Our first fruits, our best gift to the Lord…

“Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

The first fruit offering was an offering required by God of the Israelites. It’s mentioned several times in the Old Testament. “The first (best) of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.” (Exodus 23:19)

The Israelites loved these seven fruits of the promised land, especially wheat, barley, olives, figs, pomegranates, dates, and grapes. As soon as the farmer saw the fruit ripening, they would tie a string or a ribbon around it and designate that as a “first fruit.” Later they would pick that fruit, put it in a basket, and bring it to the Temple of God.

Let’s give God our first fruits, not our leftovers. When the Israelites brought their first fruits to the temple to give God, they were not the small ones (the dried-up ones), they were the best!

Let’s give God our best!

Missionary Bobby Burnette