One special moment in time, in the ministry God gave me of taking young adults to the mission fields to serve; I and our team had the privilege to observe the parade of people who bring in the first fruits of harvest and place these baskets of all kinds of produce at the altar before the Lord.  This is powerful as God’s commands to bring the “sacred portion’ to Him was obeyed willing and joyfully!  This was truly an expression of love from believing hearts to our Holy God who received these gifts with a His plan and purpose to help others with these gifts. It was joyful, colorful, and breathtaking to see this act of worship!  And we were a part of it!

Churches in our part of the world, the United States, may last for an hour, or thirty minutes more if something special is going on.  But in Haitian churches, be ready to enjoy over three hours of rejoicing, learning, and praising God. Children sit obediently through it all and stand to sing joyfully when it is their turn to praise as a beautiful choir of voices! The children are on bleachers one side of the building while adults are in the makeshift benches in rows. There is always a middle aisle for people to come down and bow at the altar. 

But that day was special. And it might take a bit more time but time stood still! It was God’s time!  That day was the celebration of first fruits, which has its foundation in the story of the Exodus. While the biblical day of first fruits celebrated the offerings of the harvest season of Israel, and later the resurrection of Jesus, this day for the Haitian church was set aside to offer the first fruits of their harvest on the altar of the Lord! The bounty of produce would be distributed to the needy in the name of mercy later in the week. This was also profoundly moving because we were amazed at such plenty given in the midst of poverty.  The love and generosity of those who offer their very best in the face of having so very little humbled us—all of us who were there to take it all in!

This is how it began: Early that morning, before the start of worship, basket after basket full of fresh produce piled up outside the doors of the church. Women dressed in their finest and brightest clothing had carried these large baskets on their heads down steep hills on dusty roads with the grace of ballerinas.  At just the right time; the women lined up outside the entrance doors. When the music began; they entered the church with songs of thanksgiving and praise to God who gave them the harvest.  They joyfully danced in a march down the aisle and place their overflowing baskets in front of the congregation.  I will never forget the experience.  As I read our next chapter of Deuteronomy; I am reminded of the goodness and provisions of God!  And again, I say rejoice and give God praise!

Deuteronomy 26

Firstfruits and Tithes

When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, ² take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name ³ and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” ⁴ The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. ⁵ Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. ⁶ But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. ⁷ Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. ⁸ So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. ⁹ He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; ¹⁰ and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. ¹¹ Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

¹² When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. ¹³ Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. ¹⁴ I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. ¹⁵ Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Follow the Lord’s Commands

¹⁶ The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. ¹⁷ You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. ¹⁸ And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. ¹⁹ He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
All your money, talents, time, and love;
Consecrate them all upon the altar,
While your Savior from above speaks sweetly,

Trust Me, try Me, prove Me, saith the Lord of hosts, and see
If a blessing, unmeasured blessing,
I will not pour out on thee.”

(Hymn writer, Lida Shivers Leech, 1928)

What is our sacred portion?  God has created all and owns. He gives each one of us a portion in this world to manage which includes our money, time, and abilities to serve.  Our sacred portion might be related to our ability to manage our resources as we love Him back with how He loves us.  Let us pause to reflect and consider that thought…take all the time you need; I am.

God reminded the Israelites how he had faithfully provided for all their needs. They were also instructed to give the first portion of each harvest to God, and he would bless them in the land.  Giving God the FIRST of what He had given to them taught them to put GOD FIRST!  Our obedience to God’s command to give and to live to give Him praise shows the depth of our love for God.  “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your mind, and ALL your soul” commands the Lord.  “Give back a portion of what I have given to you” is a way to meet the needs of those who have nothing to give at all.  This is a win-win!

When we are willing to give back, we show that we understand that God is the source of all that we have and that only in Him can we truly find contentment and joy.

We learn that a mere casual acquaintance with the Word isn’t sufficient. If God’s Word is to nurture us and change us so that God can bless us (Ps. 1:1–3), we must devote ourselves to Him, heart, mind, and soul.  We must read, meditate, asking for God’s Holy Spirit to help us gain more wisdom, (skills for living), and guide us from His Word to live for God.  Jesus is the Word made flesh and “dwelt among us” (John 1) as our perfect example to follow.  It would make sense then that Jesus must become our filter through which all we think, say, and do must pass through. Jesus is Savior and must become Lord of our lives!

So, what is our sacred portion to give back to God?  God commanded a tenth, the FIRST tenth of all we have been given, as a place to begin.  This will take faith with a rearranging of how we think which will transform our budget behaviors. Know this, even with all our tithes (tenth) and our offerings given—we will never out give God!  Does He need what we give back?  No, it is our need to give that must be met.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

We give because God gave!

Why is giving a portion sacred? Because we thought about it and gave cheerfully and gratefully from our hearts to God!

“Trust Me, Try Me, Prove Me,” says God.  He will not disappoint!

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the opportunities to give back a sacred and holy portion of all you have given to us to manage.  Thank you for giving us Jesus to teach us and then to save us from all sins.  Thank you for being a God who is our Father and we are your children, joint-heirs with Christ. Thank you for all you have provided and more so that we can give to others with the love in our hearts that began with your love for us!  What a mighty, gracious, holy, and giving God you are!  And again, I say rejoice!

In Jesus Name, Amen