{"id":3288,"date":"2017-04-26T14:26:10","date_gmt":"2017-04-26T21:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ourthoughts.ca\/?p=3288"},"modified":"2017-04-26T14:26:10","modified_gmt":"2017-04-26T21:26:10","slug":"will-a-man-rob-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourthoughts.ca\/2017\/04\/26\/will-a-man-rob-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Will a man rob God?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re Mormon, you\u2019ve probably seen this scripture before:<\/p>\n

\u201cWill a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.\u201d (Mal. 3:8\u201310<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a scripture mastery<\/a>. It\u2019s in\u00a0the\u00a0Preach My Gospel<\/em> manual that full-time missionaries use<\/a>. It\u2019s in the\u00a0Gospel Principles<\/em> manual<\/a>. It\u2019s the the\u00a0Gospel Doctrine<\/em> manual<\/a>. It\u2019s been used by many leaders<\/a> in General Conference talks. It\u2019s one of the most popular scriptures used in Sacrament Meeting talks on the topic of tithing.<\/p>\n

Despite it\u2019s ubiquity, I wonder if perhaps we\u2019ve been getting it wrong all this time.<\/p>\n

Normally, leaders in the church (and even those of us called on to speak on tithing) use this scripture to show that the Lord commands us to pay tithing.<\/p>\n

However, nowhere in this chapter does it even say that the church is the intended audience, let alone Israel in general. There is no audience indicated anywhere in chapter 3<\/a>. You can find an audience only in chapter 2:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.\u201d (verse 1)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, if the intended audience of Malachi 3 isn\u2019t the Israelites generally\u2014and just for the priests specifically\u2014does that mean this scripture is\u00a0for church members generally, like we think it is?<\/p>\n

Maybe Malachi isn\u2019t telling the Israelites to pay their tithing. Maybe he\u2019s not telling members of the church\u00a0that countless blessings will fall from heaven if they pay their tithing.<\/p>\n

Maybe Malachi is telling the priests to stop hoarding the money. Maybe Malachi is telling the priests to put it in the storehouse, where it belongs. Note the footnote for meat;<\/p>\n

\u201cTG Food; Meat; Welfare.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Perhaps Malachi is telling the leaders of the church at the time to make sure that offerings are put in the storehouse, so they can be used to provide for the poor. Maybe he\u2019s telling the priests that the needs of the people are so important that withholding money from the storehouse is the equivalent of robbing God. Maybe he\u2019s saying that we should be taking care of those who need\u2014to quote the footnote\u2014food, meat, and welfare.<\/p>\n

Maybe he\u2019s saying that we\u00a0shouldn\u2019t place members who give money over those who need money.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re Mormon, you\u2019ve probably seen this scripture before: \u201cWill a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. 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