Unleavened Bread Day 6

 

We had a great introduction to the day of Firstfruits in yesterday's devotional. Today, another friend provides us with even more detail. Are you getting the idea that Firstfruits is kind of a big deal? Most of us have been celebrating this beautiful appointed time our whole lives...just by another name and in some ways that are based more on tradition than scripture. What if we began to move more closely into a scriptural celebration in our homes and churches? What might that look like? Let's read today's devotional as we think about that.

Leviticus 23

 

Feast of Firstfruits (Harvest) – The institution of the Feast was first mentioned in Exodus 23, when God instructed the children of Israel to begin observing the annual feast upon arriving in the land that He was giving them…Read Exodus 23:14-19…repeated in 34:22…included in the appointed feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23. The purpose for the wave offering during the Feast of Firstfruits is revealed in Leviticus 23:11 Read Lev. 23:9-11

It's important to know the definition of firstfruits. In the Old Testament it means “early ripened things”…in the New Testament it means “the beginning of a sacrifice, the first fruit”.

Here are some other passages that talk about Firstfruits in relation to the feast:

Numbers 28:26

2 Chron. chapters 30 and 31 – King Hezekiah does a beautiful job of restoring the observance of the holy convocations of The Lord! The Israelites had stopped observing all of God’s holy days/feasts (or at least not as often as they were supposed to), but King Hezekiah got them back on track 😊 (This is such a beautiful passage of scripture about people doing their best to remember the Passover! I hope you will have the time to read 2 Chronicles 30 and 31 today).

*Bonus: The very first fruit that was offered the very first time came directly from God’s provision upon them entering the land that He was giving them!

There are actually two firstfruits offered in the feasting season in the Old Testament…the first is the sheaf of barley that is to be offered to YHWH by the priest, on behalf of the people. It’s in its natural state, as a seed or grain. Fifty days later, the second is offered as a new grain offering by baking bread (with leaven) and offering it to The Lord. It’s in its prepared state. This is absolutely a shadow of Jesus being the “seed” of the firstfruit of all those/us that will be resurrected! The New Testament church was a kind of firstfruit (James 1:18 referring to Holy Spirit indwelled followers of Jesus). In relation to the appointed feasts, “firstfruits” has always been about the coming harvest. The purpose in the Old Testament was to point to the coming Messiah and His harvest of followers! The eternal significance of the firstfruits is revealed in Revelation chapters 3 and 14.

Note: We see leaven often referring to sin in Scripture, but in the case of its purpose in this feast and other bread offerings, it’s in relation to a good harvest/holy (see Romans 11:16).

 

Takeaways: We can still observe the Feast of Firstfruits/Harvest as the feast/celebration that The Lord laid out for us…and with excitement! We can thank Him for including us in His promised land, thank Him for His provisions, and now thank Him for allowing us to be part of the harvest of His Son, Jesus, as He is the eternal firstfruit that The Lord has accepted on our behalf!