It's ironic that I would be writing about the resurrection on a day that many Christians around the globe are mourning a broken man hanging on a cross. This too in the midst of a Global Pandemic where fear and uncertainty are thick in the air. Some are offended at the prospect of hope when we ae living in such dark times, others seem oblivious that some are experiencing deep suffering, and more are waiting on a Divine interception, much like the one experienced at the first Passover season. What is on the horizon?
I'm not sure where you fall on that spectrum, but one thing I know is that none of this came as a surprise to the Ancient of Days. See, First Fruits has everything to do with Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Firsts are extremely important in the Bible, so let's look at the first First Fruits. The celebration of first fruits is initially mentioned in the book of Exodus when Moses is leading God’s people out of captivity in Egypt. In my bible it's listed under the heading, "The consecration of the first born". See just after leaving Egypt, even before the crossing of the Red Sea, "the Lord said to Moses, 'Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal'.” He further instructed, “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb." (Exodus 13:1-2, 11)
The next time we hear about first fruits is when Moses is meeting face to face with God on Mt Sinai receiving the law. The Lord gives Moses a reminder to celebrate three annual feasts, one with the offering of a first fruit crop and later again reminds Moses to “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God". (Exodus 23:19) Now I can't help but to look at the original command that points to the time "after the Lord brings you into the land He promised", because that does not happen for forty more years.
Jump ahead to Joshua 5 and you'll find that the Israelites' new leader just parted the waters, set up and memorial and circumcised all the males all between Nissan 10 and Nissan 14, Passover. The Bible tells us in verses 10-12, "on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover. The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan". I can only imagine that before consuming these first fruits they would have remembered the Lord's instruction through Moses.
The remainder of Joshua 5 concludes with the following testimony "Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.”
Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
First Fruits is a time to celebrate. Since the time of Christ, we too are standing on Holy Ground. Remember how the Lord commanded Moses on Sinai to "Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God"? Well, that is exactly what The Father did as He offered His own First Fruit Sacrifice.
Hebrews 2:14-16 teaches us "since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
…..For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way (of the soil), so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted."
So in the midst of suffering may I offer you a bit of hope? Jesus said In John 14:28 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." Jesus ultimately came to free us who all our lives have been held in slavery by our fear of death, so take courage. There is GOOD NEWS!
1 Corinthians 1:20-23 tells us, "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to him." Do you belong to Him? We too are a firstfruit. James 1:18 tells us "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."
Corinthians 1 continues in verses 24-28, "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all."
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:18-25
Be patient. He is in the process of remaking you; transforming you. Join me tomorrow as we begin the Feast of Weeks and celebrate the transforming power of our LIVING GOD!!
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