“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! [Malachi 3.8-10]
There is some interesting wording above that it seems the Church mostly overlooks... It says, "You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me (of tithes and offerings)"
Have you ever heard a sermon or teaching about this promise regarding tithing that makes it a corporate thing rather than an individual thing? But right there it is in Malachi - it's been there all along.
Obviously, the Church cannot force the nation to tithe. But, as is suggested in the article, Financial Responsibility In The Church, the Church could be more proactive about its own. Yes, the Church could and should make tithing a condition of membership.
For those who are skeptical about tithing in the New Testament, a quick read of Acts 5 should make tithing seem like a pleasure at 10% because the people there in Acts were giving everything they had!
Is it any wonder, in the Church's failure on the issue of tithing, that there are taxes upon nearly everything these days? In the fact of "loss to taxation," widespread taxation meets a critical criterion of a curse. And, that is precisely what Malachi teaches.
It would seem we have made a huge mistake in promoting Malachi 3.10 as an individual promise when, in context (and therefore, in fact), it is a corporate thing. Suddenly, "to each his own" become a ridiculous ideology to live by because the overwhelming corporate failure to tithe affects every individual in its "corporation."
If we dig further into taxation, we will see that idolatry is at the root. Why? Because the institution of government is being trusted (idolized) to provide benefits more so than God. When we factor in the exorbitant taxes paid to government in addition to the 'taxation' levied upon us through debt, insurance, medicine and technology, we can only conclude that our priorities are grossly misplaced effectively demonstrating nothing of Biblical God-pleasing faith. What's worse, government taxation has become law successfully mandating idolatry. Just follow the money - the crime is never far removed from the money.
If ever there was a need for repentance, now is that time. The systems of man (government, debt, insurance, medicine and technology) if seen only in the light of the first two of the Ten Commandments reveals just how idolatrous they are. Any move to increase government and also further promote debt, insurance, medicine and technology is a move away from God.
And yet we mindlessly defend ourselves:
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’ [Malachi 3.7b]
When I set out to write this article, I only intended to address the Church's need to assure that its members tithe. Frankly, I did not see the underlying issue of idolatry coming as part of this article until it did... and, what is said here stands the test of Biblical confirmation. It also confirms the necessity of "the Church" affecting "the nation" if God's promises are to be fully realized.
In the abovementioned Acts 5 (New Testament), it should be noted that "grace" did not preclude Ananias and his wife Sapphira from responsibility regarding their money. So, there is no Biblical argument to proclaim "grace" in excuse for the Church's current soft stance on money.
The solution to this deeply-rooted idolatry is complex to say the least. However, if we remain willfully ignorant of God's Word, we will, like Malachi's audience say, "How can we return when we have never gone away?" But... if in a moment of Holy Spirit revelation of God's Word we, the Church, see, hear, understand, AND REPENT that we are living in gross corporate sin by withholding our tithes while undeniably funding idolatry, then we might enjoy the promise of Malachi 3.10 fulfilled.
Father, may Your Word stand true and every man a liar. We need Your revival, but clearly You won't force it on us. May we be found returning to You - Your Word - and may we be found genuinely repentant for our gross idolatry. So be it.
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