“Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.” ~ Exodus 19:5-6

Exodus 19:6 LEVI Reuben Judah Gad Naphtali Issachar Benjamin Zebulun Ephraim / Manasseh Asher Simeon Dan Exodus 19:6

As Levi was a tribe of priests to Israel; so Israel was a nation of priests to the world.

Exodus 19:6 Israel Egypt Moab Ammon Philistia Assyria Persia Babylon Phoenicia Greece Tyre Cush Exodus 19:6

As Israel was a nation of priests to the world located in the land and worshiping at the Temple; so the church is a nation of priests to the world located everywhere and worshiping in Jesus Christ.

Exodus 19:6 Church Hilltop The Hipsters Our families Fellow employees veterans USA immigrants Democrats and Republicans The race you are not The race you are students Exodus 19:6

1400 BC Israel in the Land! 1000 BC King David is rockin’ it! 900 BC Kingdom splits 722 BC The north wiped out 586 BC Jerusalem & Temple destroyed 520s BC Return and Temple rebuilt 400? BC Malachi

Malachi and Israel’s ”new” crisis. 3 signs of crisis: Priests are lazy and forgetful of their work People don’t care about the temple Jewish men are taking foreign wives

Malachi 1:6 ff A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me?

Malachi 1:14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.

Malachi 2:1 ff And now, O priests, this command is for you.  If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

Malachi 3:8 ff Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you! Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

Malachi 3:16 Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the Lord and thought on his name. 17 They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act . . .

Why give? God needs it. Nope! God likes to make us suffer. Curses!

Why give? We want to organize our lives around God’s priorities. We participate in God’s work. We partner with God! We are his priests! It is worship. God is generous—so are we!

Why give to God? . . . because we are God’s priests to the world; and, we are to be a model for the life of people who are expressing proper worship to God.

“Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.” ~ Exodus 19:5-6

Practical considerations: Give regularly. Give enough you notice. (whatever resource you have – emotional energy, money, time) Think about who is blessed by what you give.