Firstfruits

Leviticus 2:3-12 – But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings. “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings. “No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.

Genesis 8:21 – And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

Exodus 23:19 – “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

Numbers 15:20 – Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it.

Application:

• ·         Smelled the pleasing aroma was a figurative way of saying that the Lord takes delight in his children’s worship of Him.
• ·         The offering of firstfruits was an acknowledgment that the harvest was from the Lord and belonged wholly to Him
• ·         This concept of the firstfruits is a symbol that all blessing is from the Lord and all produce belongs to Him.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV