GIVING TO GOD. Deuteronomy 26 The final summary of the covenant requirements is given in this chapter. They concern how the Israelites should respond once they enter the promised land. The first of their harvests was to be offered to the Lord by taking it to the priest officiating at the altar. He would then place it before the Lord at the altar. The person offering their firstfruits would then declare God's mercy and grace by explicitly stating who they were and what God had done for them.
The lives of God's people depend on Him for our very survival. We must constantly remember that we owe Him everything we have. To truly appreciate this, we need regular opportunities to reflect on what He has done for us and the blessings we've received from Him. The Lord's Supper serves as a reminder of the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing us to review together His death on the cross and everything that has come to us because of His sacrifice. Through this act of remembrance, we are renewed in our appreciation for Him and refreshed in our awareness of God's grace and goodness.
By reflecting on our lives with God from the very first day we knew Him until now, we can better appreciate our relationship with Him and share what we've learned through experience. When an Israelite brought the first produce from his ground in a basket and presented it before the Lord, he recognized it as the first sign of God's blessing in his new life in the promised land. His wandering days were behind him. He had reached this milestone in his life and acknowledged God as the Giver of every good gift. A testimony to God's goodness that we pass on to our family benefits both the one sharing their spiritual journey and those listening.
Sharing a testimony about God's goodness in saving us, His provision since our salvation, and the blessings He has promised is both good and important. We should also testify to God's grace, that divine attribute that provides for us what we could never achieve on our own. His goodness adds His blessing to our efforts. His grace freely gives us what we could never have without Him. As strangers to God and His grace, He has not limited His grace to what we think we deserve. We are unworthy of any of His grace, yet He has saved us by His grace and sustains us by His grace. In the future, He will reveal the surpassing riches of His grace through us to angels and to a watching world of families on earth and in heaven.
The basket of first fruits not only testifies to God's goodness and grace but also to His greatness. The produce that provides all we need comes from the ground beneath our feet, where the fullness of the Lord resides and is released to bless us when we plant the seed. The words of testimony spoken by the person bringing the basket of first fruits serve as an audible expression of his appreciation for God and His blessings.
Prayer and supplication go hand in hand with thanksgiving to God. This is an acceptable way to approach our God of goodness, grace, and greatness. Such a testimony is probably one of the best ways we can share our faith in God with our children and those we seek to witness to. Our history has value, and hopefully, it will inspire our children and grandchildren to create a spiritual history of their own that they can be proud of.
The care for the poor and needy in Israel was organized effectively to ensure they received support. The tithe each man was required to give was specifically designated for those in need. Every three years, ten percent of a landowner's harvest was stored in the village where he lived, so that the Levites who served God, foreigners without inheritance, widows, and orphans could come and receive food. Each landowner would bring his tithe and perform a public ceremony, clearly stating that he did not take anything from it for himself for any reason. It was meant solely for its intended purpose, not for personal gain. The tithe belonged to God. When we give God what we owe Him, we can trust Him to meet our needs as He sees fit, based on His knowledge of our needs.
Israel was a nation blessed with high morals and standards of conduct given to them by God, which set them apart from all the surrounding tribes. That uniqueness made them distinctive even though they might have been relatively small in number. The size of a group of God's people does not determine the correctness of their practices. The level of holiness maintained in an assembly is more important than the number of people present. The comfort of those at a church meeting or the public success people may feel, and the size of the crowd attending, do not determine whether the church is right or wrong.
As members of God's people, we must remain committed to giving God the portion of what we have received to support the work of the church and its interests. Missionary work is funded by God's people's donations to those serving abroad. The poor and needy in those areas are also helped by God's people there. Some poor and needy individuals in our own community depend to some extent on those of us who are able to help meet their needs. A people who are holy to the Lord may not be understood by those who are not dedicated to the word and work of God. Still, that should not lessen our duty to assist others with their needs.
We may never know the outcome of our labor or what has been accomplished when we give some of our substance to the Lord. But it is not necessary for us to know the outcome; we only need to know that we are responsible for meeting the need. Our Lord understands what we can give, what we do give, and where it needs to go. He knows who is best suited to ensure it reaches the place of need. We give; God guides; people are blessed, and God is glorified.
How can I properly express my gratitude for all the good God has given me? Words alone fall so far short, yet I gratefully use them to say what is in my heart to say as best I can. “I am thankful, Lord; you have brought me here into this promised land.
I confess I was ready to perish, a “Syrian” with no claim on God. In grace, He has bought me and brought me to hear His Word. The provisions He gives are generously pressed down and overflowing. My blessed soul can enjoy the “milk and honey” that flow right here. Sitting before the Lord with a “first-fruits” basket filled with plenty, I am reminded of all the Lord Jesus Christ endured so that I could come here safely, knowing God accepts me. I worship as I reflect on His graciousness in making all this possible. To those I share how He led me, they must acknowledge it wasn’t just probable; it was divine guidance and grace.
The conclusion of this discussion of the covenant's terms summarizes what God and the people of Israel agreed to do. Worship and rejoicing often go hand in hand when we look at the end from the beginning. When God called us to follow Him, it didn’t require great understanding. Worship comes from words, I believe, and then I find a way to express them. The first fruits I bring to the Lord in the basket of praise are proof of my appreciation.