Christian Robbers

The following statistics are found:
• According to Capital One Shopping Research, in 2022, stores lost over 112 billion dollars in retail theft.
• Capital One would also state that “The State of Alabama lost out on $48.1 million in retail sales tax dollars due to theft.”
• In 2019, 27% of larceny came from motor vehicles.[1]
Thievery is a common practice among many today. Many engage in it only to be caught soon thereafter. In Alabama, it is a felony to steal $1,500 or more. Thinking about stealing something in Saudi Arabia? Expect to come back without one of your hands. To God, stealing is a crime(Exodus 20:15). Even when one found someone else’s item and neglected to be honest with it, that man would be punished (Leviticus 6:1-6). Restoration was an obligation and self-defense against a thief was allowed (Leviticus 6:1-4). Stealing a fellow human was a cause for death (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7) and tipping the scales was a form of stealing (Leviticus 19:35-37; Proverbs 11:1). God does not overlook such sins between one’s fellow man and while such sins are detrimental in themselves, imagine if one were to steal from God?

Israel at the time of Malachi was steeped in sin although they had just recently returned. Malachi said they had been wicked for a long time (Malachi 3:7). They had profaned the worship service (Malachi 1:6-14), committed marital sins (Malachi 2:10-16), and had robbed God (Malachi 3:8-10). Unlike thieves who creep into homes and fraudulent criminals who steal millions, these persons had robbed God in a different way.

What does it mean to rob God? Is it possible to take something from Somone who owns everything (Psalm 24:1)? While robbing is taking, it can also be withholding. One employee was called to his employer’s office. Confused as to why, he sat down anyway. The employer told the employee he was disappointed for his worker’s dishonesty and thievery. Attempting to defend himself, the employee proclaimed that he had never stolen anything from his boss. He said that he had never taken any item from the shelves, nor had he stolen any money. The boss quietly, but firmly said, “sir, while you have not taken anything from me, you have still robbed me. You see, while nothing is missing from the shelves and not one checkbook is miscalculated, you have robbed me in that you have not given me your time.” While Israel had not been guilty in this instance of taking anything from God, they had been guilty of robbing Him by not giving Him what He deserved and commanded. This tithe and offering may have included
• The firstfruits to the Levites (Deuteronomy 18:4). Nehemiah records that this had not been done (Nehemiah 13:10-12).
• The tithe commanded every three years (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).
• The Levitical tithes paid by the Levites (Numbers 18:26-29).
• The heave and breast and shoulder offering (Exodus 29:27-28). The YLT translates “offerings” as “heave
offerings.”
They were withholding blessings from the mighty Maker and it was this action that covered them in condemnation. Such an action should have made them blush (Jeremiah 8:12) and it was astonishing[2] because
• It is such a daring thing to do. Imagine refusing to give to the Creator who gave to you!
• It is shamefully ungrateful. God had brought them out of captivity and restored to them their homeland.
• It is senselessly self-destructive. Bob Winton said, “By robbing God, they were robbing themselves.”[3]
• It will certainly be punished.” Heaven is not for the stingy, covetous, or thieves.
Such an action is a serious offence and should have made Israel tremble. Nothing in the world was theirs (Psalm 24:1), so it should not have been too hard for Israel.

Are we guilty of robbing God? While God is not dependent upon anything we may offer Him (Psalm 50:12; Acts 17:25), He does demand and deserve what we give Him (Psalm 29:2). Let us ask five questions to see if we would be found guilty as a robber.

ARE WE COVETOUS OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT OURS?

“A reporter once asked the elder Rockefeller, ‘How much money does it take to satisfy a person?’ The billionaire snapped back, ‘Always a little more.’”[4] Instead of humbly repenting of their greed, Israel played the innocent person and attempted to “gaslight” God. If they were not covetous, they would have had no problem giving to God what was rightfully His; however, it was their covetousness that prohibited such. Jesus warned of the danger of this sin, for it is not things that are important to a man’s life (Luke 12:15-21). A thief is always after a material possession and is often not satisfied until he obtains the item. We must remember that the “love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

The words “covet,” “covetousness,” and “covetous,” appear over 35 times in the Bible. The Hebrew and Greek words show that this person is a greedy, deceitful being. Paul said a covetous person is an idolatrous person (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5), because that person uplifts a THING over the CREATOR (cf. Romans 1:25). Israel refused to give God what was rightfully His because they were too greedy of the possessions that were given to them. Covetous persons have three problems

THEY HAVE EYE PROBLEMS. Eyes are the windows to the soul. The devil knows that if he can get someone to see something (cf. Matthew 4:8) he has an opportunity to trap them. If we are covetous we need to shield our eyes with sunglasses (Psalm 119:36-37) or if the problem is worse, surgery may need to be performed (Matthew 5:29). When Bud Robinson “was taken by friends to New York and shown around the city…he said, ‘Lord, I thank You for letting me see all the sights of New York. And I thank You most of all that I didn’t see a thing that I wanted.” [5]

THEY TAKE GREAT INTEREST IN WORLDLY THINGS (Matthew 6:19-21, 24). The word “lay up” literally means to reserve.[6] While appreciation for creation is allowed, placing earthly treasures above spiritual heights is akin to covetousness. Many work hard for sin (Proverbs 23:4) but receive little benefits (Romans 6:23). Covetous people have horizontal focuses not vertical ones (Colossians 3:1-3). Many things pull their attention away such as
• Money. Money is not evil, but what evil must we commit to grow our wallets?
• The NEW. New furniture, new cars, new clothes, and new houses. New is not sinful, but what is being
sacrificed for them?
• Opportunities. We may have a better job opportunity, be offered a promotion, or be given a higher
salary, but what spiritual service must be sacrificed for these things?
Instead of reserving a storage shed for our items, we should seek to reserve a mansion for our souls (1 Peter 1:4).
THEY WILL GO TO GREAT LENGHTS TO RECIEVE THEIR ITEMS. Some covetous persons work hard, while others cheat their way to their prize (cf. Proverbs 28:20). It was a covetous person that
• Hid the items so no one would find out (Joshua 6:21).
• Lied about his goings so his master would not find out (2 Kings 5:20-27).
• Neglected Jesus’ call because of his abundance (Matthew 19:22).
• Betrayed the Son of God for slave money (Matthew 26:14-16; cf. John 12:6).
While laboring is good, laboring for the wrong thing can be detrimental (John 6:27).
Are you covetous? Israel was covetous and did not care to give God what He deserved. Thinking that money and possessions lead to happiness is a farce for “Money will buy a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, food but not appetite, finery but not beauty, a house but not a home, medicine but not health, luxuries but not culture, amusements but not a Savior, religion but not salvation, a good life but not eternal life, (and-NO) a passport to everywhere but heaven.”[7]

ARE WE GUILTY OF SUBTILY STEALING?

Did you know that you can be tried for paying only a small amount of your taxes? It is often said that we got “robbed” if we were not told everything about the car we bought. “A study found that the average employee steals roughly 4.5 hours from their employer each week.”[8] The word “rob” is translated “deceive” by Youngs Literal. Thieves are secretive (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:2), but some are slyer than others. Israel thought they could refuse to give God what is his and perhaps they went about it in a secretive, deceitful way. Perhaps they did “give” but their gift was not enough. Although we may “give” to God, do we attempt to hide our offering because we know it is not enough? While the elders, preacher, and other members may not see, God observes intently. How do we know if we are secretly stealing from God?

OUR EMPLOYERS WOULD NOT ACCEPT OUR OFFERINGS (Malachi 1:8). No boss would pay eight hours’ worth of work to one who only worked for two hours. No employer would look for employees who are always late. No CEO would be satisfied with mediocre effort. If our service to God would not be accepted by our own boss, then maybe it is time to reevaluate our efforts in the kingdom (2 Corinthians 13:5).

WE GIVE JUSTIFICATION FOR OUR OFFERINGS (cf. Mark 7:11-13). The Pharisees had justified their failure to help their parents by giving the offering to God (Corban). Some justify their lack of service and giving to God by claiming
• “We just ran out of money.”
• “I just don’t have enough time.”
• “I gave last week, God understands.”
While we may not have stolen anything, we could be guilty of robbery by justifying minimum effort service. “Once upon a time there was a man who had nothing, and God gave him ten apples. He gave him the first three apples to eat. He gave him the second three apples to trade for shelter from the sun and rain. He gave him the third three apples to trade for clothing to wear. He gave him the last apple so that he might have something to give back to God to show his gratitude for the other nine. The man ate the first three apples. He traded the second three for a shelter from the sun and rain. He traded the third three for clothing to wear. Then he looked at the tenth apple. It seemed bigger and juicer than the rest. He knew that God had given him the tenth apple so that he might return it to Him out of the gratitude for the other nine. But the tenth apple looked bigger and juicier than the rest. And he reasoned that God had all the other apples in the world. So the man ate the tenth apple—and gave back to God the core.” [9]

OUR GIFTS ARE NOT SACRIFICES (2 Samuel 24:24). While Israel justified their robbing, David would do no such thing. Arunah’s gift was kind, but it did not fit the standard for a sacrifice. David’s gift to God was going to cost him something, that is the greatest gift (John 15:13). Many give God things which do not cost them anything.
• A millionaire who gives a dollar a week.
• A Christian who reads his Bible only at assembly times.
• A traveling Christian who refuses to worship because he is on vacation.
God deserves a gift that costs us something because His gift to us cost Him everything.
While we may not refuse to give entirely, we could still be guilty for giving half-heartedly.

CAN WE SAY WE HAVE GIVEN ALL?

“What can you give a God that has everything?” one preacher asked. Money will not suffice because God has the biggest bank account. Food will not do because God is not human. Power is not needed because God has already destroyed His creation by water, parted a sea, and stopped the sun. One thing God did not have was Israel’s heart. God wants our hearts but He cannot have them unless we give them to Him. Since everything belongs to God (Psalm 50:12), we need to be ready to give Him everything we have (Matthew 22:21), starting with our whole heart.

Jesus told Mary “She hath done what she could” (Mark 14:8). The highest compliment God could give us is “you have done your best.”[10] This is all God expects from us. What does our best look like? Since God judges hearts, not gifts and motives, not amounts, this gift will look different for everyone. One’s best is going to be the firstfruits (Exodus 22:29; Proverbs 3:9-10). God wants first place, not third place; the front row, not the back row. “Two little boys were each given a box of chocolates by their grandfather. The first boy took the package into his bedroom, tore into it, and stuffed the candies into his mouth until he was one big mess of smeared chocolate. The other boy unwrapped his package there in front of his grandfather. He opened the box and looked at all the candies. Then he raised the box to his grandfather and said, ‘Thank you for giving me this candy. Here. You have the first piece.’”[11]

On a scale of 0-100, how much of your heart belongs to God?

WHAT ARE WE WITHOLDING FROM GOD?

God’s all-seeing eye looked down from heaven and observed that His children were not meeting the quota for tithes and offerings. When God looks down from heaven to see our labor, of what does He see us robbing Him?

ARE WE PUTTING IN THE HOURS (James 4:13-15)? The Christian has 168 hours every week and God wants every one. He wants hours put toward study, prayer, and service. If we come short of our responsibility we may find ourselves fired from the job. While God allows times for rest and recreation, service in the kingdom should supersede fun in the breakroom. If we were to use 10% of our time for spiritual things, then this would be 16.8 hours. Maybe our weekly schedule looks like this
• Four hours in the assembly.
• Seven hours of study (1 hour per day?).
• Three hours of evangelism.
• Three hours of visiting.
How much time do you give God every week?

DO WE PASS THE PLATE WITH NOTHING IN IT (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)? Some Christians rarely see giving as important, but God equates giving to singing! The next time we place a check or cash in the plate ask
• Would I put more money in if Jesus were collecting?[12]
• Could I use this for something I want?
• Am I cheerfully ready to give or forced to out of necessity (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)?
• Did I plan to give or was this a spur of the moment decision (2 Corinthians 9:7)?
It would be a shame to see God’s own people give their worst to a God who gave them His best. The giving from our wallets will be determined by the giving of our hearts (2 Corinthians 8:5).

HAVE WE GIVEN GOD OUR BODIES(1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 12:1)? “My body my choice” does not belong in the Christian’s vocabulary. Paul said that it is reasonable to offer oneself over to God. This means we will give God our bodies because they belong to Him. Cody McCoy noted that God gave Himself for us through Jesus so He expects a body in return. We are commanded to use our bodies “instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13). We should
• Use our eyes to see the lost (John 4:35) and our feet to reach them (Romans 10:15).
• Use our hands to give (Ephesians 4:28).
• Use our mouth to sing (Ephesians 5:19).
It would be disrespectful to refuse to give our bodies to the One who created them for us.

DOES GOD HAVE OUR MINDS (2 Corinthians 10:5)? Every thought should be given to God, yet for many, God is not at all in their thoughts. Offering God our minds will mean that we meditate regularly (Psalm 1:2), pray daily (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and forsake evil continuously. We will commit to being changed by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). God does not just want our bodies for many sinners give Him that. He wants our hearts too (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 4:23)

HAVE WE POLISHED OUR TALENTS (Matthew 25:18)? God has blessed each person with an ability and opportunity to work in the kingdom of heaven and when one fails to understand his or her responsibility, he or she is robbing God (cf. Luke 12:47-48). Can we lead singing but do not try? Do we have deep knowledge, but do not teach? Are we able to give abundantly but keep back much? Even small tasks should be elevated by men, for no talent is too small in the eyes of God. It is not the talent that determines success but whether a man will do something with that talent that does. While we may not be great at everything, we can be great at something.

It was G. Mueller who said, “God judges what we give by what we keep.” What are you keeping from God?

HAVE WE READ GOD'S BOOK ENTITLED "1001 WAYS TO BLESS?"

God is the best teacher and examining His actions provide us with the best lessons. He urged Israel to give their best and then they would truly see God’s liberality (Malachi 3:10-12). When we observe the way that God blesses, usually it motivates us to give more. Like God, we should

BE A LIBERAL GIVER (Ephesians 3:20). God told Israel that He would open up the windows of heaven. As the rain falls in abundance, so do God’s blessings. God’s blessings are overflowing (Psalm 23:5). They are super-abundant[13] and more than we can ask or think. There has never been a time when we have been without want (Psalm 37:25-26). Be ready to give like God and be ready to give in abundance, is the lesson. Albert Barnes beautifully wrote that “God’s gifts are limited only by our capacity to receive them.”

BE A HAPPY GIVER (James 1:5). God was ready to bless Israel and He is ready to bless us. James says that God is a cheerful giver who does not complain when asked. Instead, His blessings are ready to be distributed because every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). God loves cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7) because He is one!

Robbers take for themselves and give nothing away. While many are not thieves of man, many are thieves of God. We must make sure we are not giving God the leftovers. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Have you stopped giving because you are fearful you won’t have enough? Remember Maya Angelou’s words: “No one has become poor from giving.” With that we add, “especially when one gives to God.” Are you robbing God?

ENDNOTES
1https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/larceny-theft
2Four main points come from David Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary, “Malachi 3:1-18,” eSWORD Module.
3Bob Winton, https://gbntv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Textual/16-Winton-Minor_Prophets.pdf
4Michael Hodgin, 1001 Humorous Illustrations For Public Speaking, Zondervan, 1994, 172.
5Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations, Thomas Nelson, 2007, 576.
6 Strong’s Concordance, eSWORD Module.
7Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations, Thomas Nelson, 2007, 575.
8https://www.insightful.io/blog/time-theft- guide#:~:text=Employee%20Time%20Theft%20Statistics%20%E2%80%8D%20A%20study%20found,estimated%20to%20cost%20employers%20%24400%20billion%20per%20year
9Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations, Thomas Nelson, 2007, 349. 10David Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary, “Mark 14:1-72,” eSWORD Module.
11Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations, Thomas Nelson, 2007, 341.
12Allen Webster
13Vine