THE CURSE OF MALICHI...Part One

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

In Malachi we find some very interesting facts. If we look carefully at Malachi we find the word “tithe’ mentioned only once in Malachi 3:10; but Nehemiah uses the word, or refers to it seven times in three chapters (10:37; 38; 12:44, 47; 13:5, 10, 12). Therefore, tithing in Nehemiah should be the required study for the context of tithing. EZRA, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi cover 536 B.C. to about 400B.C. and should be read together. The seventy years of captivity had lasted from 606 to 536 B.C. Under Zerubbabel and prophet, Haggai, the temple had been rebuilt by 519 B.C. and under Nehemiah the wall of Jerusalem was finished in 445 B.C. When we read these scripture we must understand them in their historical context because false teacher or pimps will try and use these historical commands to tithe to manipulate us to give more money. The Ekklesia must realize that certain commands given in the old and new Testament were giving to specific people at a specific time for a specific purpose which doesn’t always apply to us(Christians). All scripture must be understood in light of Jesus Death on the Cross which confirms the New Covenant and makes the OLD obsolete. Hebrews 7:18 states that there is a disannulling of the law.
We have to understand that the pimping preacher deceives the saints by not teaching the truth. They won’t tell you that MALACHI, NEHEMIAH AND EZRA were contemporaries. In other words, they preached to the same folk! Nehemiah and Ezra IS the context of Malachi. If we read Nehemiah chapter 10, 11, 12, and 13 you will find the context of what Malachi is saying.
The pimping preacher uses the pulpit to deceive; they employ physiological techniques to condemn Christian by taking scripture out of context and imparting fear in baby Christians. Have you heard words similar to these from a church pulpit?
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” (Mal.3:10). A tenth of your income belongs to God and if you don’t give it you are a God robber according to the Bible (Mal.3:8). If you are not faithful in giving your tithe, God will curse you (Mal.3:9) and not “rebuke the devourer” (Mal.3:11).” You WILL pay a tithe one way or the other, possibly through sickness, hardship, lost job, lost home or other means if you don’t give it to God.” “You cannot expect God to bless you if you do not tithe.” “No matter who else you owe or how much you are in debt, God’s tithe must come first.” Your entire tithe belongs here in the local church. “Will a man rob God and get by with it”? “Never, Never, YOU WILL PAY” ect. etc.
This well known passage on tithing comes from the Old Testament book of Malachi 3:7-10.This Scripture has given rise to the practice of “Storehouse Tithing.” Simply stated, the congregation is exhorted from the pulpit to channel all of their Christian giving through the local church (storehouse). If they wish to give to a Christian organization, radio or television broadcast, etc., it must go through their denominational leaders in order for the local church to get “credit.” The pastor and elders often must make the determination if the cause supported by the giver is “worthy.”
Looking at the text in Malachi 3:10, it is not a difficult scripture for us to rightly divide; God is saying to his Nation of Israel; to bring the tithes and offering into his house I repeat TO THE ISRAELITES not to Christians. Most pimping preachers will quote Malachi to put fear in the heart of Christians. Malachi 3:9 “You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. We Christians are not under a curse if we don’t tithe. Jesus didn’t die to put us under a curse but to redeem us from the curse.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”. Pimping Preachers regularly take Malachi 3:9 out of context to implant fear in the heart of the children of God. For many years, Malachi 3:6-14 has been misapplied to the church.
God has another system for us. It is a system of faith-the same system that Abraham used; for we are justified by Christ and we are the just, and the just live by FAITH, not the commandments of the law. The truth is that God is really talking primarily to the Priest of Malachi time. If you read all four chapters of Malachi and follow the word YOU describing who God is talking to it clearly become the Priest. God curses the Priest three times before we even get to Malachi 3:9 and spends most of the book criticizing the priest; but Pimping Preachers want us to believe that God is talking primarily to the people. We are to believe although God Curses the Priest for most of the book all of a sudden they are the victims. Check out some of the Scriptures:
Malachi 1:6-8“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is my honor? And if I am a Master, Where is my reverence? To YOU PRIEST who despise my name. Yet YOU say, ‘In what way have we despised your name. YOU offer defiled food on my altar, but say, ‘in what way have we defiled you?’ By saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ And when YOU offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when YOU offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor!(Nehimiah) Would he be pleased with YOU? Would he accept YOU favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts.”
According to 1:6 and 2:1, Malachi is most specifically addressed to dishonest ministers, that is, Old Covenant priests! These two verses, 1:6 and 2:1, are the KEYS to understanding the entire book of Malachi. These two verses actually REVERSE what most of us have been told all of our lives. As you study the remainder of Malachi, do not forget the context of these two verses. God is specifically rebuking His ministers, the priests, and not the people. The first “you” in Malachi 1:6 refers to the priests. They are guilty of dishonoring God and despising His name. (1:7, 8) God is rebuking the ministers for giving Him what nobody else wants. By doing so, the ministers are guilty of despising the “Table of the LORD” Notice that God does not say that they did not “have” the adequate offering to present to Him. There is no reason to conclude that the ministers were forced to give defiled food because they did not have anything else to give.
Again, God is talking to the priest and not the people. God says the priest offered defiled food. We can see here that God says to the priest that “YOU offer defiled food on my altar”, and goes on to say “YOU offer the lame and sick”. This is how the priest Robbed God in offerings. They would take the lame and sick of the herd and offer it to God while they kept the healthy animals for themselves! We will look at how they (the priest) robbed God in tithe later in this section. But for right now we need to understand that God only criticized the PRIESTS and not the people for bringing unacceptable OFFERINGS. He said that their governor would not even accept these offerings of the lame and sick for his table. This is because the governor (Nehemiah) knew that these ministers had plenty of good healthy animals for sacrifice from the firstborn offerings and from their share of the tithed animals. Why is this true? Because Nehemiah had ordered the people to bring these offerings and so much abundance had been received that storehouses were necessary ( see Neh. 10: 35-38; 12: 44, 47; 13: 4, 4, 12, 13)
Malachi 1:14 “ But CURSED be the swindler who HAS a male in his[the priest’s] flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King, “says the LORD of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.” Those who only read the curse of Malachi 3:9 do not realize that the word, curse, had previously been used by Malachi four (4) times in cursing the priests! This first curse of Malachi 1:14 is very evidently place on the priest, the ministers, of the Old Testament. The priest already “HAS” acceptable sacrificial animals. God did not excuse them because the people had not properly paid tithes!
Malachi 2:1, 2 “And now, O’PRIEST, this commandment is for YOU. If you will not hear, and if YOU will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,” Says the LORD of hosts, “I will send a CURSE upon YOU, and I will CURSE your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already.
Here we see God has cursed the Priest Again! How many of you have heard your pastors talk about “Priest being curse” in Malachi. We are quoted Malachi 3:9 but for reasons of deception we don’t here anything about Priest being curse. What were they cursed for? They were curse because they offered defile animals as offering.
Remember folks it was NOT necessary for Israelites to offer perfect animals when paying their Tithe; the Tithe on animals could not be redeemed. Only Tithe on seed of the land or fruit of the tree could be redeemed by added one-fifth to it.
If it was an offering it had to be Perfect without blemish but not so with the Tithe. Unfortunately, most pimps tell you that when you pay your tithe you give the first and best part. Read this scripture: Leviticus 27:32-33
Leviticus of 27:30-33 “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or the fruit of the tree, is the lords. It is holy to the LORD. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchange it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

PART TWO

Note: If a man had 9 sheep he was not required to tithe on that nine sheep because it was the 10TH ONE that pass under the rod not the First one. So it stands to reason that if you had 17 sheep you only tithe one sheep.
If for some reason a man wished to retain part of what he would normally give as a tithe he could redeem it by paying its value plus one fifth. This does not, however, apply to the tithe of the herd or the flock. The Levites would be present to ensure that proper tithes were being paid, and in the case of herd and flock would pass them under a rod, taking aside every tenth one. That was then holy to the LORD. My question then becomes how does this resemble our tithe today? Pimping Preachers tell us everyone had a commandment to tithe even the very poor. They tell us that we can’t afford not to tithe. Nice cliché, but it is not biblical, we’ve seen in previous scripture that the tithe was not only for the Levites but also the poor, widow, stranger ect.
Malachi 2:7, 8 “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge. And people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But YOU (the priest) have departed from the way; YOU (the priest) have caused many to stumble at the law. YOU (the priest) have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the LORD of hosts”
Again we see God mention the “Covenant of Levi” The covenant of Levi does not include that Whole Nation of Israel. He also mentions that the priest should keep knowledge. We have to understand that the priests were causing the people stumble! How you ask, well the priests were not being good example for the people. As a matter of fact, the priest scandalous example caused the people to stumble because the people look up to the ministers of religion in respect to the observances of the law. Even though it is true that God’s entire covenant with all Israel INCLUDED His specific covenant with the priests of the tribe of Levi, THE ONLY SPECIFIC CONVENANT mentioned in the book of Malachi is God’s covenant with the PRIESTS! These verses about God’s covenant with Levi remind us that, when the nation Israel sinned God held the priests primarily responsible for not living righteous lives before them and for not teaching His word correctly as they had done when the nation was young.
Malachi 2:10 Have WE not all one father? Has not one God created US? Why do WE deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the COVENANT of our father? Notice the pronoun change from “you” to “we” and “us.” The LORD has temporarily stopped speaking in verse 9 and now Malachi is speaking. Since Malachi’s name means, my messenger, then he is most likely a priest himself. This means the “we” indicates “we priests.” Malachi’s message to the priest is this, “Since we (the priests and the rest of Judah) all have one father and one Creator, therefore, when we (priests) sin by violating our special covenant with Levi, we deal treacherously with everybody in the nation because our covenant is part of their covenant.”
Malachi 2:11,12 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which he [Judah} loved, and has married the daughter of a strange god. The LORD will cut off the man that does this, the master and the scholar, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offers an offering to the LORD of hosts .Here is where most commentaries say that God has switched from speaking only to the priests towards speaking to all of Judah. The reasons given for the change include the mention of Judah and God’s condemnation of divorce which all of Judah had committed. See Ezra 9:10 and Nehemiah 13. I disagree with this interpretation because verses 11 and 12 are “third person,” that is God is still speaking TO the priests, but He is speaking ABOUT Judah and all Israel. The sins which the priests have committed have also been committed by the rest of the nation. God holds the priests, the spiritual leaders, responsible for the spiritual welfare of the whole nation. This was made clear in verses 4-9. In Ezra 10 the priests are cleansed before the remainder of the nation is cleansed. Second, while it is quite evident that God switched His audience from the nation to the priests in 1:6 and 3:1 of Malachi , there is no corresponding pronoun “You” statement such as, “And now, O Judah, this is for you” to indicate that His audience has switched back.
In Nehemiah which is the historical context of Malachi we see that the enemy of the Lord had taken up residence of all places in the Temple of God. The Levites were not given their portion of the tithe and the Priest were so corrupted that they even began to marry foreigners (Gentiles) serving as an example to the rest of Israel that this was ok.
In Today’s church the priest are still causing the people to stumble!
Malachi 2:13” And this is the second thing you do: You cover the “Altar of the LORD” with tears, with weeping and crying; so He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.” This text has a strong relevance to the priests because they were the only ones who literally wept over the altar. The people of Judah and Israel had no direct access to the altar and could not literally “cover the altar of the LORD with tears.” According to Nehemiah, God was much more displeased with the priests than the rest of the people for their intermarriages with pagans (Neh. 13:23-30)
Nehemiah13:25, “So I contended with them and cursed them struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Now look closely at verse 28,” And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.”
Again remember that only the Aronic Priesthood could come near the Altar and not die. Not even the Levites servants who served in the temple could come into the holies of holies where “The Alter” of God was.
Numbers 18:2 and 3 states, “And your brothers also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall minister before the tabernacle of witness, verse 3, And they shall tend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; only they shall not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor you also die.” So we see not only would the Levite who serve would die if he came near “the Alter” but also the Priest who allow him.
Malachi 3:3 “ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness. He will purify who? The SONS of LEVI not all the people but the SONS of LEVI. There were more tribes than Levi but God pacifically mentions them because he had a special covenant with that tribe.
Please take a look at Malachi 3:5 with me:
“So I will come near to YOU (the priest) for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, “says the LORD Almighty.
Notice the things that God is angry about: that laborers are defrauded of their wages; widows being oppressed; the fatherless and deprive aliens (strangers) Why is it the God is silent on Priest not receiving there part of the tithe? Knowing that Malachi and Nehemiah were written in the same context I believe the fraud (robbery) spoken of in Malachi 3, is described in detail in Nehemiah 13:4-13. It is in this context of Nehemiah that we see how that robbery had taking place. What I gather from the scripture, is that it was NOT that the Israelite’s were withholding the tithe from God, but rather Eliashib the priest who opened the temple store rooms to Tobiah and the portions of food assigned to the Levites were not given to them. (Tobiah was an Ammonite who worshipped the pagan-god Molech according to Ezra 2:59-60 and Nehemiah 2:10).
Note: Tobiah was an Ammonite who conspired against the rebuilding of the wall during Nehemiah Governorship. Nehemiah 4:7,8 “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were make up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” So we see from this passage of scripture that Tobiah was the enemy of God!
These next verses in Nehemiah are so important that I will let them speak for themselves. Remember Eliashib the priest had authority over the storerooms and Tobiah was an enemy of God. Also remember that Malachi preached or prophesized to the same people. Before Nehemiah’s return;
Nehemiah13:4-13 “Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the TITHES of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priest. But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib (the high priest) had done for Tobiah (the enemy of God), in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense (NOTICE THAT THE TITHES ARE NOT RETURNED TO THE STOREHOUSE; THEY WERE MISSING). I also realized that the portions (of tithes) for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. THEN all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.” So here we see why Malachi states bring all the tithes into the storehouse. They were replacing what was stolen by wicked priest and the enemy of God!
Note: notice that after they cleanse the rooms they brought back the (articles of the house of God) (grain offering) and the frankincense, but after he gathered them together and set them in their place (tithe of the grain) and (new wine) and (the oil.) were missing.
The “Robbing of God” wasn’t taking place with the “bringing” of tithe. It was taking place with distribution of the tithe to the non-priestly Levites. The wicked high priest Eliashib and his “kinfolk” Tobiah the Amorite (pagan) were apparently raiding the storerooms of the temple for themselves along with other corrupt priest. What God considered robbery (fraud) was withholding the tithe from His non-priestly Levites who abandoned their service to God when they weren’t fed. As a result the Levites didn’t get daily portions (of tithes) and went back to their fields to work.
It’s very important for us to realize that the people as a whole didn’t bring their tithes to the storerooms of the temple; but it was the Levites who brought the tithe of the tithe or 1% of the total tithe which was to be given to the Aronic Priesthood.
It is here in Nehemiah 13:4-13 you have THE VERY picture of what is happening in the church today: the priesthood of believers is being robbed by Pimping Preachers and religious parasites that are in charge of the so called new covenant “storeroom”. Brothers and Sisters, you aren’t the ones robbing God! The ones robbing God are the very ones who are accusing you!
Now let’s looks at one of the most abused scriptures used by these pimps Mal: 3:8, “Will a man rob God? Yet YOU (THE PRIEST) have robbed me. But you say, wherein have WE (THE PRIEST) robbed you? In tithes and offerings. I am urging the reader to consider a very important question from 1:6 forward, “To whom is God speaking?” Again, “Who is the ‘you’ and ‘we’ of Malachi 3:8?” Although there is a secondary application to the people in general, God is still specifically speaking to the priests. Verse 7 ends with the priests from 2:17 to 3:6 asking God, “How shall we return to obeying you?” In context, they are asking, “What do we priests need to do in order to return to keeping your ceremonial worship “ordinances”?
Verse 8 does not begin in a vacuum! It begins with God answering the question asked by the priests in 3:7. Honesty to God’s Word demands that we do not begin a Bible study at verse 8. God is telling the PRIESTS that THEY have robbed Him in tithes and offerings!
You ask, “Where does the Bible say that God is speaking only to the priests?” And I answer:
(1) since God clearly BEGAN speaking to the priests in 1:6,
(2) emphatically continued speaking to the priest in 2:1
(3) must still be speaking to them about their altar in 2:13
(4) is clearly still speaking to them from 2:17 to 3:4. THEN
(5) God is still specifically addressing the priests in 3:8! I ask, “When did God STOP speaking to the priests? The burden of proof must fall on those who say that God has suddenly changed from His audience from the priests to the people.
Who has thus far robbed God in the context of Malachi 3:8?
First, Bible students simply cannot ignore Malachi 1:13-14 which is clearly addressed to the priest from 1:6. The NAS reads, “…you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! …But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord …” Again, where the KJV reads “torn,” the NAS says “taken by robbery, “the NKJV says “the stolen,” the RSV says “taken by violence,” and the TLB says “stolen.” God says that the priests had “stolen” either more than their tenth of the tithe, more than their share of offerings, or both! Malachi also points out that the priests had robbed God by not giving Him the best which they had vowed.
Second, when we compare Nehemiah 10:37, 38 and 12:44, 47 with 13:4, 5, 10, 11 it is clear that the high priest had stolen the Levites share of the tithe because everything else was at hand to replace. Undeniably the priests had stolen the tithe from the Levites! “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” (Neh. 13:10).
The objector says, “No! No! You have it all wrong! The priests are completely innocent! The people are guilty of not bringing tithes to the priests! The people are guilty of robbing God!”
I answer this objection by asking, “Where do you find this from Malachi 1:6 to 3:7?” Throughout the book of Malachi, THE PRIESTS HAVE BEEN THE VILLAINS, the guilty party, the robbers---and, now, suddenly, you say that they are the mistreated party. How inconsistent can one be! God has already CURSED the priests FOUR TIMES for robbing him and for not bringing what they already possessed. The priests are not the poor innocent victims which so many preachers want us to think. The priests are the “robbers” and “swindlers” who already have the tithes and offerings (from Nehemiah 10:38; 12:44, 47), but are not giving God the best and are not sharing with the Levites in Nehemiah 13:10 and the needy in Malachi 3:5.
Malachi 3:9, “You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation.” KJV
Malachi 3:9, “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you! NASU
“Finally, “the tithe-teacher will say, “you must admit that NOW God is speaking to the WHOLE NATION and not to the priests in the verse!”
I reply, “What is the context? Up to this point, the pronoun, YOU, has almost exclusively referred to the priests receiving the curses which God had placed on them because of their guilt. Are we justified in concluding that NOW the pronoun, YOU, suddenly refers to the people and that the people have wronged the priests?” The first four curses had been placed on the dishonest priests (1:14 and 2:2). These ministers were guilty of robbing God and received the longest and most harsh rebuke in Malachi (1:6 to 2:9). They had robbed Him by not offering the best (1:7-8). Their worship was not acceptable (1:8). God desired that one of them would stop the hypocritical worship and lock the temple doors (1:10). He was tired of their dishonesty (1:13-14) and curse them as deceiver or swindlers (1:14). Even their children would be affected by their sin and rebuked (2:3). God promised to even spread dung in their faces during their religious festivals (2:3)
“But,” objects the tithe-teacher, “verse 9 clearly says “this whole nation.”
I reply, “Look at the verse more closely.” For some good reason many scholarly Hebrew translators think that verse 9 should read, “This whole nation OF YOU.” Although “of you” does not appear in the King James Version, it does appear in the more literal NAS and RSV (and also the very popular NIV). The purpose of adding “of you” is unclear unless it distinguishes the whole nation “of you priest” from the rest of the nation! A possible contextual biblical precedent is seen in the theft of tithes from ministering Levites by Eliashib in Nehemiah 13:7-10 which had to involve other priests. Again, the main point thus far, however, is that (until now at least) God had been cursing the priests as thieves instead of expressing sorrow for them.
Exactly what is the “CURSE” of Malachi 3:9? Deuteronomy 27:26 reads, “Cursed is he that does not confirm all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen” (quoted in Gal. 3:10). This was the curse of the Old Covenant. I repeat, the curse of Malachi 3:9 was the curse of the Old Covenant! The nation had promised God that they would completely obey every single part of the whole Law, or else agree to place themselves under a curse. Malachi’s audience, in Nehemiah 10:28-29, renewed their Old Covenant vows and, again, asked God to place them under the curse if they failed to comply with every single part of the Law.
Jonathan Kithcart points out this very important point, “Why would Christ die to redeem us from the curse of the law, and then turn around and place us right back under the same curse? That’s crazy, man!
Malachi 3:10, “ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be FOOD in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open to you the window of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” At first glance, the superficial preacher, student, or lay person ( there need to be clarification here I do not believe in the terms “lay” and “clergy” these are not biblical terms but man-made terms to separate the body of Christ) thinks that this verse is self-explanatory, it is actually very far from such. One must understand the inspired biblical context of both Malachi and Nehemiah in order to understand Malachi 3:10
Actually, beyond this single verse, God NEVER commanded anybody to bring ALL THE TITHES into THE storehouse in Jerusalem. This needs to be said again, “Beyond this single verse, God NEVER commanded anybody to bring ALL the tithes into THE storehouse in Jerusalem.” In fact, just the opposite is true!
There were actually THREE different tithes required in the Old covenant, and only a small part (1%) of the first was commanded to be brought into the storehouse. Therefore, something is seriously wrong with the tithe-teachers explanation of Malachi 3:10.
We will take a look at these three tithes later but we MUST remember that Malachi’s words are written to the Nation of Israel because they were the ONLY nation given a system of tithing. To try and place Malachi upon the church is jacked up and deceptive! And to go beyond that is flawed reasoning and invokes a claim of robbery on God’s New Testament Saints is more than flawed reasoning; it is an abuse of scripture and a slight of hand in interpreting the word of God. Clearly as you read on in this book, God says that all Nations (Gentiles) will call THEM (Israel) blessed and they will be a delightful land (Malachi 3:10-12)
What’s so interesting is that Malachi is a call for Israel to return to the Law of Moses! Should Christian return to the law? Not according to Paul Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: For it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. This doesn’t sound like Paul wants us to return to the law! Then he also states in Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from Grace.” Instead We should do what Paul suggest in Galatians 5:1 and Stand fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free, and so not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” That yoke of bondage is the law! Again I would like to reiterate that if you read the book of Malachi in its entirety you will find that God is speaking primarily to the Priest, Not the people. It is important for us to remember that God held the priest responsible for the sin of the people related to the sanctuary.
NUMBERS 18:1 “Then the LORD said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.