October 8 Daily Devotional

Robbing God

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Malachi 3:6-12

⁶For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
⁷Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
⁸Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
⁹Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
¹⁰Bring 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.
¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
¹²And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

Devotional:

A mother in the Dutch tradition used to say to her family, 'A tenth for the church, a tenth for the Christian school and we'll live on the rest.' We do not need in our day to belabor the fact that in setting up a home a couple needs to make plans for financial security. What we do need to stress is that a couple need also from the beginning of marriage to take God into their financial plans and honour Him with the firstfruits of their income (Proverbs 3:9).

In the Old Testament economy it is abundantly plain that God required a tithe of one's income. Jesus affirmed this. Although in the New Testament the expression is rarely used, the principle is never abrogated. God does not wish us to be legalistic in our giving. He wants us, using the Old Testament tithe as a base, to offer up even more, in accordance with our ability, out of love and gratitude for the gift of His greatest treasure, His own Son.

Do we take Him at His word when He says that He will open the windows of heaven and pour out upon us a blessing we shall not have room to receive (3:10)? We realize, don't we, that this blessing from heaven may be material riches, but, more precious still, it may be spiritual riches. We love this verse and its promise!

But what about verse 9: 'Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation'?

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.