An Examination of Malachi 3:1-16
Deanna Rodriguez (Thursday, March 08, 2007)

I believe the very scripture that church leaders use to guilt and frighten people into giving their money to fund their extravagant living is the very scripture that God is going to use to condemn them for their sin. Notice that this scripture is speaking to the Priests concerning their negligence in their holy positions and their robbing of the tithe and offerings that were meant to provide for the widow and the orphan and the stranger who found himself within their gates.

Malachi 3:1-15 translated word for word from the original Hebrew... (Critical Text & Majority Text) notice it says something quite different from what is taught...

    I sent out ambassadors to make clear the way, before the Lord you enquire suddenly comes into His temple. Ambassadors pledged to whosoever would enter in says the Lord of Hosts. To sustain the day that is coming and to stand and present yourselves as a refiner's fire, to be washes with soap, to remain as a refiner to purify the silver making pure sons of Levi. Purging both silver and gold by coming before the Lord offering righteous acts, offering Judah and Jerusalem as pleasing to the Lord, as in the days long ago in the former years.

    I will approach you with justice and bring quick witness to the practices of witchcraft, adultery, lies, oath swearing, oppression of the hired man from his wages, and for the widow and orphan that has been thrust aside and the stranger that has been made afraid says Lord of Hosts. Jehovah changed the children of Jacob to come to an end, the day their fathers departed the ordinances to be observed. Return! Return! says the Lord of Hosts, I command you to Return! Men are robbing God, Robbery I say, you are robbing the tithe and offerings, so now you are cursed with the curse of robbing the nation. Carry in the tithe to the storehouse for it is the food for my household. Examine and see it is for this cause says the Lord of Hosts that I opened windows in heaven and poured out blessings sufficiently, I also rebuked the devourer that destroys the produce of the land and the vine of its fruitfulness in the field say the Lord of Hosts. You were a nation called blessed, and an acceptable land says the Lord, but your words have been strong says the Lord, you have thought and you have said "it is vanity to serve God, what does it profit us to keep the offices we walk in mourning before the Lord of Hosts" you lead the arrogant to advance the works of wickedness and to build it up, then tempt God and try to slip away...

This is how the most bibles translate it: (this is taken from the NIV)

    Malachi 3:1-15 - "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, 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 of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. "You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?' "You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.'"

Notice how this very passage is twisted to make one believe that it is the people that God is cautioning and not those put in charge of administering the provisions of the Lord to HIS people? Witness how the passages are purposely skewed to appear like God is rebuking HIS people for not giving enough, when what HE is really saying is ENOUGH has been provided, in fact He says it is sufficient for all who are in need. It was the priests that were saying in their hearts, "where is my profit? what is my reward for this office I hold before the Lord?" therefore they began to justify taking for themselves the choicest portions of what was given and began leaving the widow, the orphan, the hired man and the stranger to pretty much feel like their cries for help were being rejected by God, and ultimately bringing into to contempt the promises made by the Lord to His people. Can't you see that it is the Leaders and Priest that are being brought into account for how they have kept what has been provided, and not a rebuke to the people to give even more? This very passage of scripture is used just about every service to convict the people to give more, to shame the people into believing that God says what you have given is not enough. I also love how men so casually twist truth and say "I know that Jesus said we should not put the Lord Thy God to the test, but in the area of your money, you are to test Him..." God will never contradict himself EVER... Please pray about everything that has been shared. Remember judgment must begin in the household of God...

Blessings,
Deanna (Click Here to e-mail me).

The above article was supplied to TruthForFree.com directly by the author, Deanna Rodriguez from her post on a MySpace blog. Many authors represented on the TruthForFree.com/Prayer Shack website have no current affiliation with TruthForFree.com or the Prayer Shack. Articles are provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Inclusion of articles like the above does not necessarily mean TruthForFree.com endorses every perspective view that may be conveyed on the source website, book or other publication. As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.