The Blessing of Firstfruits

 The Blessing of Firstfruits We are swiftly coming to the fulfillment of Leviticus 23:15 for this year: "And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed." The next verse instructs God's people, "Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath: then you shall offera new grain offering to the LORD." The feast just days ahead is called Pentecost because our English word, "Pentecost,"derives from a Greek word meaning "fifty" or "fiftieth day." In Hebrew, it is known as Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. Further instructions appear in Leviticus 23:17 about an offering unique to this feast: "You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour: they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD." The festival hasa third name based on this offering, the Feast of Firstfruits. The Hebrew word for "firstfruits" in this verse is bikkurim (Strong's #1061), "the first of the crops and fruit that ripened." It is from Strong's #1069, bakar, which refers to that which "bursts the womb," as does a firstborn child. God considered the firstborn children of humans and animals as His (Exodus 13:1-2), and theIsraelites were required to redeem their firstborn (verses 11-16). As one commentator, Jesse Wisnewski, writes, "The Israelites saw these first fruits as an investment into their future. God told them that if they brought their first fruits to [H]im, [H]e would bless all that came afterward." At the time of the cutting of the Wavesheaf offering, when the count to Pentecost begins, our Savior was resurrected from the grave, at the close of the weekly Sabbath. The following morning, a Sunday, He was presented to God the Father as the First of the Firstfruits at the time the sheaf was waved before God at theTemple. At the other end of the count, on the fiftieth day, the rest of the firstfruits are offered for acceptance before God in the form of two wave loaves of fine flour baked with leaven. Leaven symbolizes the sin—the corruption in them—which, try as they might, they cannot purge by themselves. They must be redeemed from their sins. Thus, along with the two loaves, "one kid of the goats as a sin offering" was required (Leviticus 23:19). Jesus Christ became the First of the Firstfruits when He rose from death and was accepted by God. The elect of God have symbolically died with Christ in baptism and have been raised from the watery grave to spiritual life in Him. Christians are called "firstfruits" in the New Testament (James1:18; Revelation 14:4). Although they still sin from time to time, the Father accepts them because of what Christ has done on their behalf. The apostle Paul affirms this in Romans 6:3-5: Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, evenso we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. So, what should Christians do now, as firstfruits of God's plan of salvation? The apostle James instructs us to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James1:19), invaluable advice in these days of division. He also urges us to "lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness" (James 1:21) and "be doers of theword, and not hearers only" (verse 22). As our Savior set us an example by His life, we must set an example for others by the conduct of our lives (I John 2:6). In the harvest analogy, if Christ is the First of the Firstfruits, and God's chosen are called firstfruits, it is implied yet others will follow, develop, and grow to maturity, comprising God's main harvest. While not the firstfruits in God'splan, they, too, will have the opportunity for redemption, deliverance, and eternal life. God desires that all mankind will be saved (see Romans 11:26; II Peter 3:9), and as we read in the Resurrection Chapter, there is an orderly salvation process (I Corinthians 15:23). The firstfruits will have an essential partto play with Christ in bringing that great harvest to conversion. Every year at Pentecost, the Jewish people read from the book of Ruth, which takes place in the time of harvest, coinciding with the count to Pentecost and the festival itself. Harvesting is a time of heavy, intense labor. That physical laborsymbolizes the work God's people must do as they work with Him (Philippians 2:12-13) to make themselves ready for their future roles in the Kingdom of God (see Revelation 19:7). The count to the Feast of Pentecost seems to emphasize the work they must do, and so it represents the period of growth and maturity for those in God's church. Ruth herself, a type of the Christian, constantly and diligently works, serves, and helps those around her. Boaz, a type of Christ, frequently commends her for her work and growth. It pays off, culminating in her marriage to Boaz. Bringing firstfruitsto harvest is no easy task! Notice the parallels in Revelation 14:3-5, where the 144,000 firstfruits are described. The voice from heaven says they have been "redeemed from the earth," "redeemed from among men," and that they are virgins, undefiled by this world, without deceit, and "without fault before the throne of God." They follow the Lamb, their Husband, wherever He goes. Pentecost is a big deal. Traditionally, the Jewish people believe that God gave the Ten Commandments on the Day of Pentecost, which, while it cannot be conclusively verified, is certainly plausible. Of course, Acts 2:1-4 shows us that it was on Pentecost when God sent His Holy Spirit upon the members of His new church. Consider that if the disciples had not gathered to keep the Day of Pentecost, they would not have received the Holy Spirit, an idea still validtoday. The Holy Spirit enables God's people to obey His commandments in their spirit. In addition to our Savior, the First of the Firstfruits and the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), God has invested His time and energy in usas His firstfruits. He is hard at work, too (John 5:17). If we remain faithful, we remain an integral part of His plan of salvation. Through His grace, we are a partof His "promise to come" and become a blessing to all of humanity. - John Reiss