"I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:6-10.

The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people. It was through Abraham this great nation had emerged and here in our text Malachi labels an accusation against them. Yet, this entire book is based upon one thing: LOVE. Look back at chapter 1 and verse 2. "I have loved you, says the Lord." You see love….love does not and will not and cannot leave us alone. God loved Israel and he was doing something about their condition. I say this because in I John 4:16 we discover that "God is love."

The nation of Israel had profaned the temple service by withholding tithes and offerings. They had intermarried with foreign women, the priests were unfaithful in their responsibilities of their office and the people had become bold and defiant in their skepticism about God. They were satisfied with themselves and were insensitive to their condition. They were actually questioning God’s integrity and justice. God declared during that time of sin and neglect, "I love you." Without this word, the entire book of Malachi would be a dismal song of judgment and death.