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Living GodCast

Test God - 6/29/2025 9 AM

·36 min·3 clips
God invites you to test him by bringing your tithe into the storehouse—what happens if you do?
The episode opens with a reading from Malachi 3:7-12, highlighting God's invitation to 'test him' by bringing tithes into the storehouse. Pastor Matt explains this is part of a series on giving and generosity. He delves into the history of tithing, starting with Abram giving a tenth of war spoils to Melchizedek, noting this was originally a pagan practice from Abram's Sumerian culture. The practice reappears with Jacob's vow in Genesis 28, though Scripture doesn't confirm he followed through. Tithing becomes formalized during the Exodus, where the tribe of Levi, given no land, relies on tithes from other tribes for their service in the tabernacle. The Levites also tithe to the priests, and additional tithes for festivals and charity bring total giving to 20-33%. The context shifts to Malachi's time post-exile, where Nehemiah returns to find corruption: priest Eliashib let Tobiah, an Ammonite, live in a temple storehouse, displacing tithes and causing Levites to abandon service. Nehemiah evicts Tobiah and restores the system. Pastor Matt parallels this to modern life, urging listeners to remove 'Tobiahs'—unwanted elements—from their spiritual storehouses. He interprets Malachi's curse as natural consequences of disobedience, not divine punishment, and emphasizes returning to God through obedience. The message concludes with a call to test God by prioritizing His word, promising overflowing blessings for obedience.

As heard by us

A Malachi sermon frames tithing as trust, then sharpens its point through Nehemiah's temple storeroom prepared for Tobiah.

Giving becomes a test of trust in this sermon, moving from Malachi 3's call to return to God into Nehemiah 13 and the temple storeroom prepared for Tobiah.

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Why you'd press play

You want tithing framed as a trust exercise, with a temple storeroom as the plot twist.

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