306. GOD IS HONOURED WHEN WE GIVE HIM OUR FIRST
(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 10)
After God miraculously brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, them having been graciously delivered by him and with a mighty hand from a life of bondage and oppression, he commanded them, through his servant Moses, to sanctify or separate unto him, the firstborn of their animals and their children.
After all, God had done something wonderful for them and had secured their freedom from the hardship and injustice meted out to them in Egypt, by Pharaoh and his people. The least that they could do therefore, in gratitude was to give or surrender to the Lord, what was dearest to them, which was the firstborn of the animals they had and the firstborn of their children.
Exodus 12:51 and 13:1-2 read:
- “And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies… And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the FIRSTBORN, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine…”
It is important to note that back then, the number of animals that a person had, like sheep, cattle and asses, determined the extent of their wealth, as was evident in Abraham and Lot’s case. In giving of the firstborn of their animals therefore, it appears that God was commanding of them that they give the best of their wealth to him. Him being the one that would allow them to have conception, they were also expected to dedicate or consecrate the firstborn of their children over to him, them no longer considering that child to be their own but his. The second born was not good enough. God required the first and this is what he commanded them to give.
God was certainly deserving of what he asked for and even more, him having demonstrated his faithfulness to them in destroying their enemies, delivering them from bondage just as he told Abraham many years before that he would do and him preserving them beautifully up to that point.
Years later in Deuteronomy 7:8-9, Moses, in reminding the people of what God had done for them and of his faithfulness, told them:
- “But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”
To my mind, God was requiring of them a sort of gratitude offering, for what he had done for them.
God also commanded them, in advance, through Moses, that when they entered the land of the Canaanites that he had promised to give to them, that they should do the same thing again. For, once again, God would have achieved a miraculous feat, by enabling them to defeat the obstacles while on the way and brought them into a good land, just as he had said he would do.
In verses 11- 13 of Exodus 13 therefore, upon God’s instructions, Moses also told the people:
- “And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every FIRSTLING that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord’s. And every FIRSTLING of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the FIRSTBORN of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.”
It is clear from these scriptures, that God wanted to be honoured for what he had done and the blessing that he had bestowed so graciously on his children, by them giving back to him, the very best of what he allowed them to have, which was the firstborn of their animals and children.
This expectation of being given the first of whatever they were allowed to have is echoed throughout scripture.
In Deuteronomy 26:1-11 for example, Moses told the people years later:
- “And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That thou shalt take of the FIRST of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
- And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
- And now, behold, I have brought the FIRSTFRUITS of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.”
In Leviticus 23:9-10 and 14 and of this gratitude offering that God required, it also states:
- “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the FIRSTFRUITS of your harvest unto the priest… And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, UNTIL the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”
God therefore required them to bring him an offering FIRST, when they entered the land of promise, before enjoying what he had allowed them to have. As the giver of the good gift, this was befitting, as had it not been for him, none of them (which eventually turned out to be Joshua, Caleb and the children of the Israelites) would have ever been able to enter the Promise Land, nor even leave Egypt.
In Proverbs 3:9-10, it wisely states:
- “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the FIRSTFRUITS of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
I have often heard it advanced, that the reason why God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s was because Abel had offered an animal, which was an early pattern of further animal sacrifices that God would require of his people to atone for their sins in the Old Testament and then of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, who came as a sheep to the slaughter and had his perfect blood shed as an atonement, for the sins of the world.
This may have some merit. However, in examining the gifts that both brothers gave, it is important to note, that Abel did not just bring any sheep and offer it to God but he took of the FIRSTLINGS of his flock. He offered to God the very best and honoured him by giving him of the FIRST of the animals he had.
No such thing is recorded of Cain. He gave to God of the fruit of the ground which he had toiled over and was angry when God did not accept it.
However, apart from the type of offering that he rendered, it does not appear that he gave to the Lord of the FIRSTFRUITS of what he reaped. Whereas the Bible notes that Abel gave the FIRST of his flock, it simply states that Cain offered fruit from the ground to God.
If Cain had eaten first of what was borne and then gave to the Lord something afterward, this would definitely have been insulting to the Lord, as he was not FOREMOST in his consideration. For, he would have attended to himself first and then gave of the rest to God.
I find these scriptures to be important, as they impress upon our hearts and minds as God’s people today, that he is honoured when we give him the FIRST (not the second or the third) of whatever good he has allowed us to have. He does not wish to accept sloppy seconds. He should not be considered in the aftermath or after we have had the opportunity to benefit from what he has given us but from the start. We must give him our very best and he must be the FIRST of our considerations.
I always had an idea that this was true but it was brought home to my mind in a more impactful way, when I meditated on these verses and others that I found in God’s Word.
For, God’s expectation of being given the very best as a gratitude offering to him, has not changed. He continues to expect this from all of his children today, which are those who are in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore, benefit from the New Covenant.
I can’t help but draw a parallel with these scriptures read and 1 Kings 17, when God instructed Elijah the prophet to go to a certain widow in a famine, letting him know that he would provide for him there. When Elijah got to the place, he found the widow gathering sticks. She told him that she was doing this, so as to prepare a last meal for her and her son with the only remaining dough that was there, after which, she expected that she and her son would die from starvation.
However, despite what looked like an obvious and serious predicament, as the woman had scarcely anything to eat and could not continue to provide for herself or her son, Elijah made a bold request. Him being a man of God and sent by God, he required of the lady to act selflessly still and to make a cake for him FIRST and afterward, to attend to her and her son.
The average person may have refused this request, which seemed crazy, in the least. They may have reasoned, that surely God could not expect them to give to his servant FIRST when they had so little to begin with!
Thankfully though, in faith and obedience, the widow did as she had been asked and God multiplied that dough, so that it lasted many days, being enough to continue to feed her, her son and also Elijah!
1 Kings 17:7-16 reads of Elijah:
- “And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
- And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake FIRST, and bring it unto me, and AFTER make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
- And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.”
Indeed, there are so many lessons in this story for us today! Irrespective of our situation or circumstance, God still expects us to honour him, his people and his work with our very best and the FIRST of our increase. Even if we have very little and consider ourselves to be poverty-stricken, we are not exempt from giving to God sacrificially, of the best that we have and the FIRST of what we have, according to our means.
After all, this is what another widow in the New Testament did. She only had two (2) mites to her name but yet, he desire to honour God outweighed her desire to have her needs met and this level of selflessness, though not noticed by those around her and her offering perhaps even scoffed at, was taken note of by the Lord.
He is honoured when we put him before ourselves, our needs, our wants and our desires. He is honoured when we make sacrifices where self could have benefited, so as to advance his business and well-pleased when we give up what looks like opportunities, in preference for what is FIRST and FOREMOST in our minds and hearts: His will, his way and an unflinching desire to remain faithful to him, without compromise.
As an aside, while being out of work for three (3) years right before and during the height of the covid period from February 2020 to February 2023, although I was receiving no salary during those periods and had no idea where or when my next job would come, if ever, I took from my savings and paid for several online advertisements on my Facebook Ministry page ‘Single Daughters of God-Hephzibah Diaries’, so that I could promote the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to women globally. I did this repeatedly for several months and found that people were very receptive to hearing the gospel during this period, at a time when the whole world was feeling vulnerable and afraid.
I also took from my savings and paid an IT Company to create a Ministry Website for me, a Website of which required and still requires financial resources to date, to remain open and functioning. This is the very Website from which you are reading now!
Although I had no money coming in whatsoever and people looked down at my situation, I still used of the funds that God had given me before from when I had been employed, to advance his purposes. I did not hold on stingily to my money and reason, that since I had no job and had no idea when I would ever be employed again and had no husband to provide for me ans no land and no car and no house and needed to save for these and more, that God’s work would have to wait. No. The commission was urgent, I knew that God had called me to this work since 2018 or thereabout and I was confident that he would provide. I therefore gave to him of my best and put his work FIRST, trusting him by faith, to take care of me and he did!
It is important to point out that God does not just expect us to give to him of our financial resources. All Christians, no matter how financially challenged, have something that they can give to the Lord. Even if they have little money, they can give generously to the Lord from that and trust him to provide for them. However, apart from money, God has given his children gifts, talents, time, health, skill, knowledge and so much more.
Surely, it is an honour to him when we give him of the FIRST of these things.
This is convicting to me, as I am thinking for example, of the time that God has allotted to us. We are all generously provided with twenty-four hours in one day, each day belonging to God. I have been quite guilty of this but is it not insulting to God when we relegate him to the end of our day and only devote a little time to him in prayer, reading of the Bible and praise?
Even when we spend time with him when he graciously awakes us in the morning, can it be regarded as quality and unrushed time or do we just quickly skim through some scripture, say a prayer hastily and then get on with our day? Does spending quality time with God require us to get up earlier from our beds or to perhaps awake at midnight, the very FIRST part of the day, spend quiet time with him and AFTER, get some more sleep in? This certainly calls for sacrifice. Are we prepared to give it?
Giving God the dregs of our day is dishonourable to him. No matter how busy we are and how hectic our schedule, we can give him the best of our time, which is the FIRST of the day when we awake and this should not be hurried. While God wants us to spend time with him because he loves us, ironically, it benefits us more, as he is the source of our strength, especially in this increasingly hostile, rebellious and problem-full world.
As we consider our life, the one that God has allowed us to have, as we continue to breathe the air that he has provided and to operate on an earth that he has created and chosen to date, to keep us on, it is necessary that we prioritize him right. It is necessary that we give to the Lord the FIRST of our time, our money, our resources, our skills, our talents and our gifts. Whatever good he has allowed us to have, we out to return a gratitude offering to him by giving him the FIRST of it and the very best of what have.
We ought not to be busying ourselves seeking after things, making scarcely any time for the Lord and finding it hard to give to him of the FIRST of what he has blessed us with. This is selfishness and it demonstrates a heart of ingratitude.
It is not our business really, to be running after life and things. It is our business and indeed, our reasonable service, to seek God FIRST.
In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus told his disciples:
- “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
He also told them and it remains true today, “…seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
We should reorganize our lives therefore, around the Saviour and around the things that will bring spiritual benefit and advancement to God’s Kingdom, not anything else. For, a life that does not put God FIRST, is a life that dishonours God and a life out of balance.
God is no man’s debtor. While our putting him first and giving him our best should not be because of ulterior motives, he promises to bless those who do, as Matthew 6:33 and Proverbs 3:9-10 attest.
In closing, God’s instruction to the Levites in Numbers 18:29, underscores to my mind, his expectation and right in receiving the first and very best of whatever he has graced us to have in this life.
He told Moses:
- “Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe…Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of ALL THE BEST thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.”
(Written 11th August, 2024, added to thereafter)
