Give God the First
Leviticus 23:9–14 devotional on the Feast of First fruits, God's provision, gratitude, worship, giving God the first place, and hope in Christ.
Scripture
Leviticus 23:9–14 (NIV)
Read the full passage in your Bible: Leviticus 23:9–14.
Devotional Message
Imagine standing in a field after months of waiting.
The grain has finally ripened. The first sheaves are ready to be gathered. After watching the crops grow from the soil, you can finally see the result of the labour, patience and provision that brought you to this moment.
It would be natural to think, At last, this is mine.
But God gave Israel a different way to respond.
Before the Israelites ate from the new harvest, they were instructed to bring the first sheaf to the priest and present it before the Lord. The first portion was not simply something to be consumed. It was something to be presented.
Why?
Because the harvest was ultimately a gift from God.
That is the central truth of Leviticus 23:9–14: God is the giver of the harvest, and His people are to acknowledge His provision by giving Him the first portion.
Remember Where the Harvest Came From
The passage begins with God's words to Moses concerning Israel's future in the land He was giving them. The harvest was connected to God's gift of the land itself.
That detail matters.
Israel would work the ground, but Israel did not create the land.
They would gather the grain, but they did not create the seed.
They would participate in the harvest, but the ability to have a harvest ultimately rested upon God's provision.
The first fruits offering therefore taught Israel to remember the source of their blessing.
Before they enjoyed the harvest, they were to acknowledge God.
This was more than a ceremony. It was an act of worship.
The first sheaf said, in effect, Lord, what we have received has come from You.
The First Belongs to God
God specifically instructed Israel to bring the first grain of the harvest.
That is significant because the first portion requires trust.
When you give from what is left over, you already know what remains.
But when you give the first portion, you acknowledge God before seeing the entire harvest.
Israel was not told to wait until everything had been gathered before presenting the first sheaf. The first portion came first.
This taught God's people to place Him at the beginning of their harvest rather than at the end of it.
The principle for us today is not that Christians are required to reproduce Israel's Old Testament festival ceremony. The covenant regulations concerning Israel's agricultural festivals belong to the Old Testament worship system.
But the spiritual reality revealed in the passage remains deeply instructive:
Do we recognise God as the giver of what we have received?
It is easy to thank God after everything has worked out.
It is harder to acknowledge Him at the beginning, when we are still waiting to see what the full harvest will look like.
Gratitude Begins Before the Harvest Is Complete
There is something beautiful about the timing of the offering.
The Israelites had received the beginning of the harvest, but the entire harvest was not yet before them.
They brought the first sheaf to God.
This teaches us something about biblical gratitude.
Gratitude is not merely saying, "Thank You, God," after we have received everything we wanted.
It is recognising God's provision while the story is still unfolding.
Perhaps you are in a season where you can see only the beginning of what God is doing.
You may have a small opportunity.
A new responsibility.
A little progress.
A first step.
A provision that seems modest compared with what you still need.
Do not despise the beginning.
The first sheaf was evidence that a harvest had begun.
It was also a reminder that the harvest belonged to God.
Sometimes what we have in our hands today may look small, but it can become an opportunity to respond to God with gratitude rather than anxiety.
The Offering Was Presented Before God
Leviticus says the priest was to wave the sheaf before the Lord so that it would be accepted on behalf of the people.
The offering was deliberately placed before God.
The people were not merely giving something away. They were worshipping.
The accompanying burnt offering, grain offering and drink offering further emphasised that this was an act of devotion to the Lord.
And verse 14 established a clear boundary: Israel was not to eat from the new harvest until the offering had been brought to God.
The order mattered.
God first. Then the harvest.
This is the heart of first fruits.
It challenges the temptation to treat God's provision as though it belongs entirely to us.
We work.
We plan.
We build.
We earn.
We accomplish.
And because we participate in these things, we can easily begin to believe that everything in our hands came from our own ability.
First fruits corrects that attitude.
It teaches the heart to say, I may have worked for this, but ultimately I received the ability, opportunity and provision from God.
What Is First in Your Life?
For the Christian today, this passage invites us to examine our priorities.
What receives the first attention of your heart?
What do you give your best energy to?
What do you instinctively protect?
What do you consider yours without stopping to acknowledge God's provision?
This is not simply about money.
It reaches into the way we use our time, abilities, opportunities and resources.
When God gives us an opportunity to serve, do we recognise it as something entrusted to us?
When we receive success, do we remember the One who enabled us?
When provision comes after a difficult season, do we pause to give thanks?
When something new begins, do we place it before God rather than treating it as though we created it entirely by ourselves?
First fruits teaches us to begin with recognition:
God is the giver.
Christ and the First fruits
The New Testament gives the word first fruits an even deeper significance in relation to Jesus Christ.
Paul calls Christ the "first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" in 1 Corinthians 15:20, connecting His resurrection with the resurrection hope of those who belong to Him.
The picture is fitting.
In Leviticus, the first portion of the harvest was presented to God as an acknowledgement of the harvest that was to follow.
In the resurrection, Christ is presented as the first fruits of the resurrection harvest to come.
Our Christian hope is therefore not built on wishful thinking. It is anchored in the risen Christ.
The Feast of First fruits points us toward a biblical pattern in which the first portion represents something greater that follows. In Christ, that pattern finds profound fulfilment.
Give God the First Place
We should be careful not to turn this passage into a formula: Give God something first and He must give you more in return.
That is not what Leviticus teaches.
The Israelites were not purchasing God's blessing.
They were acknowledging His provision.
There is an important difference.
We do not give to God because we are trying to manipulate Him into giving us what we want.
We respond to God because He is worthy of our worship.
This changes the heart behind our giving.
It becomes gratitude rather than transaction.
Worship rather than bargaining.
Trust rather than manipulation.
The question is not, What can I give God so that He will give me more?
The better question is:
How can I honour the God who has already given me everything I have?
When You Receive Your Next Harvest
The next time something good comes into your life, pause before rushing forward.
Thank God.
Recognise His provision.
Ask how what He has placed in your hands can honour Him.
And remember that what you have is not ultimately a reason for pride. It is an opportunity for worship.
Your harvest may be financial.
It may be an opportunity.
It may be a skill.
It may be a new responsibility.
It may be the fruit of years of work.
Whatever form it takes, remember the lesson of the first fruits:
The blessing should turn your heart toward the Blesser.
Conclusion
The Feast of First fruits taught Israel to look at the beginning of the harvest and remember God.
Before the people enjoyed the grain, they acknowledged the One who provided it.
That is a beautiful discipline for the heart.
When something good enters your hands, do not let the gift make you forget the Giver.
When you see the beginning of a harvest, give thanks.
When you receive provision, worship.
When something new begins, place it before God.
And when you look at what you have, remember where it came from.
God is the Giver of the harvest. Let the first portion of every blessing turn your heart back to Him.
Encouragement for the Soul
You may not have the whole harvest yet, but you can still recognise God's faithfulness in what is already in your hands.
Do not measure God's goodness only by what you are still waiting to receive.
Pause over what He has already provided.
Give thanks.
Place it before Him.
And trust Him with what comes next.
The first fruits remind us that gratitude does not have to wait until everything is complete. Sometimes the first evidence of provision is enough to make us stop and worship the Provider.
Reflection Question
What has God placed in your hands recently, and how can you intentionally acknowledge Him as the giver rather than treating it as something produced by your strength alone?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for Your Word and for the reminder that every good provision ultimately comes from You.
Thank You for being the God who provides. Forgive me for the times I have received Your gifts without remembering the Giver. Forgive me when my attention becomes so focused on what I have received that I forget to worship You.
Teach me to recognise Your hand in the opportunities, resources, abilities and blessings You place in my life.
Give me a grateful heart that honours You first. Help me not to treat Your provision as something I have earned entirely by my own strength, but to remember that every opportunity and every harvest ultimately rests under Your care.
Help me to give You the first place in my heart and to respond to Your goodness with worship rather than selfishness, gratitude rather than entitlement, and trust rather than fear.
Thank You for Jesus Christ, through whom we have the hope of resurrection and life. May my life continually point back to Him, the One in whom my hope is secure.
And for everyone who shares this devotional, Lord, use their willingness to share Your Word to encourage others to remember Your faithfulness. May their sharing point weary hearts back to You, strengthen grateful hearts, and help others see that every true blessing should lead us to worship the One who gives it.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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