Post by Bro. Dan on Jul 30, 2013 17:21:46 GMT -6
In relation to rightly dividing the word about tithing, it's also important to rightly divide the word about "firstfruits". I want to say that this isn't an in-depth study of firstfruits; rather, it's a basic guideline as to what firstfruits entailed. With that said...
Many pastors will say that God wants your firstfruits. What they mean by that is God wants you to tithe off of your Gross income...before taxes are taken out.
1. Now, it's important (first of all) to establish the fact that firstfruits were completely separate from the tithe.
2 Chronicles 31:5
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
Nehemiah 10:37
And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
Nehemiah 12:44
And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
2. Like tithing, the collection of firstfruits was a command given to...Israel.
Exodus 34:26-27
26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
3. What were firstfruits?
Exodus 34:26
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
The firstfruits were gathered from whatever crop the Israelites were growing. When the crop's first harvest was ready, they would take the very first of what was ready to be harvested to be used as an offering unto the Lord.
It should be noted that some firstfruits were baked and prepared (Leviticus 23:17). But in general, firstfruits were basically the sheaves of grain themselves.
4. What was done with the firstfruits?
Leviticus 23:9-12
9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
The firstfruit offering was lifted up and waved before the Lord, and the priests could eat some of the firstfruits.
This is another thing that modern Christianity has taken out of context. I've seen people say something to the effect of, "Let's give the Lord a wave offering!", and they will commence to lift their arms and wave them back and forth. Friend, that's not a wave offering! Wave offerings were done under the law...the people waving the offerings were Levites...and they were waving things that were grown in the ground.
5. What was the purpose of waving the firstfruit offerings?
The firstfruits were offered by Israel as an acknowledgment that the land they lived on and the crops that they harvested were from God. It honored God by giving Him the very first of what they grew and produced.
____________________________________________________________________
So, firstfruits were...
1. a totally separate offering from tithes. To say that God wants your firstfruits in relation to a tithe is wrong and misleading.
2. an offering commanded by God and given to Israel...under the law.
3. offerings from the first reaping of a harvested crop...not money...and certainly not pre-tax income.
4. offerings that were waved before the Lord.
Many pastors will say that God wants your firstfruits. What they mean by that is God wants you to tithe off of your Gross income...before taxes are taken out.
1. Now, it's important (first of all) to establish the fact that firstfruits were completely separate from the tithe.
2 Chronicles 31:5
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
Nehemiah 10:37
And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
Nehemiah 12:44
And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
2. Like tithing, the collection of firstfruits was a command given to...Israel.
Exodus 34:26-27
26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
3. What were firstfruits?
Exodus 34:26
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
The firstfruits were gathered from whatever crop the Israelites were growing. When the crop's first harvest was ready, they would take the very first of what was ready to be harvested to be used as an offering unto the Lord.
It should be noted that some firstfruits were baked and prepared (Leviticus 23:17). But in general, firstfruits were basically the sheaves of grain themselves.
4. What was done with the firstfruits?
Leviticus 23:9-12
9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
The firstfruit offering was lifted up and waved before the Lord, and the priests could eat some of the firstfruits.
This is another thing that modern Christianity has taken out of context. I've seen people say something to the effect of, "Let's give the Lord a wave offering!", and they will commence to lift their arms and wave them back and forth. Friend, that's not a wave offering! Wave offerings were done under the law...the people waving the offerings were Levites...and they were waving things that were grown in the ground.
5. What was the purpose of waving the firstfruit offerings?
The firstfruits were offered by Israel as an acknowledgment that the land they lived on and the crops that they harvested were from God. It honored God by giving Him the very first of what they grew and produced.
____________________________________________________________________
So, firstfruits were...
1. a totally separate offering from tithes. To say that God wants your firstfruits in relation to a tithe is wrong and misleading.
2. an offering commanded by God and given to Israel...under the law.
3. offerings from the first reaping of a harvested crop...not money...and certainly not pre-tax income.
4. offerings that were waved before the Lord.