Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’Even 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?From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?
5 sermons cite this verse
… verses 6 through 12 is what I'm going to deal with today Malachi chapter 3 verses 6 through 12 now I'm going to go down and talk about these things now let me give you a little bit of background about Malachi Malachi is the last prophet mentioned in the Old Testament it's the last book of the Old Testament and God says some things through him that is going to be the last thing that God says to Israel before there is a break for 400 years. God's going to stop talking, but this is what he says to them. Chapter 3, some things that he says to them before heaven is going to close down and be quiet. And I thought I ought to talk about this because he spends time talking about money. Now, I notice when the pastors start talking about money, people get tight. I saw some of y'all grab y'all purses and put it, held it tight. We're not taking up another offering disservice. …
… it says this, I, the Lord, do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you. Let's just pause there real fast. The Bible says in the book of James that if you draw near to God, God will draw near to you. Prodigal son gets on that gravel road, goes running back home. What does the father do? Doesn't stand on that porch, runs down the road. So he says, if you return to me, I'll return to you. This is the promise of God, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, how are we to return? Verse eight, will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, God, how are we robbing you? And he replies in tithes and offerings. You are under a curse. Now let me just pause there. We believe that because of the sacrifice of Jesus, if you're a believer in Jesus, you can never be cursed again. …
… what you tell them. Israel at this time are rebelling against God. He says, you have gone away from my ordinances, verse 7. From the days of your fathers, you have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them, God says. Verse 7. Yet from the days of your fathers, you've gone away from our ordinances and have not kept them. And here's the thing that's wonderful about what God does. He gives us an opportunity to repent. And right in verse 7, he says, return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Here's what I love about that. God is saying, if you make one step toward me, I'll make 10 steps towards you. Some of you in this building have gone away from God's ordinances. You strayed. You haven't even paid attention. You haven't done it. But here's the great news from God. He says, I'm going to give you an opportunity to come back and get it straight. Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. …
… He says in verse 7, From the days of your fathers you've turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, how shall we do it? Now listen to verse 8, Malachi chapter 3. Will a man rob God, yet you have robbed me. but you say, how have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Now, I want you to watch this. You're going to miss something very important. Most people stop right there. Well, you've robbed the Lord by robbing him of tithes and offerings. What did we say God needed? God doesn't need anything. He has chosen to provide through his children, but God's never in need. So when he says, you've robbed me of tithes and offerings, what was he saying to them? You have robbed me of what? You have, what did we say the tithing was? it is an outward manifestation of an internal commitment of devotion, acknowledgement, worship, and praise. …
… And I begin reading in verse 7. And even 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 she said, Wherein shall we return? And then God asked this question, Will a man rob God? But ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? God answers, in tithes and offerings. And then God says, you're cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. And then God makes a commandment and a promise. Listen to it. Here's the commandment. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith, prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, and here's the promise, 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. …