Title: Giving the First Fruits
Content Title: Giving the first fruits
Bible: Exodus 23:14-17
The origin of the harvest festival is the harvest festival when the people of Israel came to Canaan and planted barley with their own hands to God, who gave them manna, quail, and living water during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and giving the first fruits to God. The Feast of Harvest is also called the Feast of Pentecost as it is exactly the 50th day counting from the day after the Passover. The Feast of Harvest is a day to give thanks to God for saving us from slavery in Egypt and giving us the land of Canaan that he promised our ancestors. We must change from a life like a child who only depends on God and eats and eats, to a life of thanksgiving in which we work hard and reap the fruits of God.
First: You must have a heart of deep gratitude.
“Because we came out of Egypt” (verse 15). Why do we give thanks to God as we live in the world, but why don’t those who do not have a heart of gratitude? ① Because they think that what happened is a coincidence. ② There is no thanks to anyone who thinks I have done anything. ③When you think you received less than others, your gratitude disappears and complaints burst out. A grateful person is not greedy. David sings, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Second: We must give thanks to God by distinguishing the first.
“You shall not show me empty-handed” (verse 15). God does not want much. But you want to give as much as you can. The first one is mine. You want the first one. You want what is set apart, not what is left behind. Yahweh says, "What good is the multitude of sacrifices to me?" God rejects gifts and sacrifices without a heart. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall keep these ordinances and do them. He wants a gift that comes from emotion and joy, not force. Gratitude is the key to blessing. Thank you very much.
Third: It is the season of sharing love with neighbors.
“At the time of the feast, you and your children and your slaves and your slaves and the Levites who live in your city, the strangers, the orphans, and the widows shall keep in touch” (Deuteronomy 16:14) you left it I hope that it will be a Thanksgiving Day, not just a feast for ourselves, but to serve our neighbors and share joy together. Neighbors in Need There are many struggling saints around us. I hope that you will become all of you who live by sharing and serving with your hearts little by little. We hope that you will restore the faith of your devotion during the Thanksgiving service.