Proving God
An Alternative to Trusting Self.
Malachi 3:10

In this passage we find that the Lord is dealing with Israel about a lot of different issues. Israel had turned their back upon the Lord, were not trusting Him to provide for them any longer, and sin was running wild through this people. This particular verse seems to be dealing with tithing, or first fruits. Many preachers love to use this scripture to show how God really wants us to give HIM the first fruits of our blessings from Him, or ten percent of what we earn each paid day, before taxes. However, I want to look at this scripture in a total different way. In this scripture I want to look at 3 words that stand out in this scripture. These words are, “Prove ME Now.”
When we think of the word prove, what do we really think it means? Most of us have used the word, ‘prove,’ in a two word statement, ‘prove it,’ when we are trying to get someone to push a thought or an idea. The word ‘prove’ has three different uses in the Bible. There are two Hebrew words, ‘bachan,’ pronounced , ‘baw-khan’, which means to test (especially metals); generally and figuratively it mean to investigate: examine, prove tempt, try (trial). The other Hebrew word for ‘prove,’ is; Nacah, naw-saw’; which means to test; by implication, to attempt, adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try. Of course, the Greek word, found in the New Testament is dokinmazo, dok-im-ad’-zo’. This means to test, to approve, allow, discern, examine, approve, try. In general they basically mean the same thing. However, in this passage, we find that it come from the Hebrew word ‘bachan; baw-khan’. Prove Me now. The Lord wanted Israel to test or investigate Him and His strength. He wanted them to find out that His promise was a strong a metal. It was a strong promise. There are some things I would like us to see in these three words the Lord told Israel in this passage.

UNDERSTAND THAT GOD’S WORD IS HIS BOND.

We find in this chapter that Israel was not tithing at all. They may have been giving God what they thought God needed and not what He had instructed them to do. It’s amazing to me, that we, as Christians, are no different from Israel. We do not give God what He requires of us. Tithing is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, in this passage. We make promises to the Lord that we are going to serve Him, when we have tough times, if He will just see us through. However, we forget what we say. Israel prayed for over 300 years that He would pull them from bondage, and if He would, they would serve Him more and obey Him. However, we see that they put Him in the back of their minds and fell back on their promises. We know that where man breaks promises on a regular basis to Him, that the Lord has made promises that He does not break. The first word that comes to me is covenant. The word “covenant,” mean to promise. The Lord has promised Abraham that his children would be as the sands of the sea. He promised that there would be an ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind. In verse 6, we see that the Lord said, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” If he stood by Israel through all the times that He did before, what made Israel loose faith now? We find in His Word that He cannot lie. When God speaks something, He stands by what He says. His promises are as strong as steel, because He does not lie.

UNDERSTAND THAT MAN NEEDS TO PROVE (INVESTIGATE) GOD’S PROMISES

As a child of God we understand that the salvation of God is eternal and that no man can pluck us from His hand. Why? Because Jesus said so! Look in John 10:28 – “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man (thing) pluck them out of my hand.” There is nothing any man can do to fall from the grace of salvation once they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. However, many of us, who are saved, do not prove God in our lives. I reminded of the scripture where Jesus told Thomas, “Ye have believed because you have seen; blessed are they who believe and have not yet seen.” Pharisees always wanted to see signs. When Jesus showed them signs, they would say He was of the devil. They were blinded to their own selves. They depended on what they could do and only on what they can do. Today, men find themselves in very similar territory. Men have become lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, depisers of those who are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Today, we have become conceded and think our ways are better than any of God’s ways. We are unthankful, unholy and liars. The world sees more advertisements and hear more advertisements of sex and many pleasures that God has given to men, and taken them all and turned things around so we can use them in ungodly ways. Paul said this would happen. Are you listening? The Lord told Israel, in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” He meant it then and He has not changed. He keeps His Word and backs it up with power that is stronger than iron. We have issues that we seem to think we have no answers too. Prove God! He is there for us. My question to you is, if He didn’t want us to prove Him, why does He tell us come unto HIM?
A lost man just needs to seek God and ask Him for the promise of salvation that offers every man that seeks Him. This means you must first get self out of the way. Christians, sometimes we stand in the way of what God wants to do for us. Let Him do what He will in your life.

UNDERSTAND THAT IF ISRAEL WOULD HAVE JUST PROVED THE LORD, THERE WERE REWARDS.

The Lord predicted John the Baptist in verse 1 of chapter 3. He made a promise to Israel that He would give them a chance. Did He follow through? Yes! We need to understand that proving the Lord can, at times, be very painful. In verses 2 – 3, we see that the Lord uses the examples of a refiner. This man’s duty was to heat gold and silver up to the point that all of the impurities would come out. This would make the silver or gold very pure. The more pure gold becomes, the softer it gets. We need to allow the Lord to work in us so we can become more pure. Allow Him to remove the impurities in our lives so that we can become more aware of what He wants for us to do. Our hearts need to be softened to the point that we can reach out to the lost, the one who are hurting, and others who need Christ’s direction in their lives. Israel would have found rewards if they would have just proved God. He said, “Prove me now herewith, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Would you like that type of blessing? If we prove God, we will find that the rewards we receive will be great. However, when we don’t prove God in our lives there can be penalties. Discipline is what God performs on those who do not follow Him. His children need to seek out His ways and not there own ways. If you live like you are of the world and are not separated from it, and God doesn’t deal with you, you might want to examine your soul.

UNDERSTAND THAT WE ROB GOD OF MORE THAN TITHES AND OFFERINGS.

Israel had real issues just as we do today. The Lord’s desire was for Israel to return to the days of their fathers and start obeying His commandments and ordinances that they had turned their backs on. Robbing God is a daily thing in Christianity today. We rob Him of opportunities to be used of Him. We seek our own ways and not His ways. The statement, “Prove ME now,” was not just a request, but it was a commandment. If Israel chose to prove the Lord, then they would find favor in His eyes again. We, as Christians, as a whole, need to find favor with God again. Be used of God! Prove Him in your life! The next time you hear or read the word, ‘prove,’ remember that it means to investigate Him. If you do choose to investigate Him, I think you will find that He is very strong in His promises, and that His promises are stronger than anything. It is definitely stronger than anything this world can offer, and they have a lot greater rewards.