John started his new job. When he got his first check at the end of the month, he wanted to celebrate by buying my lunch for me. During our meal, he told me that his first paycheck was his “firstfruits.” With a grateful heart, he wanted to give a significant portion of it back to God.
Moses repeatedly reminded the Jews that God was their Deliverer, the Giver of their land, and the Provider of their material blessings (Deuteronomy 26:1,3,7-10). As God blessed them materially, they were reminded to do four things:
First, they were to return to God “some of the first produce from each crop [they harvested]” (Deuteronomy 26:2). This gift was their personal act of thanksgiving, acknowledging that God was their Provider (Deuteronomy 26:3-4). It was also their public act of worship, as they placed the offering on the altar (Deuteronomy 26:4), “[bowing] to the ground in worship before Him” (Deuteronomy 26:10).
Second, they were to tell the story of their redemption. They were nobodies, nomads, and slaves. But God made them into a great nation and gave them a land to call their own, a land of plenty (Deuteronomy 26:5-9).
Third, they were to celebrate, rejoice, and enjoy the good things God had given to them (Deuteronomy 26:11). God wanted them to enjoy it all: “Rejoice . . . because the LORD your God has blessed you” (Deuteronomy 12:7).
Finally, they were to be generous and share their material blessings with the poor (Deuteronomy 26:12-13). Knowing their selfish hearts (Deuteronomy 15:11), Moses reminded them to “remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration” (Deuteronomy 26:11).
God has given us plenty of things to enjoy, and to share. We also have a story of redemption to tell—proclaiming who our God is, how great and good, gracious and generous He is.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 16:1-36
More:
Read Deuteronomy 16:10-12 and find out what it means for you to celebrate the Festival of Harvest.
Next:
How do you honor God with the firstfruits of your harvest today? What does it mean for you to bring your best to God?
Wayne on February 12, 2014 at 5:35 am
Give back to God at least 10% first before you pay other things. It all belongs to him, He created us the world and all that’s in it, worship him with your first fruits from your labor. Be a giver, don’t try to figure it out, just give.
Freely, wayne
Roxanne Robbins on February 12, 2014 at 10:59 am
This post prompted me to think of an Elisabeth Elliot quote I love, “Our hesitancy is like that of a tiny shell on the seashore, afraid to give up the teaspoonful of water it holds lest there not be enough in the ocean to fill it up again. …Can the shell imagine the depth and plentitude of the ocean? Can you and I fathom the riches, the fullness, of God’s love?”
daisymarygoldr on March 10, 2014 at 6:39 pm
The desire to offer the Supreme Being the first portion of the harvest is deeply ingrained in human beings. A firstfruits offering is a common practice among all primitive people. In the pagan culture where I grew up, even those who make money by unscrupulous means, religiously sacrifice a fair share of their ill-gotten wealth into the temple coffers. The main motive is to please the deity with the first so the rest is blessed.
Does God require offerings of fruit, food, or finance let alone selfishly demand the first and the best? Of course not. He does not have any material need. Everything belongs to Him (Psalms 50:12). Why then, did He command the Israelites to bring an offering of the first fruit of their crops?
For the people of Israel, firstfruits marked the beginning of new life in the land that God had promised to their ancestors. It was more than celebrating thanksgiving for material blessings. The firstfruits are a shadow of the ultimate harvest of humans in the kingdom of God.
For the Church, the first fruits are a beautiful picture of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20) and new life promised to all those who are born through the word of truth (James 1:18). Therefore, the Old Testament law of firstfruits offering does not apply to giving in the New Testament.
We are encouraged to give generously—not only what we can afford, but even above and beyond our ability (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). We were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ to be God’s purchased possession. Everything we are and have belongs to the Lord (Acts 4:32-35). We dedicate to God not just the first, but even the rest of our talent, time, and treasure.