First Fruits — A Biblical Principle?

Question from a Site Viewer
Have you heard of the Biblical principle of “First Fruits?” It’s similar to the tithe but called First Fruits. Any comments on that?

Tim’s Answer
As for the principle of “First Fruits,” I have an aversion to “principlizing” Scripture. I think God said what He intended and that He did not intend us to draw a principle from what He said, but rather to do what He said. However, having said that, I do find that God often asked His people to give Him the first fruits of their increase. The feast of the first fruits (modern Pentecost) was just such a thing. In Proverbs 3 there is instruction on giving God what is first. The concept is that the first of the crop would be given to God and then what is left was for us. Israel was not to give God merely what was left over. We find this same concept in Elijah and the widow. First, she was to prepare something for Elijah, and God rewarded her for it.

But I believe that each of these passages and each of the places in Scripture help give visible reminders of what it means to give our lives to Him. We seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness and He will take care of the rest.

Should we give the first fruits of our salaries, etc. today? Such is not a sin to do so. But neither is it commanded. God, in my view, is not near as interested in our money as in our lives. As for a money, we are taught to be generous, to give as God has blessed us, to give liberally, to give cheerfully, to meet the needs of others. He does not say that the first month and a half of paychecks must all be given to Him. To the contrary, He seems to say that if you withhold from supporting your family, including your parents, because you say it belongs to God, you are violating His command.

I do not see that God has commanded us to give our first fruits. However, He has commanded us to lay up treasures in heaven and sometimes if we wait to do so, we will never get it done.

a fellow servant,

tim