Lift the Curse

Introduction: last week we started a series called, “Money Matters” and we are exploring one of the topics that the Bible has a lot to speak on. Last week’s message was titled, “Give Honor First.”

Speaker’s note: Do recap quickly.

In the first message of this series, “Give Honor First,” we looked at the beginning of Genesis chapter 4 and the offerings of Cain and Abel.

Adam and Eve had Cain a farmer and Abel a shepherd. Cain and Abel came to bring the Lord the offering. God accepted Abel but rejected Cain. This made Cain angry.

From this passage we learned that:

When you give matters. Abel gave God of the first of his flock. Cain gave God an offering, almost as an afterthought.

What you give matters. Abel gave God the choice and best cuts of meat from his flock. Cain brought an offering—whatever he had around him.

How you give matters. Abel’s gave in faith and God accepted it calling him righteous. Cain’s gift was not accepted by God; he was even called wicked.

These things matter because giving is an act of worship. It is a way that we show honor and regard for God. Abel’s offering was first, best, and full of faith and sacrifice. This pleased God and it was accepted.

As we seek to worship God and put Him first in our lives, we must settle this topic of giving in our hearts.

Genesis 4:6–12 NKJV

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

The Right Thing, the Wrong Way

Illustration: Story of St. Patrick baptizing a priest. He baptized the man and when he came up out of the water he told him, “You may go.” The priest said, “But I can’t.” St. Patrick, puzzled, responded, “Why not?” “Your staff is on my foot,” the priest replied. Surprised and embarrassed, St. Patrick responded, “I’m so sorry! Why didn’t you tell me?” The priest responded, “I thought that was part of it.”

You can do the right thing but the wrong way. This is one of the reasons why we need to examine the Scriptures…there are many things that are right to do but because we do not know the Scriptures, we do them the wrong way (money, relationships, etc.).

Cain was right to worship God through giving. But he did it the wrong way. And because he did it the wrong way, it was no longer the right thing.

Why was Cain angry? Is it possible he thought that his offering should have been accepted? Is it possible that he thought he was doing God a favor by bringing something?

We come to God on His terms, not our own. If we dictate to God, then we make ourselves as greater than God. If we genuinely want to please God with our worship, we want to do it in a way that He will receive it.

Illustration: 5 Love Languages

When God rejected his offering, Cain got mad. And God confronted him, and asked him why. Then He offers Cain an opportunity to make it right, as well as a warning on what will happen if he doesn’t.

Genesis 4:7 NLT

7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

If you do what is right…Cain was mad because he did the right thing the wrong way and it wasn’t received.

If you refuse to do what is right…God warns Cain that there is a consequence for refusing to do what is right.

This statement implies that it is not too late. God is giving Cain time to repent ( cf. Revelation 2:21). It’s not too late, to get it right, but if he refuses good things will not follow.

How amazing is the grace of God! He gives us time to get things right. He confronts Cain so that Cain will not come under the power of sin. He confronts Him for his good. This is grace! God doesn’t desire for you to come under bondage to sin. He calls us to repentance. He gives us time to change our mind and do the right thing the right way — in our giving, in our words, in our deeds, etc. Don’t refuse to do what is right! Choose to do what is right!

Doing right subdues the power of sin. Doing wrong opens the door for it to come in and control us.

Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. — John Owen

Giving Is More Important Than You Think

Matthew 6:21 NKJV

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Instead of repenting and doing the right thing the right way, Cain instead killed his brother.

The first murder in the Bible is over an offering. Giving is more important than you think. Your heart is exposed by how you spend your treasure. What you sow into reveals what matters to you. It reveals who matters to you.

Because Cain did not subdue (kill) sin, he killed his brother.

Because Cain did not give up his first and his best to the Lord, he ended up giving up much more. He gave in to his anger, and to sin, and he gave up a right relationship with God, his parents, and his brother.

Your heart follows your treasure. Giving influences your action.

If you do not get the issue giving right, you will be giving up things you can’t afford to lose.

In Genesis 3:17, the earth is cursed due to Adam’s sin. The consequence of Cain’s decisions was that he came under the curse.

Genesis 4:11–12 NLT

11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

The results of the curse were that the ground would no longer give him its best. He would never get enough, no matter how hard he worked. Also, he would be restless, a wanderer, never able to settle down in security and safety.

The cost of dishonoring God with his offering was greater a price than he knew. He gave in to sin. He killed his brother. His career would no longer provide for him the way it once did. He could never be settled, at rest, or in peace.

How many people have come under the curse because they have not gotten giving right? How many people, because they haven’t recognized God in worship in this way, never have enough—never enough money, never enough peace? How many people are struggling because of sin in this area?

Generosity Lifts the Curse

In the time of Malachi, the people of God were under a curse. They were living in spiritual crisis. They had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. But while they were going to the temple and offering worship, they were not truly worshipping. They had become religious. In Chapter 1, we see them complaining about serving God and giving offerings.

Malachi 1:6–8 NKJV

6 “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ 7 “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ 8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.

In Chapter 2 people are rejecting marriage and godly relationships.

Malachi 2:13–15 The Message

13 And here’s a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don’t get what you want from God. 14 Do you know why? Simple. Because God was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you’ve broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. 15 God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don’t cheat on your spouse.

In Chapter 3 we see the people robbing God of the tithe and offerings thinking them to be meaningless, and in Chapter 4 God declares a day of Judgment.

In the face of these things, as He did with Cain, God calls the people to repentance.

Malachi 3:6–7 NKJV

6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. 7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

Repentance is returning. It is changing your mind. If we return to God, He will return to us. They had the temple, but they did not have God’s presence. God was calling them to a better way.

Malachi 3:8–12 NKJV

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; 12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Why were the people under a curse? They robbed God.

How did the people rob God? In tithes and offerings.

If they repented and did the right thing—bring all the tithes into the storehouse—there was a promise.

The windows of heaven would be opened. They would be lifted so that blessing would come and overtake the curse (cf. Genesis 4:6-7 TLV). The people were cursed. The answer to the curse was God’s blessing. The way to lift the curse and release the blessing was to give tithes and offerings.

God would lift the curse, release the blessing, and rebuke the devourer that was preventing them from having more than enough. Just like Cain, their work was not making enough to prosper them. The devourer prevented them from truly prospering and finding financial peace.

But if they honored God first, by bringing the tithe and offerings, then God would lift the curse, rebuke the devourer, and pour out a blessing that overflowed to the degree that others would notice and call them blessed.

Conclusion

Both stories are in the Scripture to teach us and to warn us. Giving is more important than we know.

Honoring God with our tithes and offerings lifts the curse off of our lives. It releases God’s blessing and security from the devourer.

But honoring God with our finances is a choice. And like Cain, and like the people in Malachi’s day, we choose where to put our treasure. We choose to honor God first or rob God.

If you don’t get giving right, it will affect the other areas of your life.

If you are robbing God, dishonoring Him by the way that you steward your finances, repent. Change your mind. Do the right thing and keep sin from controlling you.

If you want to lift the curse over your finances, choose to put God first with the tithe. Honor Him with the first and the best. And you will be blessed.

Pray