Answer
The book of Malachi often serves as ammunition in the tithing debate, particularly Malachi 3:10: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” (ESV).
Prosperity gospel preachers and advocates of compulsory tithing often cite Malachi 3:10 as a proof text, highlighting God’s command to “test” Him and the promise that He will “open the windows of heaven.” But a proper understanding of the verse involves taking the verse in the context of the law given to Israel under the Old Covenant. Before they entered the Promised Land, God gave the children of Israel the promise of future blessing, conditioned upon their obedience: “If you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 11:13–15). Tithing, or giving 10 percent of their income, was part of the law the Israelites were to obey.
The promise found in Malachi 3:10 also harkens back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the blessings and curses of the covenant made through Moses. The chapter begins with the condition, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands” (Deuteronomy 28:1). Among the blessings listed is this: “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands” (Deuteronomy 28:12). It is against this backdrop that God made the promise in Malachi 3:10.
To open the windows of heaven is to send blessings. The blessings could take the form of rainfall—references to the “windows of heaven” in the story of the flood were related to rain (Genesis 7:11; 8:2). Such a blessing would counteract the effects of drought and famine. But the more general idea is that opening the windows of heaven allowed God to “rain down” blessings of all sorts. The “doors” of heaven provided manna in Psalm 78:23. The “windows” of heaven resulted in the lifting of a siege in Samaria and life for the residents of that city (2 Kings 7:1–2, 19). In Malachi’s day, there was likely a shortage of food in Israel. Physically, this was caused by a combination of drought, blight, and pests. We surmise this condition because of the verses that immediately follow God’s promise to open the windows of heaven: “‘I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 3:11–12). Spiritually, as the prophet points out, the lack of food was caused by the people’s disobedience regarding the Lord’s tithe. To those who doubted that blessing would follow obedience, God says, “Test me in this” (Malachi 3:10).
Centuries earlier, under King Hezekiah, the people “generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced” (2 Chronicles 31:5) and “faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts” (verse 12). The offerings were so numerous that they overflowed the temple storehouses and had to be piled in heaps (verse 6). When the king inquired about the heaped-up gifts, Azariah the chief priest said, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over” (verse 10). In other words, the people honored the Lord in their giving, and the Lord blessed them in return.
Does God still “open the windows of heaven” for His children today? Yes, we do experience showers of blessing in many ways. But it’s important to understand that Christians are not under the Old Covenant. Rather, we are part of the New Covenant mediated by Jesus Christ. The New Testament contains no command to tithe; neither does it promise material blessings to the obedient. The specific terms and conditions of the Old Covenant do not apply to us. There’s a covenantal distinction between us and the Old Testament Jews, and we risk falling into error if we act like we are still under the Old Covenant.
Tithing, as practiced in the theocracy of the Jews, was essentially a tax system designed to support the Levites (Numbers 18:21) and the needy in the community (Deuteronomy 14:28–29). During Malachi’s time, the Jews had neglected the tithing command, leading to divine judgment. If they repented, God promised to pour out blessings, as per the covenant they were under. He would open the windows of heaven for them, and they would be flooded with His goodness.
Under the New Covenant, tithing is not prescribed as a system for the church. Rather, we are commanded to give generously, with the flexibility to give more or less than 10 percent, according to a person’s capacity. Many Christians have experienced needless guilt over not adhering strictly to the 10-percent guideline, overlooking the explicit New Testament instruction to “give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The principle of Malachi 3:10 applies to us in the sense that God rewards generosity and obedience, but He does so in more ways than just blessing us materially.
