一个都不能遗漏 | 托德·史密斯牧师 | 08.16.26

Proverbs 10:22 declares that “the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” God’s blessing is not merely more money in a hand. God’s blessing is the favor that rests on a life submitted to His order.

Malachi asks a hard question: “Will a man rob God?” God does not ask questions without an answer. Malachi exposes the place where people had withheld what belonged to God, then called serving God useless when life did not turn out as expected. The tithe belongs to the Lord, is holy unto the Lord, and is not a leftover offering after every other desire has been fed.

The storehouse gives the tithe a clear destination. The storehouse is not an individual ministry, a personal mission project, or whatever cause feels most meaningful in the moment. God instructs His people to bring the tithe into the house of God, because obedience cannot be reshaped around personal preference.

Joshua 6 shows why first things matter so much to God. Jericho was not mainly about gold, silver, cattle, or military victory. Jericho was about order. Jericho was the first city in the land, and God claimed the firstfruits for Himself. God was showing Israel that the first belonged to Him before they possessed the rest.

Achan’s sin reveals how serious that order is. Achan took what God had declared devoted, hid it in his tent, and brought trouble upon an entire people. One man’s decision carried consequences beyond one man because sin is never as private as it pretends to be. The hidden silver under the tent became a declaration that Achan would manage life on his own terms.

The umbrella of God’s favor becomes the picture for a surrendered life. Finances underneath God’s order remain under God’s covering. Finances outside that order may still look manageable for a season, but human management cannot replace the full favor of God. Tithing makes sense not because the math always feels easy, but because God’s order is better than self-protection.

Idolatry exposes itself through anger. Comfort becomes an idol when inconvenience produces anger. Control becomes an idol when change produces anger. Pride becomes an idol when correction produces anger. Money becomes an idol when surrender feels impossible.

The ninety-day tithe challenge places that surrender into an actual decision. Faith does not wait until the budget feels safe. Faith brings God the first, trusts Him when things get tight, and refuses to quit when obedience costs something.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The first belongs to God [26:10] Joshua 6 makes Jericho a firstfruits issue before it becomes a warfare story. God claims the first because first place reveals who is trusted with the rest. Tithing trains the heart to confess that increase is received, not self-created. [26:10]
• 2. Hidden compromise brings real trouble [23:43] Achan hid devoted things beneath his tent, but God saw what no one else could see. Sin always promises private control while spreading public consequences. The fear of God calls hidden areas into the light before destruction reaches farther than expected. [23:43]
• 3. God’s favor exceeds human management [31:18] The umbrella of God’s favor is worth more than the illusion of keeping every dollar under personal control. Financial pressure can make self-reliance look wise, but obedience places resources beneath God’s covering. Tithing becomes a choice for favor over fear. [31:18]
• 4. Anger can reveal an idol [47:51] Comfort, control, pride, politics, and money can all become false gods when their disruption produces anger. Idols do not always look religious; they often look like demands for life to stay manageable. Lordship reaches the places where correction, inconvenience, and surrender feel unbearable.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:05] - The Blessing of the Lord
• [05:00] - Malachi’s Question: Can Man Rob God?
• [18:01] - Bringing the Tithe to the Storehouse
• [20:48] - God’s Order of First Things
• [23:43] - Achan and the Consequences of Disobedience
• [28:00] - The Tithe Is Holy to the Lord
• [30:44] - Living Under God’s Favor
• [35:28] - Choosing Faith When Money Is Tight
• [44:37] - Jericho Was About Order
• [47:51] - Anger and the Idols Beneath It
• [50:13] - The Ninety-Day Tithe Challenge
• [56:18] - Trusting God and Not Quitting
• [58:12] - Prayer for Increase and Obedience

Bible Reading

Malachi 3:8–10
“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” [05:00] [18:01]

Joshua 6:17–19
“And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers we sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them, you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” [23:43] [26:10] [44:37]

Proverbs 10:22
“The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” [02:05] [00:13]

Leviticus 27:30
“Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord.” [28:00]

Observation questions

1. In Malachi 3:8–10, what specific things had God’s people withheld, and where were they commanded to bring the full tithe? [18:01]
2. What words does Joshua 6 use to describe the silver, gold, bronze, and iron from Jericho, and what destination was assigned to them?
3. What does Leviticus 27:30 say about the ownership and holiness of the tithe? [28:00]
4. What examples connect anger to comfort, control, pride, and other possible idols? [47:51]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does bringing the tithe to the storehouse matter in Malachi 3? What does a clear destination for giving reveal about obedience and personal preference? [18:01]
2. Jericho was Israel’s first city in the land, and its wealth was set apart for God. How does this help explain the principle that God cares about first things, not merely about the amount given? [47:40]
3. Achan’s hidden choice brought trouble to the whole camp. What does this show about the way private disobedience can affect families, churches, and communities? [24:17]
4. Proverbs 10:22 connects God’s blessing with no added sorrow. How does this differ from the kind of security people try to create by managing every dollar on their own? [31:18]

Application questions

1. When income arrives, what usually receives first place in your budget? What would it look like to make a clear and intentional decision that the first belongs to God?
2. Financial pressure can make obedience feel risky. What fears, expenses, or past experiences make trusting God with giving difficult for you? [56:33]
3. Is there an area of financial life that has been kept hidden—debt, spending, withholding, dishonesty, or a refusal to seek help? What would bringing that area into the light look like in a wise and safe way? [23:43]
4. Anger can reveal what has become too important to surrender. When inconvenience, unexpected change, correction, or money pressure makes you angry, what might that reaction be revealing? [47:51]
5. God’s favor is worth more than the illusion of total personal control. Where are you most tempted to rely on your own management instead of placing your finances under God’s order? [34:36]
6. If you are not currently tithing, what is one practical next step you could take this week—reviewing your income, making a budget, asking for counsel, or beginning to give consistently? If you are already tithing, how can you continue giving with faith rather than routine? [50:13]
7. When obedience becomes costly, what would help you trust God and refuse to quit—Scripture, prayer, accountability, simplifying spending, or honest conversation with someone you trust? [56:18]