Because you are robbing me

Bible text is Malachi 3:9.

“You are under a curse, your whole nation, because you are robbing me.”

 

In the title, ‘me’ refers to ‘the Lord God’. Sermon on the subject with above title wouldn’t be welcomed to not a few people. Even if it isn't a topic that they dislike necessarily, but many of them often misunderstand such that preaching. Malachi the prophet pointed out the fault of laziness and corruption of Israelite very frankly and clearly. It’s about 2,450 years ago from now, and it feels strange how too similar it is to the current situation of human nature. In the end, it’s confirmed again the human nature is same really as it used to be from the first. Like as that it is to recall Malachi the prophet when it comes to the story of the tithes, Malachi gave Israelite the lesson regarding the tithes and offerings straightforwardly in order to improve the wrong attitude of faith.

 

The true reason why a person cannot closely familiar with God is not because of God but man. People try to do according to own will whatever themselves want, but complain to God when something goes wrong. God itself does not exist in their mind, nevertheless they use God’s name by way of excuse, whenever dissatisfied and angry. If even anyone was born to the parents, that should respect own parents naturally, but there are many fellows who behave undutiful as if they were born on their own. The guys like such that live always defy to also the Creator. Those are stealing the tithes and God’s possession, but they deny it absolutely. Then rather they straighten their necks and ask back, “How are we robbing you?” Well, the thief oneself wouldn’t say, “I’m the thief.” would it be?

 

The lesson of Malachi is not to use God’s tithes and offerings as if those belong to one’s own self. Basically, there is nothing in the world that does not belong to God the Creator. If saying narrow it down to individuals, life itself of person belongs to the Lord wholly. Because everything was given from the Lord, regardless of mental or material elements. There was a person became feel so good because his business has been good. So he fell asleep thinking of contenting himself, building a bigger warehouse, eating, drinking and enjoying. But that night the Lord called his soul. Then, would it become whose wealth that he had get hard? That’s just what life looks like. If there is anyone who accepts knowing that, he must be a matured man. But there are few people who have matured like that, so the world is bound to be desolate.

 

The tithes in Christianity, as the being mentioned in the Old Testament, originated from a tenth of everything that Abraham gave to Melchizedek king of Salem. And the tithes was settled as a religious rule offering as a tenth of every tribe of Israelite, to be used by the Levite for the expenses in the temple as well as living. In saying that the tithe is God’s, there is meanings inside to fulfill God’s commands as well as to do take responsibility for the lives of people distinguished as God’s workers. All things in the world and all life belong to God, so it’s not necessary for God to take the tithes of money from man who is like a little kid the immature because God cannot be needy for any reason. Nevertheless, first keep in mind to have an absolute faith that can give everything to God. And know that being responsible for the lives of the people working for Christ’s evangelism, such as the people Levite, is a minimum duty as Christian.

 

He who knows and practices the basic meaning of the tithes is a man of normal faith. To him, the Lord will bless with the spiritual and the physical wholly. Those who don’t want to offer the tithes, in order to avoid giving the tithes, claims that they live at present in the era of the New Testament since Christ’s coming and so that the law of Old Testament is no longer needed. They use Jesus’ name or New Testament era as an excuse because of their greed for money. If they can’t believe it, speak it so, and if they think it’s a waste of money, it would be rather better to say so frankly, but they lie, cowardly. But the Almighty knows every thinking in their mind, in detail. Please remember Jesus said, “You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” in Matthew 23:23. That signifies both this and that have to be carried out. Because Jesus had come into the world not to abolish the law, but to complete it.

 

Natural disasters are not just caused by changes in nature. Whatever people do, problems create other problems repeatedly. That is, resolving one causes another problem. After one develops something new, one feels needy another task. Everything of nature makes a person tired endlessly like that. That means too, there’s no complete solution in the world. But if man live according to the principle of the tithes in faith that does not steal the Lord’s, to be paradoxical, the earth will be alive, the farming will be abundant, and the whole world will be changed into the happy really.

 

(Written by Koonoh, the pastor of JDO church, on November 6th in 2022)