Malachi Chapter Three, Stealing The Tithe

 

Habakkuk, moved by the Holy Spirit, writes, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith,” Habakkuk 2:4. This verse doesn’t oppose Leviticus 18:5; rather, it is a complimentary revelation. Obedience to God’s word trains the seeker to understand when God’s word reveals to us that, not works, but faith, is what saves the soul of man. The proud reject the notion because it offends human effort and compromises religion. Religion is a system of works humanity has built to replace God. The formality Israel fell into during Malachi’s burden transformed into mechanical, lifeless religion. Enoch learned the lesson of faith, Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5. In like manner, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” Genesis 6:8. Abram too, received like faith: “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted (imputed, credited) it to him for righteousness,” Genesis 15:6.

While God promised a blessed life to the obedient who adhered to His revealed will, He also promised eternal life to those who through faith, trusted in the One speaking. What God promised He would perform. The Law makes no promises, it can only demand obedience, and there are many reasons someone may follow it. For those who believe that God demands obedience to earn or preserve their salvation the motivation is fear and an underlying pride that we are in effect earning wages. Yet the judgments and statutes weren’t meant to become isolated utterances internalized by the hearer. Being communal and relational, the Law was meant to breed an extroverted, lively, loving community in Israel whose interests, or sphere of influence, ranged beyond their own house to the national welfare of their kinsmen. God would bless the nation when they were so submitted to one another, because it would reflect submission to the God who led them out of Egypt.

 

Instead Israel robs God of tithes and offerings. The tithe, or tenth, is explained in detail in Leviticus 27:30-32 and Numbers 18:21-32. The origin of the tithe can be found in Genesis, when Abram returns form battle against the coalition of kings. Marching back in victory, Abram meets Melchizedek, priest of God Most High, Genesis 14:18. The first mention of a priest of God in Scripture, Melchizedek also has bread and wine, symbols of what would much later become Communion or Fellowship in the Christian church, representing Christ’s body and blood. After a benediction from the priest, Abram acknowledges the man by giving a tithe (a tenth) of all, Genesis 14:20. Whereas Abram didn’t hesitate to tithe to God’s priest in regards to his station and work, the Jews of Malachi’s time were more reluctant. Hearkening back to the dismal condition of the sacrifices being offered on the altar in chapter one, this epidemic of compromise (and therefore disobedience) was endemic even in Nehemiah’s day perhaps a century prior. “I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and singers who did the work had gone back to his field,” Nehemiah 13:10. The house of God being forsaken, Nehemiah was quick to address and correct this travesty so that the food of the altar (and the portion of those attending it) was restored to God’s house.

 

Why is God concerned about the offering? There are many reasons, one of which is purely pragmatic. The food of the altar feeds those who tend it. Paul, clearly considering the priestly offering, contrasts the Christian minister or evangelist to the priestly office. He asks, “who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?” 1 Corinthians 9:7. Making this illustration more concrete, the apostle explains, “Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?” verse 13. The question then that is naturally posed in light of this understanding was, “If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?” verse 11. The tithe was created to feed the very men whose God-given job was to minister to the things of the temple. Mediators of the covenant, they ministered day and night; their toil was to intercede on behalf of Israel and the sins every man and woman committed. The Lord likens this mishandling, this uncaring outlook for the service to His house as robbery. So when Israel collectively asks, “In what way have we robbed You?” the clear answer is a lack on the part of the people supporting the priests who make intercession on their behalf. Near the end of Nehemiah’s book he found the Levites driven out of the temple to tend their own lands or else they would go hungry. This is another clear indication that the Jews did not perceive the value of the temple, and what it meant to have access to God through atonement. By dealing with the priests so poorly, they were insulting the Master that employed them as well. This affront would not go unchallenged.