What Does God Promise About Tithing

What Does God Promise to Those Who Tithe?

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.?

God loves us and He demonstrated His love for us especially when Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross. He took our sins upon Himself, and His righteousness was imputed to us – that is, put on our account. God gave the dominion mandate to mankind, and we are responsible to care for what God has given to us. Abraham, the recipient of the Abrahamic covenant, gave a tithe (10%) of the goods he recovered from an invading country to Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God. Jacob promised God a tithe of all his possessions if he returned safely to his homeland. The Jews gave tithes under the law, and God remonstrated with them when they failed to do so in Malachi chapters 1-3.?

We often look at the tithe as a duty and even resent it, like the Jews did in the day of Malachi. Yet the prophet emphasizes that God loves His people, and the tithe is designed to be a great blessing, not as a burden. Unfortunately, the Jews of that time doubted God’s love and even despised His name, bringing polluted offerings and sick animals to His altar, even offerings that their own leaders would have rejected. When God asked his people many questions; they answered back in disbelief and lack of respect. Finally, we have this question:?Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But he said, Wherein shall we return???8. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out you a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.??And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground: neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12. And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

Although Jesus quoted to Satan that we are not to put the Lord to a test, here the Lord Himself asks us to test him.??He says both “bring ye” and “prove ye.” God wants us to trust Him and demonstrate our love for Him. He loves us and has demonstrated this by providing eternal life through the death of Jesus Christ for us, and He also wants to bless us.?

Do we even recognize our need for God?

We are certainly living in the “last days” as described in God’s Word. After the description of man’s rebellion against God and ungodly living, God describes man as “having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” When we go through religious forms without the reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we lack God’s power, but often we are not even aware of it. We have become insensitive to our lack of power. Our priorities are wrong, based on looking for material success. We are often aware of many of the problems in the world but look to ourselves to solve them without God. We fail to apply God’s solution:?2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. God wants obedience from a heart of love.?

God promises four blessings in these verses:

There will be meat in my house:?

The Lord’s work will receive what is necessary to do what He has called us to do. This does not mean that if the church tithed from every member, that the money of the offerings would be exactly what is needed. Often the Lord uses offerings as well, which are above and beyond the tithe. These may come from outside sources. When we built our first church in Suriname, I thought that I had sufficient funds to complete the project. I did not, but God had additional offerings sent to the ministry. One month, I urgently needed an extra $3000 and God met the need. A former patient of mine wrote me: I was a builder, and if I were younger, I would come and help you build. But now I am retired, and so I am sending a check for $2000.??The same month, I received a check from a missionary in Kenya who sent $1000 for our building. The following month a doctor friend sent $3000, which was just what we needed for continuing the building project. We built four churches and two adjacent homes, and God met every need.

I will open the windows of heaven:

God can pour out blessings that are beyond what we can expect, and often, beyond what we imagine.??God gives an example in 2 Kings. The king of Syria had invaded Samaria and surrounded the city to prevent food from going into the city. People were starving and prices sky-high. The prophet Elisha predicted that the Syrians would leave and prices would drop immediately to normal. The assistant to the king said in?2 Chronicles7:2a Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be??Yet indeed this occurred the same day.?

My wife and I have seen remarkable blessings from the Lord. We have an opportunity to minister into our mid-80s and impact college-age students for the Lord. We have had housing provided in an ideal location for our needs. Our family continues to expand, with 4 children still active serving the Lord, 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. We thank the Lord for the strength which He provides to enable us to continue ministering.

I will rebuke the devourer:

The devourer is Satan: I Peter 5:8 The devil, as a roaring line, walketh about, seeking whom he can devour. In the time of Malachi, the crops were vital, and the destroyer could use insects, bad weather, etc. The farmers would lose their fruit. But we too can lose our fruit of a different sort – our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren. We can be a great blessing to them, or a great hindrance to their spiritual lives. Our ministry also can have fruit that remains, which will give God glory and fruit that remains.

All nations shall call you blessed:

Lastly, we can be effective in world evangelism.??To quote Dr. Clarence Sexton: “God wants to use you in world evangelism. As you obey Him, the Lord will use you.” We have certainly seen that in our own lives as we ministered in Suriname for 26 years. Even in recent years have had opportunities to see not only Americans but individuals from China and Africa to accept the Lord as savior.?