Holy Scriptures and Israel

Gideon Levytam: The study of the book of Malachi, chapter three. What are they going to be doing during the time they are supposed to worship the Lord? Can they continue to come to the temple or to come to the tabernacle and enjoy the liberty and worship of the Lord if there is no provision there? If there are no Levites there, no priest there, nobody to continue on with the ministry of the things of the Lord?

Can you imagine? And even before the law came, when Abraham met Melchizedek, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham, Abraham himself gave to Melchizedek a tithe. It was a principle that was taught throughout the Hebrew Scriptures throughout the days of old. So God is saying to his own people.

Guest (Male): Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me.

Gideon Levytam: And Israel is saying, "No, in what way? Wherein shall we rob you?" And God says in a very simple way. Number one, with tithing. Number two, with offering.

Guest (Male): In other words, you have not supported the work of the Lord in order that the Lord's work will continue on among the people of Israel.

Gideon Levytam: Now how is it for us today? We don't live in the days of old. We are not, in a sense, under the law per se. God's law is always holy and righteous, but we live in the days in which we are today. We live in the assembly age, in the church age. Jews and Gentiles are united together in the body of Messiah.

Believers are everywhere in the world, from Jerusalem to China, to India, to Africa, to Europe, to North America. All over the world there are believers. And God's work continues on. Now how will God's work continue on unless God's people will support God's work? How is it possible even to have a building or to have a room or to have a servant to serve the Lord if he will not serve the Lord and not be supported by God's people?

It's not possible to continue in the work of the Lord unless God's people support it. It is amazing. It always moves my heart. I remember years ago, I was riding on a train and reading my Bible on the way to a meeting. A stranger came to the train and he saw me reading my Bible. He never heard my ministry, he never heard me preaching one word. He saw me reading my Bible and he asked me, "What are you reading?" I said, "I'm just preparing. I have a Bible class to go to."

And it really moved my heart. The man got up and he left. And I looked in my Bible case. When I put my Bible case back, I saw an envelope with a gift from a man who never, ever, ever heard of me. He loved the Jewish people. He knew that I was a Jewish believer, that I was going to prepare for Bible class.

Without anybody expecting from him anything, the Lord had laid on his heart to give something for the service of the Lord. He didn't have to. Nobody expected this from him. Nobody demanded this from him. Reminded me of the ravens that provided for Elijah many, many years ago. Without Elijah even asking for anything, the Lord used the ravens to provide support for Elijah that was serving the Lord but away from the things of the Lord at that time. He thought that he was the only one that was left among the people of Israel.

How do we apply this to us today? You see, brothers and sisters, we don't have to give a tenth, because it's not commanded in this present day. But there is a guideline that God gives us in scripture to help us to be part of the Lord's work. It depends, you might say, about God's people praying and supporting the Lord's work.

There are missionaries who are going to the mission field. Who are going to Africa, who are going to India, who are going to Israel, who are going to all over the world. How will they be able to continue to serve the Lord if they are not going to be provided by God's people? Look at a couple of verses I want to read for you in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, if you don't mind please.

Guest (Male): 1 Corinthians chapter 16, the first two verses. Look at the beautiful principle that Paul taught the Corinthians when he was preaching the message of the gospel. He was going now preaching to the Corinthians, preaching to the Galatians, preaching to the Ephesians and to the others. He was now giving them a principle to help them in their participation in the work of the Lord.

In chapter 16 and verse one he said, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gathering when I come." Notice the principle that he gives them. Here is the principle. He said, "Upon the first day of the week, let everyone of you lay by him in store." And look at the beautiful expression: "as God had prospered him."

Gideon Levytam: It doesn't set any, you might say, rule and say you have to give ten percent or twenty percent or five percent or one percent, but he said, "as God has prospered him." If God blesses you, and if God blesses the people of God, use this blessing as well to enhance the work of the Lord. In this case, it's for the benefit of the Jewish saints in the city of Jerusalem which needed the help of the people of God. Look at one more verse in 2 Corinthians chapter nine this time.

Guest (Male): These are all also good principles for us to adhere to because it will help us in being part in the work of the Lord. 2 Corinthians chapter nine. Notice what we read there. Very, very interesting verses. I'm going to read verse six. "But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man, notice every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."

Gideon Levytam: In other words, it's such a beautiful principle. There is no binding, as we understand from scripture, though some still take the principles that was given to Israel about tithing. But notice that as every man according as he purposed in his heart, let him give. Not grudgingly, not of necessity, but simply it says here, for God loveth a cheerful giver.

What a principle, beloved brothers and sisters, to learn from the Lord. And I'm saying this for us all to realize that the Lord's work is a privilege for the Lord's people to participate in. When we don't participate in the Lord's work, we will lose out. Not salvation, but the joy and the blessing that God intended to give his people. They will lose out when they do not participate in the Lord's work. In the case of Israel, God said, "Will a man rob God? You have robbed me."

You should have realized that that's what I have expected from you, but you haven't. And so Israel is now saying, and I'm back to Malachi chapter three and verse eight. Israel is saying, "Wherein have we robbed you?" And God gave them an answer. Number one, in tithes. Number two, in offering. And you know, the offering here is a willing offering.

In Exodus chapter 25, when God was going to build the tabernacle, God said to Moses, "Moses, you ask from the people of Israel to bring all what they can so we can build, we can make the tabernacle." This is chapter 25. I read that just recently in the first eight verses. God says, "I want to dwell in the midst of them, and I want them to bring anything." And they brought the silver and the gold and the earrings, whatever they had.

But if you read in chapter 36 of the same book of Exodus, you'll find out that Moses said, "Stop it! Don't bring anymore. There is so much. You have brought too much." Because the people of Israel responded to the Lord and God had to stop them because they brought so much to the building of the tabernacle. Can you imagine what it would be like when God's people would support the Lord's work?

You know how many missionaries have to beg for money from God's people? And they have to run from church group to church group to speak in order that the people might give them something? While the people of God supposed to support the things of God naturally, so the servants of the Lord can continue on and serve the Lord. So God is appealing to the people of Judah during that time, and he is saying to them hard things.

Guest (Male): You have robbed me. You should have been supporting the Levites, you should have been supporting the temple, you should have been doing it, but you haven't.

Gideon Levytam: And so now notice let's move along in our chapter. In chapter three and verse nine, now there is a consequences to the disobedience of the people. So God is saying to them in verse nine.

Guest (Male): You are cursed with the curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Gideon Levytam: In other words, what happened here that God now disciplined his people, and he said to them, "You are really cursed." The word here for cursed in verse nine is the word "klalot" or "arur." Arur in Hebrew is when you curse someone, you say, "ata arur," you are cursed. Now how did God curse the people in those days?

You see what happened. God had a way whereby he removed the blessing from the people of Israel. There is a way because God is sovereign and he is in control. Don't you realize that sometimes in our own lives, the Lord is not blessing us? In fact, he is removing from underneath us certain things that we thought we can trust in. And he's removing this because of our unfaithfulness to him.

And that's why he's saying to Israel, he said, "You are cursed with a curse, why you have robbed me, even," and notice he said, "this whole nation." He actually disciplined the whole nation. And you know what happened in during those days? They didn't have any fruit that grew up from the land, the dry ground. There was no rain. There was no blessing. Because Israel is an agricultural nation, Israel enjoyed the fruit of the land.

But what God did, he removed from them that which Israel was supposed to enjoy, the blessings of the Lord. So in verse nine, God's punishment was a curse upon the land. God removed the blessing from the land and then he says to them that God has always took away from them all that which they were supposed to enjoy because of the blessing of the nation that he intended for them.

Guest (Male): Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house. Listen, bring. In other words, provide for the Levites, provide for the tabernacle, so there will be food for the priests and the Levites to enjoy and to eat. And then he told them in verse 10, "Prove me now and herewith," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open the windows of heaven."

Gideon Levytam: You know, who is the one that gives us the rain? Who is the one that provides the blessing? The heavens are like, you might say, the sky that God is just opening it and he providing the rain to come. The rain, in turn, is wetting the ground. The ground, in turn, bringing the fruit, the vegetable, the trees, and Israel eventually is being blessed with the provision of the Lord.

But apparently, God shut the door. He shut the windows of heaven. And sometimes spiritually, we wonder in our own personal life. Where is the blessing that I have expected from the Lord? It seems to be that things are shut down. That the heavens and the windows of heaven are shut down. God is saying, "Just test me, prove me, and you will see if I will not open the windows of heaven."

It's the Hebrew is not so much the word "window." It's called "arubot" or "aruba." Aruba means it's like the pipes that go out and you can see the smoke. The ability of the Lord to provide for his people to open the arubot, the you might say those pipes from heaven and the rain will come down and Israel will enjoy the blessing of the Lord. He says, "Prove me. Test me."

This is probably one of the only times that God asks to test him or to prove him. In Hebrew, it says, "bachanuni." Bachanuni mean test me, try me, and you will see what a blessing I'm going to provide for you Israel if you will only listen to what I have for you when I'm requiring from you to submit unto my word.

And now notice the three results that will come if Israel will bring in the tithe and will prove the Lord and do in obedience to him. Notice the threefold blessing that will come upon them. Number one, at the end of verse 10, God will pour out blessing upon his people.

Guest (Male): And I will pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Gideon Levytam: I will pour out upon you blessing that you will not even be able to contain the blessing if you will only repent and turn my ways and don't harden your heart. This is the first blessing. You know, we all like blessings. In Hebrew we call it "bracha" or "brachot." "Bless me, oh Lord. I want your blessing." Well, when we want the Lord's blessing, he is expecting from his people to obey his word.

Secondly, in verse 11, look at the second blessing. The second result that Israel could enjoy if they submit to the Lord. It says, notice in verse 11, God will remove the curse and he will rebuke the devourer.

Guest (Male): I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground. Neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.

Gideon Levytam: Apparently, the devourer was the locusts that came in Hebrew we call it "arbeh." The locusts came, sent by God, and devoured all the crop. So Israel could not enjoy the blessing of the land. No rain from heaven. The locusts came and devoured the earth. And Israel, as it says here, they destroyed the fruits of your ground. And the vine now fell before its time and they didn't have the fruit of the land.

You know, it is so interesting that God has a way whereby he knows how to discipline his people. They said, "No, no, no, no, we will not take care of the Lord's work. We will not take care of the tabernacle." "Fine," God said. "I'll find another way to deal with you." So what does he do? He sends the devourer. The devourer now destroys all the fruits. The devourer now allows that all the vine will be cast into the ground and there was no fruit for themselves.

And how many a time, brothers and sisters, I mentioned it earlier, the Lord has a way in which he deals with us individually. He somehow allows us to experience things in our lives that he removes from us in order to speak to our hearts and to our conscience. But the third thing is even greater benefit or result if Israel will repent and turn to him. In verse 12, God says he will cause all the nations to see the blessed privilege that Israel have when they are in a repentance stage or repentance condition.

Guest (Male): All nations shall call you blessed, and ye shall be a delightsome land, says the Lord of hosts.

Gideon Levytam: Land that is now going to be a delight land. The nations will call Israel, "What a blessed nation!" And they will acknowledge the fact that Israel is a privileged nation that God have chosen. So threefold results by obedience to the Lord.

Number one, verse 10 at the end, God will pour out blessing upon Israel they would never be able to even contain it. Verse 11, God will remove all that which is hindering growth from the field. He will remove the devourer. And then thirdly, all the nations shall call Israel blessed. "Mevorachechim" or "mevorachim," a nation that is mevorach is blessed by the Lord. That is if Israel will turn back to the Lord.

But look at this, brothers and sisters, sadly, and as I mentioned, this part among the people of Israel, they did not turn to the Lord. They didn't realize it. Didn't take it to heart. So in verses 13, 14, and 15, the Lord shows his sadness from the people of Israel by really telling them, "Listen, you are speaking against me, you are not repenting, you are continue on in your own way." And notice these verses for the ministry today. Verse 13, God said to those who did not repent.

Guest (Male): Your words, your sayings have been stout against me.

Gideon Levytam: Whatever you said against me, you were harsh, God saying to the people of Israel. You really rebelled against me. You spoke against me. You denied me. You did not submit to me, he is saying to the people of Judah in the days of Malachi. And then notice they again ask him, once again, "Yet ye say, what have we spoken so much against you, God?" And God shows them now, and here is that conclusion to this portion of the scripture in verses 14 and 15 we see what they were doing.

Guest (Male): Ye have said, it is in vain to serve God. What profit is it that we kept his ordinance? We have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts.

Gideon Levytam: In other words, they probably put the garb on. They put the mourning sackcloth and so on, as externally appearing as if they were mourning, but in reality they were not. Because God knows the heart. Man looks upon the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart. They didn't change.

They say in "it's no use to serve God." In vain we are serving God. "What profit is it that we kept his ordinances, the holidays, the feasts?" No use to do this because anyway, God is not really happy with the way we are speaking and living our lives. And finally in verse 15, it says there, and Malachi now himself charging them and he is saying.

Guest (Male): And now we call the proud, we call him happy. The one that work wickedness are set up. And they that tempt God are even delivered.

Gideon Levytam: You see, they really twisted completely the desire of God for them. If you are proud, you're going to be happy. If you work wickedness, you're going to be set up. You're going to be successful in that. And those that tempt God eventually are really delivered. God is in a sense you can tempt God, you can test God, you can you can do what you want, and there is no answer.

They simply, beloved brothers and sisters, did not repent and turn back to the Lord. And by doing so, beloved brothers and sisters, they would eventually experience the discipline of the Lord, but also the loss in the enjoyment of serving the God who loved them so much and wanted a relationship with them.

Now this is a heavy thing. This is a hard thing to read. We could have bypassed it and go to another message that talk about love, love, love. But this is a challenge to us all. How do we respond to God when he speaks to us today as well? It is better to always turn around and come back to the Lord.

Admit that we failed him in one way or another and seek to be restored. And he will bless us. He intending to bless his own people. "Prove me," he said in verse 10. "Now herewith sayeth the Lord," he said, "if I will not open the windows of heaven and I will pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

May the Lord help us to turn around and to go back to the things of the Lord and recognize that he eventually intend to spiritually bless his people, those that belong to him. May the Lord bless his word. Can we say amen to that?

Guest (Male): Prove me now and herewith says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven and I will pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Guest (Female): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. Or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com.

You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom.