Faithful Tithing Despite Church Mismanagement

Malachi 3

1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

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.

17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

The book of Malachi provides the foundational scriptural authority for returning tithes and offerings, emphasizing that these funds are God's property and their distribution is a matter for which He holds individuals accountable Malachi 3:8-10PaM 260.2. Even when there is dissatisfaction with how conference business is managed, withholding these means constitutes a personal sin and a robbery of God's treasury Malachi 3:8PaM 260.2.

The Sin of Robbing God

• Ownership and Sacredness: Tithes are not the property of any man but are holy unto the Lord, representing a debt of gratitude for all blessings received Leviticus 27:30PaM 260.2+1.

• The Charge of Robbery: When individuals withhold a tenth of their increase, God explicitly asks, "Will a man rob God?" and declares that those who do so are cursed with a curse Malachi 3:8-9COL 371.2+1.

• The Result of Selfishness: Withholding more than is meet does not lead to wealth, but rather tends to poverty of the soul and a limitation of God's blessingsPaM 260.2+2.

Individual Responsibility and the Conference

• The Giver’s Duty: You are not held responsible for the mismanagement of funds by others if you have done your part to correct the evil; your duty is simply to return to God His ownPaM 260.2.

• God at the Helm: Because God stands at the helm of His work, any sin regarding the improper use of means rests upon the "erring ones" who manage it, not upon the faithful giverPaM 260.2+1.

• The Unworthy Minister: Even if unworthy ministers receive some of the means, it is better to act in harmony with God's requirements than to brave His curse by withholding from the treasuryPaM 260.2.

The Promise of Blessing in Malachi 3

• Testing and Proving: God invites His people to prove Him by bringing all the tithes into the storehouse, promising to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so great there will not be room enough to receive it Malachi 3:10SpM 5.5+1.

• Abundance for the Work: If every member dealt honestly with God and returned a tenth of all increase, there would be an abundance of means to carry forward the work of the gospel without resorting to unhallowed methods Malachi 3:10PP 528.4+1.

• Character Development: Systematic benevolence is designed by God as a means to kill out narrowing selfishness and to develop a noble, Christlike character in the giver3T 5.2+1.

Practical Christian Stewardship

• Acting in Faith: Like David, we should give freely and gladly, acknowledging that we are only giving back what already belongs to God 1 Chronicles 29:14PaM 260.2+1.

• Honesty in Business: True stewardship requires just balances and honesty in all worldly transactions, as God weighs every action in the balances of the sanctuary Leviticus 19:35-3613MR 234.5+1.

• Accountability: Every person will eventually hear the command to "give an account of thy stewardship," where the use of every talent and dollar will be examined Luke 16:2T24 77.3+1.