Sermon Tone Analysis

Malachi Sermons

1.Intro:

1.Today we complete our study of the book of Malachi.

I’d like to remind us some main ideas before we begin:

1.All God’s message to Israel is rooted in His “unconditional love”.

We too have an unconditional love from God

2.The people - priest and congregation alike - had an urgent responsibility to follow the Law of Moses.

3.While it doesn’t sound good that the people will follow God, there is a clear view to the future.

We will hit on each of these three things tonight as we wrap up the book.

But first, we must turn to a final rebuke to the congregation -- about giving.

2.Rebuke of Congregation: Lack of giving and rotten heart (3:8-15)

1.Lack of Giving (vv8-12)

1.Intro:

1.Legitimacy of Tithing

1.If you recall, there is a difference between Israel and the church--we’ve noted that in this series.

2.It is also important to understand that what we are discussing here is the idea that we required before God to give 10%, or one-tenth, of what we have.

The emphasis there on that we are required to give this amount.

It is one thing to decide that 10% is a reasonable or good amount to give, it’s another to believe that we are morally obligated before God to give that.

It is the latter that is under discussion in this section as we read of “robbery” language, as well as the other background.

3.So, before we jump to conclusions about the discussion in this section, we need to consider whether the church is under the tithe.

4.Is there a command in the New Testament to tithe?

1.In fact, there is not.

Rather, there is an exhortation to exercise what is called “grace giving” or giving freely.

1.The great giving chapters in the New Testament are 2 Corinthians 8 and 9.

2.There, we read in 9:7 an appropriate summary: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

5.Now, for some even of dispensational interpreters, there still is a case made to make the tithe apply as a continual principle.

1.To be fair to them, often it is noted that based on statements in Hebrews 7 about how tithes were paid by Abraham before the law was given to the priest which is the type of Christ in His priesthood.

2.So understand this--the thought is that we are not under the Jewish law, okay--the dispensation of law.

But we see Abraham paying tithes before the law was given -- this is where we recognize something of a different dispensation then, typically considered the dispensation of promise.

I am not sold on this as valid, because we don’t have it explicitly repeated in the NT and the overall context of this matter doesn’t assist me to conclude we should assume it is continuous.

2.The Blessing to Israel

1.Another key issue here is this topic of a promised blessing, indeed material blessings.

2.The promises to Israel have been frequent summarized by interpreters like ours under the rubric land, seed, and blessing.

We briefly noted the seed last week in the context of why God had interest in a Godly seed to come of Israelite marriages.

But here, the connection to this idea has to do with the matter of blessing.

The blessings dealt with here are physical, material blessings.

These blessings are to come in the context of a specific land.

3.So, the question then should come to our minds, does the church have a land promise?

No. Now, do we have physical promised blessings?

Not explicitly -- it is understood that we will inherit the Kingdom of God on earth, and thereby participate in those physical blessings in that future.

But are we to regard this kingdom as now?

No! That kingdom is not here until Jesus comes back.

So, if that were the case, why should we expect to receive these promises of blessings as a response to our giving the tithe today?

3.You hear from some televangelists over the past decades preaching this general idea to get people to give to their so called ministries wherein the servants of God lived affluent lifestyles.

But, perhaps even some fundamental Baptists have been apt to preach this passage as means to guilt God’s people to give the tithe, so .

But to do so is one step away from the kind of prosperity theology that Charismatics will use.

4.So, we are to give freely as an expression of our spirit-filled life, and not as a basis to either force God to bless us materially or to just naturally get the blessings.

Yes, God will often bless us with more as we give, and often that to just give back more.

5.Giving is not optional for a Christian who is going to please God, but it is to be done in manner as we already said “not grudgingly, or of necessity:” It is also not optional for us as the church, as we are commanded to share to support those who minister in our midst, for our Pastor.

6.With this context, lets look at the passage and see how we can glean benefits.

2.The question and indictment - Tithes and Offerings (v8)

1.Even in Israel while the tithe was expected -- see Num 18:21 “To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.”

-- there still is a place for additional free will offerings.

3.The seriousness of lack of giving (V9)

1.This language of robbery indicates the seriousness of it.

It makes one think in terms of a tax.

2.When we talk about a tithe, it’s like it was a tax.

You had to pay it.

Remember, the Israelite civil and religious government were united--another way that demonstrates the need for a distinction between the world today versus Israel.

3.But some Christian denominations have had varying degrees of “pew tax” and the like.

It is just not the prescribed NT order of the church, and has more in common with the system of the Jews.

So many errors can come by identifying

4.While denying the direct requirement of tithing, again, one should caution about the seriousness of not providing for God’s servants.

See, I can say this up here because I’m a “guest preacher” lol.

I’m with you all in this responsibility.

God takes seriously the provision for those who do formally serve Him among His people--whether of priests in the OT, or of pastors in the NT.

4.The promise: Blessing for those who give

1.Blessings from heaven (Rain?) (v10), Rebuking wild beasts (v11) reference to the way man and animal is against each other, the blessing from the nations as a delightful land (v12).

2.Now, read this passage for a minute: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; Their young ones shall lie down together: And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp,And the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.”

Isa 11:6-9

3.Is this not a prophecy of the millennium?

Notice the similarities in terms to our passage here in Malachi.

4.Physical, material blessing was always part the promise for Israel, but not so much for the church.

If the Kingdom is now, then we sure ain’t gaining it.

2.The Heart of dispising God (vv13-15)

1.Their Words (v13)

2.Again, they claim the vanity of serving God and keeping His commands.

v14

1.This has been repeated.

We’ve seen more than once this negative attitude toward God combined with denials of the positive truth of God.

Watch this.

2.Do you find serving God to be vain?

Be honest with Yourself, but ultimately may Holy Spirit convict you if you are.

3.The solution is to let yourself be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom 12:1-2).

3.The positive picture toward sin.

3.God’s dealing with the faithful remnant (316-4:6)

1.Now, the picture turns to an entirely different group than has been in view during this book.

2.The Group Introduced (3:16-17)

1.The book of rememberance for the remnant (3:16)

1.One thinks of other Scripture books where all human deeds are remembered.

The book of life being the book of those saved, and the “books” plural of the works of the lost Rev. 20.

Here may be an implied books of works for the saved too, which I’ve alluded to have a place in our judgment for rewards.

2.It’s an interesting phrase -- the Lord hearkening to words not spoken to Him.

God always watches over us, especially if we are His children.

3.Here we can see:

1.They feared God

2.They spake to one another - there is such a fellowship we can and should cultivate as we unite in fearing God, and speaking to one another about it.

3.They also thought on His name - not exactly sure the exact import of this idea, but it too leads to think that there is such a love for God and meditating on Him and His ways.