Malachi 3:6-12

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:37-38 (NIV) 

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:35-38 (NIV) 

“To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, ‘Come to me and rest’. But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, ‘Go, labor on,’ as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, ‘Come to me and rest.’ Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one, a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, ‘Come, come, come.’ Hudson Taylor

Malachi 3:6-12 (NIV) 

6 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12  “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. 

6 “I the LORD do not change.” What sweeter words can be heard? It is a sure stability for our uneasy times. This is the God of all creation’s covenant promise to Israel and to us as well! A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. Here God states He will keep His promise – and that will never, never change. His Word, like Himself, is immutable. This is the basis for both our hope and Israel’s.  

19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV) 

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:16-18 (NIV) 

8 “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:8-10 (NIV) 

21 Declare what is to be, present it-- let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. 22 “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:21-22 (NIV) 

3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV) 

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13 (NIV) 

Read: Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening – Nov 2 Morning – Page 614 (1)

The only reason these brazen skeptics of Malachi’s day were not destroyed for their insolence was the integrity of God. The people held no fear of the Lord, believing God to be like themselves. They thought He would merely close His eyes to their sins, wink at their transgressions and not judge them for breaking His law. God states:

20 You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. 21 These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Psalm 50:20-21 (NIV) 

That is basically what God was doing through His prophet Malachi. These Israelites should have been grateful that God was unchanging in His nature, His purposes, and His promises, for if He were not, He would have consumed them for their sins.  

God’s statement in Malachi was simply being true to His righteous character, true to His grace, and true to His covenant promises. If God had not made those promises to the patriarchs, He would have long ago given the skeptics what they asked for: judgment! Like us, they had sinned and deserved His just judgment but instead He extended His mercy because of the promise He had made to Jacob.

Interestingly, in place of calling them “Israelites”, God labels them “Jacobite’s.” If you remember, when God gave Jacob His promise in Genesis, He changed Jacob’s name, saying, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28).

Most of the time, when the Israelites are referred to as the children of Jacob, it’s a rebuke for their disobedience. It’s a reference to the name of their forefather before the divine blessing was bestowed. Yet, even though they were faithless, God would remain faithful to them, just as He had been to their father, Jacob. Their rebellion has led them far from God, but restoration was still possible if they desired change. While we still stand on this dusty earth, it is never too late to turn to God in repentance for restoration.

If we feel like we are far from the Lord, that perhaps we have even turned our backs upon God, we would do well to remember that God is not the One Who has moved, it is we who have moved. Thus, the recipe for a restored relationship with God is always our repentance – a confession of sin and a turning back to Him from the point of our departure. Through faith in Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, He hears the cries of the repentant sinner calling upon His Name. Praise God for the blood of Christ which cleanses believers from all sin.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:5-10 (NIV) 

Our God is a God of judgment, but He is also a gracious God full of mercy and love. The reason that these Israelites had not been absolutely obliterated like the Edomites was because of His grace, mercy and love; He was and is a gracious, loving and merciful God. Thank Him for that! Remember:

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:4-9 (NIV) 

21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:21-26 (NIV) 

God today is still a God of judgment – no matter what the pulpits may be preaching. This is a terror to the wicked. But He is also a God who never changes in reference to His promises and grace for His children and that is surely a comfort to anyone who will accept the grace of God.

From the beginning the Jews had forsaken God’s “ordinances”. The Word translated “decrees” in Verse Seven can be rendered “statutes” and it refers to special ritual observances. The Jews of Malachi’s day had a rebellious attitude toward the sacrificial system, from offering blemished animals to skimping on their giving yet this rebellious attitude was nothing new. The Hebrews (as we) have had a lot of experience provoking God to anger. From the days of the patriarchs until Malachi’s time, the nation frequently disobeyed God’s Word, and God constantly had to send prophets to call them to repent and return. Just as we see here, He calls them to repentance: “Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. 
 
Amazingly, we discover that they begin to argue with God’s servant. Sin had blunted the consciences of the people and had dulled their moral perception (as sin always does). A hardened heart will always delude us. Scripture tells us:

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. Ephesians 4:17-19 (NIV)

We harden our hearts by continually ignoring and not acting upon the light we have received. By consistently doing this our consciences become seared as with a hot iron. We don’t want to go there! Example using Michelangelo’s story of painting the Last Supper.

The people in Malachi’s day were putting God on the stand so to speak. God made a statement and then they basically said prove it! They counter God by asking a very impertinent and presumptuous question. As if God had to prove anything or answer to a mere mortal. They remind me of those people who are constantly evading the issues by saying “What do you mean by ‘return’?” They played the part of being highly offended, and with a wave of the hand, they dismissed Malachi’s charges as being unworthy of them. Yet still the shoe fit – the facts are the facts. They stand shamelessly before a holy God and respond: “How can we return when we haven’t even left You?” They were actually so far gone that they did not realize their true condition.

We can fall into the same trap today. Indeed, it’s a pretty clear picture of our day and age as well is it not? “How can we be far from God?” we may ask since we go to church each week, send our kids to Christian schools, tithe, etc., etc. yet our hearts remain far from Him. How much of our hearts does He have? Ritualism gets substituted for reality. Pageantry gets substituted for power. The aesthetic get substituted for the spiritual, and form for feeling. Even in the orthodox, conservative, and evangelical circles, they know all the right vocabulary, but the power of God is gone. The Holy Spirit is nowhere to be found. They are satisfied with a tasteless morality following a few long-standing beliefs and they feel that everything is all right with the world. If we are not standing firm in all the will of God, everything is not all right with our world.  

God pinpoints the heart of the problem, which is always a problem of the heart here expressed through their misappropriation of their funds. The issue was not in what the people possessed, rather it was in what they did with their possessions. They were withholding proper tithes from God. And God says “Return” meaning “Repent”. They were walking in the wrong direction and God tells them to turn around and go the opposite way. He wants them to know that while they may have been going through the ritual, their hearts were far from Him. As we have discussed before, God is all about the motive behind the action. He is the great Searcher of all hearts:

9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV) 

God cares nothing for ritual observances sans the heart. I am reminded of God’s words through the Prophet Jeremiah:

21 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.’” Jeremiah 7:21-24 (NIV) 

God had Malachi tell them like it was. He spoke the Truth to them. In spiritual matters that have to do with my eternal soul, I want somebody to love me enough to tell me the truth even if it hurts – and God certainly does not mind telling us the Truth! Don’t ever be afraid of hard counsel – weigh it in light of Scripture and your life and if the counsel is correct change your ways. Seeking to detour them from the certain destruction to which they were headed, Malachi does not hesitate to speak the Truth to them instructing them on how to start returning to God: “Bring God the tithes and offerings that are rightfully His.”  
 
Through Malachi the Lord offers His roadmap to reconciliation. Turn in repentance and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. This is always the best course of action and the quicker we adhere to it the better. We do not fool Him the least little bit when we are living contrary to what we speak. The great Reader of the heart knows all too well the condition of His flock.  

Reconciliation is offered, but the people must respond by turning from their selfish, rebellious actions. They were not giving as God had commanded. Tithing as an act of worship was as old as Abraham, who gave tithes to Melchizedek, acknowledging that Melchizedek was the representative of the Most High God (Genesis 14:20 and Hebrews 7).

The offerings in Israel were to be their first-fruits – the cream or the best so to speak – not the dregs or the last little bit and not less than one-sixtieth of the corn, wine, and oil (Deuteronomy 18:4). There were several kinds of tithes: (1) the tenth of the remainder after the first-fruits were taken, this amount going to the Levites for their livelihood (Leviticus 27:30-33); (2) the tenth paid by Levites to the priests (Numbers 18:26-28); (3) the second tenth paid by the congregation for the needs of the Levites and their own families at the tabernacle (Deuteronomy 12:18); and (4) another tithe every third year for the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).     

According to Deuteronomy 18 the Priests, who were Levites – indeed the whole tribe of Levi – were to have no allotted inheritance with Israel when they went into the Promised Land. The Lord was to be their inheritance as they worked for Him in the work of the Temple. They were therefore dependent upon the tithes and offerings of the people.  

As we are presently in the age of grace, the giving of believers today is on an altogether different basis than Israel’s. We are to give, but not under the tithe system as a legal system that we are to adhere to which can oftentimes turn to rote giving rather than an overflow of the heart. That does not mean that some people couldn’t give a tenth to the Lord – that may very well be the way the Lord would lead us to give. What is most important is that each believer must be fully persuaded in his or her heart what the Lord wants him or her to give and to do. Yet still it behooves us to take note of the way the early church gave. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he used the Macedonians as an honorable example:

1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NIV)

They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to Paul. Though poor they gave generously. They gave way beyond any tenth – the “tithe” not seemingly even entering into their thinking. They simply gave because of their love of the Lord and what He had done for them.

The Old Testament “tithe” or “tenth” cannot be reasonably equated with ten percent of gross salary or wages which people earn today. The “tithe” may be an adequate guide for determining how much some people could give, but for many in a prosperous society as is ours, it is probably an inadequate level. The amount of giving should be a matter between the Holy Spirit and the believer, and not a regulation. Nor something that we discuss about how much we give. Jesus tells us in the Sermon On The Mount:

1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV) 

Again, God examines the heart – the motive for giving, not the amount.  

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 (NIV) 

It would also behoove us to note that it is not only our possessions God wants us to be openhanded with, it is our very lives themselves – specifically our giftings, our talents. We are not our own Paul tells us:

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) 

While this was given in the context of sexual immorality, we should also equate it with the giftings we have received. Specifically, how are we using our spiritual giftings to honor God? Paul states in Romans 12:1 that we are to be living sacrifices pouring out our lives like a drink offering:

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV) 

Peter also tells us:

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV) 

Paul adding in Romans 12:6-11:

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:6-13 (NIV)

And on and on the list of giftings go – just in case yours was not mentioned! Our giftings are as varied as we are! Remember too in our giving grace always demands more than the law requires. Like our Heavenly Father, God’s people are to willingly go the extra mile. God desires for His people to be over and above in their givings of their giftings. This is always to be accomplished through His power working within us. Flesh, as you well know, will always eventually fail us. Again Jesus teaches us in the Sermon On The Mount:

41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:41-42 (NIV)

Again, Jesus reveals this Truth in Matthew in the Sermon On The Mount where He consistently raised the bar:

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21-22 (NIV)

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV) 

God’s example in Scripture is always “immeasurably more”. Paul prays in Ephesians:

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Therefore, grace never expects less; it always demands more. Ten percent can be used as guide for our giving, much like training wheels on a bicycle guide those learning to ride. Yet, we should seek to show our worship to the Lord through our giving and, therefore, should never be satisfied with presenting just a bare minimum. We should not give to God because we are under obligation to tithe rather we should give because He has already given us the most inexpressible priceless gift of His Son Jesus Christ.

We can agree on two principles related to giving. First, God has given us everything we have. “What do we have that we did not receive?” Paul asks. Therefore, let us begin to look at what we have, not as our own resources – that is, not as things we have amassed ourselves and hoard – but as resources given to us by God. He has commissioned us to be stewards of the gifts He has bestowed. This does not just include money! It is also our time and energies and spiritual giftings. Since we will all one day give an account to Him of what we have done with His time, talents, and treasures, we should begin to ponder how well we would fare after His audit.

Second, we are all stewards of the Lord’s money. We should each think about how we are stewarding that money in our relationships with other kingdom-bound people. Malachi is not necessarily calling out those who have been faithfully giving, asking them to give more; Malachi is calling out those who gave nothing. He is calling out those who haphazardly gave. He is calling out those who are giving without worshiping. 

God doesn’t need our money. He wants our hearts. He wants us to understand that a closed hand is unable to receive a blessing. With a generous, open hand, we are opening ourselves up to receive God’s richest blessings. With a rebellious, closed hand, we are hindering our ability to receive from Him.   

It also it important to note that God will be no man’s debtor. The more we give to Him, the more He gives to us. That principle holds as true for us in an age of grace as it did for Israel in an age of law. Any believer with a good heart and a pure motive can put this principle of giving and receiving to the test for himself. We don’t give to get rather we give out of love for God and love for others. Yet, the reward is certain and while it can be, it may not always appear tit for tat rather how God sees fit to overflow our cups. I am reminded of Jesus’ words recorded in Luke:

38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)

Example of Cracker Barrel waitress at the Dollar Store.

Also, we know we are truly givers when we find ourselves giving out of our need rather than our surplus. I am reminded of the widow at Zarephath who fed Elijah during the long drought in 1 Kings:

7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’”
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:7-17 (NIV)
 
Read: Handout from Greg Laurie – Do What You Can While You Can - (2)

Read: George Muller Handout - (3)

These are Beth’s personal notes, due to this fact sources are not often stated.