What can we give to God? He has everything. I love to use the resource from Family Life called What God Wants for Christmas. The final answer from the manipulative that lets kids tell the Christmas Story and open little boxes with cute figures in it is this: You. God wants you. He wants your time, energy, thoughts, and love. This is obedience but reaps such rewards for us. It should never be looked at as a duty, but a pleasure.
The people of Israel are under the discipline of God for rejecting the Promised Land. God makes it clear to them that they are still His people by having Moses write in Numbers Chapter 15 instructions on supplementary offerings God expects from His people. This is a display of God’s mercy. For as long as the rebellious people live, God will accept sacrifices from them as well as the others. God talks to Israel about when they arrive in the Promised Land how they should present their offerings. This should be an encouragement to the Israelites that they will not wander forever and they will not all die in the wilderness. This is hope from the Lord. Hope of heaven is an anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19).
God’s sacrifice rules also apply to the foreigners. Thus, an opening is already made for the Gentiles to join God followers. This is good news for those of us who are not of Jewish descent. We are Hebrews by faith, grafted in to the olive root. We are a wild root grafted into a cultivated tree, but we still belong in the family of God by faith (Romans 11:17-24).
The wine, oil and grain added to offerings God is describing in Numbers 15 makes them more of a complete meal. The requirement begins in the new land because they currently do not have easy access to these items. The measures are explained in NIV marginal notes as a tenth ephah being about two quarts and a quarter hin is about one quart. The amounts increase with the size of the animal sacrificed. These other elements add to the pleasing aroma of the sacrifice for God.
FIRST FRUIT
God goes on to tell the Israelites that they need to present their first bread of every growing season to Him. This is the first fruit of the threshing floor. It is the first bread from the ground meal. Everything we have is from God and He should have a portion as a sacrifice to honor Him and thank Him. Not what is left over after filling the storage containers, but the first and best to the One who has provided it in the first place. By requiring an offering from the first ground grain, the sacrifice applies to the farmer and the non-farmer, who can purchase what he needs.
First fruits are also what we should offer to God. He should get the best of everything we are and everything we have. That is why many of us start our day in devotion to the Lord, giving Him the beginning of our day. Not everyone would be able to stay awake in the morning, so it is more than acceptable to have your devotional time with God any time of the day. As long as He is the focal point of a concentrated period of time every day, the details are up to you. In fact, if you start small, it will grow. I know that my devotional time with God has grown over the years and if you persevere to hear from Him, yours will too.
If you have many little ones, getting up just 20 minutes before them gives you a little time to center yourself in your purpose before the Lord. It is honoring to God and sets the tone of your day. If you think you will get to it later, I am sure you have found that you rarely do. I know if I don’t start my day with the Word, the busyness of life intervenes and there may not be another opportunity until bed time. If I try to read my Bible and hear from God at the end of the day, it is harder for me to focus and remain alert.
So, the first fruits of our day, first fruits of our time, first fruits of our talents belong to the Lord. What would be a first fruit of my talents? If God has given me a love for children (and He has!), then I need to use that talent to serve Him. If I do not try to reach children for Jesus, I am not giving God my first fruits.
Examine your day, your time and your talents. How are you doing with your first fruits? Another obvious first fruit is our money. Everything we have is from God and what we offer back to Him is a privilege to give. Every believer should belong to a local church. That church can reach out to your community if you are giving your first fruits. Pray to God and designate an amount to give to the Lord monthly. What other first fruits come to mind? If God has blessed you in many ways, give Him the glory by sharing your blessings with others.
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