Firstfruits

Firstfruits

As you harvest each of your crops, bring me a choice sample of the first day’s harvest. It must be offered to the LORD your God. –Exodus 23:19

“Why does God always get the old piano?” This is a question I heard Jill Briscoe ask in a message years ago. It is a question she had first asked when there was a need for a piano at her church and someone donated an old piano that had seen better days. She couldn’t understand why we offer God our castoffs and leftovers rather than our very best. It is a worthwhile question. I think of it every time I am tempted to feel noble and generous when giving away something of value that I no longer use or need.

In the annual firstfruits offering of grain or fruit initiated in the Old Testament, God’s people were to bring to the Temple the very best of their harvest. But it was even more than that. They were not to wait until the full harvest was done; they were to bring the very best of what was first, before they even knew if more would be harvested. Firstfruits means “a promise to come.” The firstfruits offering was a step of faith, trusting God with their first and best, trusting that he would take care of them whether the rest of the harvest was plenteous or scarce.

In this Old Testament shadow, we see what God wants from us. He is pleased when we offer up to him our firstfruits, when we give him the best of our day rather than giving him only what we can squeeze in around other appointments. He smiles when we write out our tithe check at the beginning of the month rather than waiting to see if the cash is on hand after other bills are paid. God wants the best of our creativity, the best of our energy. He wants us to “seek first his kingdom” (Matthew 6:33, NIV).

Do you feel that you have been called to sacrifice what is most precious to you? Do you wonder if God appreciates your extra effort, if he notices when you go the extra mile out of love for him? This is a special offering to God, and because what you have given is precious to you, it is precious to him.

Lord of the harvest, I see I have dishonored you with my halfhearted giving—offering to you the leftovers of my time, energy, and other resources. I want to give to you my firstfruits, knowing it will be a sacrifice for me but that it will be especially pleasing to you.

DIGGING DEEPER