The Curse of the 10%

 

Wasn't raised in the church but I do emember briefly going to one when I was about eight or nine years old. My mom and dad gave my school teacher permission to pick up my brother, sister, and I in a church van to take us to Sunday school and regular church service. I hated church, but I loved to sing in the youth choir. Another thing I remember was during a break in the service we had to walk down the aisle and put money in the basket. We were told it was offering. My mom would usually give us a dollar each to put in offering. Some Sundays she gave us nothing because she had nothing and I used to feel extremely humiliated walking down that aisle with NOTHING. 

Welp, we stopped going to that church for other reasons, I may share in a latter post. Anyway, it was not until 14 or 15 years later that I decided to go back to church and that is when I was introduced to the TITHE. Foreign to me of course, I continued to give what I'd made up in my mind to give. And no it was not a dollar. I always gave nice offerings, actually to make that 8 year old version of me proud that finally I could walk down the aisle consistently and never have to worry about feeling humiliated again. 

I did what I felt for two years. Two years I never tithed even though it was advertised often. Soon after, is when the curse of the 10% came and took away my innocent beliefs about giving. This is when I was introduced to Malachi 3:10 

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 there will not be room enough to store it.

Initially I thought, "Oh wow all this time I wasn't tithing! God's going to bless me with more than enough of everything! I'm going to be a tither now!" HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER!

Ask any Christian what is the tithe, they will without hesitation tell you it's 10% of your entire earnings. Ask them why should a believer tithe and the chorus of crickets will position themselves for an A AND B selection. 

THERE IS NO REASON TO TITHE! You and I were duped! So very sorry to relay this news to my you, my friends. But don't get bent out of shape. In this post I will explain to you how we've been duped and I will show you how to GIVE the right way without feeling humiliated or HUSTLED! 

There's more to Malachi than just chapter three and verse ten.There's a whole conversation going that pastors purposely fast forward pass in hopes that no one reads the rest. And guess what?  Typically no one does. I know I never did. 

Now is the time to pick up your bible and go to Malachi 1. God was very angry with the PRIESTS of Israel because they were playing church, putting on shows, and giving Him super popped offerings. 

  

Malachi 1:6

Isn’t it true that a son honors his father and a worker his master? So if I’m your Father, where’s the honor? If I’m your Master, where’s the respect?” God-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling you on the carpet: “You priests despise me!

“You say, ‘Not so! How do we despise you?’

“By your shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship.

“You ask, ‘What do you mean, “defiling”? What’s defiling about it?’

If you go to the next chapter Malachi 2, God was still angry and he put cases on ALL them pigeons lol. However, here's where He curse the priests. 

Malachi 2:1-2

And now this indictment, you priests! If you refuse to obediently listen, and if you refuse to honor me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, in worship, then I’ll put you under a curse. I’ll exchange all your blessings for curses. In fact, the curses are already at work because you’re not serious about honoring me. 

Hope I haven't lost y'all it's a lot so I'm trying to make this as simple as possible. Alright now go to Malachi 3. In this chapter God reveals to them that a messenger will come and wipe all of them clean. He also reopens that case file from Chapter 2 but tells them they can come back to Him. Pay very close attention this scripture.

  Malachi 3:8-10 

“Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day.

“You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’

“The tithe and the offering—that’s how! And now you’re under a curse—the whole lot of you—because you’re robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.

 God brought up tithes as if it wasn't a new thing because it wasn't. In Hebrews 7:6 it was recorded as a law that tithes be collected during that time from the priests by the people. 

 "Priests descended from Levi are commanded by law to collect tithes from the people, even though they are all more or less equals, priests and people, having a common father in Abraham." 

But some priestly thievery must have been going on. Otherwise God would have never mentioned anything about being being ROBBED.

THIS CONCLUDES THE FIRST PART OF THE CURSE OF THE 10%