Read Malachi 3:8-3:10.......epecially 3:10. I'll save you some hunting; it's the last page of the Old Testament.
It's the only place in the entire Bible where God is literally saying "Try me in this." Challenging God is considered a sin.......yet in this one instance, he LITERALLY says "try me". Good enough for me.
Know what the #1 topic in the Bible is, in terms of number of references, discussions, etc.? By far?? Faith? Redemmption? God's love?
Money.
There's a good reason for it. God knows that where a man puts his money, there his heart lies also.
Sometimes things are deceptively straightforward and simple. It just never ceases to amaze me how man tries to overly complicate God's messages by interjecting his own "wisdom" and "analysis".
Seems to me that's what you're doing by changing the literal meaning of the text. Nothing in Malachi 3&4 (much of which is directed squarely at the Levites themselves) changes the fact that the tithes and offerings discussed there are specifically defined in Deuteronomy as being agricultural, intended for the purpose of having a celebration, as well as food for the Levites, orphans, widows and strangers.
Please explain to me how, using scripture, how OT tithing requirements are to be applied to the churches of today. Are we to offer burnt sacrifices as well?
Of course not. The new covenant fulfills that original system. So please show me how the new covenant requires 10% tithing. And if indeed scripture indicates that we are to take the 10% aspect literally, then why shouldn't the other details (agricultural, brought to a storehouse, etc) be taken literally too?
As agrace said, you should study Malachi, Chapter 3 in its original context. God was dealing with and admonishing His people Israel through the words of the prophet Malachi within the theocratic and economic system He had set up for them. So many pastors preach Old Testament scriptures dealing only with the children of Israel as if they are promises made by God to, and literally applicable to, the church.