Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20090215.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Malachi: Replacing Spiritual Callousness With Insightful Sensitivity
Part V: Exchanging Rebellion For Obedience To God Seen In Our Handling Of Possessions
(Malachi 3:7-12)
  1. Introduction
    1. How we handle our possessions helps to gauge our relationship with the Lord, a fact seen in 1 John 3:17 in the New Testament and more broadly illustrated in Malachi 3:7-12 of the Old Testament.
    2. We view Malachi 3:7-12 for insight on discerning from our handling of our possessions the quality of our walk with the Lord that we might make practical adjustments for God's approval accordingly (as follows):
  2. Exchanging Rebellion For Obedience To God Seen In Our Handling Of Possessions, Malachi 3:7-12.
    1. Malachi 3:7a NIV charged the people of Israel with disobeying God's decrees all through her history.
    2. Thus, God called Israel to return to Him and He would return to her in blessing, Malachi 3:7b.
    3. Typical of the style of the book of Malachi, the prophet voiced Israel's response to this charge, saying, "How are we to return?" to indicate ignorance of any realm in which repentance was lacking, 3:7c NIV.
    4. God then referred to a specific realm where general disobedience to Him was typified, and said: "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me," Mal. 3:8a NIV, to which the people who knew "only a fool would try to rob God" answered, "How do we rob You?" (Mal. 3:8b NIV) (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1584)
    5. The Lord then claimed Israel had robbed Him in the realm of tithes and offerings, Mal. 3:8c. For this, the nation had been cursed in accord with the Mosaic Covenant under the Law, Malachi 3:9; Deut. 28:15.
    6. This "tithes and offerings" responsibility differed from our dispensation in that they were required under the Mosaic Law, a fact necessary for us to understand to apply this passage effectively to us (as follows):
      1. The Mosaic Law directed several sets of tithes were to be given by the people of Israel (as follows):
        1. One-tenth of all of Israel's produce was to be given annually to the Levites, and they in turn were to give a tenth of that tithe to the priests in Aaron's line, Numbers 18:21-32, Ibid., p. 1585.
        2. A second tithe from the people of Israel was either brought to Jerusalem or converted to money to be used to buy produce to share with the Levites in the Lord's feasts, Ibid.; Deut. 12:5-8; 14:22-26.
        3. Then, every third year, another tithe of all the produce of the people of Israel was to be stored up in the towns throughout Israel for Levites, aliens, widows and orphans, Ibid.; Deuteronomy 14:27-29.
      2. In addition, offerings were given by Israel's worshipers to God when they made sacrificial offerings for various worship functions like thanksgiving, keeping vows, consecration, etc., cf. Leviticus 1-7.
      3. However, in the current dispensation of the Church, there are no tithes, but each believer is to give freewill offerings according to the amount set by himself, recalling that God blesses him in proportion to how much he gives relative to his material capacity to do so, 2 Cor. 9:6-10 with Mark 12:41-44.
    7. So, in accord with the Law, God told Israel to bring all the tithes into the temple storehouses that housed the grain given in payment of the tithes, Mal. 3:10a; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Mal. 3:10.
    8. Were Israel to do this, God said He would bless her in accord with the Mosaic Covenant in the Law:
      1. First, God said He would reverse His Mosaic Covenant curse on Israel's produce (Mal. 3:9), opening heaven's windows so there would not be enough room in their storehouses, 3:10b; Deut. 28:1, 8, 12!
      2. Second, God promised to rebuke the insects that devoured their produce and caused their vines no longer to drop but to hold their fruit until they ripened, Malachi 3:11 with Deuteronomy 28:4-5.
      3. Third, God promised that all the Gentile nations would call Israel blessed, for they would be a "land of delight", Malachi 3:12 ESV with Deuteronomy 28:12-13.
Lesson: Israel's rebellion against God, typified in her refusal to pay all her tithes and offerings required under the Mosaic Law, amounted to robbery against God. This sin was judged by God's cursing her produce, so Israel was to repent and fulfill these obligations for God then materially to bless her!

Application: Since we live in the dispensation of the Church, not under the Law, we please God today in how we manage our possessions if (1) we give (a) liberally (b) in line with our ability to (c) godly ministries (1 Cor. 9:9-14) and (d) needy believers (1 John 3:17), and we aid (e) the poor (Gal. 2:10), if (2) we pay our debts and dues (Rom. 13:6-8) and (3) see God bountifully reimburse (2 Cor. 9:6, 9-11)!