As the Lord explained the procedure He required for each of the tabernacle offerings, He had this to say about the grain offering:
“Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma" (Leviticus 2:11-12).
The offering was not to include yeast or honey for those would be additives that would cause the grain to be bigger or sweeter than it naturally was. The grain offering was to be composed of only fine flour, symbolic of the nature of Christ who was found to be refined through the things He suffered. But let's focus on another aspect of this offering which was that it could be presented as firstfruits. What would it represent and symbolize if someone brought a firstfruits offering?
When it's harvest time on a farm, it requires that all things go as they should in a small window of time for there to be a successful harvest. For example, farmers could work the first day and get an abundant harvest only to have bad weather come and ruin the rest that was in the field. The farmer offering firstfruits took some of the initial harvest and chose to offer it to the Lord, in essence saying, "God, what I'm giving you is the first yield from the harvest. I give it to You first to give thanks but also to make a faith statement that it's the first among more harvest yet to come. I'm trusting You that I will be able to successfully finish the harvest we have begun and as a token of my faith, I'm giving away what I have, fully expecting it to be replaced and then some."
Firstfruits is a faith statement that there's more to come and therefore you don't have to hold on to the first fruits of your labors. What's more, the firstfruits is optional and not required or commanded. You can willingly give it to God in faith that you will finish the task and reap the full harvest—with God's help. You are declaring that God oversaw the firstfruits and will continue to watch over what belongs to you.
How can you apply the principle of firstfuits to your purpose and creativity? Perhaps you give away the first output of a new creative expression you have? Maybe it's a special offering from the returns of a new venture in your company or ministry? However you express it, firstfruits is a way of saying, "Thank You, God, for what I have, but I'm expecting more to come with Your help."
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