The Book of Malachi

[Drought of the Heart]

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

Malachi is the last book before Matthew.

I was raised with the Old Testament and the New. It was many years ago the Lord showed me how the enemy had used that and we should have always see the Scriptures as 1 Book, 1 Story. Malachi is a warning and a promise. The 400 years between Malachi and Matthew , the 2000 plus years since the Cross , shows us God's time is not like ours.



Everything we have read up to this chapter shows us why we needed Jesus. God was tired of empty sacrifices... We can see many of the things that where promised happened and we can count on the ones to come.



Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord , I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.



God is tired of empty sacrifices ,bad priest and a people that have robbed Him in the chapter . I find it amazing knowing what we have done in 100 years , that in Matthew and on they knew Scriptures like they did.

We know Peter knows Malachi 4. Many things in the chapters ahead happened and are happening. We see the pattern that led God to flood during the time of Noah . We see the pattern that led God to destroy Sodom. We see earth and the people will repeat those patterns and leads God to fulfill Malachi 4 and 2 Peter 3.

In Malachi they could not see they had left God and where robbing Him and we are told the end days will be the same. They where acting out like they loved God but He saw their hearts , He sees our as well.

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord , and that thought upon his name.



This life is all about getting our name in the Book of Life , Loving our Creator and understanding the Sacrifice that was made because of His love for us...This world has an expiration date and Malachi 4 tells us ,,, For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch . 2 Peter 3 tells us the same , so no matter what today holds , know the One that holds it.

 

[1stcenturylady]

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

Malachi is the last book before Matthew.

I was raised with the Old Testament and the New. It was many years ago the Lord showed me how the enemy had used that and we should have always see the Scriptures as 1 Book, 1 Story. Malachi is a warning and a promise. The 400 years between Malachi and Matthew , the 2000 plus years since the Cross , shows us God's time is not like ours.



Everything we have read up to this chapter shows us why we needed Jesus. God was tired of empty sacrifices... We can see many of the things that where promised happened and we can count on the ones to come.



Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord , I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.



God is tired of empty sacrifices ,bad priest and a people that have robbed Him in the chapter . I find it amazing knowing what we have done in 100 years , that in Matthew and on they knew Scriptures like they did.

We know Peter knows Malachi 4. Many things in the chapters ahead happened and are happening. We see the pattern that led God to flood during the time of Noah . We see the pattern that led God to destroy Sodom. We see earth and the people will repeat those patterns and leads God to fulfill Malachi 4 and 2 Peter 3.

In Malachi they could not see they had left God and where robbing Him and we are told the end days will be the same. They where acting out like they loved God but He saw their hearts , He sees our as well.

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord , and that thought upon his name.



This life is all about getting our name in the Book of Life , Loving our Creator and understanding the Sacrifice that was made because of His love for us...This world has an expiration date and Malachi 4 tells us ,,, For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch . 2 Peter 3 tells us the same , so no matter what today holds , know the One that holds it.

Have you ever noticed though how many church pastors use Malachi to rob us? It is because they want all the tithe, all the time, making it a burden and focused only on them and the empire to themselves they are trying to build, all in the "name of Jesus." That was not the law of the tithe. In fact, it is extortion.

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

Let's see what Malachi was really saying. You have to know what Malachi is quoting first, though - the law.

Malachi 3:8-10

8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Now the Law:

Deuteronomy 14:

22 “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. 23 And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. 24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.

28 “At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the FATHERLESS AND THE WIDOW who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do."

So how were they robbing God. They failed to bring all the tithe into the storehouse every third year, instead of feasting on it themselves (Feast of Firstfruits). Who suffered?

Matthew 25:44-46
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

[dqhall]

There was a first tithe (10%) given to the Levites/priests. The chief priests seized more taxes than the ordinary priests (Josephus). During the grain harvest they sent men to the threshing floors to take a tenth before the remainder was sold or stored. Priests did not get equal shares. The lower ranking priests received less.

Deuteronomy 14 is about the second tithe that was supposed to be spent in Jerusalem during one of the three festivals: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles (Booths). Attendance at the festivals was mandatory for all able bodied males old enough to walk that far without being carried (Talmud Bavli). Jews who lived in foreign nations were allowed to opt out. Some men brought their families with them to Jerusalem to the festivals in order to share in the festival feasting financed by their second tithe.

There was an annual two drachma tax for the maintenance of the temple (Matthew 17:24-27).

In Jesus' day there were also Roman taxes to pay (Matthew 22:15-22).

The early church supported widows financially (Acts 6:1). Paul's letters recorded his gratitude for financial support received from churches he visited.

 

[1stcenturylady]

There was a first tithe (10%) given to the Levites/priests. The chief priests seized more taxes than the ordinary priests (Josephus). During the grain harvest they sent men to the threshing floors to take a tenth before the remainder was sold or stored. Priests did not get equal shares. The lower ranking priests received less.

Deuteronomy 14 is about the second tithe that was supposed to be spent in Jerusalem during one of the three festivals: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles (Booths). Attendance at the festivals was mandatory for all able bodied males old enough to walk that far without being carried (Talmud Bavli). Jews who lived in foreign nations were allowed to opt out. Some men brought their families with them to Jerusalem to the festivals in order to share in the festival feasting financed by their second tithe.

There was an annual two drachma tax for the maintenance of the temple (Matthew 17:24-27).

In Jesus' day there were also Roman taxes to pay (Matthew 22:15-22).

The early church supported widows financially (Acts 6:1). Paul's letters recorded his gratitude for financial support received from churches he visited.

And Malachi 3:8-10 correlates to Deuteronomy 14. I further color coded it for you.

 

[Drought of the Heart]

God is talking about love being robbed , we give with our hearts , if our hearts are not about the Love of Him then we rob Him. He needs nothing but our love ...

 

[1stcenturylady]

God is talking about love being robbed , we give with our hearts , if our hearts are not about the Love of Him then we rob Him. He needs nothing but our love ...

I agree. It is not all about loving ourselves, but loving our neighbors. That is how they were robbing God - the poor and needy received nothing.