You may have heard it said “Do not test the Lord” but what if he invites his people to test him?

“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.”

Malachi 3:10

The tithe is not just a ten-percent (or more) contribution to church, as many modern preachers use it. It’s not a way for God to get seed money for bigger blessings.

“‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’”

Leviticus 27:30-33

The tithe was a requirement under the old law, not a “love gift” or a way to line the pockets of a pastor. It was the acknowledgement that the Promised Land was God’s, and he was due his portion of the very best of the land. The test proposed by God here is a lot less “Give me money and I’ll supernaturally help you,” and a lot more “Obey me and see how much I will bless you.”

If you want something from God, try giving him what he wants first.

Ethan Kirl