Tag: Malachi 3:8-12
The Refiner’s Fire
Scripture reading for October 3: Malachi 1-4
Malachi was the last voice of a prophet in the era of the Old Covenant. After him, God was silent for 400 years until John the Baptist came on the scene. Malachi was like a street preacher of his day. He would go out where the people were and ask questions of them. He loved to pose questions and then answer them. With this style he sought to provoke God’s people to repent and do what God had commanded.
There were several issues that Malachi hit hard in his preaching. One concerned the priests who were sacrificing blind, crippled and diseased animals. God is holy and demands pure sacrifices but His priests were dishonoring Him. (Malachi 1:6-14) God is a great King Who is worthy of our best!
The priests were breaking their covenant vows with their wives and also with God. They were sacrificing to God on the Sabbath, but then going up to idol temples, sacrificing to idol gods and having sex with the temple prostitutes. God was watching and angry! He warned them through Malachi that this practice would defile them and sow violence and divorce into their homes. (Malachi 2: 11-16) This dishonored God and broke their vows, hindering the development of godly offspring through covenant marriage.
The law of God strictly forbids stealing but His people were stealing from God. They were not giving God their tithes, bringing them under a curse. The devourer was eating their crops and taking away their sustenance. (Malachi 3:8-12) The remedy was simple–return to God by bringing Him His tithe! God told them that they could test Him in this, the only place in Scripture where testing God was allowed! God promised to open the windows of heaven for those who honor Him with the tithe!
God warned that He would send His messenger of the covenant to His temple like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap, purifying the Levites. This process would bring about righteous obedience in the offerings and personal behavior. God was going to be quick to testify against those involved in sins of adultery, perjury, sorcery, and oppression of orphans and widows! (Malachi 3:1-8) This fire would reduce those who opposed the Lord to ashes but the righteous would go free! (Malachi 4:1-3)
Malachi had a message that still rings true today for us. Jesus is coming with fire this next time. Those who believe in Him will have their works tested by fire at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Those who oppose Him will be defeated by fire and eternally judged by fire! Let us return to the Lord before time runs out!
Take an offering for the Lord
Scripture reading for February 1st: Exodus 35-40
I love to have fun! When I am visiting someone in the hospital and find a room full of people, I sometimes say, ” When I see this many people, the first thing I think of is taking an offering!” I’m sure this helps clear out the room–I’m usually left alone before long! In our reading in Exodus today, Moses was responding to the Lord’s earlier instructions (Exodus 25:1-2). The Lord told Moses to have the Israelites bring Him an offering.
Jesus taught that our giving was a prerequisite for determining God’s measure back to us. “Give and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) When we are stingy with our giving, we set limits on how much God can give back to us. We open God’s hand when we open our hand and pocketbook. These people in Exodus willingly gave a huge amount of gold, silver, bronze, oil and cloth. They also freely gave of their time and talents to make what was needed for God’s house! They gave so willingly and freely that Moses had to tell them to stop! (Exodus 36:6-7)
I would love to stand up on Sunday morning and beg the people to put away their offerings and not give that day! However, when we understand that God our Father is a great giver and that He is blessed when we give Him an offering, why would I as your pastor want to hinder God’s blessing and measure back to you by telling you to hold back? Giving is the one place in Scripture that God says you can test Him! Malachi 3:8-12 instructs us to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, and God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing you cannot contain. May the Lord open the windows of heaven on you as you “bring him an offering”!
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound to every good work.” 2nd Corinthians 9:7-8