Malachi (NKJV) 3: 1 BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER, AND HE WILL PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE ME. AND THE LORD, WHOM YOU SEEK, WILL SUDDENLY COME TO HIS TEMPLE, EVEN THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT, IN WHOM YOU DELIGHT. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.
BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER; Rav Saadia Gaon (b. ce. 890 CE) says We have a tradition from our forefathers that this is the Messiah son of Joseph. He will appear first [before the Messiah son of David] in the Land of Israel. He will ingather Israel from all over the world, as it says,
Ezekiel 39:28: 'and have left none of them there.' The Commentary of Rabbi Abraham Iben Ezra (1089-1167) also says that the 'MESSENGER' is the Messiah son of Joseph.
The Messiah son of Joseph according to the Malbim (1809-1879), and "Pri Tsadik" (Rabbi Zadok ha-Kohen Rabinowitz, 1823 – 1900), and others will be the future head of the Lost Ten Tribes when they return to re-unite with Judah.
Malachi 3: 2 BUT WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? AND WHO CAN STAND WHEN HE APPEARS? FOR HE IS LIKE A REFINERS FIRE AND LIKE LAUNDERERS SOAP.
3 HE WILL SIT AS A REFINER AND A PURIFIER OF SILVER; HE WILL PURIFY THE SONS OF LEVI, AND PURGE THEM AS GOLD AND SILVER, THAT THEY MAY OFFER TO THE LORD AN OFFERING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Talmud: #Said Rabbi Hama Bar Hanina: When God decides to let it be known who belongs to which Tribe, he clarifies firstly who belongs to the Tribe of Levi, as it says, "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi... (Malachi 3:3); [Talmud, Kiddushin 70;a].
Maimonides: # In the days of the Messianic King: When his kingdom shall be settled and all of Israel gather unto him, he shall then give the Tribal-genealogy of each one. He shall do this through Divine inspiration. As it says, HE SHALL SIT AS A REFINER AND PURIFIER (Malachi 3:3). He will purify the Tribe of Levi first as it says, "till there be stood up a priest with Urim and with Thumim" (Ezra 2:63). He gives the genealogy of Israel only concerning which tribe each one belongs to.. [Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, The Laws of Kings, ch. 12, no.3].
Malachi 3:4 THEN THE OFFERING OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM WILL BE PLEASANT TO THE LORD, AS IN THE DAYS OF OLD, AS IN FORMER YEARS.
5 AND I WILL COME NEAR YOU FOR JUDGMENT; I WILL BE A SWIFT WITNESS AGAINST SORCERERS, AGAINST ADULTERERS, AGAINST PERJURERS, AGAINST THOSE WHO EXPLOIT WAGE EARNERS AND WIDOWS AND ORPHANS, AND AGAINST THOSE WHO TURN AWAY AN ALIEN BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FEAR ME, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.
Malachi 3 6 FOR I AM THE LORD, I DO NOT CHANGE; THEREFORE YOU ARE NOT CONSUMED, O SONS OF JACOB.
7 YET FROM THE DAYS OF YOUR FATHERS YOU HAVE GONE AWAY FROM MY ORDINANCES AND HAVE NOT KEPT THEM. RETURN TO ME, AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. BUT YOU SAID, IN WHAT WAY SHALL WE RETURN?
8 WILL A MAN ROB GOD? YET YOU HAVE ROBBED ME! BUT YOU SAY, IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE ROBBED YOU? IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS.
9 YOU ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE, FOR YOU HAVE ROBBED ME, EVEN THIS WHOLE NATION.
10 BRING ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE, AND TRY ME NOW IN THIS, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS, IF I WILL NOT OPEN FOR YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT FOR YOU SUCH BLESSING THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT.
One should give tithes. Through tithing it is promised a blessing will be given.
The Forefather Jacob also kept the Law of Tithing.
Genesis 28: 18 EARLY THE NEXT MORNING JACOB TOOK THE STONE HE HAD PLACED UNDER HIS HEAD AND SET IT UP AS A PILLAR AND POURED OIL ON TOP OF IT. 19 HE CALLED THAT PLACE BETHEL, THOUGH THE CITY USED TO BE CALLED LUZ. 20 THEN JACOB MADE A VOW, SAYING, IF GOD WILL BE WITH ME AND WILL WATCH OVER ME ON THIS JOURNEY I AM TAKING AND WILL GIVE ME FOOD TO EAT AND CLOTHES TO WEAR 21 SO THAT I RETURN SAFELY TO MY FATHERS HOUSEHOLD, THEN THE LORD WILL BE MY GOD 22 AND THIS STONE THAT I HAVE SET UP AS A PILLAR WILL BE GODS HOUSE, AND OF ALL THAT YOU GIVE ME I WILL GIVE YOU A TENTH.
Jacob was setting out on a journey to Padan-Aram, the House of his future father-in-law, Laban of Aram. In that place he would marry his wives and beget 12 sons, and then return to the Promised Land. This journey of his presages the Period of Exile that his descendants would undergo. Tithing would help ensure his eventual return:
Genesis 28: 20 THEN JACOB MADE A VOW, SAYING, IF GOD WILL BE WITH … 21 SO THAT I RETURN SAFELY TO MY FATHERS HOUSEHOLD 22 … AND OF ALL THAT YOU GIVE ME I WILL GIVE YOU A TENTH.
Giving tithes is conducive to survival and getting through the journey of this life.
So too, we are promised a great blessing as a reward for tithing:
Proverbs 3: 9 HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR WEALTH AND WITH THE FIRST OF ALL YOUR PRODUCE, 10 SO YOUR BARNS WILL BE FILLED WITH ABUNDANCE, AND YOUR VATS WILL BURST OPEN WITH NEW WINE.
Malach 3: 11 AND I WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER FOR YOUR SAKES, SO THAT HE WILL NOT DESTROY THE FRUIT OF YOUR GROUND, NOR SHALL THE VINE FAIL TO BEAR FRUIT FOR YOU IN THE FIELD, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS;
12 AND ALL NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED, FOR YOU WILL BE A DELIGHTFUL LAND, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.
13 YOUR WORDS HAVE BEEN HARSH AGAINST ME, SAYS THE LORD, YET YOU SAY, WHAT HAVE WE SPOKEN AGAINST YOU?
14 YOU HAVE SAID, IT IS USELESS TO SERVE GOD; WHAT PROFIT IS IT THAT WE HAVE KEPT HIS ORDINANCE, AND THAT WE HAVE WALKED AS MOURNERS BEFORE THE LORD OF HOSTS?
15 SO NOW WE CALL THE PROUD BLESSED, FOR THOSE WHO DO WICKEDNESS ARE RAISED UP; THEY EVEN TEMPT GOD AND GO FREE.
16 THEN THOSE WHO FEARED THE LORD SPOKE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND THE LORD LISTENED AND HEARD THEM; SO A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE HIM FOR THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD AND WHO MEDITATE ON HIS NAME.
17 THEY SHALL BE MINE, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS, ON THE DAY THAT I MAKE THEM MY JEWELS. AND I WILL SPARE THEM AS A MAN SPARES HIS OWN SON WHO SERVES HIM.
18 THEN YOU SHALL AGAIN DISCERN BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED, BETWEEN ONE WHO SERVES GOD AND ONE WHO DOES NOT SERVE HIM.
God loves you. HE wants what is good for you. Give HIM a chance to help you.
