The Feast of First Fruits
 The Significance of The Feast of First Fruits
Summary
God instructed the children of Israel to celebrate First-fruits after coming into the Promised Land and reaping the benefits of its harvest. On the one hand, First-fruits marks a way to dedicate the harvest, or fruits of our efforts to God. It represents gratefulness to God, and provides for a special way to express devotion and loyalty to Him.
On this day, God also directed the children of Israel to begin counting 50 days to offering a new grain offering. This commemorates the 50 day journey from the deliverance of the bondage of Egypt to the receiving of God’s 10 Commandments and revelation of His covenant at Sanai. It serves to remind us that redemption was not truly complete until receiving God’s Torah—or instruction of His Word—His covenant. Taking the time to count each day and meditate on the reality of God prepares our heart and mind to truly receive fullness of truth and revelation of the knowledge of God.
Messiah lived as a man, taking on our human nature. He dedicated His life in devotion and obedience to the Father, saving ours from spiritual death. In His resurrection, He, therefore, became the first fruits of the human race to experience the resurrection of the new life.
Those born again in Messiah follow in His footsteps. We also celebrate this feast on an ongoing basis in faith as we dedicate our lives—our hearts and minds first—and service and duty to glorify God; and as a result, reap the fruits and benefits of His harvest.
Life Application Questions
In what ways do you express your gratefulness to Messiah for dedicating His life to save yours? In what ways do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in studying God’s Word and preparing your heart and mind to receive God’s truths?
Scripture References
Leviticus 23: 9-14; Proverbs 3:9; 1 Corinthians 15:20
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 21-22; 72
Sons and Servants: p. 23; 29; 83-84; 128; 137
The Practice of The Feast of First Fruits
Summary
The Feast of First-fruits marks the expression of gratefulness to God for the first crops harvested. David truly had a heart of gratefulness. He acknowledged God as sovereign, and therefore, His source and sufficiency. In Psalm 24, he declares, “The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness.” (Psalm 24:1 NKJV)
On First-fruits we also dedicate ourselves to focusing on preparing our hearts and minds to receive new things of God and the fullness of the measure of new revelation God would offer us by His word and Spirit this season.
Peter further affirmed that God has given to us “everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowing the One who called us to his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 JNT) For this reason, Messiah taught about the blessings of giving to others from a heart of gratefulness; and in faith, believing that God would multiply whatever you give. “Give, and you will receive gifts — the full measure, compacted, shaken together and overflowing, will be put right in your lap. For the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure back to you!” (Luke 6:38 JNT)
Giving to others truly prepares the heart to receive back from God. Out of gratefulness and in faith, we therefore, dedicate a portion of the first fruits of what God has given to us back to Him; not in mere duty or obligation, but in love.
Life Application Questions
In what ways do you freely give back to God a portion of the first fruits of what He has given to you?
Scripture References
Matthew 19:21; 25:37; Luke 3:11; Acts 20:35
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 21-22; 38-39
Sons and Servants: p. 92-94; 161-162
Messiah's Fulfillment of The Feast of First Fruits
Summary
The feast of First-fruits marks a time of giving back to God in gratefulness—and in faith—for His bountiful provision. It also marks a time to examine the first fruits of our labors to test the quality of the harvest. If the first crops are good—and therefore blessed—the following fruits are likewise blessed.
Interestingly enough, Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ was also “inspected” by the religious leaders to test His claim to be the Messiah. Many false Messiah’s have attempted to claim Messiahship. His point was made and His claim proved, however, after His resurrection from the dead!
The feast of First-fruits is, therefore, a shadow pointing forward to Messiah’s resurrection as the first soul arisen in the newness of eternal life.
But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power.
(1 Corinthians 15:20-24 JNT)
Through immersion into his death we were buried with him; so that just as, through the glory of the Father, the Messiah was raised from the dead, likewise we too might live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
(Romans 6:4-5 JNT)
In identifying with Messiah’s death and resurrection, we resist the temptations of sin, and walk in His grace by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Life Application Questions
How would you appear to someone inspecting your life? In what ways can you see yourself changing to be more Messiah-like? None of us will ever be perfect in our mortal frames. We are just asked to seek first His kingdom, and earnestly allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, and conform us—into His image until He is revealed in us.
Scripture References
Romans 6; Philippians 3:7-16; 1 Peter 1:3-9
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 21-22; 44-46
Sons and Servants: p. 29-32; 77-78; 110-115; 119-136
The Believer's Heartfelt Response to The Feast of First Fruits
Summary
Inspecting the first fruits of the harvest provided for affirming that if the first fruits were good so would be the rest. The Feast of First-fruits, therefore, is a shadow pointing forward to Messiah’s resurrection as the first soul arisen in the newness of His eternal life. “But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 JNT)
This new nature is appropriated with a conscious decision to affirm Messiah as LORD, coming under His headship, and allowing the Holy Spirit to have dominion. This should produce a change in attitudes and behavior.
Paul, therefore, exhorted believers to, “strip off your old nature, because your old nature is thoroughly rotted by its deceptive desires; 23 and you must let your spirits and minds keep being renewed, 24 and clothe yourselves with the new nature created to be godly, which expresses itself in the righteousness and holiness that flow from the truth.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 JNT)
With this fresh focus and openness to new things God may be doing, it becomes easy to receive new truth and revelation by the Holy Spirit. As God reveals truth, the Holy Spirit works change in your heart and renews your mindset. The more the eyes of your heart open, the wider your perspectives become—clearing the way for God to bring you through transition and redirection.
This is how the Holy Spirit leads you through the outworking of God’s creative and redemptive process; and this is what “counting the omer” is about! As you take time to engage with God these 50 days over the early harvest of new things He is doing—the first fruits—and allow His Word and Spirit to minister to you, He progressively expands revelation and truth to the point of climax at Shavuot—Pentecost! As you continue to engage with God over time, He will truly take you from faith-to-faith and glory-to-glory! (Romans 1:17 and 2 Corinthians 3:18)
Life Application Questions
In what ways do you affirm and permit Messiah to be LORD, and the Holy Spirit to reveal new truth? How is your new nature reflected in your life?
Scripture References
Ephesians 4:17-32; Colossians 3:1-17
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 21-22
Sons and Servants: p. 119-123
The Spiritual Reality Behind The Feast of First Fruits
Summary
The Feast of First-fruits served as a shadow, pointing to the resurrection of the Messiah as the first soul arisen in the newness of eternal life. In identifying with Messiah’s resurrection, the child of God is elevated to a new spiritual state; “from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
(Romans 8:21 NKJV)
This new position acknowledges an intimate and genuine relationship with our Creator and Father God. It is by this real “Spirit of adoption” whereby the child of God receives the love of the Father, responding by crying out from the heart, “Abba, Father.” Furthermore, as His children, we become “joint heirs with Messiah.”
(Romans 8:17 JNT)
This new standing opens up a new realm of vested legal rights to the child of God, as stated in John 1:12-13. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
To truly gain insight into what right the children of God who actively believe receive, the word used for right needs to be examined. The Greek word is exousia. Like many Greek (and Hebrew) words, it is an expansive word. It means: right, privilege, capacity, competency, strength, freedom, authority, power, and jurisdiction. It means a lot! So, those who believe and actively embrace Messiah from the heart, attain the full right, privilege, capacity, competency, strength, freedom, authority, power, and jurisdiction of covenant children of God!
Truly, God’s children in Messiah have opportunity to apprehend a fresh, wide-range perspective of life! 1 Samuel 3:1 calls this type of vision, open vision (chazone parats). With such type of open vision and the faith to see it materialize, you can truly come into the fullness of God’s unique purposes for your life.
Life Application Questions
To what degree have you received the love of the Father? How has God revealed His Son the Messiah in you? To what extent have you received your “vesting” as a joint heir with Messiah? How have you been exercising your rights as heirs of grace, children of the King of Glory?
Scripture References
John 1; Romans 8; Galatians 1:16; Galatians 4; Hebrews 12
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 15-16; 168-173
Sons and Servants: the whole book!
The Covenant Values of The Feast of First Fruits
Summary
The Feast of First-fruits marks a time of expressing gratefulness to God for one’s harvest by dedicating the first fruits of the crop to God. It, therefore, acknowledges God’s headship over mankind; and man’s stewardship before God. It also serves as a shadow, pointing to Messiah’s resurrection as the first soul arisen in the newness of eternal life.
But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power.
(1 Corinthians 15:20-24 JNT)
In identifying with His resurrection, the child of God is, therefore, elevated to a new spiritual state; “from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21 NKJV)
In addition to valuing God’s grace in the harvest, First-fruits gave the individual the opportunity to examine the first fruits of the crop to test the quality of the harvest. If the first fruits were good—and therefore blessed—the rest would likewise be blessed.
Here too, Messiah has become an example of the type of character we should value. The Holy Spirit, however, is the real enabler. He is the Comforter who, if allowed, will transform your mind and heart, bringing it to conformity with the character of Messiah.
Scripture References
Psalm 26; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 6:4; Hebrews 4; 12:14-15; Matthew 7:21; 1 John 3:1-3; Galatians 5:22
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 21-22; 139-140
Sons and Servants: p. 72-73
Real Life in Messiah: I AM the Door of the Sheep
The prophet, Joel, was speaking of Messiah when he proclaimed, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.” (Joel 3:5 MT; v. 2:32 others)
Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ came proclaiming that He was the way to eternal salvation, the gateway—or door—of heaven.
“Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.” (John 10:7-10 JNT)
This word was truly fulfilled at the moment His fleshly life expired, as the veil to the Holy Place in the Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:51) The very entrance to the place representing the throne room of God, where access had been restricted, became open.
Paul expanded on what this truly meant for those placing their faith in Messiah by explaining, “through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand.” (Romans 5:2 JNT)
This grace is the fullness of Messiah’s salvation—eternal life with eternal access to God’s presence in heaven—and open access to God, “in earth as it is in heaven” while still on earth, through the presence of the Holy Spirit! Paul further explained how believers in Messiah follow after Him as true children of God bound for eternal life, in proclaiming that, “the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died.” (1 Corinthians 15:20 JNT)
Messiah came as a man to be the first fruit to ascend unto eternal life after substituting His sacrificial blood for the remission of sins. No longer would animal sacrifices be acceptable to God. He opened the door to eternal life! He lives eternally in heaven, as do those who have put their faith in Messiah, and follow Him.
In Messiah, we truly see El Hashamayim—The God of the Heavens. (Psalm 136:26)
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