First Fruits In the Holy Bible

By Gabriel Ama

Leviticus 19:23-25

"And when you come into the land and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count the fruit of them as inedible and forbidden to you for three years; it shall not be eaten.

24 In the fourth year ALL their fruit shall be holy for giving praise to the Lord.

25 But in the fifth year you may eat of the fruit [of the trees], that their produce may enrich you; I am the Lord your God."

Dear people of God, as I studied the Holy Bible during my prayer time today, I came across today's lead text in Leviticus 19:23-25.

This is the first place God commanded the Israelites on the law of first fruits in the wilderness after they had left the land of Egypt even before they had entered the Promised Land of Canaan.

Notice that God said they would leave the fruits of their planted trees for 3 years and in the fourth year give ALL the fruits as an offering of gratitude to God to make it holy. It is from the fifth year God said they would eat of it and the fruits of the trees would yield an increase to make them rich.

Now, someone may argue and say that is not what is written there. I will ask, how do you get something to become holy? Is it not by offering it to God Who consecrates it?

Anyway, let us examine Leviticus 19:24-25 in the Good News Bible, "In the fourth year all the fruit shall be dedicated as an offering to show your gratitude to Me, the LORD. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you do all this, your trees will bear more fruit. I am the LORD your God."

I believe it is clearer now to anyone who reads it.

Those who do not pay tithe would argue with this Scripture on first fruit. Those who pay tithes may also argue. In fact some would argue and say we live under grace and not under the law so this Scripture does not apply to us.

Some may argue and say the Bible never said first fruit and tithes should be money so it does apply to us.

My response to all of these submissions, dear friend, is that you should pray to God to open your eyes of understanding and to show you Scriptures that answers all your postulations.

The challenge with most people is that they think it is by hard work that one becomes successful in life. Those who engage in physical labour are the hardest workers but they are also amongst the poorest.

So it is not hard work but the blessing of the Lord that makes one rich and increased toiling does not add to it. Take a look at Proverbs 10:22 (GNBK), "It is the LORD's blessing that makes you wealthy. Hard work can make you no richer."

When God commands you to do something in His Word in the Holy Bible with a promise to bless you, please just obey without trying to rationalize it. Your business and responsibility is to have faith to believe what God has stated by your obedient action.

God's responsibility is to bring what He has promised to reality in the life of any and all who obey His commandment. And I know God cannot fail.

For those who say we live under grace and not under the law, it is necessary to define the law you are talking about.

When Paul in the Holy Bible was writing the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about law and grace he was referring to the law of sin, human nature and atonement for sin that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for mankind on the Cross of Calvary, which means no atonement for mankind's sin is required any longer.

Now, can someone as a Christian today break any of the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and believe God would overlook it if he does not repent, confess and forsake his sins? Certainly not!

So nobody can hide under the comment "we live under grace and not under the law" as an excuse to disobey God's commandments on Tithes, First fruits and Offerings.

Paying first fruits opens doors of blessing for you as today's lead Scripture has shown us. It is one way you honour God and demonstrate to Him that He is your source for every blessing you have ever received.

And God would surely honour you because giving and receiving is a universal law of God - Genesis 8:22.

You give First fruits and Tithes as a demonstration of your sincere love for God to support the Gospel through Evangelism - telling others about the goodness of God, the atoning sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary for mankind, His glorious resurrection from death as proof that He is the Messiah and the fact that it is only through Jesus Christ that one can enter heaven to see God.

Do not take your First fruit or Tithe and give to the poor because that is not what God has commanded. Read the Bible to see what God has commanded and do exactly that to receive your covenant blessings as God's child.

May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word this day, act on it and share with others in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Article Source: First Fruits In the Holy Bible