Malachi 3:10 (NKJV) 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.”
Many of us pray for generous buyers when selling properties, but how many will honour the Lord by paying tithes at the altar when they are sold for a profit? We are blessed by God. If we cannot pay tithes from our salary, how much more difficult will it be to give tithes on the profit from selling our properties or businesses?
Many pray to God for favour with people in their businesses. God will honour His part, but are we honouring Him with what is due to Him and His storehouse? Favour is found when we practise what is taught in the Word!
In Malachi’s day, the people withheld their tithe, and God challenged them to test His faithfulness. He never intended His house—whether the temple then or the church now—to be in lack. Their reluctance to obey caused God to withhold His hand. This is why everything we do must flow from a close walk with Him.
Hebrews 7:8-9 (NKJV) Here mortal men receive tithes, but there He receives them, of whom it is witnessed that He lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak.
Abraham loved God and placed his trust in Him, whereas Lot loved the world and was drawn to the riches of the plain of Sodom. Lot trusted what he saw; Abraham trusted the God he knew. Moving closer to Sodom was Lot’s first step toward compromise, and eventually his whole family lived there when the invaders carried everything away. In contrast, Abraham, who walked with God, led 318 trained men to defeat the invaders and recovered all that had been taken (Genesis 14:14-16).
On his return, Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek, recognising his superiority (Genesis 14:18-20). Melchizedek, a type of Christ with no beginning or end, establishes the priesthood that Jesus Himself fulfils. Because tithing was practised before the Mosaic Law, we can conclude that it remains relevant in the New Testament. God later included it in the Law as a form of worship and to provide for the livelihood of the Levites.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. We may give large offerings to various causes, but what God desires is obedience to His Word. The tithe belongs to the storehouse—the church where we are spiritually fed. And the spiritual principle remains true: we will always receive back from God what we have entrusted to Him.
Reflection: When God blesses you financially, do you intentionally honour Him first with your tithe, or do you make excuses to delay giving? What does your giving reveal about where your trust truly lies?
Sermon Series： Our Free Will Offering
尊荣上帝
玛拉基书 3:10万军之耶和华说：“你们要将当纳的十分之一全然送入仓库，使我家有粮，以此试试我，是否为你们敞开天上的窗户倾福于你们，甚至无处可容。”
当我们出售房产时，许多人会祷告求神赐下慷慨的买家；但当房产以盈利售出时，又有多少人愿意在神的坛前，以十分之一来尊荣主呢？我们一切的祝福都来自神。若我们在工资上都难以实行十一奉献，那么当出售房产或经营生意获得利润时，要献上十分之一就更困难了。
许多人为自己的事业祷告，求神赐下在人前的恩宠。神必然会信实地成就祂的部分；但问题是，我们是否也在当归给祂和祂仓库的事上尊荣祂呢？当我们把神话语所教导的真实活出来时，恩宠就会临到。
在玛拉基的时代，人们扣留了当纳的十分之一，神因此挑战他们去试验祂的信实。神从未打算让祂的家——无论是当时的圣殿，还是今天的教会——处于缺乏之中。百姓的不顺服使神的手收回。因此，我们所做的一切都必须出于与神亲密同行的生命。
希伯来书 7:8-9在这里收十分之一的都是必死的人，但在那里收十分之一的，有为他作见证的说他是活的。并且可说那受十分之一的利未，也是借着亚伯拉罕纳了十分之一，
亚伯拉罕爱神并信靠祂；而罗得却爱世界，被所多玛平原的财富所吸引。罗得相信自己眼睛所见的，亚伯拉罕却信靠他所认识的神。渐渐靠近所多玛，是罗得走向妥协的第一步，最终他全家都住在那里，以致当敌人来侵掠时，他们的一切都被掳走。相反，亚伯拉罕与神同行，带领318名训练有素的人击败入侵者，并夺回一切被掳之物（创世记14:14-16）。
凯旋归来时，亚伯拉罕把所得的十分之一献给麦基洗德，以此承认他的尊贵（创世记14:18-20）。麦基洗德是基督的预表，没有开始也没有终结，预示着后来由耶稣亲自成全的祭司职分。由于十一奉献早在摩西律法之前就已经存在，因此我们可以看见，这一原则在新约时代依然具有意义。后来，神把这一制度纳入律法之中，既作为敬拜的一部分，也供应利未人的生活需要。
顺从胜于献祭。我们或许会向许多不同的事工奉献大额的捐献，但神真正所喜悦的，是我们对祂话语的顺服。十分之一属于仓库——也就是我们属灵得喂养的教会。这个属灵的原则始终真实：凡是我们交托给神的，神必使我们得着更丰盛的回报。
反思：
当神在财务上祝福你时，你是否有意识地先以十分之一来尊荣祂？还是常常找理由拖延奉献？你的奉献，显明了你真正信靠的是谁？
讲章系列：甘心乐意的奉献