The version used is KJV
Courtroom
There is a case being levied by the LORD on the Levites and the people of Israel. Using the law that the LORD gave via Moses, here then are how the charges are levied:
- using [Lev19:31, Lev20:6, Lev20:27] against sorcery, which can mean divination, witchcraft, practice magic
- using [Lev18:20, Lev20:10] against adultery, which can be with a married woman also idolatory
- using [Lev19:12, Deu5:20] against swearing falsely, which can also mean deceit, swearing in vain or wrongfully
- using [Lev19:13] against oppressing wager earners
- using [Ex22:22-24] against oppressing widows and orphans
- using [Lev19:34, Ex23:9] against turning away aliens, sojourners and strangers
- using [Deu5:29] against not fearing the LORD
Remember that the statutes of the Torah were several:
- Ten commandments
- Moral law around murder, theft etc.
- Social law around property, individual, divorce
- Food law around clean and unclean foods
- Purity law around bodily ejections and skin discharges
- Feasts or appointed times
- Sacrifices and offerings
- Priesthood instructions
- Tabernacle Laws
- Laws for the King to come
God doesnt change
[Mal3:6] affirms the nature of YHWH, where He doesnt change, which is affirmed in [Num23:19], [Heb13:8] and [James1:17]. What does this mean to the subsequent statement of Jacob is not consumed? This could point to [Gen12:1] where YHWH makes a covenant with Abraham to make a mighty nation out of his descendents and ths promise came through Isaac and then via Jacob [Gen26:24, Gen35:12]. Hence the nation of Israel was the descendents of Jacob and if God had consumed them, then His covenant to Abraham would be broken. This brings out the famous statement of the promises of God lies not on the faithfulness of man but the faithfulness of God.
Repentance
The reference to days of your fathers [Mal3:7] points to the exodus from [Jer7:25], when YHWH brought the descendents of Jacob out of slavery in Egypt, but the people grumbled and failed to keep the commandments of YHWH.
The word return is shuv to turn back, turn away, restore, all pointing to repentance. Turning away here means to turn to YHWH, which means to returning to keep His decrees and statutes.
Tithes and Offerings
Tithes actually means a portion or tenth. There are three forms of tithes from Torah. All three are for the inheritance to the Levites.
- [Num18:24] tithe during feasts
- [Deu14:22] tithing every year based on the produce of the land
- [Deu14:28] tithing every 3rd year
All of the tithes are deposited in the town to take care of the widow, stranger/sojourner, orphans.
Offerings are several in nature
- Sin offering [Ex29:14,Lev4]
- Burnt offering [Ex29:18,Lev1]
- Wave offering [Ex35:29, Lev22:23]
- Grain offering [Lev2:1]
- Peace offering [Lev3]
- Guilt offering [Lev5]
- Vow offering [Lev22:23, Num15:3]
- Freewill offering [Lev7:16]
- Thanksgiving offering [Lev7:12]
Robbing God
The tie of robbing God [Mal3:9] to the tithes and offerings takes us back to the courtroom scene we saw earlier in [Mal3:5]. Since the tithes and offerings were used to feed the Levites and then the poor, the widow and the orphans, not having a full storehouse meant that the orphans and widows went without. This then makes it clear in how bad turning away hungry widows and orphans is. We see this again in [Mat25:35-46]. Hence although the formal tithing and offerings are not in effect without the temple, this rebuke from our LORD is a wake up call to feed the widows, orphans, downtrodden, poor and the strangers.
More to come...