Page 95 - Breaking the Curse of Poverty David Owusu
P. 95
Breaking the Curse of Poverty David K. Owusu
Yet we find this as the case. The book of Malachi records this in
rather mandatory terms; where God demands the tithes from
his people, and rebukes them for not paying tithes and actually
emphasizes that it is a curse not to pay tithe. God puts it this way
in Malachi 3:8-9
“will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob ad defraud Me. But
you say, In what way do we defraud You?”[You have withheld
your] tithes and offerings…you are cursed with a curse, for you are
robbing Me, even this whole nation” Malachi 3:8-9 (AMPC)
This is one of the scriptures where God invites man to “test” Him
in the very fundamental aspect of tithing.
According to Matthew 4:7 [nIV] Jesus said
“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the
test.’[a]”.
God actually tells us to test Him Malachi 3:10 [nIV]
“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.”
That tells us how crucial the subject of tithing is to God.
Many would believe that since Christ died, he has abolished the
principle of tithing. This is a doctrinal mishap. Jesus while stating
the position regarding the laws and prophets, categorically stated
that He didn’t abolish the law rather he perfected it.
94