ARGUMENT
FROM MALACHI 3
One of the most
well-known and oft-used arguments for this continuation of tithing is Malachi
3:6-12. Since Malachi 3 declares that withholding tithes is equivalent to
robbing God, Christians should tithe. Malachi warns followers of God that
withholding the paying of your tithe today will bring the curses mentioned in
Malachi 3. Sometimes proponents of the Malachi 3 argument relate the
withholding of tithes to the commandment against stealing.
Malachi 3:6 begins
with a shift in the audience: rather than just addressing the priests, God is
now addressing all of Israel Which tithe is Malachi 3 discussing? Most likely
he has in mind the Levitical Tithe of Numbers 18:21, not the Festival Tithe of
Deuteronomy 14:22-27, nor the Charity Tithe of Deuteronomy 14:28-29. The
Festival Tithe was to be brought to Jerusalem and the people were to celebrate
with the priests. Since the people were partakers in the feast, the tithe still
belonged to the people. In contrast, the tithe in Malachi 3 was brought into
the “storehouse,” which seems to be a reference to the Levitical Tithe since
that was to be brought to Jerusalem.
God told the people
that they were robbing him of “tithes and offerings.” The tithe that was meant
for the support of the Levites and priests was not being given as commanded in
the Law. The term “offerings” is often misunderstood, but it also referred to
required contributions. These were used for the support of the temple staff.
The reference to the
“storehouse” is another important aspect of this passage. The storehouse did
not refer to “local churches,” but an actual building used by the Levites that
they used to store what they received, including grains and livestock. 2 Chronicles
31:10-12 references the storehouse, but it was not necessarily part of the
Mosaic Law; it was built onto the temple for storage purposes. That is what
makes correlating the “storehouse” to “local churches” so problematic.
Several preachers
have made deals with their congregations: start tithing and if God doesn’t
bless you after a certain time period (sometimes three months, sometimes six
months), the church will refund the money. This is based upon the offer to
“test” God in Malachi 3. It’s important to note at least the following two
points. First, this offer to test God occurs in the context of the Mosaic
Covenant. The blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 are in full effect during
Malachi 3. Second, the offer to test God is modified by “in this” (cf. NASB).
The phrase “in this” refers to testing God in the current situation, not
necessarily to test Him in all periods at all times. (The phrase “in this”
could also refer to “in this matter,” that is, the matter of tithing. Cf. NET)
The rewards for
Israelite obedience in giving their times and offerings were threefold. First,
God would open the windows of heaven. This is a promise of rain. Second, God
would prevent the devourer from ruining their crops. The devourer is a
reference to locusts. Third, God would stop their vines from casting their
fruit; rather they would have abundant crops. Some scholars have said that
agrarian blessings are offered because they lived in an agrarian society. While
it is true that Israelites was largely agrarian, they were not purely an
agricultural society. They did deal in money and had other industries.
Malachi 3 was written
to an audience (the Israelites) that was under the Mosaic Covenant and was
therefore subject to the stipulations of that covenant (cf. Deuteronomy 28).
The test was not stated in universal terms, but very specific terms. The
Israelites were failing to pay the Levitical Tithe, which was required for the
support of the Levites since they did not get an inheritance of land in Israel.
The promised reward does not de facto carry over for New Covenant
believers. The exact amount of an offering is perplexing, but it was just as
required as the tithe. The offering was not a certain monetary amount, making
it virtually non-transferable for believers in the New Covenant. (David
A. Croteau, Tithing after the Cross: A Refutation of the Top Arguments for
Tithing and New Paradigm for Giving [Critical Christian Issues 7; Gonzalez,
Fla.: Energion Publications, 2013], 13-15)
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