Robbing God Malachi 3:8

According to the prophet Malachi, “The LORD of hosts” desired to receive and regard the offerings and sacrifices of the people of the nation of Israel. However, they were practicing ways that were not in line with the Lord's ways, and they needed correction. The Lord told them to “return unto me, and I will return unto you”, but they wondered, “Wherein shall we return?”. In chapter three and verse eight we see the Lord's answer to their question where we read:

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say,

Where have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings.

The verse begins, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me.” Upon first glance, this may seem to be a strange question, “Will a man rob God?”, and we might wonder how this could be. The word “rob” in Hebrew is “qaba” and literally means “high and rounded” as in a “covering”, so the idea is “hiding”, as though someone could “hide” something from God. The Lord said, “Yet you have robbed me” which again employs the word “qaba” and is an indictment from Him. Though the people could not “hide” anything from the Lord, their actions revealed the larceny within them.

The verse continues, “Where have we robbed you?” Once again we see the people wondering what the Lord meant by His indictment of them. This entire question is once again the word “qaba” , and we can almost picture them with innocent looking faces looking up like a child who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar saying, “qaba” or “What, where have we robbed you?”

Finally the verse says, “In tithes and offerings.” The Lord's answer was quick and direct - “In tithes” which means “tenth part or payment of the tenth part”, and “offerings” which is “a contribution, an oblation, or a gift”. Kings in that day were used to receiving gifts from their subjects, and those who desired favor from Him would often bless the King with their offerings. We may remember how the wise men “brought gifts” unto Jesus because He was to be the “King of the Jews” . Not only were the people of Israel not giving the Lord the “ten percent” tithe of their incomes, but they were robbing God of the offerings He so deserved.

This is one of the most controversial and convicting verses within Malachi's prophecy. Whenever the topic of money arises in church circles there have been so many examples of mismanagement, theft, larceny, and lack, that people have a difficult time following the Lord's command to tithe never mind bring an offering to Him. In Second Corinthians chapter nine and verse seven Paul the apostle wrote:

Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.

Though much more can be written about this idea of robbing God in tithes and offerings, for now let us keep our focus upon the indictment the Lord brought against the nation of Israel, and see if we were standing among them if His indictment would apply to us. I pray the Lord will deal with all our hearts accordingly.

Next time we see the result of robbing the Lord, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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