First Fruits
A Firstfruit Teaching of Abundant Life
The Law of Firstfruits
The Libety of Firstfruits




Continued...

FIRST FRUITS:
(Hebrew; reshith, bikkurim, Greek; aparche). In acknowledgment of the fact that all the products of the land came from God, and thankfulness for His goodness, Israelites brought as an offering to Him a portion of the fruits that ripened first, these being looked upon as an earnest of the coming harvest. Such an offering was made both on behalf
of the nation (Lev. 23: 10,17) and by individuals
(Ex. 23:19; Deut. 26:1-11). These first fruits went for the support of the priesthood.

Lev. 23:10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.’ “

...Lev. 23:17 ‘You shall bring from your habitations two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD.’

Ex. 23:19 & 34:26 “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God...”

Deut. 26:1 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. 3 And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it 7 Then we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.
9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me.’ Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God. 11 “So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.”

FIRST FRUITS:
....1. The Israelites were required to bring to the
........ house of the Lord “the first of the firstfruits
........ of their land” (Ex. 23:19; 34:26). This was to
........ include grain, wine, and oil, and was to be used
........ for the support of the Levites, who were
........ involved n the service of the tabernacle ministry
........ (Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4).

........ Num. 18:12 “All the best of the oil, all the best
........ of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits
........ which they offer to the LORD, I have given them
........ to you.”

........ Deut. 18:4 “The firstfruits of your grain and your
........ new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece
........ of your sheep, you shall give him.”
Instructions were given as to the manner in which the firstfruits were to be brought to the house of God and turned over to the priests, along with the ritual to be used at that time (Deut. 26: 1-11). However, the actual amount is nowhere stated in Scripture.


In actual practice the firstfruits were brought in abundantly by the people during times of revival and reform (2Chr. 31:5).

2 Chr.31:4
Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in
Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and
the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the
Law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly he tithe of everything.


It is significant that on at least one occasion when the priests of Israel were apostate, an individual brought barley loaves of firstfruits to the prophet Elisha instead (2Kin. 4:42). These loaves were given to 100 people as food (these were possibly the sons of the prophets who sat before Elisha).

After the Captivity, those who returned to
Jerusalem covenanted to give the firstfruits faithfully, Nehemiah seeing that these were cared
for and distributed to the priests in a systematic way (Neh. 10:35-37; Neh. 12:44; 13:31). The book of Proverbs promises prosperity to those who honor the Lord with the firstfruits (Prov. 3:9).

Neh. 10:35 And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD; 36 to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstlings of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; 37 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities...

...Neh. 12:44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.

Neh. 13:31 and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!

Pr. 3:9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.