What does "increase its yield" teach about God's provision and blessings? Setting the Scene “When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, you are to regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD. In the fifth year you may eat its fruit, so that its yield will increase for you. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:23-25) Key Phrase: “Increase its yield” God links enjoying the harvest with a stunning promise: obedience in the early years will cause the tree to produce more later. Provision is multiplied, not merely maintained. What This Teaches About God’s Provision and Blessings • Provision Follows Obedience – Israel enjoys the fruit only after honoring God’s timetable. – The increase is explicitly “for you,” showing the personal nature of His care. • Waiting Enlarges the Blessing – Three years of restraint, one year of dedicating the crop, then eating—God uses patience to prepare a larger harvest (cf. James 5:7). – The delay is not denial but preparation for abundance. • Consecration Releases Increase – Setting the fourth-year fruit apart as “a praise offering to the LORD” (v. 24) invites His multiplying hand (cf. Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3:10). – What is surrendered to God never diminishes; it expands. • God Is the Active Agent – “I will send My blessing” (Leviticus 25:21) is a parallel promise. – The verb “will increase” is in God’s domain; human effort alone cannot manufacture it (Psalm 127:1-2). • Blessing Is Meant to Be Enjoyed – After consecration, the people “may eat its fruit” (v. 25). God delights when His people partake of what He magnifies (1 Timothy 6:17b, “who richly provides us with everything to enjoy”). Practical Implications for Believers Today • Give God the First and Best – Honor Him with early yields—time, income, talents. Expect Him to enlarge the rest. • Trust His Timing – Seasons of waiting are purposeful. Like the orchard, growth unseen today promises a richer tomorrow (Galatians 6:9). • Recognize Multiplication Comes from the Lord – Work diligently, yet rest in His promise to “give the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7). • Celebrate the Harvest – When the increase arrives, enjoy it gratefully and publicly attribute it to His hand (Psalm 67:6-7). Supporting Verses Highlighting the Same Principle • Deuteronomy 28:8,11 Takeaway “Increase its yield” assures believers that the God who commands is the God who multiplies. Honor His order, consecrate the firstfruits, wait with trust, and watch Him turn obedience into overflowing provision. |
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