Pilfering, Poverty, Promise and Profit

We are looking tonight at Malachi chapter 3 verses 6 through 15.  The title of this sermon is “Pilfering, Poverty, Promise and Profit,” lots of P words, there were more, but I restrained myself.  My proposition to you is put your trust in the unchanging, longsuffering, merciful God who has and continues to pardon and bless all who repent, all who change.  This passage contains the last two indictments of six.  In the first four the people of God questioned his love, despised His name, profaned the covenant by being faithless, and they wearied the Lord.  Then we also had a list of their sins.  They had consulted sorcerers, committed adultery, sworn falsely, oppressed the workers, oppressed widows and fatherless, thrust the sojourner aside, and have generally not feared the Lord.  And after that devastating list of sins, the last two indictments are delivered.  They are robbing God, and they have spoken against Him.  The horrible fact is that the people of God didn’t care about faithful worship, and they didn’t really believe a Word that he says.  Lack of attending to right worship can lead to a lack of attention to God’s Word and of course vice versa.  They show by their actions and words that they believe they control their financial destiny, and that serving God is a worthless pursuit.  Basically, at this point in history, we are in a very low spot, a bad place, they’ve been pilfering, they’re in poverty, they’ve ignored the promise of God, and they’re mostly concerned with their own profit.  With that cheery introduction, let’s pray.

Father, we ask that you would open your Word as we read it, as we meditate upon it, would you teach us, convict us, and encourage us.  In the name of Christ, I pray.  Amen.

If you would, look to Malachi 3 starting at verse 6.

For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

And then the sixth indictment. 

“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'”

Here ends the reading of God’s Word.

Well, in chapters 1 and 2 we had really nothing but bad news, failings, rebellion, indictment, charges.  We have lots of talking back and arguing, and that continues, and I think this all points to, or at least I would suggest, it points to hard hearts who really do not want to see their sin or if they do they want to justify it, but they just don’t agree with the Lord’s assessment.  And then comes chapter 3 and right in the midst of all that accusation, indictment, and charging, we get a little glimmer of hope about the true messenger that will come, and Kevin pointed to that last week.  And then it returns to that list of sins that I already read in 3:5, and then we come to 3:6 and we have this wonderful little verse, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”  The idea is clear.  Aside from a few who fear the Lord, which we’ll come to next week in that text, the current generation is almost a complete flop.  They have changed from following hard after the Lord, to following hard after themselves.  They despise them, they changed, but the Lord, He didn’t change, not from the very first promise He made, not from all eternity.  We could with this verse I think take an excursion into perhaps all of God’s attributes and show his immutability.  That would be wonderful, I would like that, but here I think what’s in view, and I agree with James’ voice, he said, what’s in view is God’s steadfastness, that He is loved, that He is gracious, that He is merciful.  That’s what’s particularly in view.  He himself is unchangeable and therefore we are not consumed.  So, we have this great little statement of mercy and grace just sort of wedged in between these indictments, these charges, in between all this sin.  We need this little verse, we need to lean on it, we need to remember it, our eternal state depends upon the nature of God.

But first, I think if we spend a little time with the two charges before us tonight, we will see a little more clearly why verse 6 should be so sweet to us.  So, the fifth indictment.  We’ve already read it, verses 7 and 8. “Will a man rob God?”  So, there’s the call to return, because they’re robbing him, he says, “Return to me.”  They have walked away.  Now at times you know the people of God had given cheerfully, in fact, sometimes they even brought so much the leaders had to say, that’s enough, stop, that’s enough stuff, we’ve got enough.  But over the passage of time, they found ways to cut corners, to cheat.  People often start really well.  It’s good I’m not a businessman because I would start really well and then it would just peter out.  People are often this way, spiritually as well.  They have walked away from faithfully worshiping almost altogether, all they could muster or at least all they wanted to give, as we learned from chapter 1, is polluted offerings.  Maybe they had just decided it wasn’t feasible, their flocks were too scarce, their debts were too high, their tables too sparse, they simply could not afford to tithe let alone bring a free will offering, free of blemishes, or maybe they just wanted to keep a little more for themselves.  The obvious result would be that the priests would not have their allotted food.  Or, if chapter 2 is any indication, maybe the formality of worship had continued, but the priests found that teaching the people what they wanted to hear was a pretty decent way of getting a little bit of the fact.  It appears they were allowing the people to bring offerings but maybe like at other times they would stick their fork into the pot and take the best portions and what they offered God was worth about as much as dung.  We saw that earlier in Malachi.

Chapter 2 says the priests were giving bad instruction, and we learned that the people were doing whatever they wanted.  They were divorcing the wives of their youth, marrying the daughters of other Gods, presumably they were younger.  They were keeping some for themselves, whatever the corrupt economic arrangement was true worship was really none of their concern.  If anything, faithful worship was simply something to avoid so that they could take part in their lusts and their greed.  And when confronted by the profit of God, what did they do?  They either said, no that’s not us, or they justified their actions.  What they said, return us?  And then they interject this almost sanctimonious phrase that seems to me, will a man rob God, that’s just sort of preposterous, that’s ridiculous, how have we robbed you, a man robbed God, now come on.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  I wonder if we have ever been so blind to a fault or a sin that if it’s ever pointed out to us our kneejerk reaction is to laugh it off, or to skirt the issue slightly, to justify our responses, our sins.  I mean, we’re all sinners here, aren’t we, come on buddy, take the log out of your eye as if your sin justifies my sin.  But we act that way, and that’s essentially what they were saying to God, they say, what do you mean we’re sinning, our wives are old, and we need more sons to work the land, so we’ll take some younger ones, where’s the blessing of children.  Really God, it appears to us that this predicament is your fault.  Bring in the full tithe, really?  Well God, if you would bless us with good harvests maybe we would.  If you would bless us with more perfect animals maybe your portion wouldn’t be so measly.  What do you mean we’re not bringing in contributions, we do, but you don’t like them.  If you gave us good harvests and healthy flocks maybe, then we could be all we were meant to be.  God, clearly, you’re wrong and we’re right. 

Now, I doubt that any of you have responded to God, shaking your fists in the air quite that bluntly.  Here they were pretty blunt, but I wonder if we have thought next month when my circumstance is better then I’ll start giving.  When the deal comes through then I can give above and beyond.  I’ve never had that much income and so my little bit, my measly bit, I’ll pray instead.  I’m in missions and so I don’t need the tithe, the tithe is coming to me.  I’ll give my time instead, I’ll get out of debt first, then I would really give, and we trick our hearts into justifying our actions.  Now okay, I get it, maybe there are situations where someone is just completely destitute, but I dare say that’s no one here.  Yes, it is true speaking from, I hope, a pastor’s heart, I have spoken with folks that are in some very difficult places and yet I think generally we still have money for a Coke.  How do we cheat the Lord?  I suspect it’s often simply by not considering Him and not actively developing grateful hearts.  Of course, this leads to despising Him and falling into the trap of the sixth indictment.

So, let’s skip a few verses, jump down to verse 13.  I won’t take the time to read it again, but here’s the charge, they’ve spoken against the Lord and then they talk back, said it is vain to serve God.  What profit is this, the evil prosper.  See God, where’s the justice, this really is your fault they’re getting away with it.  The arrogant get away with so much and where has following you landed us?  Well, not with much.  Where’s our profit?  Our words are hard against you, what do you mean, your providence has been hard against us.  You tell us to test you, well, the evil tested you and they get away with it.  After six charges their response, their kneejerk reaction, their daily meditations seem to say, dear God my problems, my lack of love, my polluted and lame offerings, my faults, my shortcomings, my lack of worship, my self-serving actions, my frustrations, my anger, and my lust, all of it, it is because you haven’t blessed and following you has been worthless.  In fact, I think I’ll take up what the evil are doing, they’re prospering.  But if you would bless me, I could be all I was meant to be. 

I’ve done some pretty dumb things in my life.  Some of those had to do with motorcycles or jumping out of trees on vines and things like that and sometimes you can’t see the dumb things you’re about to do.  You think this is going to be great.  It’s also very hard to self-evaluate.  I’m sure you’ve experienced this before.  My father once called me out for interrupting him and others way too much, and as he was giving me an example, I interrupted him to defend myself.  Yes, I actually did that, I proved his point.  It was such an ingrained habit that I could not see it, and he was right, and it’s been hard to change.  I still catch myself doing it.  If you’ll allow me, can we try a knock-knock joke?  Knock-knock, “Who’s there?”, interrupting cow, moo.  Yeah, the dumb animal as we see in the psalm that we read earlier in the service, the dumb animal can’t see his problem, he’s just engaged in it.  Talk back to God enough and he will turn you over to your own devices.  As I just said, self-evaluation is notoriously difficult, and seeing one’s own hidden sins can be even harder.  We either can’t see it, or if we sort of acknowledge that they might be there, we justify them.

Now at this point in Malachi there is a transition.  That verse 16 there’s a pretty big transition, the indictments are finished, and the prophet moves onto his final promises and warnings and I suspect that at this point in the book at least one thing is very clear, fallen human nature can’t see sin or we justify it, and I would challenge us to pray what I would consider a fairly dangerous prayer or at least a very unsettling prayer.  It goes like this, “Lord show me my sin.”  The Lord just might be merciful to you and do it, and you may be disgusted at what you see, but amazingly in this passage along with these last two indictments, along with the exposing of sin, great mercy is simultaneously extended. 

So, moving into application, there is one thing for you to know and one thing for you to do, although I kind of have two parts to each of those, but anyway, one thing for you to know, the first thing is notice that you’re not consumed yet, and know that God does not change.  So, know that God does not change and just notice that here you are not consumed.  And number two, the thing to do, repent and test God.  So first, notice that you’re not consumed and know that God does not change.  He is perfect mercy.  Just think with me for a moment about the Judeo-Christian history.  We’re just gonna jump through history very quickly.  The Israelites grumbled by the sea; God delivered.  They grumbled in the desert, God delivered.  They whored after other Gods and lusted after women.  They sacrificed babies in the fire.  They ignored the prophets.  They killed and stole wives.  The teachers put the Mesiah to death and moving into the Christian portion of that Christians perverted the church and made it a seat of military and financial power.  Priests and pastors took sexual liberties, pastors taught the miracles were not really miracles, the pastors began to teach that it’s okay to be attracted to the same sex.  Other pastors teach and tickle the ears of congregants saying it’s fine to engage with lude and seductive art in the name of art claiming they see Christ figures in almost everything.  Others teach.  It’s not how you worship, it’s not about the content of worship, it’s all about your heart and then proceed to find ways to ignore the offensive portions of scripture. 

Others have seen the church as a convenient money-raising machine.  Others lean on sovereignty and maybe this is where we get caught.  Others lean on the sovereignty of God so much as to excuse themselves of any responsibility and personality or maybe even sin.  In other words, men consistently change from following hard after God to following hard after themselves.  And today we are not immune from the lies of the devil.  He whispers ever so sweetly, take a break, take it easy on yourself.  Does God really need that little bit of tithe, does God really bless every individual every time they faithfully worship Him, there goes Satan twisting the promise, and so we make a slight adjustment, and the trajectory changes.  Yet incredibly, God remains the same, He is immutable and here you sit not consumed.  His mercy is still being offered.  He is true to himself and therefore true to the promise of blessing His people over and over individuals, institutions, we failed and yet God remains unchanged and so there we are, here we are within the hearing of God’s Word.  And though we have grumbled over our lot in life, though we have tired sometimes of meeting in worship, though we have questioned His plan for our life, though we have lusted and though we have been miserly and though we have allowed self-pity to fester in our hearts, and blamed God for it, here we are, still listening to the Word of God.  God was and is and continues to be merciful, it’s not too late, praise God, it’s not too late.  Maybe you don’t stand up and shake your fist at God, but maybe sometimes we’re tempted to listen to those whisperings, why hasn’t the Lord given you success, why are you still struggling with that sin, why are you struggling with that health crisis, why is the Lord holding you back?  This should be your answer, I have been afforded patience, I have been afforded kindness, I have been afforded long suffering and a Word from the Lord I will trust in Him because when I am fickle, He does not change, and He is my most merciful father.  Paul says the saying is trustworthy for if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him, if we endure, we will also reign with Him, if we deny Him, He will deny us, and I love this, if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.  Praise God.  If you are still within the hearing of the Lord’s Word, you are blessed.  He extends his mercy to every area of your life.  Cast yourself upon the mercy of God.  You need to know that little verse for I the Lord do not change.  I hope you’ve committed it to memory or will commit to committing it to memory. 

Well, that was the thing to know.  The second item was the thing to do.  So repent and test.  That is change and then see what the Lord will do.  As far as I can tell, this is the only place in the scripture where we’re told to test God.  We see Gideon do it in a sense, but interestingly this context deals with wealth.  I suspect it’s because our experience tells us the exact opposite, at least our culture tells us the opposite.  You see it’s somewhat obvious that if you keep lusting and committing adultery and remarrying many times the troubles will begin to mount just naturally, they will mount up.  If you persist in some sins your heart will become unbearable.  If you’re angry with everyone all the time trouble will follow you.  If you murder the law will come.  You see what I’m saying, it’s obvious, some sins bring pain very quickly, however, a lack of faithfulness with our money is much more subtle, you really can’t see that right away.  Plus, it’s obvious to most people that if you save a little for yourself, you invest a little for yourself, and you look out generally speaking for number one, well you find some level of financial freedom later in life.  If you give your money away, you become poorer.  Perhaps this testing comes with a promise because the principle is supernatural.  On the face of it, it defies common sense.  That’s because, as my grandfather used to say, sense is not common, at least Godly sense is not common. 

This test in verses 9 through 12 that we read earlier comes with a promise and spiritually speaking it could be extended to time and talents, but that’s not actually what the text is about, it’s about money, cash, funds, numbers in the bank.  The text does not indicate that time and talents are a substitute.  If you’re not giving back to the Lord what was His in the first place, the text says we’re robbing.  Pilfering shows a heart of poverty and can bring poverty, but the promise of the Lord is blessing, being faithful in the little things points to a heart that is faithful in the big things.  I would venture to guess that everyone here has a mite, like the widow’s mite, and so giving a tenth of a mite might feel like a gargantuan gift at a certain point in your life and yet the Lord is saying test me, try me.  Children, young folks, if you just made $50.00 babysitting, $100.00 mowing, now is a great time to put aside that $5.00, that $10.00 as a tithe.  It’s not magic, but it is simply faithfulness at work in your heart.  A caveat, now the idea of tithes and offerings have certainly been misused by some to twist arms into giving more than they should.  A tithe is a tenth, that’s the meaning of it.  Sacrificial giving is a different subject that requires a lot of wisdom and why the Lord condemned their contribution, that is their offerings above the tithe, probably has something to do with the fact that they were giving blemishes, maybe it was for show, maybe it was to bribe the peace, I don’t know, but the heart behind our gifts certainly is important.  But the point here, and the promise here is that if we are faithful to give back to the Lord, then He will provide all that is needed.  Anyone who uses this passage to guilt trip people is an unfaithful pastor, and yet while it is true that this is ultimately and completely fulfilled in Christ and in eternity, we should not pull the punch of this passage.  Be faithful with little and see what the Lord will do. 

Two side notes as I close.  First, notice in verse 9, look there briefly, “You are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me the whole nation of you.”  This is dealing with the nation.  The promise here should not be misconstrued into kind of a name it and claim it, you know what that is.  A name it and claim it promise to every individual in every circumstance, the promise is not an if this then that formula, but it was a promise given to the nation of Israel and as we will see in just a moment it’s a promise given to the church and therefore to us.  Second side note, I should mention that there is some debate on whether the tithe or the tenth, strictly speaking, carries over into the New Testament.  Now we need to acknowledge on the face of it there is no specific command about the tenth in the New Testament, however, I would simply ask us to consider a few things, just a few evidences, but I don’t put them forward as a watertight argument, but simply as food for thought, food for our hearts.  So, I didn’t know Kevin was going to do it this morning, but he had seven considerations, I have seven considerations.  Mine are shorter. 

First, the origin and example of the tithe comes before the full law was given.  Second, the tithe or the lack thereof or giving in the wrong way is a constant gage of the heart of gratitude and fealty of God’s people.  Could it not still function as such.  Third, just before these two indictments in Malachi we have the declaration that the Lord does not change, He’s faithful and the lack of tithe is an example how man has changed, he’s not faithful.  Fourth, Jesus freely uses the tithe as examples in parables, often pointing out a type of legalism and the heart of gratitude and generosity matters.  Fifth, Paul expects that the worker is worth his hire, which implies that the storehouses still need to be supplied in the New Testament era.  Sixth, in the New Testament the Lord takes issues related to money very seriously, that generosity is still needed and encouraged, love of money is still a problem, the cheating and lying of Ananias and Sapphira was taken very seriously as you know.  And then seventh, 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 6 and 7 certainly carries the principle of testing and generosity forward into the New Testament.  Paul says, “The point is this, whoever sews sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sews bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.”  For Paul this gift is much like the gift of Abraham to Melchizedek, it is a willing gift rather than an exaction so it would be wrong, I believe, to exact a tenth of income as part of membership vows, taking the Bible as a whole and taking our context into account, however, I would suggest that the tenth is maybe a starting point in faithfulness and generosity rather than a limit.  To give back a portion to the Lord of all that He has given is the opposite of saying that it’s vain to serve the Lord.  It’s an action that is saying the opposite of that. So, in closing, bring us back to my proposition.  Trust in the unchanging, longsuffering, merciful God who stands ready to pardon and bless all who return, all who repent.  This is true even if we have whined, even if we have not trusted, if we’ve been faithless, even if we have talked back to God and blamed Him in some way, He stands ready to have you return, He stands ready to bless, test Him and he will bless beyond what you can think or imagine.  Let’s pray.

Father, passages such as this are straightforward and simple and yet I pray that you would use it to further our heart, to deepen our heart of gratitude.  Would you convict us as needed, encourage, and would you cause us to lean into your promises in this area and a host of others that you call us to.  Father, we look to you for all these things for you are our provider, our sustainer and a giver of good gifts.  We praise you and thank you in Christs’ name.  Amen.