Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

“I the Lord do not change.(A) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.(B) Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(C) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(D) to me, and I will return to you,”(E) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,(F) ‘How are we to return?’

“Will a mere mortal rob(G) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes(H) and offerings. You are under a curse(I)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(J) into the storehouse,(K) 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(L) of heaven and pour out(M) so much blessing(N) that there will not be room enough to store it.(O) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(P) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(Q)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(R) for yours will be a delightful land,”(S) says the Lord Almighty.(T)

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“Because I the Lord don’t change; therefore you children of Jacob aren’t destroyed.”

God’s Sixth Complaint: Against His People—Gifts and Offerings

“Ever since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from my decrees and haven’t kept them. Return to me and I’ll return to you,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “But you ask, ‘How will we return?’ “Will a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “By the tithe and the offering. You are cursed under the curse—the entire nation—because you are robbing me!

10 “Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. So put me to the test in this right now,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “and see if I won’t throw open the windows[a] of heaven for you and pour out on you blessing without measure. 11 And I’ll prevent the devourer from harming you,[b] so that he does not destroy the crops of your land. Nor will the vines in your fields drop their fruit,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:10 Or floodgates
  2. Malachi 3:11 Lit. I’ll rebuke the devourer from you