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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 the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.
If the first piece of bread is given to God, then the whole loaf is his also; and if the roots of a tree are offered to God, the branches are his also.
He shall present it as a special offering to the Lord, so that you may be accepted. The priest shall present it the day after the Sabbath.
By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.
“After you have occupied the land that the Lord your God is giving you and have settled there,So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’ “Then set the basket down in the Lord's presence and worship there.Be grateful for the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebration.“Every third year give the tithe—a tenth of your crops—to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat. When you have done this,say to the Lord, ‘None of the sacred tithe is left in my house; I have given it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, as you commanded me to do. I have not disobeyed or forgotten any of your commands concerning the tithe.I have not eaten any of it when I was mourning; I have not taken any of it out of my house when I was ritually unclean; and I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed you, O Lord; I have done everything you commanded concerning the tithe.Look down from your holy place in heaven and bless your people Israel; bless also the rich and fertile land that you have given us, as you promised our ancestors.’“Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all his laws; so obey them faithfully with all your heart.Today you have acknowledged the Lord as your God; you have promised to obey him, to keep all his laws, and to do all that he commands.Today the Lord has accepted you as his own people, as he promised you; and he commands you to obey all his laws.He will make you greater than any other nation that he has created, and you will bring praise and honor to his name. You will be his own people, as he promised.”each of you must place in a basket the first part of each crop that you harvest and you must take it with you to the one place of worship.
The priests are to have the best of all the first harvest and of everything else that is offered to me. Each time the people bake bread, they are to give the priests the first loaf as an offering, and my blessing will rest on their homes.
But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.
“I am giving you all the best of the first produce which the Israelites give me each year: olive oil, wine, and grain.It all belongs to you. Every member of your family who is ritually clean may eat it.
Jesus said to them, “You can be sure that when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel.
“Celebrate the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest your crops. “Celebrate the Festival of Shelters in the autumn, when you gather the fruit from your vineyards and orchards.
You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.
An offering of the first grain that you harvest each year shall be brought to the Lord, but it is not to be burned on the altar.
Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
“Dedicate all the first-born males to me, for every first-born male Israelite and every first-born male animal belongs to me.”
We will take to the Temple each year an offering of the first grain we harvest and of the first fruit that ripens on our trees. The first son born to each of us we will take to the priests in the Temple and there, as required by the Law, dedicate him to God. We will also dedicate the first calf born to each of our cows, and the first lamb or kid born to each of our sheep or goats. We will take to the priests in the Temple the dough made from the first grain harvested each year and our other offerings of wine, olive oil, and all kinds of fruit. We will take to the Levites, who collect tithes in our farming villages, the tithes from the crops that grow on our land.
“Give me the offerings from your grain, your wine, and your olive oil when they are due. “Give me your first-born sons.
“When you come into the land of Canaan and plant any kind of fruit tree, consider the fruit ritually unclean for the first three years. During that time you must not eat it.In the fourth year all the fruit shall be dedicated as an offering to show your gratitude to me, the Lord.But in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you do all this, your trees will bear more fruit. I am the Lord your God.
We will take to the Temple each year an offering of the first grain we harvest and of the first fruit that ripens on our trees.
When you bake bread, the first loaf of the first bread made from the new grain is to be presented as a special contribution to the Lord. This is to be presented in the same way as the special contribution you make from the grain you thresh.For all time to come, this special gift is to be given to the Lord from the bread you bake.
“Each year bring to the house of the Lord your God the first grain that you harvest. “Do not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother's milk.
There you are to offer your sacrifices that are to be burned and your other sacrifices, your tithes and your offerings, the gifts that you promise to the Lord, your freewill offerings, and the first-born of your cattle and sheep.There, in the presence of the Lord your God, who has blessed you, you and your families will eat and enjoy the good things that you have worked for.
“Keep the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest the first crop of your wheat, and keep the Festival of Shelters in the autumn when you gather your fruit.
“Each year bring to the house of the Lord the first grain that you harvest. “Do not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother's milk.”
When you bring to the Lord an offering of the first grain harvested, offer roasted grain or ground meal.
“Set aside a tithe—a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.Then go to the one place where the Lord your God has chosen to be worshiped; and there in his presence eat the tithes of your grain, wine, and olive oil, and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Do this so that you may learn to honor the Lord your God always.
For all time to come, this special gift is to be given to the Lord from the bread you bake.
On the first day of the Harvest Festival, when you present the offering of new grain to the Lord, you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.
“I am giving you all the best of the first produce which the Israelites give me each year: olive oil, wine, and grain.
After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord.Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger.
There you are to offer your sacrifices that are to be burned and your other sacrifices, your tithes and your offerings, the gifts that you promise to the Lord, your freewill offerings, and the first-born of your cattle and sheep.
One tenth of all the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, belongs to the Lord.
each of you must place in a basket the first part of each crop that you harvest and you must take it with you to the one place of worship.
So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’ “Then set the basket down in the Lord's presence and worship there.
Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things.
The Lord said, “I have given to the Levites every tithe that the people of Israel present to me. This is in payment for their service in taking care of the Tent of my presence.
Another time, a man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing Elisha twenty loaves of bread made from the first barley harvested that year, and some freshly-cut heads of grain. Elisha told his servant to feed the group of prophets with this,
say to the Lord, ‘None of the sacred tithe is left in my house; I have given it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, as you commanded me to do. I have not disobeyed or forgotten any of your commands concerning the tithe.I have not eaten any of it when I was mourning; I have not taken any of it out of my house when I was ritually unclean; and I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed you, O Lord; I have done everything you commanded concerning the tithe.Look down from your holy place in heaven and bless your people Israel; bless also the rich and fertile land that you have given us, as you promised our ancestors.’
As soon as the order was given, the people of Israel brought gifts of their finest grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other farm produce, and they also brought the tithes of everything they had.
At that time men were put in charge of the storerooms where contributions for the Temple were kept, including the tithes and the first grain and fruit that ripened each year. These men were responsible for collecting from the farms near the various cities the contributions for the priests and the Levites which the Law required. All the people of Judah were pleased with the priests and the Levites,
In addition, the king told the people of Jerusalem to bring the offerings to which the priests and the Levites were entitled, so that they could give all their time to the requirements of the Law of the Lord.As soon as the order was given, the people of Israel brought gifts of their finest grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other farm produce, and they also brought the tithes of everything they had.
I arranged for the wood used for burning the offerings to be brought at the proper times, and for the people to bring their offerings of the first grain and the first fruits that ripened. Remember all this, O God, and give me credit for it.
Make an offering to the Lord. Everyone who wishes to do so is to bring an offering of gold, silver, or bronze;
The area dedicated to the Lord is the best part of all the land, and none of it may be sold or exchanged or transferred to anyone else. It is holy and belongs to the Lord.
So Moses sent a command throughout the camp that no one was to make any further contribution for the sacred Tent; so the people did not bring any more.What had already been brought was more than enough to finish all the work.
Remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop; the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop.You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.
But each one will be raised in proper order: Christ, first of all; then, at the time of his coming, those who belong to him.
Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands—all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”
Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me—and it has been more than enough! I have all I need now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. They are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, a sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him.
Some people spend their money freely and still grow richer. Others are cautious, and yet grow poorer.Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped.
Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.
“How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.
One of every ten domestic animals belongs to the Lord. When the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the Lord.You may not arrange the animals so that the poor animals are chosen, and you may not make any substitutions. If you do substitute one animal for another, then both animals will belong to the Lord and may not be bought back.
Every Sunday each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what you have earned, and save it up, so that there will be no need to collect money when I come.
“After you have occupied the land that the Lord your God is giving you and have settled there,So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’ “Then set the basket down in the Lord's presence and worship there.Be grateful for the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebration.
Jesus looked around and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the Temple treasury,He went on to say, “Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky.Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake.This will be your chance to tell the Good News.Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves,because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death.Everyone will hate you because of me.But not a single hair from your heads will be lost.Stand firm, and you will save yourselves.and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins.“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed.Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills; those who are in the city must leave, and those who are out in the country must not go into the city.For those will be ‘The Days of Punishment,’ to make come true all that the Scriptures say.How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Terrible distress will come upon this land, and God's punishment will fall on this people.Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up.“There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides.People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses.Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory.When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.”Then Jesus told them this parable: “Think of the fig tree and all the other trees.He said, “I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others.When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near.In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.“Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died.Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.“Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch youlike a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth.Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”Jesus spent those days teaching in the Temple, and when evening came, he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives.Early each morning all the people went to the Temple to listen to him.For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on.”
There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale,and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people.
I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’”
So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.
“Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything, because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already.
If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don't have.
The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his.
And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.
Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God, and give the Almighty all that you promised.
This memorial stone which I have set up will be the place where you are worshiped, and I will give you a tenth of everything you give me.”
Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it.Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.
There in the land, on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all you people of Israel will worship me. I will be pleased with you and will expect you to bring me your sacrifices, your best offerings, and your holy gifts.
Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others.
All who wanted to, both men and women, brought decorative pins, earrings, rings, necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry and dedicated them to the Lord.
And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.
Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them, and no moth can destroy them.For your heart will always be where your riches are.
May the Most High God, who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!” And Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot he had recovered.
The Lord Almighty says to the priests, “Children honor their parents, and servants honor their masters. I am your father—why don't you honor me? I am your master—why don't you respect me? You despise me, and yet you ask, ‘How have we despised you?’This is how—by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we failed to respect you?’ I will tell you—by showing contempt for my altar.When you bring a blind or sick or lame animal to sacrifice to me, do you think there's nothing wrong with that? Try giving an animal like that to the governor! Would he be pleased with you or grant you any favors?”
Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid.
He makes some people poor and others rich; he humbles some and makes others great.He lifts the poor from the dust and raises the needy from their misery. He makes them companions of princes and puts them in places of honor. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord; on them he has built the world.
Joanna, whose husband Chuza was an officer in Herod's court; and Susanna, and many other women who used their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples.
Their father said to them, “If that is how it has to be, then take the best products of the land in your packs as a present for the governor: a little resin, a little honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
This pleased the people and their leaders, and they brought their tax money and filled the box with it.Every day the Levites would take the box to the royal official who was in charge of it. Whenever it was full, the royal secretary and the High Priest's representative would take the money out and return the box to its place. And so they collected a large sum of money.
Everyone being counted in the census, that is, every man twenty years old or older, is to pay me this amount.The rich man is not to pay more, nor the poor man less, when they pay this amount for their lives.
and then celebrate the Harvest Festival, to honor the Lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you.
The people of Israel and the Levites are to take the contributions of grain, wine, and olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils for the Temple are kept and where the priests who are on duty, the Temple guards, and the members of the Temple choir have their quarters. We will not neglect the house of our God.
The Sovereign Lord says, “People of Israel, go to the holy place in Bethel and sin, if you must! Go to Gilgal and sin with all your might! Go ahead and bring animals to be sacrificed morning after morning, and bring your tithes every third day.Go on and offer your bread in thanksgiving to God, and brag about the extra offerings you bring! This is the kind of thing you love to do.
Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘I now acknowledge to the Lord my God that I have entered the land that he promised our ancestors to give us.’“The priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the Lord your God.
The Lord said to Aaron, “Remember that I am giving you all the special contributions made to me that are not burned as sacrifices. I am giving them to you and to your descendants as the part assigned to you forever.
When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean?’you will answer, ‘It is the sacrifice of Passover to honor the Lord, because he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He killed the Egyptians, but spared us.’” The Israelites knelt down and worshiped.
These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, the sin offerings, the repayment offerings, the ordination offerings, and the fellowship offerings.
He says, “Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough of the sheep you burn as sacrifices and of the fat of your fine animals. I am tired of the blood of bulls and sheep and goats.Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? Who asked you to do all this tramping around in my Temple?It's useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins.I hate your New Moon Festivals and holy days; they are a burden that I am tired of bearing.“When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood.Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing eviland learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”
“So when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal.For your heart will always be where your riches are.“The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light;but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!“You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.“This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes?Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds?Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? “And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves.But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers.But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it.It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!“So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’(These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
You do not want sacrifices, or I would offer them; you are not pleased with burnt offerings.My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much.”
If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?
If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.
The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’
Praise the Lord's glorious name; bring an offering and come into his Temple. Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;
all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously.
I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.
Give to the poor and you will never be in need. If you close your eyes to the poor, many people will curse you.
Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.
Happy are those who are concerned for the poor; the Lord will help them when they are in trouble.
as he is able, in proportion to the blessings that the Lord your God has given him.
In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
They must thank him with sacrifices, and with songs of joy must tell all that he has done.
When any of you present an offering of grain to the Lord, you must first grind it into flour. You must put olive oil and incense on itThe rest of the offering belongs to the priests; it is very holy, since it is taken from the food offered to the Lord.None of the grain offerings which you present to the Lord may be made with yeast; you must never use yeast or honey in food offered to the Lord.An offering of the first grain that you harvest each year shall be brought to the Lord, but it is not to be burned on the altar.Put salt on every grain offering, because salt represents the covenant between you and God. (You must put salt on all your offerings.)When you bring to the Lord an offering of the first grain harvested, offer roasted grain or ground meal.Add olive oil and put incense on it.The priest will burn that part of the meal and oil that is to serve as a token, and also all the incense, as a food offering to the Lord.and bring it to the Aaronite priests. The officiating priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil and all of the incense and burn it on the altar as a token that it has all been offered to the Lord. The odor of this food offering is pleasing to the Lord.The rest of the grain offering belongs to the priests; it is very holy, since it is taken from the food offered to the Lord.
All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another.They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed.
As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
You are so rich in all you have: in faith, speech, and knowledge, in your eagerness to help and in your love for us. And so we want you to be generous also in this service of love.