Last week we learned that the priests and Levites are given the first fruits of the harvests of Israel as support. The first fruits are introduced in Exodus 23. Before harvesting their crops, the best of the fruit of the land was to be brought to the Lord as an offering. The spiritual application is direct: God must come first in our giving and not simply be given what is left over. This can be a challenge. To give first to God and live on what is left is not what the average person would do. Is this a challenge for you? The pattern is set here for cheerful giving. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” In the book of Malachi, the Lord is angry with Israel because they have robbed him by withholding their tithes, first fruits and offerings. Israel was under a curse for disobeying the Lord and being selfish.
God gives a message to Malachi that holds true today; He says “Test me in this...” (Malachi 3:10). God says if we obey Him and give Him the first fruits, He will abundantly bless us. The blessings of having all we need and even many things we want is not rare in America. Around the world, this would be a greater test. Giving to God when you don’t have enough is a difficult test indeed. I know how tempting it can be to withhold from God when budget problems arise. However, if we trust Him and give what we have already decided to give regularly, we will be blessed.
These blessings are not just material. James 1:18 says, “He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.” This verse shows that “The first fruit symbolize harvest of souls.” (Gotquestions.org) Jesus is the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20) He was the first to be resurrected never to die again. There were people brought back from the dead in the Old Testament and the New Testament, but they died again later. However, Jesus is the first to rise again to everlasting life. He is alive today and lives in those who have received Him. (John 1:12)
The Levites needed the offerings because they had very little land. God told Aaron that the priests had no inheritance in the land. God is their inheritance. This has been the message in Numbers since the census in the early chapters. The Levites are God’s firstborn redemption sacrifice. In the Promised Land, the Levites will have a little bit of land around some of the cities, but the priests will not have any full parcels of land. The Lord is their inheritance. What a special inheritance! If the Levites ever felt they were missing out on something by not having land, they needed to be reminded of their special position. It cannot be taken away from the priests of Israel. However, living on tithes does establish the servant of God’s dependence on Israel’s obedience to the Lord. In the times of the Judges, there are documented cases when priests and Levites are not serving at the temple because they are in need. See how our obedience affects others? If we do not give to the work of the Lord, we are neglecting an important aspect of worship and we are contributing to the poverty of those in need.
How do these statements convict you? Is there something you need to change in your life regarding your giving of time, money and resources? Ask a friend to hold you accountable for these changes today.
God also gave the tithes of the Israelites to the Levites. A tithe is 10% or 1/10th of something. God set this as a standard for the Hebrews to give 10%. Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His time for obeying the letter of the law in giving 1/0th of spices, etc. but they neglected more important matters like justice, mercy and faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23) God changed the requirement to giving as you have decided in your heart to give (2 Corinthians 9:7). Some give way above the tithe and others give what they have determined through prayer and listening for the Lord to guide them. One thing is certain: we have been given the blessings we have to bless and serve others. What we have is not for us to keep to ourselves. Throughout the Bible, God tells us to help the poor, orphan and widow. Prayerfully consider who you can bless today.
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