01/28/2024 – Day 335 – Malachi – Chapters 1 – 4 // “Believers today would be well to consider all they have as a stewardship responsibility from the Lord, asking Him what He would have them to to do with what He has given.” Apologetics Study Bible – Malachi Introduction
Once again, a repeat of one of my 24 memory verses that I repeat to myself over and over again:
‘For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” Luke 12:48
The commentary from last cycle’s post is dated: “04/17/21”, so I encourage y’all to pull it up in a search on either “Day 335” or the date. My excerpt and a footnote quote will be sourced from my Apologetics Study Bible.
First, I will continue with select excerpts from the Introduction Section of Malachi in my Bible:
“The emphasis of the book is clearly on the message rather than the messenger, since 47 of the 55 verses are personal addresses from the Lord…
Certain issues that Malachi treated were also treated by Ezra and Nehemiah, leading to the conclusion that Malachi was likely written between 450 – 400 B.C. These include the problems of mixed marriages (Ezra 9:10; Nehemiah 10:30; 13: 23-27; Malachi 2:11), corrupt priests (Nehemiah 13: 4-9; Malachi 1:6 – 2:9), and the failure of the people to pay their tithes (Nehemiah 13: 10 – 13; Malachi 3: 5-10)j.”
Let’s take a look at what God promises His people in 3:10: “Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse so that there may be food in the house. ‘Test me in this way’ says the Lord of Hosts. ‘See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.” I don’t think there is any other instance in the Bible where the Lord says: “Test me on this…” Needless to say, the Lord has a perfect track record on His promises.
I am going to share with you the entire footnote corresponding to 3: 8-12, on the subject of “the tithe”:
“As it was for Hahhai (see Haggai 1:58), an issue for Malachi was the community’s provision for its worship life. The people were not bringing in the tithe of their grain for support of the priesthood and the temple ceremonies. In response, Malachi declared the word of the Lord: ‘Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse (v. 1). Interpreters do not all agree on the statue of the tithe in Christian practice. Some see it as part of the law of Moses that has been superseded as a mandatory requirement in the new covenant of Jesus Christ. Others see it as a fundamental principle of faithful Christin living in the kingdom of God, comparable to the moral requirements of the Ten Commandments. Most would agree on several points, however,
- The tithe of one’s increase does not represent all that belongs to the Lord; it is emblematic of the fact that ‘everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You’ (1 Ch 29:11), and whatever a person has should be applied, in some way, to God’s purposes. (2) The tithe supports, the work of God through the church he has called to serve Him in the world. It is instrumental in making possible both the edification of believers and the outreach to unbelievers; without it, the church’s mission and the extension of the kingdom of God would be hampered. (3) The practice of tithing, and of giving in general, prepares the believer to receive blessing from the Lord. The grasping hand is not open to what He seeks to give. On this last point, Malachi specifically urged the Judea’s to ‘test Me in this way.’ (v. 10)”
I think in some way, this explains the paradoxical Truth of Mark 8:35: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
Soli Deo Gloria
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