Gen 2:9 says "And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil".
Gen 2:16-17 says "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
I want you to use your imagination... Say God gives you a home, furnished, puts a lamp in it and says, “everything in the house is yours but the lamp belongs to me. Keep in the midst of your home”.
What does He mean by saying “keep it in the midst of your home”? Keep it where it can’t be missed.
Why would He have something in the midst of your home that he says leave it just the way I put it? Well consider this. It would be a constant reminder to you that He was the one who gave you the entire house.
Keep on imagining. Satan appears in the form of a house decorator. The 1st thing he says… “the lamp really doesn’t fit in this home. You need to get rid of that”.
The one thing in your house that is a reminder of God's provision (the whole house and furnishings) Satan wants you to get rid of. Why? Well what if someone broke in. If they thought to take everything they would be taking God’s stuff also, so God Himself would have the right to rebuke the devourer and you would benefit from it.
So the promise from the word of God...
Mal 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;
Concerning offerings: That’s something you give that show’s your heart toward whatever you give to. When it comes to God He wants you to do it out of love of a desire to help concerning things He loves also. Such as missions, giving to the poor etc, but it’s your stuff. You can give if you want but you don’t have to. God just gives us a promise.
Pro 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.
2Co 9:7amp Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]. [Proverbs 22:9]
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
And a law goes into effect… 2Co 9:6 msg Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.
But the tithe is different. It belongs to God. You take that out of your house and God has no right to rebuke the thief because He no longer has any personal possesions in your home.
Leave the lamp alone. In other words, The thithe belongs to God.
Mal 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
(By the way... robbing God in offerings is making a pedge and then not fulfilling it. (see Acts 5:1-10)
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