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Generosity to the poor and needy is not in question. The tithe that people typically pay is paid into their meeting's general funds and what becomes of it after that is up to the people who look after church finances. A lot will go to wages some to building maintenance, a lot of mortgages, some to missions, maybe some to the poor or to helping needy people in the meeting. Tithe or no tithe these matters are taken care of by every sort of denomination, meeting, and church. My own Church does not demand a tithe yet Catholic charities abound and many in poor nations and the poor in many rich nations benefit from these charities and all without a tithe requirement because the Church building is not a temple and the pastors are not a tribe.
Malachi says this:
Malachi 3:1-12 (1) Behold, I send my angel, and he will prepare the way before my face. And presently the Sovereign, whom you seek, and the angel of testimony, whom you desire, will arrive at his temple. Behold, he approaches, says the Lord of hosts. (2) And who will be able to consider the day of his advent, and who will stand firm in order to see him? For he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller"s herb. (3) And he will sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he will purge the sons of Levi, and he will gather them like gold and like silver, and they will offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice. (4) And the sacrifice of Judah and of Jerusalem will please the Lord, just as in the days of past generations, and as in the ancient years. (5) And I will approach you in judgment, and I will be a swift witness against evil-doers, and adulterers, and perjurers, and those who cheat the hired hand in his wages, the widows and the orphans, and who oppress the traveller, and who have not feared me, says the Lord of hosts.
(6) For I am the Lord, and I do not change. And you, the sons of Jacob, have not been consumed. (7) For, from the days of your fathers, you have withdrawn from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. And you have said, "In what way, shall we return?" (8) If a man will afflict God, then you greatly afflict me. And you have said, "In what way, do we afflict you?" In tithes and in first-fruits. (9) And you have been cursed with privation, and you greatly afflict me, even your entire people. (10) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and let there be food in my house. And test me about this, says the Lord, as to whether I will not open to you the floodgates of heaven, and pour out to you a blessing, all the way to abundance. (11) And I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer, and he will not corrupt the fruit of your land. Neither will the vine in the field be barren, says the Lord of hosts. (12) And all nations will call you blessed. For you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts.
(6) For I am the Lord, and I do not change. And you, the sons of Jacob, have not been consumed. (7) For, from the days of your fathers, you have withdrawn from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. And you have said, "In what way, shall we return?" (8) If a man will afflict God, then you greatly afflict me. And you have said, "In what way, do we afflict you?" In tithes and in first-fruits. (9) And you have been cursed with privation, and you greatly afflict me, even your entire people. (10) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and let there be food in my house. And test me about this, says the Lord, as to whether I will not open to you the floodgates of heaven, and pour out to you a blessing, all the way to abundance. (11) And I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer, and he will not corrupt the fruit of your land. Neither will the vine in the field be barren, says the Lord of hosts. (12) And all nations will call you blessed. For you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts.
Verses 1-5 are about the coming of Jehovah's servant. Most Christians take this to be a prophecy about the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. It speaks of the refining (by fire) of the faithful of Israel at the advent of the Lord's messenger. They are likened to gold and to silver refined by fire. The passage also peaks of the swift judgement of the Lord against evil-doers. No tithe is mentioned here yet the idea of gold and silver being offered to the Lord is present and the offering in question is the faithful of Israel rather than their money.
Verses 6-12 are about the faults and sins of the Israelites around the time of their return to Judea after the exile. The Cambridge Bible Commentary explains the verses thus:
Malachi 3:6
For I am the Lord, I change not] Rather: For I, the Lord, change not: therefore (lit. and) ye, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. The unchangeableness of Him, whose name, Jehovah, “I am,” is the exponent of His nature, is appealed to as the ground (“for”) of His dealings with Israel. He changes not in His promises and purposes of grace (Rom_11:29); therefore, in spite of their rebellions and provocations, the sons of Jacob are still preserved. It is the same argument that is expanded in Psalm 89:28-37.
Malachi 3:7
Ch. Mal 3:7 to Mal 4:3. Renewed Rebukes, Threatenings and Promises
Ch. Mal 3:7-12. Rebuke in the matter of Tithes and Offerings
7. Even from the days of your fathers] Omit even, with R.V. The connection with Mal 3:6 is well given by Pusey: “Back to those days and from them, ye are gone away from My ordinances. ‘I am not changed from good; ye are not changed from evil. I am unchangeable in holiness; ye are unchangeable in perversity.’*”
gone away] Rather, turned aside, R.V., as the same word is translated elsewhere, e.g. Deut 17:20; Deut 28:14; Jos 23:6; and with the metaphor completed, turned aside from the way, Exo 32:8; Deut 9:12.
Return unto me] Comp. Zec 1:3, where the word (turn, A.V.) is the same.
Malachi 3:8
ye have robbed] Rather, rob; lit. are robbing: it is still going on.
tithes] By the Law of Moses (1) “the tenth of all produce, as well as of flocks and cattle, belongs to Jehovah and must be offered to Him” (Lev 27:30; Lev 27:32); and (2) this tenth is “assigned to the Levites as the reward of their services” (Num 18:21; Num 18:24). Nehemiah in his day had to deal once and again with the evil here rebuked. Notwithstanding the “sure covenant” into which they had entered (Neh 9:38 with Neh 10:32-39), he had occasion, on his return to Jerusalem after an absence of a few years, to reform them again in this very particular (Neh 13:10-14).
Malachi 3:9
a curse] Rather, the curse. The threatened curse has already fallen upon you. See ch. Mal 2:2 with Mal 3:11.
have robbed] Rather rob, as in Mal 3:8.
The pronouns in the Hebrew are emphatic: Me ye are robbing. And the evil is not confined to the priests (ch. Mal 1:6-8; Mal 1:12-14), but extends to “the whole nation”.
Malachi 3:10
all the tithes] More exactly, the whole tithe, R. V. Cf. Deut 26:12.
the storehouse] This may have been the “great chamber”, or “lean to”, surrounding the second Temple on three sides, and consisting of three stories, each containing several rooms, which had been perverted from its original purpose as a receptacle of the tithes and offerings, and assigned by the High-priest to Tobiah, but which Nehemiah had restored to its proper use again (Neh 10:38; Neh 13:5-9; Neh 13:12-13). It is not improbable that the “chambers”, which abutted to the height of three stories on the walls of Solomon’s Temple, were intended in like manner for storehouses (1Ki_6:5-6). In the great Reformation under Hezekiah such chambers were “prepared”, either built or restored, in some part of the Temple area, to receive the enormous influx of tithes and offerings (2Ch 31:11-12).
meat] The Hebrew word properly means “prey”, or “booty”. It has, however, the same meaning of “food” as here in Pro 31:15 (comp. Pro 30:8 for the verb in the same sense), and in Psa 111:5.
the windows of heaven] Comp. Gen 7:11; Gen 8:2; 2Ki 7:2; 2Ki 7:19.
that there shall not be room enough to receive it] Heb. till not enough. The ellipsis has been supplied in various ways: “till there be not (barely) enough, but much more than enough, i.e. abundance”; or “till there be no longer sufficiency with Me, or, as that can never be, in boundless measure”. The rendering, however, of A.V. and R.V., is the simplest and most satisfactory.
The history of the Jews in the time of Hezekiah had already afforded an example of the reward of faithful obedience, in the matter of tithes and offerings, in overflowing abundance bestowed upon them by God. 2Ch 31:10.
Malachi 3:11
the devourer] lit. eater, i.e. any insect, especially the locust, that would devour the fruits of the earth. The same verb is used of the ravages of four insects, “probably different kinds of locusts, or locusts in different stages of growth” (R.V. marginal note), Joe 1:4.
The threatened curse was the “rebuke” (ch. Mal 2:3, note) of the seed: the promised blessing is the “rebuke” of the devourer.
cast her fruit before the time] lit. miscarry. Comp. “a miscarrying womb”, Hos 9:14; “miscarrying ground”, 2Ki 2:19; 2Ki 2:21. So Pliny speaks of “arborum abortus”. (Pusey after Gesen.) In Rev 6:13 we read: “the stars of the heaven fall unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs, when she is shaken of a great wind.”
Malachi 3:12
call you blessed] or happy, R.V., as in Mal_3:15. μακαριοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, LXX. Comp. μακαριοῦσι με, Luk 1:48, and Jas 5:11.
If you have the patience to read the comments then they make it apparent that the provisions invoked in the passage are Mosaic laws intended for Israel. You may wish to live under the provisions of Deut 26:12 and all the other passages about tithes but I can't hep but think that you do not want to follow all the provisions of the law so why single out this one? Why say that "we are to tithe" and not also say that "we are to offer the first fruits to God" and "we are to abstain from blood and unclean foods"?For I am the Lord, I change not] Rather: For I, the Lord, change not: therefore (lit. and) ye, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. The unchangeableness of Him, whose name, Jehovah, “I am,” is the exponent of His nature, is appealed to as the ground (“for”) of His dealings with Israel. He changes not in His promises and purposes of grace (Rom_11:29); therefore, in spite of their rebellions and provocations, the sons of Jacob are still preserved. It is the same argument that is expanded in Psalm 89:28-37.
Malachi 3:7
Ch. Mal 3:7 to Mal 4:3. Renewed Rebukes, Threatenings and Promises
Ch. Mal 3:7-12. Rebuke in the matter of Tithes and Offerings
7. Even from the days of your fathers] Omit even, with R.V. The connection with Mal 3:6 is well given by Pusey: “Back to those days and from them, ye are gone away from My ordinances. ‘I am not changed from good; ye are not changed from evil. I am unchangeable in holiness; ye are unchangeable in perversity.’*”
gone away] Rather, turned aside, R.V., as the same word is translated elsewhere, e.g. Deut 17:20; Deut 28:14; Jos 23:6; and with the metaphor completed, turned aside from the way, Exo 32:8; Deut 9:12.
Return unto me] Comp. Zec 1:3, where the word (turn, A.V.) is the same.
Malachi 3:8
ye have robbed] Rather, rob; lit. are robbing: it is still going on.
tithes] By the Law of Moses (1) “the tenth of all produce, as well as of flocks and cattle, belongs to Jehovah and must be offered to Him” (Lev 27:30; Lev 27:32); and (2) this tenth is “assigned to the Levites as the reward of their services” (Num 18:21; Num 18:24). Nehemiah in his day had to deal once and again with the evil here rebuked. Notwithstanding the “sure covenant” into which they had entered (Neh 9:38 with Neh 10:32-39), he had occasion, on his return to Jerusalem after an absence of a few years, to reform them again in this very particular (Neh 13:10-14).
Malachi 3:9
a curse] Rather, the curse. The threatened curse has already fallen upon you. See ch. Mal 2:2 with Mal 3:11.
have robbed] Rather rob, as in Mal 3:8.
The pronouns in the Hebrew are emphatic: Me ye are robbing. And the evil is not confined to the priests (ch. Mal 1:6-8; Mal 1:12-14), but extends to “the whole nation”.
Malachi 3:10
all the tithes] More exactly, the whole tithe, R. V. Cf. Deut 26:12.
the storehouse] This may have been the “great chamber”, or “lean to”, surrounding the second Temple on three sides, and consisting of three stories, each containing several rooms, which had been perverted from its original purpose as a receptacle of the tithes and offerings, and assigned by the High-priest to Tobiah, but which Nehemiah had restored to its proper use again (Neh 10:38; Neh 13:5-9; Neh 13:12-13). It is not improbable that the “chambers”, which abutted to the height of three stories on the walls of Solomon’s Temple, were intended in like manner for storehouses (1Ki_6:5-6). In the great Reformation under Hezekiah such chambers were “prepared”, either built or restored, in some part of the Temple area, to receive the enormous influx of tithes and offerings (2Ch 31:11-12).
meat] The Hebrew word properly means “prey”, or “booty”. It has, however, the same meaning of “food” as here in Pro 31:15 (comp. Pro 30:8 for the verb in the same sense), and in Psa 111:5.
the windows of heaven] Comp. Gen 7:11; Gen 8:2; 2Ki 7:2; 2Ki 7:19.
that there shall not be room enough to receive it] Heb. till not enough. The ellipsis has been supplied in various ways: “till there be not (barely) enough, but much more than enough, i.e. abundance”; or “till there be no longer sufficiency with Me, or, as that can never be, in boundless measure”. The rendering, however, of A.V. and R.V., is the simplest and most satisfactory.
The history of the Jews in the time of Hezekiah had already afforded an example of the reward of faithful obedience, in the matter of tithes and offerings, in overflowing abundance bestowed upon them by God. 2Ch 31:10.
Malachi 3:11
the devourer] lit. eater, i.e. any insect, especially the locust, that would devour the fruits of the earth. The same verb is used of the ravages of four insects, “probably different kinds of locusts, or locusts in different stages of growth” (R.V. marginal note), Joe 1:4.
The threatened curse was the “rebuke” (ch. Mal 2:3, note) of the seed: the promised blessing is the “rebuke” of the devourer.
cast her fruit before the time] lit. miscarry. Comp. “a miscarrying womb”, Hos 9:14; “miscarrying ground”, 2Ki 2:19; 2Ki 2:21. So Pliny speaks of “arborum abortus”. (Pusey after Gesen.) In Rev 6:13 we read: “the stars of the heaven fall unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs, when she is shaken of a great wind.”
Malachi 3:12
call you blessed] or happy, R.V., as in Mal_3:15. μακαριοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, LXX. Comp. μακαριοῦσι με, Luk 1:48, and Jas 5:11.
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