"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." The prophet Malachi accuses the people of Israel of robbing God (vs. 8) because they did not pay their tithes. The tithes were used to support the priests and Levites, whose ministry was essential if Israel was to be faithful to God in its calling. Their land was cursed by drought and pestilence (vs. 9,11) and so they were not giving the tithe. Thus, their negligence to give their tithes may have seemed justified, but the Lord reveals, quite dramatically, that these natural disasters were not the
cause of their disobedience but the
result of their disobedience. So God dared them to pay it forward. You see, the tithe is the first 10% of your income, not the last 10% or whatever portion is left (if any) after you pay everything else. So God dared them to pay the tithe no matter what the economic circumstances or conditions and then He would bless them and cause all their needs to be met. In other words, God promised that if they pay it forward, then He would meet 100% of their needs with 90% of their resources. Some argue that tithing is an Old Testament command and doesn't apply to New Testament believers. However, the promise of the blessing of tithing applies to both Old and New Testament believers! Pay it forward--pay your tithes before you pay the bills and God will meet your financial needs. God dares you to try it!
