Tithing - Malachi 1

A number of challengers have been vanquished en route to engage the “heavyweight champion” of tithing passages – Malachi 3. Though I am in no way a heavyweight Bible scholar, I am prayerfully seeking the Spirit to guide me as was promised in I John 2:20, 27. I trust that the scripture given speaks more loudly than do I in these sections, and that Malachi 3 will do the same. “ding, ding – round 1.”

First, Malachi was written very explicitly to the Jews. Malachi 1:1 states -

1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

Second, Malachi was written to the Jews for a specific purpose as God illustrates throughout the rest of Chapter 1, beginning in verse 2 and following:


1:2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

1:3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

1:4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.

These verses date all the way back to Jacob and Esau. They in no way can allow for “the church” to be inserted here. The passage is prophetic, and Malachi was the prophet being used by God to illustrate an amazing prophecy pertaining to the Jews. As for Esau, or Edom, Obadiah sheds further light on Edom’s haughty spirit and subsequent judgment by God. He destroyed the Edomites and fulfilled these prophecies.

1:5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

This is another prophecy, but it has only partially been fulfilled. It can only be fulfilled by Christ Himself. Christ partially fulfilled this when He became an obedient man and lived upon this earth, was crucified, buried, conquered sin, death, and Hell, and then rose again. This aspect of the prophecy, however, references Christ’s coming Kingdom, which will be set up after the Tribulation, and Israel’s borders will then be magnified. Again, reference the previous unconditional covenants made in Genesis 12:1, II Samuel 7, Jeremiah 31, and Hebrews 10. This can only refer to Israel, not “the church.”

1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master:
if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

In this section, God asks a series of questions concerning offerings. The Jews certainly knew the Law regarding offerings, and they were not giving the offerings properly. God was sorely displeased, and related his displeasure through pointed questions to prove guilt, a guilt which Israel did not believe they had. Notice the “Wherein” questions. Jews were giving offerings, so they thought they were fine, because they were doing their religious duty, but their duty was not being done according to God's Law (cf. Leviticus 1-7, 9, 14, to name a few).

1:9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

1:10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

God so wants to be merciful, but he cannot be merciful to those who continue arrogantly in sin. Sin being a transgression of the Law according to I John 3:4, Israel was guilty. Who could remove this guilt? That’s what Malachi is all about. Israel’s transgression of the Law, God’s response, and then God’s answer – Christ. Because of Israel’s sin, God states in the remainder of the chapter, that he will make His name among the Gentiles
(cf. Romans 9-11).

1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
1:12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

1:13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

1:14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

One final note from Malachi 1, the offering is still food, though this offering is not the tithe, food being offered, as required by God in Leviticus, was the standard. However, this statement in no way is meant to imply that the offerings mentioned here were tithes. They were completely separate entities, one for sin, and the other for praising God’s provision as already stated in previous chapters. Properly comprehending Malachi 1 is vitally important to Malachi 3's context when read as it was intended to be read, that is as a whole, and not randomly selected verses.

Round 2 of 4 to follow, unless either I or the traditional tithing doctrine be knocked out before such time be reached.

A brief round recap -

1. Malachi was written to the Jews.

2. God was upset, not because they were not giving offerings, but because those offerings did not follow God's explicitly established laws found in Leviticus.

3. These offerings were food.

4. The prophecy that Malachi illustrates refers to Jesus Christ; the fulfillment of the Law; the Jewish Messiah, the conqueror of sin, death, and Hell; the Savior of mankind.

5. To this point in Malachi, money has never been mentioned.