Firstfruits

Holy Daze: Confronting the Confusion of Sacred & Secular Festivals & Feasts
Part 3: Feast of Firstfruits

What did the Feast of Firstfruits mean to Israel?
1. After the Passover, the Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land. When they began to reap a harvest from that land, God wanted them to give the first fruits (a sheaf of grain) to Him. Leviticus 23:9-10.
2. They were to bring the sheaf to the Priest who would wave it before the Lord the day after the Sabbath. Jewish tradition holds that this was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and that the ‘Sabbath’ being referred to here was the 1st Special Sabbath of that week (see chart above). Leviticus 23:10-11.
3. The waving of the Sheaf was to be accompanied by special offerings. Leviticus 23:12-13.
4. The giving of first fruits had the practical benefit of providing for the priests. Numbers 18:13.
5. The giving of first fruits was a show of faith: God will bless the rest of harvest. Leviticus 23:14a.
6. The giving of first fruits was to be a pattern for Israel. Leviticus 23:14b, Proverbs 3:9.

What does the Feast of Firstfruits mean for Christians?
1. After the Crucifixion, the Lord was buried (placed in a tomb). But 3 days later the Lord came out of the ground (so to speak). Because of this, Paul refers to the Lord as the ‘firstfruits’ from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:4, 20
2. If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is described as a ‘firstfruits,’ it implies (even guarantees) the rest of the harvest. In other words, Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of our future resurrection.
3. We are allowed to experience the ‘firstfruits of the Spirit’ to give us further assurance as we await the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23.



Next Week: The Feast of Weeks