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115 Bible Verses about Giving First Fruit Offerings
Think about first fruits – that special offering we give to God. It's a way of saying "thank you" and showing our love for Him. In the Bible, it's often talked about with the first harvest or the firstborn livestock. But it's so much deeper than that, isn't it?
Giving our first fruits is really about acknowledging that everything we have comes from God. It's about honoring Him by giving Him the first and the best – not the leftovers. It's an act of trust, like saying, "God, I know you'll provide. I know you're the owner of everything, and I depend on you."
It's a good reminder to put God first in everything – not just our money, but our time, our talents, how we use what we have, even the decisions we make every single day. When we put God first, we're saying, "I trust you, God. I want your guidance in everything I do."
It's like James 1:181 says, "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created." That's pretty powerful, to think of ourselves as God's first fruits.
But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life.
If part of a batch of dough is made holy by being offered to God, then all of the dough is holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the rest of the tree is holy too.
to say to the community of Israel: After you enter the land I am giving you, the first bundle of wheat from each crop must be given to me. So bring it to a prieston the day after the Sabbath. He will lift it up in dedication to me, and I will accept you.
He wanted us to be his own special people, and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.
The Lord is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down,Now, Lord, I bring to you the best of the crops that you have given me. After you say these things, place the basket in front of the Lord's altar and bow down to worship him.Then you and your family must celebrate by eating a meal at the place of worship to thank the Lord your God for giving you such a good harvest. And remember to invite the Levites and the foreigners who live in your town.Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the Lord. But every third year, this ten percent must be given to the poor who live in your town, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. That way, they will have enough to eat.Then you must pray: Our Lord and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor, including the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.I have not eaten any of this sacred food while I was in mourning; in fact, I never touched it when I was unclean. And none of it has been offered as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead. I have done everything exactly as you commanded. Our Lord, look down from your temple in heaven and bless us and our land. You promised our ancestors that you would give us this land rich with milk and honey, and you have kept your promise.Today the Lord your God has commanded you to obey these laws and teachings with all your heart and soul.In response, you have agreed that the Lord will be your God, that you will obey all his laws and teachings, and that you will listen when he speaks to you.Since you have agreed to obey the Lord, he has agreed that you will be his people and that you will belong to him, just as he promised.The Lord created all nations, but he will make you more famous than any of them, and you will receive more praise and honor. You will belong only to the Lord your God, just as he promised.and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the Lord your God chooses to be worshiped,
The first part of every harvest will belong to the priests. They will also receive part of all special gifts and offerings the Israelites bring to me. And whenever any of my people bake bread, they will give their first loaf as an offering to the priests, and I will bless the homes of the people when they do this.
The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free.
For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts.And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
In addition, they will receive the first part of your grain harvest and part of your first batches of wine and olive oil. You must also give them the first wool that is cut from your sheep each year.
Jesus answered: Yes, all of you have become my followers. And so in the future world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, I promise you will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
Celebrate the Harvest Festival each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters each autumn when you pick your fruit.
Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.
You may offer either of them separately, when you present the first part of your harvest to me, but they must never be burned on the altar.
and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
“Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.”
Each year we will bring to the temple the first part of our harvest of grain and fruit. We will bring our first-born sons and the first-born males of our herds and flocks and offer them to the priests who serve in the temple, because this is what is written in God's Law. To the priests in the temple of our God, we will bring the bread dough from the first harvest, together with our best fruit, and an offering of new wine and olive oil. We will bring ten percent of our grain harvest to those Levites who are responsible for collecting it in our towns.
Don't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me. Dedicate to me your first-born sons
After you enter the land, you will plant fruit trees, but you are not to eat any fruit from them for the first three years.In the fourth year the fruit must be set apart, as an expression of thanksto me, the Lord God. Do this, and in the fifth year, those trees will produce an abundant harvest of fruit for you to eat.
Each year we will bring to the temple the first part of our harvest of grain and fruit.
From the first batch of bread dough that you make after each new grain harvest, make a loaf of bread and offer it to me, just as you offer grain.All your descendants must follow this law and offer part of the first batch of bread dough.
Each year bring the best part of your first harvest to the place of worship. Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
Celebrate the Harvest Festival each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters each autumn when you pick your fruit.
I am the Lord your God, and you must bring the first part of your harvest to the place of worship. Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
Freshly cut grain, either roasted or coarsely ground, must be used when you offer the first part of your grain harvest.
People of Israel, every year you must set aside ten percent of your grain harvest.Also set aside ten percent of your wine and olive oil, and the first-born of every cow, sheep, and goat. Take these to the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped, and eat them there. This will teach you to always respect the Lord your God.
All your descendants must follow this law and offer part of the first batch of bread dough.
On the first day of the Harvest Festival, you must rest from your work, come together for worship, and bring a sacrifice of new grain.
For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts.
One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord,and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
Ten percent of everything you harvest is holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your fields or on your fruit trees.
and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the Lord your God chooses to be worshiped,
Now, Lord, I bring to you the best of the crops that you have given me. After you say these things, place the basket in front of the Lord's altar and bow down to worship him.
I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.
Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent.
A man from the town of Baal-Shalishah brought Elisha some freshly cut grain and 20 loaves of bread made from the first barley that was harvested. Elisha said, “Give it to the people so they can eat.”
Then you must pray: Our Lord and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor, including the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.I have not eaten any of this sacred food while I was in mourning; in fact, I never touched it when I was unclean. And none of it has been offered as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead. I have done everything exactly as you commanded. Our Lord, look down from your temple in heaven and bless us and our land. You promised our ancestors that you would give us this land rich with milk and honey, and you have kept your promise.
As soon as the people heard what the king wanted, they brought a tenth of everything they owned, including their best grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other crops.
On that same day, some leaders were appointed to be responsible for the safekeeping of gifts for the temple and to be in charge of receiving the first part of the harvest and the ten percent of the crops and livestock that was offered to God. These same leaders also collected the part of crops that the Law of Moses taught was to be given to the Levites. Everyone was pleased with the work of the priests and Levites,
He told the people of Jerusalem to bring the offerings that were to be given to the priests and Levites, so that they would have time to serve the Lord with their work.As soon as the people heard what the king wanted, they brought a tenth of everything they owned, including their best grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other crops.
I also arranged for the people to bring firewood to the altar each day and for them to bring the first part of their harvest to the temple. I pray that God will bless me for the good I have done.
I will welcome an offering from anyone who wants to give something. You may bring gold, silver, or bronze;
and they must never sell or trade any of this land—it is the best land and belongs to me.
So Moses sent word for the people to stop giving, and they did.But there was already more than enough to do what needed to be done.
Remember this saying, “A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot of seeds make a big harvest.”Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.
But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns.
If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.
I have been paid back everything, and with interest. I am completely satisfied with the gifts you sent with Epaphroditus. They are like a sweet-smelling offering or like the right kind of sacrifice that pleases God.
Sometimes you can become rich by being generous or poor by being greedy.Generosity will be rewarded: Give a cup of water, and you will receive a cup of water in return.
But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.
You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either.
When you count your flocks and herds, one out of ten of every newborn animal is holy and belongs to me,no matter how good or bad it is. If you substitute one animal for another, both of them become holy, and neither can be bought back.
That is, each Sunday each of you must put aside part of what you have earned. If you do this, you won't have to take up a collection when I come.
The Lord is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down,Now, Lord, I bring to you the best of the crops that you have given me. After you say these things, place the basket in front of the Lord's altar and bow down to worship him.Then you and your family must celebrate by eating a meal at the place of worship to thank the Lord your God for giving you such a good harvest. And remember to invite the Levites and the foreigners who live in your town.
Jesus looked up and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box.Nations will go to war against one another, and kingdoms will attack each other.There will be great earthquakes, and in many places people will starve to death and suffer terrible diseases. All sorts of frightening things will be seen in the sky.Before all this happens, you will be arrested and punished. You will be tried in your synagogues and put in jail. Because of me you will be placed on trial before kings and governors.But this will be your chance to tell about your faith.Don't worry about what you will say to defend yourselves.I will give you the wisdom to know what to say. None of your enemies will be able to oppose you or to say that you are wrong.You will be betrayed by your own parents, brothers, family, and friends. Some of you will even be killed.Because of me, you will be hated by everyone.But don't worry!You will be saved by being faithful to me.He also saw a poor widow putting in a few cents.When you see Jerusalem surrounded by soldiers, you will know that it will soon be destroyed.If you are living in Judea at this time, run to the mountains. If you are in the city, leave it. And if you are out in the country, don't go back into the city.This time of punishment is what is written about in the Scriptures.It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children! Everywhere in the land people will suffer horribly and be punished.Some of them will be killed by swords. Others will be carried off to foreign countries. Jerusalem will be overrun by foreign nations until their time comes to an end.Strange things will happen to the sun, moon, and stars. The nations on earth will be afraid of the roaring sea and tides, and they won't know what to do.People will be so frightened that they will faint because of what is happening to the world. Every power in the sky will be shaken.Then the Son of Man will be seen, coming in a cloud with power and great glory.When all of this starts happening, stand up straight and be brave. You will soon be set free.Then Jesus told them a story: When you see a fig tree or any other treeAnd he said, “I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the others.putting out leaves, you know that summer will soon come.So, when you see these things happening, you know that God's kingdom will soon be here.You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all of this takes place.The sky and the earth won't last forever, but my words will.Don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch youlike a trap. This day will surprise everyone on earth.Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.Jesus taught in the temple each day, and he spent each night on the Mount of Olives.Everyone got up early and came to the temple to hear him teach.Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had.”
and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the moneyto the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone in need.
I will bring a gift and offer a sacrifice to you, Lord. I will praise your name because you are good.
By everything I did, I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, “More blessings come from giving than from receiving.”
Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.
But why should we be happy that we have given you these gifts? They belong to you, and we have only given back what is already yours.
It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
The earth and everything on it, including its people, belong to the Lord. The world and its people belong to him.
I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!
I am God Most High! The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word.
This rock will be your house, and I will give back to you a tenth of everything you give me.”
Do all you can for everyone who deserves your help.Don't tell your neighbor to come back tomorrow, if you can help today.
When that day comes, everyone in Israel will worship me on Mount Zion, my holy mountain in Jerusalem. I will once again call you my own, and I will accept your sacred offerings and sacrifices.
Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life.Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.
Men and women came willingly and gave all kinds of gold jewelry such as pins, earrings, rings, and necklaces.
God gives seed to farmers and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so you can give even more to those in need.You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift.
Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it.Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
All praise belongs to God Most High for helping you defeat your enemies.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
I, the Lord All-Powerful, have something to say to you priests. Children respect their fathers, and servants respect their masters. I am your father and your master, so why don't you respect me? You priests have insulted me, and now you ask, “How did we insult you?”You embarrass me by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, “How have we embarrassed you?” You have done it by saying, “What's so great about the Lord's altar?”But isn't it wrong to offer animals that are blind, lame, or sick? Just try giving those animals to your governor. That certainly wouldn't please him or make him want to help you.
Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid.
Our Lord, you are the one who makes us rich or poor. You put some in high positions and bring disgrace on others.You lift the poor and homeless out of the garbage dump and give them places of honor in royal palaces. You set the world on foundations, and they belong to you.
Joanna, Susanna, and many others had also used what they owned to help Jesus and his disciples. Joanna's husband Chuza was one of Herod's officials.
An evil person borrows and never pays back; a good person is generous and never stops giving.
Their father said: If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
The people and their leaders agreed, and they brought their money to Jerusalem and placed it in the box.Each day, after the Levites took the box into the temple, the king's secretary and the high priest's assistant would dump out the money and count it. Then the empty box would be taken back outside. This happened day after day, and soon a large amount of money was collected.
go to the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped and celebrate the Harvest Festival in honor of the Lord your God. Bring him an offering as large as you can afford, depending on how big a harvest he has given you. Be sure to take along your sons and daughters and all your servants. Also invite the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
which is also the place for the sacred objects used by the priests, the temple guards, and the singers. Levites and everyone else must bring their gifts of grain, wine, and olive oil to this room. We will not neglect the temple of our God.
Come to Bethel and Gilgal. Sin all you want! Offer sacrifices the next morning and bring a tenth of your crops on the third day. Bring offerings to show me how thankful you are. Gladly bring more offerings than I have demanded. You really love to do this. I, the Lord God, have spoken!
and tell the priest, “Long ago the Lord our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land.”The priest will take the basket and set it in front of the Lord's altar.
The Lord said to Aaron: I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar.
Your children will ask you, “What are we celebrating?”And you will answer, “The Passover animal is killed to honor the Lord. We do these things because on that night long ago the Lord passed over the homes of our people in Egypt. He killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, but he spared our children from death.” After Moses finished speaking, the people of Israel knelt down and worshiped the Lord.
These are the ceremonies for sacrifices to please the Lord, to give him thanks, and to ask for his blessing or his forgiveness, as well as the ceremonies for those sacrifices that demand a payment and for the sacrifices that are offered when priests are ordained.
“Your sacrifices mean nothing to me. I am sick of your offerings of rams and choice cattle; I don't like the blood of bulls or lambs or goats.“Who asked you to bring all this when you come to worship me? Stay out of my temple!Your sacrifices are worthless, and your incense disgusting. I can't stand the evil you do on your New Moon Festivals or on your Sabbaths and other times of worship.I hate your New Moon Festivals and all others as well. They are a heavy burden I am tired of carrying.“No matter how much you pray, I won't listen. You are too violent.Wash yourselves clean! I hate your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrongand learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help the oppressed.”
When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the synagogues and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them.Your heart will always be where your treasure is.Your eyes are a window for your body. When they are good, you have all the light you need.But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing?Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth much more than birds?Can worry make you live longer?Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes.But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them.When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it.God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?Don't worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?”Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these.But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret and will reward you.
Offerings and sacrifices are not what you want.The way to please you is to be truly sorry deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won't refuse.
Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.”
If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God.
If you mistreat the poor, you insult your Creator; if you are kind to them, you show him respect.
The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
He is wonderful! Praise him and bring an offering into his temple. Worship the Lord, majestic and holy.
I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.
Giving to the poor will keep you from poverty, but if you close your eyes to their needs, everyone will curse you.
You, Lord God, bless everyone who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble.
Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
You should celebrate by offering sacrifices and singing joyful songs to tell what he has done.
When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me, you must use only your finest flour. Put it in a dish, sprinkle olive oil and incense on the flour,The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.Yeast and honey must never be burned on the altar, so don't ever mix either of these in a grain sacrifice.You may offer either of them separately, when you present the first part of your harvest to me, but they must never be burned on the altar. Salt is offered when you make an agreement with me, so sprinkle salt on these sacrifices.Freshly cut grain, either roasted or coarsely ground, must be used when you offer the first part of your grain harvest.You must mix in some olive oil and put incense on top, because this is a grain sacrifice.A priest will sprinkle all of the incense and some of the grain and oil on the altar and send them up in smoke to show that the whole offering belongs to me.and take it to the priests from Aaron's family. One of them will scoop up the incense together with a handful of the flour and oil. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay this part on the bronze altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.
All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had.They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever was in need.
As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.
You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. Now you must give more generously than anyone else.