What Does Malachi Really Say About Tithing?
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 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.” This passage in Malachi 3:8-10 has been used as a tool to inspire faithful people to pay 10% of their income as tithing for centuries. But what if I told you these three verses are taken entirely out of context? What if I told you they weren’t written for the general body of the church, but instead were directed at the clergy of the church? To understand the full implication of these verses, it is imperative that we read the entire book of Malachi, starting with chapter 1. For the sake of space and focus, I won’...