Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse
Malachi 3:10 - God always has a way of blessing those who give generously of their time, talent, and treasure to advance His kingdom.
“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 there will not be room enough to store it.”
Malachi 3:10 NIV
The prophet Malachi (the name means “Messenger”) is thought by biblical historians to have authored his writings of God’s words at about the same time as Nehemiah; perhaps after 432 BC. It’s the last book of the Christian Bible’s Old Testament, and it isn’t exactly an upbeat tome. Rabbi Gunther Plaut, who wrote many Torah commentaries before his death in 2016, said of this book:
Malachi describes a priesthood that is forgetful of its duties, a Temple that is underfunded because the people have lost interest in it, and a society in which Jewish men divorce their Jewish wives to marry out of the faith.
The Temple Plaut is referring to is the rebuilt Second Temple in Jerusalem, which was in disrepair at the time both physically and spiritually. Today’s verse is all about giving to the Lord, something that is still something the faithful often bypass in the rush to spend on earthly things…
God is asking that all of the tithe — the gifts of money and food that supported the temple priests who ministered before the Lord — be brought into the storehouse. People were holding back in their giving, and the temple and its priests were suffering as a result… as were all of the Israelites.
This naturally brings up the question of whether or not we, as Christians, are under a commandment from God to tithe (give a tenth of one’s income to the Lord). There’s nothing in the New Testament that says it must be done, and it’s not even a requirement of Mosaic law. Hebrews 7:5-9 points out that it was practiced by the Israelites and honored by God well before the Law of Moses.
The first and second Epistles to the Corinthians cover a lot of ground on the practice of giving to the Lord. From Enduring Word:
1 Corinthians 16:1-4 makes it clear that our giving must be:
Periodic (done at regular periods).
Planned (thought of in advance to the giving).
Proportional (giving in proportion to our blessings).
Private (not done to make us known as generous givers).
2 Corinthians 9 tells us that giving must be:
Generous (giving more rather than less).
Freely given (not done out of guilt or manipulation).
Cheerful (given happily and with rejoicing in God).
v. Since the New Testament doesn’t emphasize tithing, one might not be strict on it for Christians (though some Christians sadly argue against tithing on the basis of self-interest). Nevertheless, giving is to be proportional so we should give some percentage so ten percent is a good benchmark. For some, 10% should really be the beginning of their giving.
vi. If our question is, “How little can I give and still please God?” then our heart isn’t in the right place at all. We should have the attitude of some early Christians, who essentially said: “We’re not under the tithe – we can give more!” Giving and financial management are spiritual issues not only financial issues (Luke 16:11).
God, through Malachi, next set out a challenge to His people: “Test me in this”. Once again from Enduring Word:
It’s hard to find a comparable passage of Scripture – where the LORD commanded His people to test Him. Here, in regard to giving and His blessing of it, He told His people “try Me now in this.” It was as if God said, “See if you can give to Me and be the poorer for it. See if you can out-give Me.”
What does God promise in return for giving as He told them to? He’ll “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” That’s quite the answer! God is going to bless the Israelites with an overabundance of His provision and protection.
That giving isn’t just of food and money as it was in Biblical times; today it includes gifts of time, effort, and prayer given in His name. There are many other ways of giving, even if one has little or no monetary support to give.
God’s blessing can sometimes come in unexpected ways. Think of 2 Kings 7:6, when He “caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” In modern times, His blessing might not be a higher-paying job, a better place to live, a career promotion, or a cured ailment… but God always has a way of blessing those who give generously of their time, talent, and treasure to advance His kingdom.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from God’s Blessing:
Our Father, we humbly come before You, seeking the outpouring of Your blessings and grace. Open the floodgates of heaven, Lord, and let Your abundance flow into our lives. May we receive Your love, peace, and provision, and may we share these gifts with others. Strengthen our faith as we trust in Your divine timing. Amen.