The concept of "first fruits" in the Bible refers to the initial yield of a harvest, which was offered to God as an expression of gratitude and acknowledgment of His provision. This practice is deeply rooted in the agricultural society of ancient Israel and holds significant theological and liturgical importance.

Biblical Foundation

The offering of first fruits is commanded in several passages of the Old Testament. In Exodus 23:19 , the Israelites are instructed, "Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God." This command underscores the principle that the first and best of what one has should be dedicated to God, reflecting His sovereignty and the believer's dependence on Him.

Allotment to the Priests

The first fruits were not only an offering to God but were also designated for the sustenance of the Levitical priesthood. Numbers 18:12-13 states, "I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest. All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it."

This provision was part of the broader system of support for the Levites, who had no inheritance of land like the other tribes of Israel. Instead, their inheritance was the Lord Himself, and they were sustained through the offerings and tithes of the people (Numbers 18:20-21).

Ceremonial and Spiritual Significance

The offering of first fruits was not merely a practical provision for the priests but also held deep ceremonial and spiritual significance. It was a tangible acknowledgment of God's ownership of the land and His blessing upon the people. By offering the first and best, the Israelites demonstrated their trust in God's continued provision.

The Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, was one of the key times when first fruits were offered. Leviticus 23:17 instructs, "Bring two loaves of bread from your dwellings as a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as firstfruits to the LORD." This feast celebrated the end of the grain harvest and was a time of communal rejoicing and thanksgiving.

Typology and New Testament Fulfillment

In the New Testament, the concept of first fruits takes on a typological significance. Christ is referred to as the "firstfruits" of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20), indicating His resurrection as the first of many who will be raised to eternal life. This typology extends to believers, who are described as a kind of firstfruits of God's creatures (James 1:18), signifying their new life in Christ and their role in God's redemptive plan.

Conclusion

The practice of offering first fruits, while rooted in the agrarian context of ancient Israel, carries enduring theological significance. It reflects principles of gratitude, dependence, and trust in God's provision, and it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.Numbers 18:12,13
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first fruits of them which they shall offer to the LORD, them have I given you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 23:20
And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 18:3-5
And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

What Happened to the Hebrews During Thirty-Eight Years in the ...
... of a man, five shekels: that they should also have the first-fruits out of ... He also
ordered, that out of every thing allotted for the priests, their servants ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 what happened to.htm

Whether the Old Law Enjoined Fitting Precepts Concerning Rulers?
... But certain things were allotted as a means of livelihood for the priests and Levites
of the Law: such as the tithes and first-fruits, and many like things. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the old law enjoined.htm

The Polity Settled by Moses; and How He Disappeared from among ...
... 4. Accordingly, I shall now first describe this form of ... 8. Let there be taken out
of your fruits a tenth, besides that which you have allotted to give to ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 the polity settled.htm

Certain Prayers and Laws.
... and to be content with his allotted wages:" [3715] if ... ordain by Thy will rulers and
priests"the former ... Depart in peace." And when the first-fruits are offered ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iv certain prayers and laws.htm

Letter Xlviii. To Pammachius.
... Each of us has his own sphere allotted to him. ... and deacons, and the whole company
of priests and levites ... These are the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlviii to pammachius.htm

The First Epistle of St. Peter
... the roots as he appeals for the fruits of Christian ... 11. The first time Peter speaks
in his own person, he ... who judges justly (whatever the Jewish priests and the ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the first epistle of st.htm

To Alexander, Bishop of the City of Constantinople.
... being; but to the Son must be allotted His fitting ... the resurrection of the dead,
the first-fruits of which ... a bishop, and had ordained many priests and deacons. ...
/.../i to alexander bishop of the.htm

The Wyclif of the East --Bible Translation
... the learned tongues also of their leaders and priests. ... allowed anything to shorten
the time allotted to the ... sowed the first seed and reaped the first fruits. ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter x the wyclif of.htm

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity
... is very far different from that of the first class I ... all these good things is more
meted and allotted to such ... heaven or on earth, which are the fruits of grace ...
/.../xx sermon for the fourth.htm

Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C.
... need of those to whom Providence hath allotted a smaller ... wonder that the Popish doctors
and priests bind themselves ... and the offering of the first fruits of the ...
/.../proposition xv concerning salutations and.htm

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