Firstfruits: The Stewardship of Our Treasure

Malachi 3:6–12

Introduction

There’s an old story about a farmer who once came into his kitchen beaming with joy. “Good news, Martha,” he said, “our cow just gave birth to twins! I’ve decided to dedicate one calf to the Lord. We’ll raise them together, and when the time comes to sell, the money from one will go to God’s work.” Martha smiled and asked, “Which one is the Lord’s calf?” “Oh, I haven’t decided yet,” he replied, “but when the time comes, I’ll know.” Weeks passed, and one day the farmer came in downcast. “Terrible news,” he said, “the Lord’s calf died.”

It’s a funny story, but also painfully true. Too often, what we intend to give to the Lord ends up being what we give Him last. Our generosity can become an afterthought, not an act of worship.

In Malachi’s day, God’s people had grown weary in their giving. They still went through the motions of worship, but their hearts had grown cold. They gave what was easy to part with, not what was first and best. And so the Lord, through His prophet, called them back, not simply to financial faithfulness, but to spiritual renewal.

This passage is not about a formula for financial giving. It’s about faith. It’s about trust. It’s about knowing who provides for us, and who truly owns what we have. God is calling His people to bring Him their first and best, not because they must, but because they love Him.

Because God is unchanging in His grace, our giving should be a joyful act of worship, an expression of trust and gratitude, not obligation.

The Unchanging Faithfulness of God:

“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Before God calls His people to give, He reminds them who He is. He is unchanging; faithful in covenant mercy, steadfast in love. The only reason Israel still stood was because of His mercy, not their merit.

The reminder of God’s faithfulness exposes the need for grace. If God never changes, then His justice never wavers, and His holiness still demands a devoted people. The only reason they are not consumed is that He has bound Himself to them in steadfast love, a love they have not returned in full.

Through Malachi, God is addressing the heart of his people. The problem is not God’s faithfulness, but withheld worship.

The Problem of Withheld Worship:

“How have we robbed you? In your tithes and contributions.”

That’s a strong charge, “robbing God.” They weren’t breaking into the temple; they were withholding their hearts. Their giving had become mechanical, reluctant, minimal.

To “rob God” is to live as if what we have is our own possession rather than His provision. It is to separate the spiritual from the material, to compartmentalize our lives, giving God our Sunday, but keeping our wallets, our time, and our priorities sealed away.

Tithing: The Old Covenant command

God commanded His people to bring a tenth of all their produce and increase, their grain, wine, oil, and livestock, as a tithe to the Lord (Lev 27; Deut 14).

This wasn’t merely an economic system; it was an act of worship. The tithe supported the Levites, who served in the temple and had no inheritance of land. Every third year, an additional tithe was stored locally to care for the poor, the widow, and the sojourner. 

By withholding their tithes, the people were neglecting the very means God had given to sustain His worship and care for His people. The tithe was Israel’s visible confession that all they possessed came from the Lord. To hold it back was to deny His provision and His reign.

In truth, giving is a matter of worship. When we give our first and best to God, we declare His worth. When we withhold or give what costs us little, we reveal how small we think He is.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The heart always follows the treasure. If we want to know where our devotion lies, we need only follow the trail of our giving, not just of money, but of time, energy, and love.

The Invitation of Trust:

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts.”

This is one of the few places in Scripture where God invites His people to “test” Him. Normally, testing God is forbidden, but here, He challenges them to exercise their faith by relying on His promise of provision.

In effect, this is not a test of God’s character, but of our faith. God is not on trial; we are being invited to trust His sufficiency enough to act on it. When we give in faith, we are not proving Him wrong or right; we are proving that we believe Him to be enough.

And God says, “Put me to the test, see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you.” This is not a promise of prosperity but of sufficiency. God delights to show His faithfulness to those who trust Him with what they have.

The Tithe Fulfilled and Transformed

I need to be clear, nowhere in the New Testament is tithing commanded for the Christian. The tithe belonged to the ceremonial and civic life of Israel, it supported the temple, the Levites, and the poor. Those shadows have passed with the coming of Christ. But what remains is the principle that we give our best to the Lord, not because we’re bound by a rule, but because we’ve been freed by grace. 

“Christ became poor for our sake that we might share in His riches” (2 Cor. 8:9). Giving is now spontaneous, joyful, and proportionate as each has decided in the heart (2 Cor 9:7).

Now the tithe serves as a guideline or a starting point, it’s not a binding law. Giving is to be voluntary and generous, grounded in gratitude for all we’ve received in Christ.

The Christian should give their best to support those who preach and teach the Word, to care for the poor, the widows, and the orphans. The tithe is no longer mandatory, but the principle of giving remains, honoring God with our best, not our leftovers.

The Pattern of Firstfruits

The old covenant tithe taught the people to bring their firstfruits, the best, most choice, and prized possession as a declaration that everything belonged to God. 

That same pattern remains for us. We give not our leftovers, but our first and best. We give to support the ministry of the Word, to care for the poor, to bless the work of Christ’s church.

Our giving is not a tax, but a testimony, that our hope is not in possessions, but in the Provider. The heart of Christian giving is not law, but love. We give freely because we have freely received.

The Overflowing Blessing of God:

“See if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

This is not a promise of luxury, but of liberation. God blesses generosity because it reflects His own nature. The one who gives finds that joy and contentment multiply, not always in the wallet, but in the heart.

The blessings of God are not measured in wealth, but in worship: peace of conscience, freedom from greed, delight in seeing His kingdom flourish.

When God’s people give faithfully, the world takes notice. Malachi says, “Then all nations will call you blessed.” Faithful giving becomes a witness, a living testimony that our hope is not in possessions, but in the Provider.

Grace and Gratitude

Look to the unchanging grace of God.

Our giving is always a response to grace, never a means to earn it. God begins with His own faithfulness: “I do not change.” Every act of giving is a response to that unchanging goodness. Our generosity does not sustain God, His generosity sustains us. When we give, we are not adding to His resources; we are acknowledging His sovereign provision.

The stewardship of our treasure is not about meeting a budget; it’s about trusting a Father.  When we bring our first and best to God, we are saying, “Lord, You are my portion. You have given me all things in Christ. I can trust You with this.” Stewardship is not about calculation; it’s about consecration.

And if you’re wondering where to begin, start small, but start deliberately. Growing in generosity is a matter of grace, not speed.

Begin with prayerful intention.

Ask the Lord to show you where your treasure truly lies, and to make your giving a reflection of gratitude, not guilt.

Plan your giving, don’t postpone it.

Build it into your budget as a first priority, not an afterthought. Giving intentionally trains the heart to trust.

Give proportionately and progressively.

Each one gives “as he has decided in his heart,” but as the Lord increases your means, let your generosity grow as well.

Give joyfully and expectantly.

Look for ways your giving advances Christ’s kingdom, supporting the ministry of the Word, caring for the poor, strengthening the church.

Generosity is not measured by the size of the gift, but by the freedom of the heart. As we grow in grace, we grow in gratitude, and that gratitude overflows in cheerful giving.

We sow in gratitude what we have already reaped grace.