TEST ME IN THIS

Passage: Malachi 3:6-18

Key verse: 10

NIV

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

6 “I the Lord do not change.(A) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.(B) 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(C) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(D) to me, and I will return to you,”(E) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,(F) ‘How are we to return?’

8 “Will a mere mortal rob(G) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes(H) and offerings. 9 You are under a curse(I)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(J) into the storehouse,(K) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(L) of heaven and pour out(M) so much blessing(N) that there will not be room enough to store it.(O) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(P) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(Q)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(R) for yours will be a delightful land,”(S) says the Lord Almighty.(T)

Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

13 “You have spoken arrogantly(U) against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask,(V) ‘What have we said against you?’

14 “You have said, ‘It is futile(W) to serve(X) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements(Y) and going about like mourners(Z) before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant(AA) blessed. Certainly evildoers(AB) prosper,(AC) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

The Faithful Remnant

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.(AD) A scroll(AE) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared(AF) the Lord and honored his name.

17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my(AG) treasured possession.(AH) I will spare(AI) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son(AJ) who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous(AK) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.(AL)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Robbing God

6 “For (A)I the Lord do not change; (B)therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 (C)From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. (D)Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. (E)But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. (F)But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ (G)In your tithes and contributions. 9 (H)You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 (I)Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby (J)put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open (K)the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke (L)the devourer[a] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then (M)all nations will call you blessed, for you will be (N)a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 (O)“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. (P)But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, (Q)‘It is vain to serve God. (R)What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call (S)the arrogant blessed. (T)Evildoers not only prosper but (U)they put God to the test and they escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16 Then those who feared the Lord (V)spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and (W)a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, (X)in the day when I make up (Y)my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall (Z)see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

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Footnotes
  1. Malachi 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Will a man rob God? (6-9)

God extends to mankind a gracious invitation: 'Return to me and I will return to you.' How can we return? We can take a step toward God by bringing to him our tithes. We thus acknowledge his ownership of our lives. Abraham offered a tithe to Melchizedek and thus pledged his total allegiance to God Most High (Ge 14). We must come to God with repentant hearts, bringing our tithes as our acknowledgment that we and all we have belong to him.

2. I will throw open the floodgates of blessing (10-18)

God invites people to test him. He will bless those who bring their tithes to him with so much blessing that they will not have room to hold it. But he will punish those who rob him, those who have no fear of God in their hearts. He will make a distinction between those who serve God and those who do not.

Prayer: Lord, you made me and redeemed me; I belong to you. I believe that you bless those who come to you acknowledging your ownership of life.

One Word: Don't rob God; test him in this