Dt. 26: Firstfruits and Tithes

Deuteronomy 26:18 "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."

Here God gives exacting instructions for what he expects the Israelites to do once they enter the promised land. They are to prepare an offering of the firstfruits...whatever they harvest from the land...which will be good if Israel is good because God promised it would be if they would be. The they take it to the priest, and God gives them a line to recite every time they go.

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. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me.

That's like 6 verses of stuff they had to memorize...a cliff's notes of their entire history. Useful to not forget what God did for them, where they were...who they were, what they went through, and how God delivered them. And then justify their actions with this offering. It would be easy to think that offerings were a solemn time. But I think time and again, the Bible says to make these offerings while rejoicing...it was a celebration of God's goodness. That they were blessed with so much to be able to give so much.

When it comes to tithing, the Israelites had to have their house in order. They were to give their tithe to the Levite, the widow and the orphan. And again they had a recitation to give.

I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, 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. 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. 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 forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Its a good reminder of why they do what they do, but I'm glad I don't have to say something like this whenever I give offering. Seems these words, while intended to prevent tithing from becoming a mindless ceremony would eventually become a mindless ceremony of their own. And these words had to be true.

And what a promise to finish out the chapter. Can you imagine being a treasured possession of God? Think about what you hold most dear...that's how God treasures you. You. That's pretty amazing. And all this holiness would lead to a place of high esteem among other nations...that's if they followed Gods decrees and kept his commands.

Nu. 7: The Israelites Hit The Same Sale

Moses is done setting up the tabernacle by now. So after anointing and consecrating it and all its furnishings, the tribes brought their offerings.

The first gifts were a total of six carts and twelve oxen. Each cart was pulled by two oxen, and there was one ox from each tribe. I wonder if there’s any significance there, like the twelve tribes were pulling six somethings…

They were distributed among the Levites for their temple work…
Gershonites – two carts, four oxen
Merarites – four carts, eight oxen
Kohathites – nothing. They had to carry the tabernacle stuff on their shoulders with poles.

For twelve days, each leader of each tribe brought the same offering to the temple. The offering was exactly the same from each tribe:
- One silver plate weighing 130 shekels (filled with fine flour and oil as a grain offering)
- One silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels (filled with fine flour and oil as a grain offering)
- One gold dish weighing ten shekels (filled with incense)
- One young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old (burnt offering)
- One male goat (sin offering)
- Two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old (fellowship offering)

Day one, the offering was brought by Nahshon of the tribe of Judah.
Day two, the offering was brought by Nethanel of the tribe of Issachar.
Day three, the offering was brought by Eliab of the tribe of Zebulun.
Day four, the offering was brought by Elizur of the tribe of Reuben.
Day five, the offering was brought by Shelumiel of the tribe of Simeon.
Day six, the offering was brought by Eliasaph of the tribe of Gad.
Day seven, the offering was brought by Elishama of the tribe of Ephraim.
Day eight, the offering was brought by Gamaliel of the tribe of Manasseh.
Day nine, the offering was brought by Abidan of the tribe of Benjamin.
Day ten, the offering was brought by Ahiezer of the tribe of Dan.
Day eleven, the offering was brought by Pagiel of the tribe of Asher.
Day twelve, the offering was brought by Ahira of the tribe of Naphtali.

Why did they all have to bring exactly the same thing? Perhaps they each had their own plate, bowl and dish for their people? I can understand the offering…offerings.

And I wonder if Warren Harding’s parents named him after this Gamaliel? There aren’t many names there in use by westerners…We all probably know a Reuben, Simeon, Benjamin…Dan. Ahira seems more Japanese to me.

What an awesome celebration this must have been, to have every single Israelite present in the span of twelve days. This was going to be their tabernacle. Each of them had a stake in it, and had an offering offered for them.