First Fruits: Jesus Our Destiny
A Teaching Article On The Principles Of First Fruits
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.”
MATT 6:33
and all these things shall be added unto you.”
MATT 6:33
The month of January is a fresh start for many of us. We begin the
New Year with renewed inspiration to do our best, be our best, and
achieve some of those things on our “bucket list.” What we find out a
few weeks into the New Year is that all the things we dream of doing
and being are still beyond our reach. Despite our best intentions and
strongest motivations, we still need the supernatural hand of God to
empower us to reach the heights for which we are grasping.
The Biblical principle of first fruits can be summed up like this: The first fruits establish the destiny of what is left. The principle of first fruits is a type and shadow that has been fulfilled by Jesus’ arrival on earth, His sacrificial death, and rising again to ascend to heaven. Jesus is the “first fruit” that God received of His harvest of sons and daughters He will one day receive from the earth. The pattern of Jesus’ life is an establishing of the destiny of “what is left:” you and I who trust in Jesus Christ.
The “big picture” we should always keep in mind is that Jesus is the first fruit. He is the firstborn of many brethren. God wanted a family, so He sowed a Son. Let’s look at some of the finer details of this Biblical principle.
In the Word of God, anytime something is a “first thing,” a “first fruit,” or a “devoted thing,” God always lays a special claim to it.
There are specific requirements for all those who walk by faith. We have to do it God’s way. We can choose whether we will obey or disobey His commands.
God’s commands are laid out to us for blessing so we can walk out an empowered and fulfilling life. They are also laid out with consequences. If we choose not to obey the instructions God gives us, we face the consequences of those decisions.
When you honor God in obedience by presenting to Him all “first things,” His presence covers and blesses the rest. The rest of your time, resources or treasures is sanctified when He is honored first.
There are principles throughout God’s Word, and these principles are key to receiving and walking in the promise of His covenant blessings. In other words, as we are obedient to walk in His way, we will walk in His promises and provision. Obedience is always the key to supernatural blessing of every kind!
The Biblical principle of first fruits can be summed up like this: The first fruits establish the destiny of what is left. The principle of first fruits is a type and shadow that has been fulfilled by Jesus’ arrival on earth, His sacrificial death, and rising again to ascend to heaven. Jesus is the “first fruit” that God received of His harvest of sons and daughters He will one day receive from the earth. The pattern of Jesus’ life is an establishing of the destiny of “what is left:” you and I who trust in Jesus Christ.
The “big picture” we should always keep in mind is that Jesus is the first fruit. He is the firstborn of many brethren. God wanted a family, so He sowed a Son. Let’s look at some of the finer details of this Biblical principle.
In the Word of God, anytime something is a “first thing,” a “first fruit,” or a “devoted thing,” God always lays a special claim to it.
This piece of text refers separately to the tithe and the first fruit, but the point is clear –whatever is the Lord’s can’t be redeemed for its financial value – it’s set apart as the Lord’s. It is said that God’s people were so committed to honoring God with the first of the harvest that the first tender fruits that appeared were marked with a scarlet cord wrapped around it.“No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord; whether an ox] or a sheep, it is the Lord’s.If it is one of the unclean animals, it may be bought back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If it is not redeemed, it is to be sold at its set value.But nothing that a person owns and devotes to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord.No person devoted to destruction may be ransomed; they are to be put to death.A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.”
Lev 27:26-33
There are specific requirements for all those who walk by faith. We have to do it God’s way. We can choose whether we will obey or disobey His commands.
God’s commands are laid out to us for blessing so we can walk out an empowered and fulfilling life. They are also laid out with consequences. If we choose not to obey the instructions God gives us, we face the consequences of those decisions.
When you honor God in obedience by presenting to Him all “first things,” His presence covers and blesses the rest. The rest of your time, resources or treasures is sanctified when He is honored first.
There are principles throughout God’s Word, and these principles are key to receiving and walking in the promise of His covenant blessings. In other words, as we are obedient to walk in His way, we will walk in His promises and provision. Obedience is always the key to supernatural blessing of every kind!
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