
1 "The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
5 "And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
6 "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
9 "And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
10 "Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
12 "But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
13 "Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand?" saith the LORD.
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
14 "But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."
- to Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
>> Malachi Chapter Two, verses;
1 "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
3 "Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
4 "And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, Tribe of Levi, not a New Testament Christian.
7 "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, those who were under the Law of Moses, not a New Testament Christian.
8 "But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, those who were under the Law of Moses, not a New Testament Christian.
9 "Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law."
- to the corrupt Priests of Israel, those who were under the Law of Moses, not a New Testament Christian; has a Christian been made by God to be "contemptible and base before all the people?" NO!
11 "Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god." - to Israel, to Judah; to Israelis who had married the daughter of a strange god.
- to Israel, to Judah, not a New Testament Christian.
>> Malachi Chapter Three, verses;
3 "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."
- to Israel, the sons of Levi, not a New Testament Christian.
4 "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years."
- "to Israel, to Judah and Jerusalem, not a New Testament Christian."
6 "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
- to Israel, to sons of Jacob (i.e.; the sons of Israel), not a New Testament Christian."
7 "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?"
- to Israel, to those who God had departed from in Israel, not a New Testament Christian; God NEVER departs from us and does not have to return unto us; "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20
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."
- to Israel, referring to the Storehouse attached to the Temple in Jerusalem, Israel; not a New Testament Christian. God has NEVER designated a New Testament fellowship or ministry as a "storehouse to be tithed to."
11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, the Land of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
12 "And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts."
- to Israel, the Land of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
>> Malachi Chapter Four, verses;
4 "Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments."
- to Israel, the People of Israel, not a New Testament Christian. A New Testament Christian is NOT under the Law of Moses; "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." - Romans 6:14, and concerning tithing; "For there is verily a disannulling [ENDING] of the commandment [to tithe] going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." - Hebrews 7:18
5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
- to Israel, the People of Israel, not a New Testament Christian.
>>> CONCLUSION; In fact, EVERY SINGLE VERSE in the Book of Malachi, EVERY LAST ONE, without exception, in one manner or another, makes it VERY CLEAR that the book of Malachi was written DIRECTLY TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL WHO WERE UNDER THE LAW; not directly to New Testament Christians.
The Book of Malachi was written to correct the unscriptural, unlawful and corrupt behavior of the Israelites – in particular; the priests – in post-exilic Jerusalem).
Any attempt to coerce Christians into "tithing" with the Book of Malachi, including using Malachi 3:10, is blatantly taking scripture out of proper context and is a deceptive practice. The Book of Malachi instructs NO CHRISTIAN to "tithe" anything to anyone at any time.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Malachi 3:10...out of context!
Malachi 3:10...out of context!
"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..." - Malachi 3:10
Why do tithing teachers use Malachi 3:10 in an attempt to persuade people to tithe to them?
Simple answer; because it's in the Bible, and it's easy to twist and falsify. What I mean by "because it's in the Bible," is that tithing teachers hope you assume that simply because Malachi 3:10 is in the Bible, simply because it exists as a verse, it therefore MUST BE TALKING TO YOU DIRECTLY, CHRISTIAN, and instructing YOU to tithe. Nothing could be further from the truth.
To tithing teachers, it never occurs to them that they're taking Malachi 3:10 completely out of...
1. Historic context (when it was written; before the New Testament, and during a time of the robbery of the Temple tithe from the Jerusalem Temple Storehouse; Malachi 3:8-10, by the corrupt priests; Malachi 2:1).
2. Textual context (what scriptures it was written around; Malachi 1:1, Malachi 2:1, Malachi 4:4, Nehemiah 10:37-38, Nehemiah Chapter 13, etc., let scripture interpret scripture; 2 Peter 1:20-21 - "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost).
3. Situational context (why it was written, what situation it was addressing; Malachi 2:1, Malachi 3:8, Malachi 4:4).
4. Linguistic context (what language it was written in; Hebrew).
5. National context (to whom it was written; Israelis, the Nation of Israel; Malachi 1:1, Malachi 1:6, the the New Testament Church).
6. Locational context (where it was written; the Land of Israel; Malachi 1:1, The Book of Malachi was written to correct the unscriptural and corrupt behavior of the Israelites – in particular; the priests – in post-exilic Jerusalem).
...thus ignoring all six contents, and ignoring the important and proper disciplines of Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Exegesis, and rightly dividing the Word of Truth...
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15
"Rightly Dividing;" >>>
Greek: ὀρθοτομέω
Transliteration: orthotomeō
Pronunciation: or-thot-om-eh'-o
Definition: From a compound of G3717 and the base of G5114; to make a straight cut that is (figuratively) to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message): - rightly divide.
KJV Usage: rightly divide
>> Nowhere in the Word of God has God ever levied a tithe of any kind on a man or woman's income...NOWHERE, and certainly NOT in Malachi 3:10.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
"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..." - Malachi 3:10
Why do tithing teachers use Malachi 3:10 in an attempt to persuade people to tithe to them?
Simple answer; because it's in the Bible, and it's easy to twist and falsify. What I mean by "because it's in the Bible," is that tithing teachers hope you assume that simply because Malachi 3:10 is in the Bible, simply because it exists as a verse, it therefore MUST BE TALKING TO YOU DIRECTLY, CHRISTIAN, and instructing YOU to tithe. Nothing could be further from the truth.
To tithing teachers, it never occurs to them that they're taking Malachi 3:10 completely out of...
1. Historic context (when it was written; before the New Testament, and during a time of the robbery of the Temple tithe from the Jerusalem Temple Storehouse; Malachi 3:8-10, by the corrupt priests; Malachi 2:1).
2. Textual context (what scriptures it was written around; Malachi 1:1, Malachi 2:1, Malachi 4:4, Nehemiah 10:37-38, Nehemiah Chapter 13, etc., let scripture interpret scripture; 2 Peter 1:20-21 - "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost).
3. Situational context (why it was written, what situation it was addressing; Malachi 2:1, Malachi 3:8, Malachi 4:4).
4. Linguistic context (what language it was written in; Hebrew).
5. National context (to whom it was written; Israelis, the Nation of Israel; Malachi 1:1, Malachi 1:6, the the New Testament Church).
6. Locational context (where it was written; the Land of Israel; Malachi 1:1, The Book of Malachi was written to correct the unscriptural and corrupt behavior of the Israelites – in particular; the priests – in post-exilic Jerusalem).
...thus ignoring all six contents, and ignoring the important and proper disciplines of Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Exegesis, and rightly dividing the Word of Truth...
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15
"Rightly Dividing;" >>>
Greek: ὀρθοτομέω
Transliteration: orthotomeō
Pronunciation: or-thot-om-eh'-o
Definition: From a compound of G3717 and the base of G5114; to make a straight cut that is (figuratively) to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message): - rightly divide.
KJV Usage: rightly divide
>> Nowhere in the Word of God has God ever levied a tithe of any kind on a man or woman's income...NOWHERE, and certainly NOT in Malachi 3:10.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Did You Know?
Did you know that if your tithe is in the form of money (gold, silver, shekels, mites, coins, dollars, etc.), you are NOT permitted to give it to anyone?
Did you know; if you are a "tither," you are commanded by God (no, it's not a suggestion, it's a direct commandment from God) to spend your tithe money on yourself; spend it on anything you want, spend it on anything you desire...did you know that?
You didn't know that?
What?!...you mean your pastor or favorite Bible teacher hasn't told you that? Well, well; I wonder why he hasn't done so? Perhaps he is making up his own "tithing rules;" you know, the traditions of men that MAKE VOID the Word of God. Maybe he knows a lot less about tithing than you thought he knew. Or, perhaps he simply couldn't care less as to what God's Word ACTUALLY SAYS, and is after as much money as he can get out of you as possible, even if he has to lie to you, or withhold Biblical facts from you, hoping you NEVER find out for yourself.
So, is this true? Are tithers really told NOT pay tithes to anyone as money? Let's take a look at GOD'S WORD concerning the tithe and see if it is true. God's Word says this very clearly concerning the tithe...
"Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:" - Deuteronomy 14:25
Note: "bind up the money in thine hand" ...that is to say, GIVE IT TO NO ONE. Or, it is NOT to leave your hand, leave your possession, until you do with the money as God says to do with it; NOT what your pastor or favorite Bible teacher says to do with the money.
KEEPING IT ALL IN PROPER CONTEXT
Under what conditions did God instruct "Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand"?
The condition was this; God's commended tithe was limited to ONLY fruits, vegetables and clean animals from the Promise Land, NEVER MONEY. NO SCRIPTURE exists where God's word describes the tithe to be paid to anyone as money, all tithes were to be fruits, vegetables and clean animals from the Promise Land, FROM NOWHERE ELSE, IN NO OTHER FORM...
Lev. 27:30, 32, Num. 18:27, Num. 18:28, Deut 12:17, Deut. 14:22, Deut. 14:23, Deut. 24:21, Deut. 26:12, 2 Chron. 31:5, 2 Chron. 31:6, Neh. 10:37, Neh. 13:5, Mal. 3:10-11, Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42...
...but if a tither could not easily transport their tithe to the location where God has placed His name (i.e., the place of the feast), the tither could convert it (usually by selling his tithe) to money. If it was converted to money, that is to say was now in the form of money, the tither was NOT permitted to "pay his tithe" in the form of money to anyone. The tithe, now as money, was to be spent on the tither himself to purchase anything he wanted to purchase with the money.
In other words, UNDER GOD'S SYSTEM OF TITHING (the only one we care about, the only one that counts, the only one that is true), NO ONE was permitted to pay anyone a tithe in the form of money.
THE FACTS FROM GOD'S WORD
If we are supposed to be tithing money, or at all for that matter, as tithing teachers claim; why are we not supposed to be doing what God says with the tithe money? Like this...
1. Do not pay the tithe in the form of money. Keep the money in your hand (bind it to your hand) until you...
2. Buy wine with it.
3. Buy strong drink (harder liqueur) with it.
4. Buy livestock and other food.
5. Buy whatever you desire, whatever you lust after.
6. Only convert your tithe money back to fruits, vegetables and clean live stock, (by buying these items), etc., at the location you will share it with your family; if it's too far to transport it in the form God says it is to be in; fruits, vegetables, clean animals from the Promise Land.
7. Learn to fear and respect the Lord by doing one through six above.
>> Why don't tithing teachers tell their faithful tithers this?...
ref. Deuteronomy 14:22-27...
v22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
v23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.
v24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:
v25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:
v26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
WHAT IF THE TITHE WAS NOT IN THE FORM OF MONEY?
God's Word has the answer to that question; the tither consumed the tithe himself with his family...
ref. Deuteronomy 14:22-23...
v22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
v23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
What does God say was to be done with the tithe? Again...
"And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God" ... "the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks," etc.
CONCLUSION
If your pastor, or any other teacher, is telling you to tithe to them, or tithe to anyone with money, they're teaching a blatant false doctrine and are deceiving people. God's Word says what it means, and it means what it says. DON'T CHANGE IT TO SAY WHAT YOU WANT IT TO SAY...
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:2
"What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." - Deuteronomy 12:32
"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." - Isaiah 40:8
As for your tithing teachers; perhaps they should read this...
"Perverse disputings (or claims) of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." -1 Timothy 6:5
Note: "supposing that gain is godliness" ...making money off people who are paying them "tithes" (and other scams) ...from such withdraw thyself...stay away from them.
So...if your "tithe" is in the form of money, do what God's Word says to do; SPEND IT ON YOURSELF.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Did you know; if you are a "tither," you are commanded by God (no, it's not a suggestion, it's a direct commandment from God) to spend your tithe money on yourself; spend it on anything you want, spend it on anything you desire...did you know that?
You didn't know that?
What?!...you mean your pastor or favorite Bible teacher hasn't told you that? Well, well; I wonder why he hasn't done so? Perhaps he is making up his own "tithing rules;" you know, the traditions of men that MAKE VOID the Word of God. Maybe he knows a lot less about tithing than you thought he knew. Or, perhaps he simply couldn't care less as to what God's Word ACTUALLY SAYS, and is after as much money as he can get out of you as possible, even if he has to lie to you, or withhold Biblical facts from you, hoping you NEVER find out for yourself.
So, is this true? Are tithers really told NOT pay tithes to anyone as money? Let's take a look at GOD'S WORD concerning the tithe and see if it is true. God's Word says this very clearly concerning the tithe...
"Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:" - Deuteronomy 14:25
Note: "bind up the money in thine hand" ...that is to say, GIVE IT TO NO ONE. Or, it is NOT to leave your hand, leave your possession, until you do with the money as God says to do with it; NOT what your pastor or favorite Bible teacher says to do with the money.
KEEPING IT ALL IN PROPER CONTEXT
Under what conditions did God instruct "Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand"?
The condition was this; God's commended tithe was limited to ONLY fruits, vegetables and clean animals from the Promise Land, NEVER MONEY. NO SCRIPTURE exists where God's word describes the tithe to be paid to anyone as money, all tithes were to be fruits, vegetables and clean animals from the Promise Land, FROM NOWHERE ELSE, IN NO OTHER FORM...
Lev. 27:30, 32, Num. 18:27, Num. 18:28, Deut 12:17, Deut. 14:22, Deut. 14:23, Deut. 24:21, Deut. 26:12, 2 Chron. 31:5, 2 Chron. 31:6, Neh. 10:37, Neh. 13:5, Mal. 3:10-11, Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42...
...but if a tither could not easily transport their tithe to the location where God has placed His name (i.e., the place of the feast), the tither could convert it (usually by selling his tithe) to money. If it was converted to money, that is to say was now in the form of money, the tither was NOT permitted to "pay his tithe" in the form of money to anyone. The tithe, now as money, was to be spent on the tither himself to purchase anything he wanted to purchase with the money.
In other words, UNDER GOD'S SYSTEM OF TITHING (the only one we care about, the only one that counts, the only one that is true), NO ONE was permitted to pay anyone a tithe in the form of money.
THE FACTS FROM GOD'S WORD
If we are supposed to be tithing money, or at all for that matter, as tithing teachers claim; why are we not supposed to be doing what God says with the tithe money? Like this...
1. Do not pay the tithe in the form of money. Keep the money in your hand (bind it to your hand) until you...
2. Buy wine with it.
3. Buy strong drink (harder liqueur) with it.
4. Buy livestock and other food.
5. Buy whatever you desire, whatever you lust after.
6. Only convert your tithe money back to fruits, vegetables and clean live stock, (by buying these items), etc., at the location you will share it with your family; if it's too far to transport it in the form God says it is to be in; fruits, vegetables, clean animals from the Promise Land.
7. Learn to fear and respect the Lord by doing one through six above.
>> Why don't tithing teachers tell their faithful tithers this?...
ref. Deuteronomy 14:22-27...
v22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
v23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.
v24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:
v25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:
v26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
WHAT IF THE TITHE WAS NOT IN THE FORM OF MONEY?
God's Word has the answer to that question; the tither consumed the tithe himself with his family...
ref. Deuteronomy 14:22-23...
v22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
v23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
What does God say was to be done with the tithe? Again...
"And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God" ... "the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks," etc.
CONCLUSION
If your pastor, or any other teacher, is telling you to tithe to them, or tithe to anyone with money, they're teaching a blatant false doctrine and are deceiving people. God's Word says what it means, and it means what it says. DON'T CHANGE IT TO SAY WHAT YOU WANT IT TO SAY...
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:2
"What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." - Deuteronomy 12:32
"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." - Isaiah 40:8
As for your tithing teachers; perhaps they should read this...
"Perverse disputings (or claims) of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." -1 Timothy 6:5
Note: "supposing that gain is godliness" ...making money off people who are paying them "tithes" (and other scams) ...from such withdraw thyself...stay away from them.
So...if your "tithe" is in the form of money, do what God's Word says to do; SPEND IT ON YOURSELF.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
No Room To Contain It?
No Room To Contain It?
Tithing teachers often attempt to entice people into tithing on their income by twisting 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."
Particular emphasis and focus of attention is often placed on the "windows of heaven" being opened and a blessing poured out that the tither will not have room for and can't contain (i.e., vast wealth is promised to the tither); "tithe to my organization and God will provide so much money to you that you won't be able to contain it all" they tell their listeners.
In the light of these following facts, the claim that the tither will receive "so much money from God as a reward for tithing it can't be contained," is nothing short of poor theology, ignoring obvious and blatant scriptures on tithing (including scripture seen on Malachi 3:10), rejecting common sense and twisting scripture to say what it doesn't say but rather what the tithing teacher wants it to say.
FACTS...
1. If God's commanded tithe was in the form of money, the promise of "there shall not be room enough to receive it" makes no sense at all. I have a bank account; that bank account could receive and contain an unlimited sum of money.
There is no limit as to how much money could be deposited in that account. It could receive and contain billions and billions of dollars, in fact thousands of billions of dollars. If it had a limit, I could simply open an unlimited amount of bank accounts and other accounts to receive as much money you can possibly imagine.
If the return, or reward, for tithing was material goods such as homes, cars, food stocks, furniture, natural resources, boats, works of art, stocks and bonds, etc.; as with money in my checking or other accounts, there would be no realistic limit as to where such things could be received and contained. I could received and contain millions of homes, large warehouses of food, furniture, natural resources, etc. If the tithe was commanded by God to be money and the return in the form of money, God's word would not have stated "there shall not be room enough to receive it."
As I noted in a previous post; "Last I heard my bank account can hold as much money as anyone can give me. If anyone wants to, pour it on, and let's see if my account bursts open and unable to contain it."
2. There is a simple and wise concept we must understand and abide by; God's word means what it says and it says what it means. God may speak in the form of parables, proverbs, types and shadows, epistles, gospels, histories, Psalms and more, but God expects us to take His word seriously and believe it AS IT IS, unchanged and unaltered to suit or fancies. God's word warms us;
"You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:2
"Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." - Proverbs 30:5-6
"Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it." - Deuteronomy 12:32
3. God's commanded tithe was NEVER MONEY, NEVER MONETARY IN SUBSTANCE, there is no such thing in God's word as a tithe commanded by God to be paid or surrendered in the form of money. In fact, if the tithe, for the purposes of transportation, was temporarily converted into the form of money, IT MUST NOT BE USED TO PAY A TITHE, and must be spent by the tither; on whatever the tither desires to buy with it. It must be "bound to the hand," not given to anyone until it is used to purchase anything the tither wants...
Deuteronomy 14;
"23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,"
Remember; God's word means what it says and it says what it means. EVERY SCRIPTURE where God speaks of what the tithe was to be is ALWAYS spoken of as FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND CLEAN LIVESTOCK, NEVER MONEY...
The tithe was ONLY fruits, vegetables and clean animals from the Promise Land; FROM NOWHERE ELSE, IN NO OTHER FORM...
> Please see and study closely; Lev. 27:30, 32, Num. 18:27, Num. 18:28, Deut 12:17, Deut. 14:22, Deut. 14:23, Deut. 24:21, Deut. 26:12, 2 Chron. 31:5, 2 Chron. 31:6, Neh. 10:37, Neh. 13:5, Mal. 3:10-11, Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42. Remember, AGAIN; God's word means what it says and it says what it means, DON'T CHANGE IT OR ADD TO IT!
In the above verses, NOT ONE VERSE mentions a tithe in the form of money (or gold, silver, shekels, mites, coins, etc.). And, NO; fruits, vegetables and clean animals WERE NOT THE CURRENCY in Israel during the writing of scriptures; neither in Old or New Testament times. They had and used money much as we do today as their currency...
> Please see and study closely; Genesis 23;12-16, Exodus 38:28, Exodus 38:29, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 27:3, Leviticus 27:4, Leviticus 27:5, Leviticus 27:6, Leviticus 27:7, Leviticus 27:16, Numbers 3:47, Numbers 3:50, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 12:41-42, Acts 8:20. Remember, AGAIN; God's word means what it says and it says what it means, DON'T CHANGE IT OR ADD TO IT!
4. We must ask; what was the blessings the nation of Israel would receive for tithing? A blessing coming from the windows of heaven that could not be contained?
First, it must be understood that Israel in the time of the writing of the Book of Malachi was mainly an agricultural society, their farming success (i.e., their food supply) relied heavily on what is refereed to as "dry farming;" that is to say they relied on the natural cycles of rain fall to irrigate their fields with enough water to produce an abundant yield of crops. They did not have modern irrigation systems as we do today, and had to plant and harvest crops based on rain fall cycles and seasons. If the natural rainfall failed in a given year, there was a very real danger that their crops would fail, and even the danger of deadly famine was ever present. Again; they relied on RAINFALL CYCLES to produce abundant food supply.
So again; what was blessing coming from the windows of heaven that could not be contained?...IT WAS WATER, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WATER. Without God providing water (or withholding water), the Nation of Israel faced famine and everything that famine brings with it; the total devastation of a nation.
If the nation of Israel would obey God and tithe, God promised to POUR OUT A BLESSING OUT OF HEAVEN (the sky above) of water that would be more than they could contain, more water than they could ever use or need. The result would be a nation with more food than they could possibly need, prosperous and divinely protected farms and livestock, and farming lands that would yield great harvests.
That is why Malachi 3:11-12 makes perfect sense in the light of the blessing, ABUNDANT water supply, given to the nation of Israel if they obeyed God and tithed. Notice that Malachi 3:11-12 refers to the result of abundant water supplies for growing produce, and divine protection of the produce coming from and growing on the land of Israel...
"11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts." - Malachi 3:11-12
What happens when you withhold WATER from a nation, from it's farming efforts? Answer; their fields (their farms) dry up and the fruits of their grounds, and their vines, cast their fruit before the time in the field. That is to say they DRY UP, DIE, FALL TO THE GROUND AND ROT, or simply don't take root and grow at all. Results?...famine, death and a cursed nation.
5. Malachi, Noah and the Kings. The words used in Malachi 3:10 "the windows of heaven" are the exact same words used to describe the flood of WATER God brought in the time of Noah. These words clearly refer to WATER coming from "the windows of heaven."
Consider...
Seen in Malachi 3:10; "WINDOWS OF HEAVEN"...
>> "WINDOWS;"
Hebrew: ארבּה
Transliteration: 'ărubbâh
Pronunciation: ar-oob-baw'
Definition: Feminine participle passive of H693 (as if for lurking); a lattice; (by implication) a {window} dove cot (because of the pigeon {holes}) chimney (with its apertures for {smoke}) sluice (with openings for water): - {chimney} window.
Note: "with openings for water"
>> "OF HEAVEN" (from/of clouds, the sky);
Hebrew: שׁמה שׁמים
Transliteration: shâmayim shâmeh
Pronunciation: {shaw-mah'-yim} shaw-meh'
Definition: The second form being dual of an unused singular; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds.
The same Hebrew words for "WINDOWS OF HEAVEN" are used in Genesis 7:1 referring to the massive outpouring of WATER in Noah's flood...
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the WINDOWS OF HEAVEN were opened." - Genesis 7:1
And in...
"The fountains also of the deep and the WINDOWS OF HEAVEN were stopped, and the rain (WATER) from heaven was restrained; And the WATERS returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the WATERS were abated." - Genesis 8:2-3
And in...
2 Kings 7:2;
"Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make WINDOWS IN HEAVEN, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof."
2 Kings 7:19;
"And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make WINDOWS IN HEAVEN, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.."
Note: Both 2 Kings 7:2 and 2 Kings 7:19 are referring to God opening the WINDOWS IN HEAVEN and pouring out badly needed WATER for the people of Israel who were enduring a deadly siege that was causing famine and death.
The Hebrew words "ărubbâh" (window[s]) and "shâmayim shâmeh" (of heaven) ARE ALWAYS used in the context of, and in the meaning of, ONLY WATER, OR RAIN WATER, not money.
The Hebrew words used in 2 Kings 7:2 and 2 Kings 7:19 [WINDOWS] "IN HEAVEN" are the same as Genesis 7:1 and Genesis 8:2-3.
Genesis 7:11, Genesis 8:2, 2 Kings 7:2 and 2 Kings 7:19...AND MALACHI 3:10 use the Hebrew words "ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh"...WATER COMING FROM THE SKY PROVIDED BY GOD, not piles and piles of money for tithing to some tithing teaching who is after your paycheck and is promising bags of money from God for sending in your tithe check.
"ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh" refers to water and is never used figuratively or otherwise as money. In proper context "ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh" in Malachi 3:10 is a CLEAR reference to God pouring out more water for their farms than they could possible contain or need for an abundant crop.
CONCLUSION
In dry farming (i.e., not using man made irrigation systems), they could not contain all the water God would supply and "pour out," it would flood out and overflow their farms making their farm lands very fertile and productive; hence God promising the nation of Israel this...
"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 (ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh), and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. - Malachi 3:10
And the results...
"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts." - Malachi 3:11
The tithe was NEVER MONEY, the tithe was ALWAYS fruits, vegetables and clean livestock (farming and ranching products), and the results of tithing for the nation of Israel who was commanded to tithe WAS AN ABUNDANT WATER SUPPLY FOR THEIR FARMS AND LIVESTOCK.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Tithing teachers often attempt to entice people into tithing on their income by twisting 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."
Particular emphasis and focus of attention is often placed on the "windows of heaven" being opened and a blessing poured out that the tither will not have room for and can't contain (i.e., vast wealth is promised to the tither); "tithe to my organization and God will provide so much money to you that you won't be able to contain it all" they tell their listeners.
In the light of these following facts, the claim that the tither will receive "so much money from God as a reward for tithing it can't be contained," is nothing short of poor theology, ignoring obvious and blatant scriptures on tithing (including scripture seen on Malachi 3:10), rejecting common sense and twisting scripture to say what it doesn't say but rather what the tithing teacher wants it to say.
FACTS...
1. If God's commanded tithe was in the form of money, the promise of "there shall not be room enough to receive it" makes no sense at all. I have a bank account; that bank account could receive and contain an unlimited sum of money.
There is no limit as to how much money could be deposited in that account. It could receive and contain billions and billions of dollars, in fact thousands of billions of dollars. If it had a limit, I could simply open an unlimited amount of bank accounts and other accounts to receive as much money you can possibly imagine.
If the return, or reward, for tithing was material goods such as homes, cars, food stocks, furniture, natural resources, boats, works of art, stocks and bonds, etc.; as with money in my checking or other accounts, there would be no realistic limit as to where such things could be received and contained. I could received and contain millions of homes, large warehouses of food, furniture, natural resources, etc. If the tithe was commanded by God to be money and the return in the form of money, God's word would not have stated "there shall not be room enough to receive it."
As I noted in a previous post; "Last I heard my bank account can hold as much money as anyone can give me. If anyone wants to, pour it on, and let's see if my account bursts open and unable to contain it."
2. There is a simple and wise concept we must understand and abide by; God's word means what it says and it says what it means. God may speak in the form of parables, proverbs, types and shadows, epistles, gospels, histories, Psalms and more, but God expects us to take His word seriously and believe it AS IT IS, unchanged and unaltered to suit or fancies. God's word warms us;
"You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:2
"Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." - Proverbs 30:5-6
"Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it." - Deuteronomy 12:32
3. God's commanded tithe was NEVER MONEY, NEVER MONETARY IN SUBSTANCE, there is no such thing in God's word as a tithe commanded by God to be paid or surrendered in the form of money. In fact, if the tithe, for the purposes of transportation, was temporarily converted into the form of money, IT MUST NOT BE USED TO PAY A TITHE, and must be spent by the tither; on whatever the tither desires to buy with it. It must be "bound to the hand," not given to anyone until it is used to purchase anything the tither wants...
Deuteronomy 14;
"23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,"
Remember; God's word means what it says and it says what it means. EVERY SCRIPTURE where God speaks of what the tithe was to be is ALWAYS spoken of as FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND CLEAN LIVESTOCK, NEVER MONEY...
The tithe was ONLY fruits, vegetables and clean animals from the Promise Land; FROM NOWHERE ELSE, IN NO OTHER FORM...
> Please see and study closely; Lev. 27:30, 32, Num. 18:27, Num. 18:28, Deut 12:17, Deut. 14:22, Deut. 14:23, Deut. 24:21, Deut. 26:12, 2 Chron. 31:5, 2 Chron. 31:6, Neh. 10:37, Neh. 13:5, Mal. 3:10-11, Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42. Remember, AGAIN; God's word means what it says and it says what it means, DON'T CHANGE IT OR ADD TO IT!
In the above verses, NOT ONE VERSE mentions a tithe in the form of money (or gold, silver, shekels, mites, coins, etc.). And, NO; fruits, vegetables and clean animals WERE NOT THE CURRENCY in Israel during the writing of scriptures; neither in Old or New Testament times. They had and used money much as we do today as their currency...
> Please see and study closely; Genesis 23;12-16, Exodus 38:28, Exodus 38:29, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 27:3, Leviticus 27:4, Leviticus 27:5, Leviticus 27:6, Leviticus 27:7, Leviticus 27:16, Numbers 3:47, Numbers 3:50, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 12:41-42, Acts 8:20. Remember, AGAIN; God's word means what it says and it says what it means, DON'T CHANGE IT OR ADD TO IT!
4. We must ask; what was the blessings the nation of Israel would receive for tithing? A blessing coming from the windows of heaven that could not be contained?
First, it must be understood that Israel in the time of the writing of the Book of Malachi was mainly an agricultural society, their farming success (i.e., their food supply) relied heavily on what is refereed to as "dry farming;" that is to say they relied on the natural cycles of rain fall to irrigate their fields with enough water to produce an abundant yield of crops. They did not have modern irrigation systems as we do today, and had to plant and harvest crops based on rain fall cycles and seasons. If the natural rainfall failed in a given year, there was a very real danger that their crops would fail, and even the danger of deadly famine was ever present. Again; they relied on RAINFALL CYCLES to produce abundant food supply.
So again; what was blessing coming from the windows of heaven that could not be contained?...IT WAS WATER, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WATER. Without God providing water (or withholding water), the Nation of Israel faced famine and everything that famine brings with it; the total devastation of a nation.
If the nation of Israel would obey God and tithe, God promised to POUR OUT A BLESSING OUT OF HEAVEN (the sky above) of water that would be more than they could contain, more water than they could ever use or need. The result would be a nation with more food than they could possibly need, prosperous and divinely protected farms and livestock, and farming lands that would yield great harvests.
That is why Malachi 3:11-12 makes perfect sense in the light of the blessing, ABUNDANT water supply, given to the nation of Israel if they obeyed God and tithed. Notice that Malachi 3:11-12 refers to the result of abundant water supplies for growing produce, and divine protection of the produce coming from and growing on the land of Israel...
"11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts." - Malachi 3:11-12
What happens when you withhold WATER from a nation, from it's farming efforts? Answer; their fields (their farms) dry up and the fruits of their grounds, and their vines, cast their fruit before the time in the field. That is to say they DRY UP, DIE, FALL TO THE GROUND AND ROT, or simply don't take root and grow at all. Results?...famine, death and a cursed nation.
5. Malachi, Noah and the Kings. The words used in Malachi 3:10 "the windows of heaven" are the exact same words used to describe the flood of WATER God brought in the time of Noah. These words clearly refer to WATER coming from "the windows of heaven."
Consider...
Seen in Malachi 3:10; "WINDOWS OF HEAVEN"...
>> "WINDOWS;"
Hebrew: ארבּה
Transliteration: 'ărubbâh
Pronunciation: ar-oob-baw'
Definition: Feminine participle passive of H693 (as if for lurking); a lattice; (by implication) a {window} dove cot (because of the pigeon {holes}) chimney (with its apertures for {smoke}) sluice (with openings for water): - {chimney} window.
Note: "with openings for water"
>> "OF HEAVEN" (from/of clouds, the sky);
Hebrew: שׁמה שׁמים
Transliteration: shâmayim shâmeh
Pronunciation: {shaw-mah'-yim} shaw-meh'
Definition: The second form being dual of an unused singular; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds.
The same Hebrew words for "WINDOWS OF HEAVEN" are used in Genesis 7:1 referring to the massive outpouring of WATER in Noah's flood...
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the WINDOWS OF HEAVEN were opened." - Genesis 7:1
And in...
"The fountains also of the deep and the WINDOWS OF HEAVEN were stopped, and the rain (WATER) from heaven was restrained; And the WATERS returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the WATERS were abated." - Genesis 8:2-3
And in...
2 Kings 7:2;
"Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make WINDOWS IN HEAVEN, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof."
2 Kings 7:19;
"And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make WINDOWS IN HEAVEN, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.."
Note: Both 2 Kings 7:2 and 2 Kings 7:19 are referring to God opening the WINDOWS IN HEAVEN and pouring out badly needed WATER for the people of Israel who were enduring a deadly siege that was causing famine and death.
The Hebrew words "ărubbâh" (window[s]) and "shâmayim shâmeh" (of heaven) ARE ALWAYS used in the context of, and in the meaning of, ONLY WATER, OR RAIN WATER, not money.
The Hebrew words used in 2 Kings 7:2 and 2 Kings 7:19 [WINDOWS] "IN HEAVEN" are the same as Genesis 7:1 and Genesis 8:2-3.
Genesis 7:11, Genesis 8:2, 2 Kings 7:2 and 2 Kings 7:19...AND MALACHI 3:10 use the Hebrew words "ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh"...WATER COMING FROM THE SKY PROVIDED BY GOD, not piles and piles of money for tithing to some tithing teaching who is after your paycheck and is promising bags of money from God for sending in your tithe check.
"ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh" refers to water and is never used figuratively or otherwise as money. In proper context "ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh" in Malachi 3:10 is a CLEAR reference to God pouring out more water for their farms than they could possible contain or need for an abundant crop.
CONCLUSION
In dry farming (i.e., not using man made irrigation systems), they could not contain all the water God would supply and "pour out," it would flood out and overflow their farms making their farm lands very fertile and productive; hence God promising the nation of Israel this...
"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 (ărubbâh shâmayim shâmeh), and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. - Malachi 3:10
And the results...
"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts." - Malachi 3:11
The tithe was NEVER MONEY, the tithe was ALWAYS fruits, vegetables and clean livestock (farming and ranching products), and the results of tithing for the nation of Israel who was commanded to tithe WAS AN ABUNDANT WATER SUPPLY FOR THEIR FARMS AND LIVESTOCK.
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Will a Man Rob God?
WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
Tithing teachers often use the phrase "God robbers" to describe people, Christians, who don't tithe, or are not tithing on a regular basis to them. They are, of course, referring to Malachi 3:8...
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."
Was Malachi addressing a problem of not tithing by people required to tithe, was he addressing New Testament Christians, or was Malachi making a clear statement and meant exactly what he wrote when he called certain men "God robbers"?
Who was Malachi referring to?
THE PORTION THAT WAS STOLEN
As with the teaching of false doctrine in many cases, along with taking scripture out of proper context, tithing teachers make the mistake of assuming...ASSUMING...that Malachi was really saying "will a man not tithe?," when in fact Malachi wrote nothing of the kind. Malachi stated exactly what he meant, and clearly meant exactly what he wrote, when he asked the rhetorical question; "will a man rob God?" Malachi was not citing a failure to tithe by anyone, but was in fact citing the stealing of a portion of the tithe from the whole tithe that had been properly turned over to the Levites under the direct supervision of a Priest descended from Aaron; a portion God had told them was to be taken to the Temple storehouse for the support of the Temple Priests, the Singers and the Porters as seen in Nehemiah 10:37-38...
"And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. 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 10:37-38
In short; 10 percent of the tithe that was taken from the tither (from the whole tithe) was to be sent to the Temple storehouse in Jerusalem to support the Temple workers (singers and porters) and Priests, the remaining 90 percent was to be taken to "all the cities of our tillage," the Levitical cities for the Levites to consume. See; Numbers 18-20-24.
Additionally, from Numbers 18:26-28...
"Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest."
THE PROPER INDICTMENT, INDICTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Malachi was accusing NO ONE of not tithing properly when he says "will a man rob God?"; he was, rather, indicting corrupt Priests who were stealing the "tithe of the tithe" that was to be transported to the Temple in Jerusalem, the portion of the tithe that was not making it to the storehouse, or stolen from the storehouse, being stolen by the Priests.
In support of these facts, consider the following...
1. There are no chapter or verse divisions in the Book of Malachi in the original autograph. Chapter divisions are man-made constructs not found in the original script. Chapter divisions were added by Cardinal Stephen Langton, the medieval Archbishop of Canterbury, before his death in 1228. The modern division into verses are believed to have been added by Robert Stephanus, a printer. In the preface to his 1551 bilingual edition of the New Testament, Greek and Latin, Stephanus states: "I split the work into what are called “versiculos”, because in this way anyone could cross-reference the translation and the corresponding passage of Greek."
Chapter and verse divisions, while being a great advantage to Bible study, sometimes create an illusion of disconnect between one chapter from the previous chapters or the next chapters in a Book of the Bible when the original author intended no such disconnect. Sometimes this is done between Bible verses; quoting one verse and not considering verses before and after. People often believe, almost as a matter of fact, that information from one chapter has no bearing or relevancy on the next chapter or other chapters in a Bible book. Chapters are almost seen as "boarders between chapters." As a matter of course, when reading the Bible, the Bible student will often fail to refer to previous chapters, or the next chapter, as needed to interpret the chapter they are currently focused on. That is a big mistake in Bible study often leading to false doctrine, or in many cases losing the impact of what the reader is reading. Many times a book in the Bible must be compared to another book in the Bible to gain further and accurate information on a particular subject. The point? This...
2. In Malachi 2:1, Malachi clearly tells us who his focus of attention is, who the actual "God robbers" were, when he writes...
"And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
In what we call "Chapter three" of the Book of Malachi, Malachi is still targeting "O ye priests" when he calls out the Priests for robbing God. When you read Malachi 3:8-10 in the proper context of Malachi 2:1, bearing in mind Malachi's statement of "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you," Malachi 3:8-10 becomes clear as to who the actual God robbers were; the Priests of Malachi's time were the God robbers, not New Testament Christians who do not tithe.
To Claim that New Testament Christians not tithing are "God robbers" based on Malachi 3:8 is foolishness and is taking scripture completely out of context (out of textual, situational and historic biblical context). It's the mistake of not letting scripture properly interpret scripture, a mistake sadly common among tithing teachers.
Malachi did not say "will a man not tithe," he stated, for very good reasons; "WILL A MAN ROB GOD?," and he meant EXACTLY what he wrote. Malachi was targeting corrupt Priests, those were the men who were stealing the portion of the tithe meant for the Temple, he was NOT targeting New Testament Believers who are not tithers.
Malachi was clearly writing to the Nation of Israel (Malachi 1:1), and to the Priests of Israel (Malachi 1:6, 2:1). Yes, the New Testament Church can learn from the Book of Malachi, as with any Old Testament Book, but we are under the instructions of the New Testament, the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant, not under the Law (Romans 6:14).
3. In Nehemiah Chapter 13 (Nehemiah and Malachi were contemporaries), we find even more information confirming who Malachi was referring to in Malachi 3:8-10. Nehemiah Chapter 13 gives us precise details as to what was happening (the robbing of the tithes from the Temple "chambers" or "storehouse" designated to store the portion of the tithe); who was involved, what the solution was, who was affected by the robbery, and why Malachi wrote what he wrote.
The Book of Malachi was written in Jerusalem in 445 BC, the Book of Nehemiah was written in 400 BC. Malachi, who had a detailed knowledge of the robbery situation recorded and described in Nehemiah chapter 13, who also understood Nehemiah 10:37-38, wrote the Book of Malachi partially as an indictment of the Priests who were robbing God; again, he was NOT indicting New Testament Christians for a lack of tithing. Malachi did NOT write "will a man not tithe?"
Summary of Nehemiah chapter 13...
> What was happening? - "Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place." - verse 11.
> Who was involved in the crime? - "Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber [where the portion of the tithe was to be brought, see Nehemiah 10:38] of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:" - verse 4.
> What was the solution to the robbery and Malachi 3:8? - "And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense." - verses 7, 8, 9.
> Who was affected by the robbery? - "And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field." - verse 10.
And... "And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests." - verse 5.
Note that the Priest did not have to "flee to the field" to grow food to live on, only the singers (worship leaders), and possibly the porters who also were being denied support from the tithe. Why was it being denied them? Because the corrupt Priests were stealing it, hence; "WILL A MAN ROB GOD?" Malachi asks pursuant to his statement in Malachi 2:1 "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
> Malachi wrote his document about 45 years after the Book of Nehemiah was written in 400BC. He recorded his indictment of the corrupt Priests, among other important items such as prophecy and a call for Israel to obey the law of Moses (Malachi 4:4) which are also important topics in his book. His additional information is important for the understanding of tithing. In Malachi 4:4, Malachi places the context of his call for honest management of the tithe as obedience to the Torah (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."
To whom Malachi is writing to (including tithers and Priests) are the Children of Israel, who were at that time under the Law of Moses, which, the Body of Christ, New Testament Christians, are not under...
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are NOT under the law, but under grace."
Romans 7:6 - "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."
Malachi was also recording his indictment of the corrupt Priests as a warning to future Priests who would consider robbing God, robbing the Temple Storehouse at Jerusalem of the portion of the tithe to be brought there to support Temple personnel.
CONCLUSION
Malachi writes the indictment of the real God robbers, and Nehemiah writes a history of what was happening and what he did about the robbers and their thievery.
Read carefully the entire thirteenth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah (and Nehemiah 10) to get an accurate record of why Malachi wrote "will a man rob God?" Without understanding the two chapters, Nehemiah 10, 13, tithing teachers and tithers routinely arrive at false doctrine regarding who Malachi was referring to, who Malachi called "God robbers."
Remember...
"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." - Acts 17:10-11
In reality, today's GOD ROBBERS are tithing teachers stealing money from their victims, their "tithers."
______________________________
Copyright 2019-2020, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.
Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com.
Tithing teachers often use the phrase "God robbers" to describe people, Christians, who don't tithe, or are not tithing on a regular basis to them. They are, of course, referring to Malachi 3:8...
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."
Was Malachi addressing a problem of not tithing by people required to tithe, was he addressing New Testament Christians, or was Malachi making a clear statement and meant exactly what he wrote when he called certain men "God robbers"?
Who was Malachi referring to?
THE PORTION THAT WAS STOLEN
As with the teaching of false doctrine in many cases, along with taking scripture out of proper context, tithing teachers make the mistake of assuming...ASSUMING...that Malachi was really saying "will a man not tithe?," when in fact Malachi wrote nothing of the kind. Malachi stated exactly what he meant, and clearly meant exactly what he wrote, when he asked the rhetorical question; "will a man rob God?" Malachi was not citing a failure to tithe by anyone, but was in fact citing the stealing of a portion of the tithe from the whole tithe that had been properly turned over to the Levites under the direct supervision of a Priest descended from Aaron; a portion God had told them was to be taken to the Temple storehouse for the support of the Temple Priests, the Singers and the Porters as seen in Nehemiah 10:37-38...
"And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. 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 10:37-38
In short; 10 percent of the tithe that was taken from the tither (from the whole tithe) was to be sent to the Temple storehouse in Jerusalem to support the Temple workers (singers and porters) and Priests, the remaining 90 percent was to be taken to "all the cities of our tillage," the Levitical cities for the Levites to consume. See; Numbers 18-20-24.
Additionally, from Numbers 18:26-28...
"Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest."
THE PROPER INDICTMENT, INDICTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Malachi was accusing NO ONE of not tithing properly when he says "will a man rob God?"; he was, rather, indicting corrupt Priests who were stealing the "tithe of the tithe" that was to be transported to the Temple in Jerusalem, the portion of the tithe that was not making it to the storehouse, or stolen from the storehouse, being stolen by the Priests.
In support of these facts, consider the following...
1. There are no chapter or verse divisions in the Book of Malachi in the original autograph. Chapter divisions are man-made constructs not found in the original script. Chapter divisions were added by Cardinal Stephen Langton, the medieval Archbishop of Canterbury, before his death in 1228. The modern division into verses are believed to have been added by Robert Stephanus, a printer. In the preface to his 1551 bilingual edition of the New Testament, Greek and Latin, Stephanus states: "I split the work into what are called “versiculos”, because in this way anyone could cross-reference the translation and the corresponding passage of Greek."
Chapter and verse divisions, while being a great advantage to Bible study, sometimes create an illusion of disconnect between one chapter from the previous chapters or the next chapters in a Book of the Bible when the original author intended no such disconnect. Sometimes this is done between Bible verses; quoting one verse and not considering verses before and after. People often believe, almost as a matter of fact, that information from one chapter has no bearing or relevancy on the next chapter or other chapters in a Bible book. Chapters are almost seen as "boarders between chapters." As a matter of course, when reading the Bible, the Bible student will often fail to refer to previous chapters, or the next chapter, as needed to interpret the chapter they are currently focused on. That is a big mistake in Bible study often leading to false doctrine, or in many cases losing the impact of what the reader is reading. Many times a book in the Bible must be compared to another book in the Bible to gain further and accurate information on a particular subject. The point? This...
2. In Malachi 2:1, Malachi clearly tells us who his focus of attention is, who the actual "God robbers" were, when he writes...
"And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
In what we call "Chapter three" of the Book of Malachi, Malachi is still targeting "O ye priests" when he calls out the Priests for robbing God. When you read Malachi 3:8-10 in the proper context of Malachi 2:1, bearing in mind Malachi's statement of "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you," Malachi 3:8-10 becomes clear as to who the actual God robbers were; the Priests of Malachi's time were the God robbers, not New Testament Christians who do not tithe.
To Claim that New Testament Christians not tithing are "God robbers" based on Malachi 3:8 is foolishness and is taking scripture completely out of context (out of textual, situational and historic biblical context). It's the mistake of not letting scripture properly interpret scripture, a mistake sadly common among tithing teachers.
Malachi did not say "will a man not tithe," he stated, for very good reasons; "WILL A MAN ROB GOD?," and he meant EXACTLY what he wrote. Malachi was targeting corrupt Priests, those were the men who were stealing the portion of the tithe meant for the Temple, he was NOT targeting New Testament Believers who are not tithers.
Malachi was clearly writing to the Nation of Israel (Malachi 1:1), and to the Priests of Israel (Malachi 1:6, 2:1). Yes, the New Testament Church can learn from the Book of Malachi, as with any Old Testament Book, but we are under the instructions of the New Testament, the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant, not under the Law (Romans 6:14).
3. In Nehemiah Chapter 13 (Nehemiah and Malachi were contemporaries), we find even more information confirming who Malachi was referring to in Malachi 3:8-10. Nehemiah Chapter 13 gives us precise details as to what was happening (the robbing of the tithes from the Temple "chambers" or "storehouse" designated to store the portion of the tithe); who was involved, what the solution was, who was affected by the robbery, and why Malachi wrote what he wrote.
The Book of Malachi was written in Jerusalem in 445 BC, the Book of Nehemiah was written in 400 BC. Malachi, who had a detailed knowledge of the robbery situation recorded and described in Nehemiah chapter 13, who also understood Nehemiah 10:37-38, wrote the Book of Malachi partially as an indictment of the Priests who were robbing God; again, he was NOT indicting New Testament Christians for a lack of tithing. Malachi did NOT write "will a man not tithe?"
Summary of Nehemiah chapter 13...
> What was happening? - "Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place." - verse 11.
> Who was involved in the crime? - "Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber [where the portion of the tithe was to be brought, see Nehemiah 10:38] of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:" - verse 4.
> What was the solution to the robbery and Malachi 3:8? - "And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense." - verses 7, 8, 9.
> Who was affected by the robbery? - "And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field." - verse 10.
And... "And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests." - verse 5.
Note that the Priest did not have to "flee to the field" to grow food to live on, only the singers (worship leaders), and possibly the porters who also were being denied support from the tithe. Why was it being denied them? Because the corrupt Priests were stealing it, hence; "WILL A MAN ROB GOD?" Malachi asks pursuant to his statement in Malachi 2:1 "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
> Malachi wrote his document about 45 years after the Book of Nehemiah was written in 400BC. He recorded his indictment of the corrupt Priests, among other important items such as prophecy and a call for Israel to obey the law of Moses (Malachi 4:4) which are also important topics in his book. His additional information is important for the understanding of tithing. In Malachi 4:4, Malachi places the context of his call for honest management of the tithe as obedience to the Torah (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."
To whom Malachi is writing to (including tithers and Priests) are the Children of Israel, who were at that time under the Law of Moses, which, the Body of Christ, New Testament Christians, are not under...
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are NOT under the law, but under grace."
Romans 7:6 - "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."
Malachi was also recording his indictment of the corrupt Priests as a warning to future Priests who would consider robbing God, robbing the Temple Storehouse at Jerusalem of the portion of the tithe to be brought there to support Temple personnel.
CONCLUSION
Malachi writes the indictment of the real God robbers, and Nehemiah writes a history of what was happening and what he did about the robbers and their thievery.
Read carefully the entire thirteenth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah (and Nehemiah 10) to get an accurate record of why Malachi wrote "will a man rob God?" Without understanding the two chapters, Nehemiah 10, 13, tithing teachers and tithers routinely arrive at false doctrine regarding who Malachi was referring to, who Malachi called "God robbers."
Remember...
"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." - Acts 17:10-11
In reality, today's GOD ROBBERS are tithing teachers stealing money from their victims, their "tithers."
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