Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In this message we discuss “Tither’s Rights.” The Scriptures established the tithe is still in effect. So, it didn’t pass away with the Old Covenant or with the Law. It was before the Old Covenant, before the Law, and continues to this day.
There is one other thing that must be clearly understood. Galatians 3:13-14 and 3:29 make it clear to us that Jesus Christ has redeemed, or purchased, us, the Believers, from the curse of the Law. If one is not a Believer, they are under the Law and the curses of the Law. If one is a Believer, they have been redeemed from the curse of the Law. BUT and this is a big BUT, Believers MUST choose not to remain under the curse of the Law. If you’re not saved, you have NO choice but to suffer the curse. If you are saved, you have A CHOICE. Remember the jail cell analogy. Christ opened the door to the jail cell of the bondage of sin and the Law. But WE must choose to walk out the door and not return to the bondage. It is up to US whether we take advantage of what Christ purchased for us with His death, burial, and resurrection. As Believers, we’ve chosen eternal life through Jesus Christ. However, there is SO much more to salvation than just eternal life. Eternal life is but the tip of the iceberg. Jesus gained us incredible authority, power, blessings, and treasures – IN THIS LIFE. WE DON’T NEED IT IN HEAVEN! There is no sin or enemy there.
Let’s start to examine the famous Malachi Chapter 3 in which God plainly lays out Tither’s Rights and God’s attitude about the tithe. We’ll examine it verse by verse.
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
God is telling the Children of Israel that His Word doesn’t change. Once spoken, it is established forever. People wrongly think the Law went away with the New Covenant. It did not. It is still in effect today for all that are not Believers. Jesus fulfilled the Law for all of mankind so that anyone that believes in their heart Jesus as the Son of God whom God raised from the dead and confesses this with their mouth, they shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Once saved, one is no longer under the curse of the Law. However, as we learned earlier, the jail cell door is open with Jesus’ redemption. We must choose to walk through it in all areas of our life. What are these areas? Healing, prosperity, protection, and deliverance. If we don’t believe God’s Word about our healing as Believers, then we choose to place ourselves under the curse in this area of our life. We are redeemed from sickness, disease, infirmities, and weakness, but we must make a “fully persuaded” quality decision to believe, speak, and receive God’s Word for us in this area of our lives. It also applies to our finances, our businesses, our jobs, our marriages, our relations, our material possessions, our children, etc.
Malachi 3:7
Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Ordinances = Hebrew word, “choq” which means, “something prescribed or owed, a statue.”
There is a cross reference in Malachi 3:7 to Acts 7:51. Let’s examine it.
Acts 7:51
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Hmmmm…..notice what God has to say about those that do not keep His ordinances – “stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.” What does this mean? “Stiffnecked” means you resist God’s leading. “Uncircumcised” means your heart and ears are not covenant minded or Word minded. Instead, you are “YOU” minded or world minded. Resisting the Holy Ghost is to resist the conviction, teaching, and right leading of the Holy Ghost. It simply boils down to, “I’M GOING TO DO ME.”
Notice what the Children of Israel had to say in Malachi 3:7 when God said, “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you.” Think about this for a moment. This is the all knowing, all present, eternal God telling one they have an issue. And the created says to the Creator, “Wherein shall we return?” This is old English for “Where have we fallen away or left you?” It is amazing how deceived one is when they would actually question the God of all creation, The Creator. Yet, it happens every day by the unsaved and many times by Believers. This is why David said in Psalm 55:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Malachi 3:8
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings.
In Malachi 3:8 God is answering the Children of Israel’s question of, “Wherein shall we return?” God answers, “In tithes and offerings.” Notice that NOT bringing first the tithe, and then the offerings, is considered by God as robbing Him. The word “robbing” in Hebrew means “to defraud.” Wow.
Malachi 3:9
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
In Malachi 3:9, we can see the outcome of first not tithing, and then not bringing offerings. This is exactly what God told Cain in Genesis 4:5-7. “Sin lieth at the door.” But Larry, we’re not under the curse, we were redeemed from it. Yes, you are absolutely half right. Believers are no longer under the curse, unless they place themselves there. We’re no longer confined to the jail cell as long as we choose to walk out and not return. Non-Believers have NO CHOICE. They are under the curse and will suffer from the curse in all areas of their life. Believers have a choice: in heart and words. Romans 10:9-10 gives the blueprint. Believe and confess.
Next week we’ll continue our examination of Malachi 3. There is really good news to come. If we will not resist the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can expect to experience the “Tither’s Rights.” And they are wonderful. I can personally attest to them. My wife and I have been tithing for 36 years. And we have, over and over, experienced the Tither’s Rights in our lives. A Tither has access to The Blessing of The Lord.
I hope and pray everyone will enjoy this wonderful week and weekend where we celebrate the greatest event in the history of eternity – the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Blessings to All,
Larry