WORTH THINKING ABOUT IT! The Metaphor of First fruits and the importation of foreign thrift collection: Deuteronomy 26:1-2 & Romans 8:23 It is quite typical for many Churches today to act and promote teachings and doctrines of conformity. The theology of conformity requires that we act and do things like other Christians are acting and doing things to show we are relevant. It is a theology which first manifested prominently in the book of 1 Samuel 8:5b saying; ...Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” And to many reading this portion, we are quick to apportion blame saying the Israelites were wrong to ask for a King. But it is necessary to know that the very phrase which we may use to condemn Israel for requesting for a King and which annoyed Samuel the Prophet of God is a direct quote from the scriptures. The nation used Deuteronomy 17:1 as the basis for their request. Deut. 17:1 says; When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us, The request was in line with the revealed plan and purpose of God. How come that which we can find in the Bible become or translate into a rejection of God? The Bible says; And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them(1 Sam. 8:7). Why would God now say their request which was directly gleaned from the scriptures was a rejection of His reign? Why? Why? For satan used the very same words of the Bible to try and make Jesus compromise, how? Peter said many have twisted the revelation of God to Paul to their own destruction(2 pet. 3:16), Why?The Bible lets us into the the secret of how we can turn Gods word/will into a rejection of Gods purpose. 1 Samuel 8: 8; According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. A people committed to disobeying God will always find a Biblical reason to disobey Him the more. A Pastor sold out to lust, will find a Bible verse to twist to divorce his wife. A Church sold out to greed, will twist the truths of offerings and tithes to reap people off. Relationship with God is a criteria for interpreting Gods word correctly. A Professor of mine once declared in class; if you want to go to heaven, this Bible will open the door for you and if you want to go to hell, it will also give you a reason to make hell. When interpreting and applying the scriptures, with what presuppositions are we approaching the texts of the Bible? It is Gods word when it is from the mind of Christ and can become a tool for evil when compromise and deceit handles it. But for everyone who wrongly uses it, history shows the Bible has exposed them as false and ungodly. Gods word is alive and it will soon speak against all theologies of deceit. Now with this background understanding- lets approach the Bible on the first-fruit doctrine made popular by the likes of Paula White(Thank God she is not the saviour). Three questions may help us. 1. What is the First fruit in the Old Testament and the New Testament? We must never forget that we are Bible believers not just New testament or Old testament believers. We look at the Bible progressively(overall view) as the truth is consistently proclaimed, supported, received and handed-out to us. The first-fruit is mentioned several times in the Old testament. Deuteronomy 26, Exodus 23:19, Proverbs 3:9-10 & Leviticus 23:10. So it is mentioned repeatedly in the Old testament but for what reasons or purpose? First-fruit is always mentioned as a show of gratitude to God who gave the land, houses, farms etc to Israel without their effort. Deut. 26:1-2; 26 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. First-fruits is all about what God has done not what man can do and it reveals how man should see God- God owns it all. The land contained all they needed and God gave it to them and they showed gratitude with giving back the first of their harvests. It is specifically for those whom God gave the land to. It is not for everyone but all who took possession of what they did not work for. They should acknowledge that Israel was getting cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant… (Deuteronomy 6:10-11). But an idea of First-fruits also surfaced in the request for First born when Israel came out of Egypt but God replaced the offering of first-born by choosing the levites instead (Numbers 3:12). But it becomes a bit more ambiguous when Gods word suggested that even for first born animals they belonged to God but gave the option of redeeming animals like donkeys with other animals (Exodus 13:12& Numbers 18:17). For God to give an alternative. it shows that God had another intention when He allowed redemption of first child and some animals. If they are rigid, it means it is an absolute before God.Thou shall love the Lord your God cannot be replaced by another instruction- it remains rigid unlike the permission to redeem the first-born. God is showing that it is a shadow of another truth. Now for the first-fruit- it was to appreciate the one who gave them the land and the idea of first born was to remember how God saved the first born in the Egyptian plague. In both cases- the doctrine was a response to direct acts of God upon Israel and a need to acknowledge that the Lord was God. He owned them. The New Testament strangely suggests in all the places where it is mentioned that the Old testament first-fruit are mere metaphoric symbols or shadows. First-fruits or even first-born true fulfilment is found in 1. Jesus Christ(1 Cor. 15:20)- Jesus is the first-fruit. 2. Believers are first-fruits( 2 Thes. 2:13)- believers are Gods own first-fruits. 3. The Holy Spirit is the first-fruits(Romans 8:23)- because the Holy Spirit is given to us, we have the first fruit. 4. First fruit from Israel as a guarantee (Romans 11:13-16)- Israels first converts symbolise Gods purpose for the nation as a whole. He saved some and the rest too can be saved. Altogether- the first fruit is not mentioned nor taught as a doctrine for giving nor as a doctrine for donation or requirement, rather it is a fulfilment of the shadows God of the Old testament. Now combining these two- it means- GOD OWNS WHAT WE HAVE, WHO WE ARE AND HE GAVE ALL WE SHALL BECOME. It is not a ritual for believers but a deeper understanding of our relationship with the God who is not just our provider but the lover of our soul. It is about relationship with Him who made us without asking us for any payback. We find in the first-fruit and first born the shadow of the reality of what God will do- 1.men given to Him belongs to Him, 2.are connected to Him and 3.receives from him. Jesus Christ became our first fruit and He in-turn makes us first fruits unto God from the world. WE ARE NOW THE FIRST FRUIT WHICH REVEALS THAT GOD GAVE THE WORLD HIS SON WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS. Remember the first-fruit was given because God gave. God gave His on who died and rose again for the redemption of the world and in turn we are made Gods first fruit. So do we turn this into a doctrine for believers- the Bible never commanded it. The New testament spoke of offerings given out of relationship with God not as a command or law without which we shall not please God. The Church has become the popular thrift collector asking people to give not out of relationship but that of compulsion because it is a law. IT IS NOT A LAW. We do not give because it is a law- we give because He first loved us. Any gift or offerings given as a tradition or with the fear of judgements from God is a foreign import. We give because he first gave. The command of God for us as believers is not tied to offerings, it is connected strongly to our relationship with God. The first-fruit metaphor or symbols are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the request for us to give our all. First salary, first contract pay, first house etc are shadows not realities.These kind of principles are called in Hebrew hukkim or chuqqah, which literally means “custom of the nation” and they are ceremonial laws of which in Christ we are not bound. proverbs 3:9-10 is an act of worship. Honor the Lord- acknowledge Him. That flows from a relationship not a law. First fruit is an acknowledgement of Gods position in worship. You cant force that, it must flow naturally from a heart committed to God. ON A FINAL NOTE- the Bible kindly tells us what first-fruit mean in James 1:18; Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a KIND of first-fruits of His creatures. We are a kind or type of the first fruit. Jesus Christ is the actual final first-fruit and we are a kind of Him. The source of giving first fruit is found in Abel and Cains sacrifices. Abel gave the best, Cain gave just something. Abel acknowledged God owned him, Cain confessed by His offering God helped him not gave him. The difference is that He who acknowledges God is Lord is accepted to God above he who only uses God when their is a need. Metaphors and symbols are shadows and if we teach about relationship and the fruit of Love- given will flow naturally without threats, or subtle compulsion. Hope you will check the scriptures to see when we do not have a people totally gievn to God, we will only be collecting Cains sacrifice and labeling it Abels offering. God cannot be mocked. Shalom! Bishop P.S. Alabi copea-ics Deut. 26:1-2 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. Romans 8:23; Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 11:30:58 +0000
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