Malachi 3:1-12: The Blessing of Tithing

Malachi 3:1-12: The Blessing of Tithing\

Verse 9: "You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me."

Verse 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 there will not be room enough to store it."

God makes a heartfelt plea to the Israelites: "Return to me." He deeply desires His beloved children and people to escape the judgment of destruction. He promises, "Return to me, and I will return to you" (verse 7).

When the people ask, "How can we return?", God instructs them to stop robbing Him and bring the full tithe and offerings. The entire nation has been withholding their tithes and offerings, and God calls them to give properly. In return, He promises to pour out blessings beyond measure.

Some interpret verses 9-10 to mean that giving a full tithe is the key to receiving God's blessings. Yes, this is correct—we must give our full tithe without "stealing" from it. God explicitly promises to bless those who bring the whole tithe.

The tithe served three main purposes:

1. Supporting the Levites (Temple/priestly duties) as their wages (Numbers 18:21-32). The Levites, unlike the other eleven tribes, received no land inheritance, so they were compensated for their temple service.

2. Communal sharing (Deuteronomy 12:5-19; 14:22-27). This tithe was shared during festivals with family, servants, and Levites.

3. Charitable giving (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12-15). Every third year, this tithe supported the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.

Verse 5 speaks of God's judgment, specifically mentioning those who likely neglected the charitable tithe (those who defraud laborers, oppress widows and orphans, and deprive foreigners of justice).

Which tithe does verse 10 refer to when promising blessings?

I believe it refers to the third type—the charitable tithe. God promises to bless everything we do when we use this tithe to feed the stranger, orphan, and widow (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). The other two types of tithes don't carry specific blessing promises.

God declares that giving the full tithe is a way of returning to Him. Specifically, giving the complete charitable tithe—supporting society's most vulnerable—demonstrates a return to God. In response, He promises to fill our storehouses to overflowing.

Prayer: Merciful God, enable us to give our full tithe—the kind of tithe that pleases You, supporting widows, orphans, and strangers. Holy Spirit, guide us in truth. Amen.