In Study 109, we examined the concept of firstfruits, which was the practice of taking some of an initial harvest and dedicating it to the Lord by placing some of it on the altar. In this week's lesson, we revisit the purpose of this offering:
"So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me" (Deuteronomy 26:8-10).
The firstfruits offering had three time dimensions to it as we see from these verses. There was a past aspect, for the one offering it was to remember the way the Lord had brought the people out of Egypt. Then there was a present component, for the offering represented God's faithfulness today as evidenced by the crop that was harvested and then being offered on the altar.
Finally, the offering was made with an eye on the future, for the giver was saying, "I'm devoting any early portion of my harvest to signify that I'm trusting the Lord for the remainder of the harvest. I have faith that the weather and other conditions will allow me to gather so I don't have to hold on to these 'firstfruits' to the Lord because there's plenty more coming."
Firstfruits weren't given as a means to protect the future harvest; they were given because God had promised the harvest would be plentiful. They weren't an insurance policy against disaster; they were a faith statement that the future provision was guaranteed because the God of the future was their God, and He had been faithful, is faithful, and would continue to be faithful.
What is your faith giving like today? Are you holding back what you can give today because you may need it tomorrow? Have you forgotten how God has taken care of you in the past, thus losing confidence that He'll continue to do so today and the day after? Is your giving a statement about the past, present, and future—that God is the God of all three and has always done a good job of overseeing your provision?
When the people gave the first fruits of their harvest, they made a strong statement that God was, is, and will be their provider. Give some thought as to how you can apply this faith principle to your situation today and then give some firstfruits as an indication of your confidence in the God of your provision.
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