Christ in all the scriptures Firstfruits

 Christ in all the scriptures

"Christ the firstfruits"  Leviticus 23v9-14; 1st Corinthians 15v20-23

Leviticus is an invitation for God's people to worship Him, and the Lord Himself sets the timing and procedure.  In this exercise of highest honour, it is important that we all observe the principles of worship.  If given the honour to stand before a human dignitary, we would observe protocol, how much more when we seek audience with the supreme Majesty of heaven?!

The feast of firstfruits is set in the time of spring harvest, when the early barley harvest commences.  This is a time of thanksgiving to a faithful Creator who provides for the health of His people.  Those who will worship Him will be careful to thank Him for creature benefits.  However the significance of the firstfruits goes far beyond material life and points to the greater benefits of spiritual life, as interpreted by the New Testament scriptures.  Understanding this we can then relate Old and New Testament together to grasp the teaching.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming"-1st Corinthians 15v20-23.

There are other references to firstfruits which we can consider later, but immediately we see that the firstfruits are linked to resurrection, (the resurrection of Christ), and that firstfruits of harvest guarantee a greater harvest to come.  Thus the firstfruits represent the resurrection of Christ, just as the Passover and Unleavened bread represents His death and burial.  This is the third important event in God's prophetic calendar.

The imagery of the barley sheaf is vivid when linked to the resurrection.  Seed has fallen into the earth, and died, and has produced long stalks of new life-bearing fruit.  Nothing depicts the resurrection better than this.  Only the power of God can bring life out of death, and this is also true in the spiritual realm.  The firstfruits of harvest are a promise of a greater harvest to come.  We can now apply this to the text of Leviticus 23v9-14 to gain precious spiritual truth.

Assurance of blessing for all His people.   The text begins, "When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest"

This is God's promise that they would enter the promised land; they were about 40 years away from that fulfilment but in God's programme it was already a fact.  He did not say IF, but WHEN they come into the land.  The New Testament abounds with the guarantee that the Christian believer is destined for a better life: Titus 1v2 "In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began"; Romans 5v2 "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God"; Hebrews 6v18-19 "...lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast...".  The wilderness world through which we journey will soon be past, and we shall enter the promised land, a better place in which we can worship Him without fear or distraction.

Acknowledgment of the goodness of God's provision

The word for firstfruits re'sit occurs 51 times in the Hebrew scriptures, and is variously translated "beginning" (18), "firstfruits" (11), "first" (9), "chief " (8), and miscellaneous (5 times).  The meaning therefore is not only the first but the very best of the harvest for God.  He gave His all for us, why would we not give the first and the best to Him?!  King David refused to accept the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite free of charge, saying, "I will not offer burnt offerings unto the Lord of that which doth cost me nothing"-2nd Samuel 24v24; Exodus 23v19, "The first of thy firstfruits of thy land shalt thou bring into the house of the Lord thy God."  Nehemiah 10v35, "And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all trees year by year, unto the house of the Lord: also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds, and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: and that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine, and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God...".   Translate all that into N/T language if you can, but there the "God first" message continues.  Jesus said in  Matthew 6v33 "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..."; Matthew 22v37 "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment".   The breaking of bread memorial was observed on "the first of every week"-Acts 20v7, 1st Corinthians 16v2.  Whether individually or collectively we are encouraged to make Him first.  We could apply this to our money, to our time, to our energies, everything for Him to be the first and the best.  We may well ask, how can I practically express this today?

Acceptability in approach to the Lord   The waving of the grain sheaf before the Lord was an acknowledgement of His provision, and, also to invite His acceptance of the first fruits of the harvest.  Before they partook of any of the harvest they were to gain His approval-Leviticus 23v11, "And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you...".   We don't approach Him in any old way, or at any time of our choosing.  This was to be done on "the morrow after the sabbath".   This corresponds to the resurrection of Christ, who rose from the dead on the first Sunday after the sabbath following the crucifixion.  It is clear from the gospels and the practises of the early churches, that Sunday became the Christian day of worship.  Matthew 28v1 "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first of the week...; Mark 16v1-2 "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome...very early in the morning the first of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun".  Luke 24v1, "Now upon the first of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them".   John 20v1 "The first of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulchre".  These and other scriptures confirms the symbolism of the firstfruits, for it was on the morrow after the sabbath Christ was risen-"Now is Christ risen from the dead and is become the firstfruits of them that slept"-1st Cor. 15v20.  The resurrection of Christ in itself was a declaration of God's acceptance of His work (Acts 2v22-24), and corresponds to the waving of the sheaf of firstfruits.  Our worship should be that which is acceptable to God-Romans 12v1...Present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly, acceptable unto God..."; 1st Peter 2v5, "Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ"; 2nd Timothy 2v15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth".  In all spiritual exercises, whether in personal or public life, it should be pleasing to the Lord. 

Anticipation of a greater harvest to follow        

The firstfruits was the promise of a full harvest to come, and this is the meaning emphasised by Paul in 1st Corinthians 15v20, "But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming".  Just as the waving of the sheaf signalled the expectation of a greater harvest, so the resurrection of Christ signals the great spiritual harvest to follow.  Unnumbered millions will be raised to eternal life, each group in order, in the mighty power of God.  In this new order of things, Christ will be the monarch, with all in subjection to Him-"He must reign until He hath put all things under His feet".   Kingdoms rise and fall, but the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will endure forever.  The symbol of firstfruits in the Bible is used many times to indicate the prosperity of all those who are blessed as a result of the death and resurrection of Christ.

1)  Israel are said to be the firstfruits-Jeremiah 2v3; Romans 11v16; James 1v18.  The amazing biblical truth that through Israel, one of the smallest nations on earth, rich blessing came to all the nations of the world.

2) The Spirit of God Himself is said to be the firstfruits-Romans 8v23, "And not only they, but ourselves also which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of the body".  This is a reference to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit within us, even in the midst of suffering.  There is greater to come when our bodies are redeemed and we are glorified.

3) People in a locality are said to be firstfruits-Romans 16v5, "Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ"; 1st Corinthians 16v19, "...ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia".  An individual and a group which became the firstfruits of the region of Achaia, many more would follow.  Reference to Romans 15v26, 2nd Cor. 1v1, 9v2,11v10, and 1 Thess. 7/8 reveal a great harvest, not only of conversions, but of exemplary Christians.  It all started with one man in one group.  One person can make a huge difference!

4) The 144.000 Israeli witnesses in the last days are said to be firstfruits-Rev. 14v4, "These were redeemed from among men, the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb".   During the period known as "the great tribulation" of the end times, countless myriads will be saved, the results of the witness of the last day missionaries.  Revelation 7v9-14, "After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;...These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb".

Every work started by God will result in perfect fulfilment and the end will be greater than the beginning.

BROTHERS, SISTERS, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!