First Fruits 

The Israelites are to offer to Yahweh “the first fruits of all that is in their land”. Because Yahweh is the sovereign in possession of all things, the entire produce of the land and people actually belong to Yahweh already. When the people bring the firstfruits to the altar, they acknowledge Yahweh’s ownership of everything, not merely what is left over after they meet their own needs. By bringing the firstfruits before making use of the rest of the increase themselves, they express respect for Yahweh’s sovereignty, as well as the urgent hope that Yahweh will bless the continuing productivity of their labor and resources.

The first fruits are always claimed by Yahweh and are holy.

Three times a year the men went to the temple to present their first fruits to Yahweh and bring the required offer.

Exodus 23:14‭-‬19 ‬

“Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord God. “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat of My feast to remain overnight until morning. “You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God. “You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.

The first fruits of the unleavened bread feast is at the Sunday after the first Sabbath after 14 Nissan (Abbib). One sheaf of barley is taken to the temple. It’s a wave offering. From the moment they took the first sheaf till they offer the sheaf, they didn’t eat bread or grain.

Leviticus 23:6‭-‬14‬‬

Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’ ” Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the Lord for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

Nowadays there’s no temple. And most of us are no farmer. You suppose to be also in the promised land. So it’s not easy to do this. We can learn from this that the first and the best is for Yahweh. And try to bring this in practice in our daily life.

However we like to come before the throne of Yahweh in the morning on the day of the first fruits. Thank Him for the food, for the harvest, the new born cattle, the new born children. We give Yahweh an extra gift instead of the missing first fruits.

Finally I want to tell that Yeshua raised from the death at the Sunday of the First Fruits. He is the first one raised from the death. He is the First Fruit like the barley sheaf. With Him some believers raised from the death too. As a sign this miracle happened to point forwards to the resurrection of us all in the last days.

Used text on First Fruits in the celebration of the unleavened bread:

Matthew 27:33‭-‬37

And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Matthew 27:45‭-‬53

Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Matthew 28:1‭-‬9

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.