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There is a lot of dodgeball played with the topic of tithing.  Some consider it Old Testament, old covenant, under the law, or no longer applicable.  But Abraham tithed before the law of Moses.

Malachi 3:10 (KJV) Bring 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.

¹¹ And 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.

Man has to do his part, which is bring the tithes and offerings first.

God says then he will rebuke the devourer and pour out a blessing.

And this needs to be consistent, not a one-off attempt to toss a tithing lottery ticket at God.  Tithes and offerings need to be an ongoing way of life.

It is a principle in the Word of God that when man acts according to the Word and will of God, there are signs following.

Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

It is thought that because God is God, that he can do anything.  God is God and God can do anything, but God also works according to the principles set out in the Bible.  He does not overrule those principles.  Certain responsibilities are God’s.  Certain responsibilities belong to man.  God will not do man’s job.

For example,

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Mankind must approach God according to the protocols God has set up.  Ask.  Seek.  Knock.  God does not just do things because God knows that things need to be done.  If that were true, there would be no problems in this world.  Man must initiate the asking, the seeking, and the knocking.  And that is just one principle.  That is why ongoing Bible reading, Bible training, regular church attendance, and ongoing study (and application) is necessary.

The reasons there are problems in the world is because:

Psalm 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

Because of the Fall in the garden of Eden, mankind lost authority over the earth.  Sin, sicknes, and death entered what had been a perfect world.  The earth became subject to the god of this world, satan.  Jesus at the cross purchased back the ability for man to again have dominion and to be free to do the will of God, no longer a slave of sin and satan.  But it is not automatic.  The earth is still given to the children of men, Jesus offers authority to those who are born again, but again, mankind must pick up the weapons and tools and use them.  It is not God’s job.

If things are not getting done, it pays to find out why.  And since God has already done all he can do, the fault can only lie with mankind.

Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

If you want to know about anything  you begin to study and then apply.  Then if you want to know more, you study more and apply more.  God and the things of God are not mysterious in the sense of being unattainable.  They operate along the same lines.  How much you put in, how much effort you may to learn, and especially to obey, affects what you  experience.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Spirit of truth must be welcomed, not resisted.  When Stephen was preaching, this happened.

Acts 7:57  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

People study for all sorts of natural things …  a career, how to fix something around the house, how to use a new appliance.   The things of God require study and effort and application as well.

The world is a free will universe and if we want change, we have to find how to work with God on God’s terms, not ours.

It is the relationship of sonship that God is after and even though God knows all things, God still works with man to grow him up through discipline.  God was not asking the questions because God was ignorant, but because man, the woman, and the serpent had to face what they had done in relationship to the Creator.

Genesis 3:8 (KJV) And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The purification, the discipline of the Father to mankind, continues today.  It is ongoing, whether it is recognized or not,  or acknowledged or not.

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.