Malachi 3:10 says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this says the Lord Almighty and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it.” (NIV) This is the only place in Scripture where God invites us to test Him
The word “test” in the NIV or “prove me” in the KJV, means “examine, scrutinize, test, prove, try, investigate.” God is opening Himself and inviting us to prove Him faithful. To me it sounds like the returns for our faithfulness in bringing our tithe, far out-weigh what we bring. The floodgates of Heaven opened, so much blessing we won’t have room for it. That sounds like a great exchange.
Luke 6:38 says “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
This too sounds great. The return for giving is pressed down, all shook up and running over.
So we are invited to test God, but there is a test for us also. Will we blindly trust God to be faithful to His Word? It can be scary when we first venture out to give our tithe (10% of our income). Will I be able to get by on 90% What if I get an unexpected bill? What if one of the kids gets sick? What if the car breaks down? What if, what if, what if. (And Satan can pile onto that list). God has promised to meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory. Phil. 4:19 I don’t think I comprehend how rich God is. If he can pave the streets of heaven with gold, and make the gates of the city from pearls and precious jewels, I don’t think we have to worry that He is not rich enough.
I can testify from first-hand knowledge that God is faithful to meet our needs, and to give us unexpected blessings. My husband and I ministered in Holland for four years in the 1970s. We sold our house and property, stored our furniture, and went to Holland with a couple hundred dollars in our account and the promise of $50 in support per month. We had two sons, and by the time we left Holland had four. Over and over God met our needs, usually unexpectedly. A gift in the mail, a handshake that contained some cash, a gift of food, etc. One time we were running low on funds and a couple came to our door, who had only been to the church a few times, and said God had spoken to their hearts to bring us their tithe.
I have been a widow for over ten years. I have faithfully tithed, and God has faithfully provided beyond my expectations. We can’t out-give God. When we test him, He’s always going to provide, no doubt. The question is, will we pass the test? Tithing is Biblical and it is a blessing when we see how our contributions are used to continue the work of the Kingdom of God.
