Historic pastoral reading
Giving is serious. Turning Malachi into a personal wealth contract skips the book.
Malachi 3:8-10
Tithe and God will open the windows of heaven.
The text
WEB
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, How have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this, says Yahweh of Armies, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing.
KJV
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
10 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.
What kind of text
- Prophecy
- Malachi
- Covenant
Malachi confronts priests and people who were shorting the temple.
How Christians have read this
Common misuse
Used to sell a guaranteed return on a ten percent gift.
What the next verse does
The next lines speak of rebuke of the devourer for that nation's sake.
Older commentary
Matthew Henry
Henry on Malachi 3:10: bring the tithe into the storehouse. It is a word to that nation's temple, not a private investment plan.
Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon preached generous giving. He did not sell Malachi as a guaranteed return.