From Rebuke to Rewards

8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, 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 of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.- Malachi 3:8-12(NIV)

Often as misunderstood as it has been misinterpreted, the words of God in the third chapter of Malachi have been used to convict and compel men, women and even children regarding tithes and offerings for years. Most of us, as believers, have heard some part of this passage utilize to manipulate and persuade people with the fear that they could be "cursed with a curse," as the King James Version reads, if they were to "rob God" in tithes and offerings per se. Yet, when we read this final prophecy of the Old Testament, we gain new insight to what the Lord offered His people through His words in the third chapter.

Malachi paints a picture of priestly corruption that leads to a very dark period in the history of the children of Israel. What was offered to God as a sacrifice and offering was not up to par. It got so bad that the people became reluctant to give at first, and then they refused to give at all. That's when God finally steps in and shares what he has to say about the entire matter. God offers a way to move from rebuke, being cursed with a curse, to rewards, receiving an outpouring from heaven's open window. The believer is offered a reward for his or her obedience. Disobedience leads to rebuke. God wants our faithful obedience, not our opinion about who shouldn't do what or who should be able to do this or that. He wants us to live lives full of obedience. Follow His Word and receive the rewards that He has for you.