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THOSE WHO ROB GOD:
A STUDY OF TITHE IN THE BOOK MALACHI (PART I)

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation" (Malachi 3: 8-9).

hough the Book of Malachi contains four chapters of sixty eight verses, yet, it will not be surprising that there are some people who sit in pew every week and still think the above two over quoted verses were what the Book of Malachi is all about. These are the weapon of mass intimidation, manipulation, oppression, cajolery and outright lie and deceit used by some church leaders to collect tithes from their church members. Unfortunately some of these leaders include some irreverent reverends who have thrown reverence, candor, conduct, morality, decency and decorum to the dogs under the guise of defending "the financial principle of Kingdom of God." Only God Himself will know what they are talking about as God's eternal Kingdom is not serviced by human economy or worldly resources especially money.

Let me declare loud and clear here and now that the purpose of this article is to tell all readers of the Holy Bible that it is true that some people are robbing God. Yes, the word of God is true. These robbers are NOT THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T PAY TITHES as we are made to believe every Sunday in many churches. Rather, THEY ARE THE TITHE COLLECTORS who deceive church members, using the name of God. IT IS THIS SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE CURSED. This is the biblical truth I will expose later so that readers will know that some of the so-called reverends or pastors in some of our churches are not to be trusted. It is ungodly and sinful for any church leader to interpret Malachi 3: 8-9 to mean that it is the non-tithers who are the robbers cursed of God when that is not the intention of God or the messenger of His Word. The robbers cursed in Malachi are the priests as we will see later in this article.

The message from Malachi whose name means "My Messenger" was given about 100 years after the Jews returned from their Babylonian exile and 75 years after the restoration of the Temple in 515 B.C. We must note that while in exile there were no tithes and offerings by the Jews because of two main reasons. Firstly, they were strangers without ownership of land which should produce titheable items. Secondly, there was no Temple and the system of priesthood in place in the strange land (Read Psalm 137). Governor Nehemiah stood out for the Jewish reformations and restorations. He led the rebuilding of the Walls of Jerusalem and reestablished proper and godly system of Temple worship and revival (Nehemiah 10: 28-39).

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Unfortunately, the people of Israel were still suffering from the hang over of life in exile; life of religious indifference, ungodliness and immorality such as mixed marriages. The economic environment did not help the matter as they suffered plague and famine or crop failures. The people of God started to doubt God and questioned his justice and the wisdom of obeying his ordinances, statutes and commandments. Those in the leadership position, that is, the Priesthood who should have made the difference by leading the people on the path of sanity, righteousness and godliness did not fair better; they demonstrated selfishness and unchecked corruption. The Levites could not make any difference since they were mere rotational workers in the Temple. The priests sinned against God, misused and abused their respectable godly positions. In short, they demonstrated flagrant or nonchalant attitude of disobedience to the Mosaic laws and commandments. That was the background, which brought the message of God through Malachi to the nation of Israel and the Priests.

The Book of Malachi may be studied under the following main sections or divisions for the purpose of understanding.

1. Introduction (Malachi 1: 1-6).

2. The UnPriestly Priests (Malachi 1: 6 - Malachi 2: 1 - 17).

3. The Sins of the Priests (Malachi 1: 6-14).

4. Those Who Rob God (Malachi 3: 1 - Malachi 4: 1 -6).

1. THE INTRODUCTION (Malachi 1: 1-6)

This part is very crucial to the understanding of the whole Book of Malachi and the message of God. It will also show the undeniable facts that God was directing the message in the Book of Malachi generally to the children of Israel who were the descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed by God Himself to Israel. I wonder if some of our reverends and pastors ever read this and other informative passages to their church. The Bible says that God is not the author of confusion. In these first six verses of the Book of Malachi, God explained in details to convince the readers about whom He was directing His message. Now let us read together. I enjoy all readers and especially my critics to please read Malachi 1:1-6 prayerfully and ask the Holy Spirit to help their understanding.

Malachi 1: 1-6 (NKJV)

The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi "I have loved you," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Says the LORD. "Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness." Even though Edom has said, "We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places," Thus says the LORD of hosts: "They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, And the people against whom the LORD will have indignation forever. Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, 'The LORD is magnified beyond the border of Israel.' "A son honors his father And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?'

By my understanding, God was speaking to nation of Israel through Malachi because of His love for Jacob their father. He went further to explain Himself that He chose to love Jacob even over his brother Esau whose inheritance God has appointed for the jackals of the wilderness. Why did God do this? I don't know but if God will not control my will or that of any other person, why should I want to control or question His will? No I will not. There is therefore no doubt in my mind from the passage that God was speaking to the children of Israel otherwise known as Jacob, and not any other nation or people. Not in the least, the Gentiles or the Christians of today.

This is a common pattern of God's speaking to the nation of Israel. Another example is the Book of Leviticus, which is filled with ordinances, statutes and commandments of God including of course those affecting tithes and offering. The last verse of this Book is so illuminating, informative and educative about how God speaks to the nation of Israel. It says: "These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai" (Leviticus 27:34). Simply, God does not want us confused who was speaking (God), who the mediator that is through who God was speaking (Moses), where (Mount Sinai) and TO WHO; that is, the recipients of these hundreds of commandments, ordinances, statutes and laws (the children of Israel). The reasons are also contained in the pages of the scriptures to discerning minds.

We can find similar patterns through out the Old Testament scriptures. I don't blame ordinary worshipers who go to churches today who may not have enough time to study (I don't mean to read) the scriptures. That is why God called some as Teachers and Preachers and equipped them to teach the Truth of His Word. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 2:7). We must however be careful and be discerning enough to know the reverends without reverence; the teachers without knowledge; the preachers who preach their own words and the pastors without pastoral knowledge and education. We have to be very careful and look out for false teachers and preachers that Jesus warned about saying:

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it (Matthew 24: 23 - 26).

2. THE UNPRIESTLY PRIESTS (Malachi 1: 6 - Malachi 2: 1-17)

Here comes where God changed His focus from general to specific. By this I mean where He started talking to the priests and not the generality of the children of Israel. I have deliberately used the title "Unpriestly Priests" because of the fact that most of the priests of the days of Malachi did not exhibit the character, discipline, ethics and ethos of a true priest of God, just exactly as some of our reverends and pastors today. They were corrupt, dishonest, disobedient and undisciplined ministers who defiled and dishonored God. They doubted the love and goodness of God and despised his ordinances and commandments.

So, beside the general message directed to the children of Israel, God focused or zeroed in on the priests who were the leaders of the people then. How do I know where and when God started talking to or directing His message to the Priests (Ministers) in these passages? I know because the Bible tells me so and God did not pretend; He mentioned them by the office they held.

"A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name? "And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart To give glory to My name," Says the LORD of hosts, "I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart. (Malachi 1:6; 2:1-2)

When it is written in the Bibles: "says the LORD of host to you priests" and "now, O priests, this commandment is for you" do we still have to be looking for any other "spiritual" interpretation or understanding to the fact that God was addressing the priests and not the ordinary folks in the Temple? No not at all. Then, have those preachers, reverends and pastors who today think that they are still obeying the ordinances of tithes, using Malachi's message, read this passage and understand it? Then, do they know that they have unnecessarily put themselves in the position of the priests, and therefore it is they as pastors, reverends and ministers that God is speaking to and not the ordinary members of the church from whom they collect tithes? To claim such ignorance in my candid opinion is to either be mischievously dishonest or lacking in the knowledge of the word of God or both. They are therefore not fit, proper and qualify to lead or teach the Word of God in the Church of God. I think they all need a study leave.

Let us go back to what God is saying again and not what this Bayo Arowolaju who according to some people is "so full of himself" is saying:

"And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart To give glory to My name," Says the LORD of hosts, "I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart" (Malachi 2:2) (all emphasis mine).

Can we for a moment go back and read this passage and the underlined number of "you", "your" and "them" used by God. If I give this passage as a context question to my students, I will ask, to who do the words "you" and "your" and "them" refer to in the passage? Please I wish that my readers and most especially my critics can quickly take that quiz. The correct answer is; to the priests. Any one who has a different answer is wrong and deserves a score of 'F' straight. Another quiz is this; who represents the priests today as the Church represents the Temple? The answer is; the pastors, reverends, or such people who put themselves in the leadership position as tithe collectors in some churches today.

The Sins of the Priests (Malachi 1:6 -14)

Some of the times, I am amazed at the partiality or lack of objectivity with which some of our church leaders read, interpret and apply the scriptures as the word of God. When they feel that a law or commandment meets their immediate needs; they embrace it and ask their members to obey it to the letters but when it does not, they turn away from it like a plague. If we agree that God was pointedly talking to the priests in Malachi; by inference or extrapolation, can we not say that the same God is speaking to the pastors, reverends, minister of today's churches who have accepted to be under the bondage or burden of the laws and ordinances which established tithes? My candid answer to this question is YES.

I said the priests of Malachi days were unpriestly because of their conducts which were very much unbecoming of priests who speak for God. If we know this, it will help our understanding of the fact that the admonitions and curses contained in the message of Malachi were not directed to the ordinary Jews but to their priests. It will therefore be correct, fit and proper to say that the same admonitions and curses are directed to the pastors, reverends and ministers in our churches today because they have put themselves under the burden of same ordinances of tithes. Let me repeat this point. If God was not speaking to the worshippers in the Temples but to the priests in Malachi days, then, the same God in the same message cannot be speaking to the worshippers or tithers in our churches today but to the pastors, reverends and ministers who have wittingly or unwittingly put themselves into the shoes of the unpriestly priests. Ironically, today, there are some irreverent reverends and unpastoral pastors whose words and no doubt their conducts, would make real reverends shiver. Let's pray for those under the yoke of the leadership of such irreverent reverends for God to deliver them from evil and vulgarism which could only emit from the pulpits behind which they hide their true identity and pretend to speak for God.

These are some of the sins of the priests of the Malachi priests which warranted the message of God through His Messenger to them:

The priest were very disrespectful and despiteful (Malachi 1:6)

They defiled the altar of the Living God (Malachi 1:7)

They offered blind, lame and sick animals to God who deserves the best (Malachi 1; 8)

They profaned the name of God and exalted their own names (Malachi 1:12)

They offered stolen or robbed items from the people to God (Malachi 1: 13)

A careful study of these sins of the priests of the Malachi days will reveals a similar trend with some of our pastors and reverends or ministers in the church. Many of them are pledging true allegiance to the sinful ways of their predecessors in the Temple.

To be continued in "Those Who Rob God Part II"