Meager Beginnings

Meager Beginnings [Deut.26:1-19].

Harvest Offerings and Tithes

1"When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, 2put some of the first produce from each harvest into a basket and bring it to the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. 3Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, `With this gift I acknowledge that the LORD your God has brought me into the land he swore to give our ancestors.' 4The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the LORD your God. 5You must then say in the presence of the LORD your God, `My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt. His family was few in number, but in Egypt they became a mighty and numerous nation. 6When the Egyptians mistreated and humiliated us by making us their slaves, 7we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression. 8So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amazing power, overwhelming terror, and miraculous signs and wonders. 9He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! 10And now, O LORD, I have brought you a token of the first crops you have given me from the ground.' Then place the produce before the LORD your God and worship him. 11Afterward go and celebrate because of all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration.

12"Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your crops. You must give these tithes to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows so that they will have enough to eat in your towns. 13Then you must declare in the presence of the LORD your God, `I have taken the sacred gift from my house and have given it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, just as you commanded me. I have not violated or forgotten any of your commands. 14I have not eaten any of it while in mourning; I have not touched it while I was ceremonially unclean; and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God and have done everything you commanded me. 15Look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us--a land flowing with milk and honey--just as you solemnly promised our ancestors.'

A Call to Obey the LORDs Commands

16"Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey all these laws and regulations. You must commit yourself to them without reservation. 17You have declared today that the LORD is your God. You have promised to obey his laws, commands, and regulations by walking in his ways and doing everything he tells you. 18The LORD has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. 19And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the LORD your God, just as he promised."

The Bottom Line: It's a huge moment for Isreal and it's decendants with a party going on for the occassion of the harvest of the frust - fruits and of course conquering the land. They had alot of emphasis upon the prayer of confession to be given at the time of the harvest. The had made a transition from a Nomadic existence to a settled community made only possible by the Lord's blessing. His faithfulness and faithfulness in persevering Isreal as a Ntion into the land. They had a worship party going on in the Lord's behalf as a unity of them whom saw his faithfulness in acknowledging God in rejoicing in God's goodness which was in-riched in mercy .It had extended from generations from way back to the people of those times. The tithes were collected to be given to the widows, orphans ,immigrants, levites as a regular tithe. God had given the Isrealites the land of milk and honey as He had promised them In which God continued to bless them and the land that they we on to live. In essence they were required to alway's listen unto the Lord's voice when He spoke to the children of Isreal.They are the (Second Generation ) of the people of Isreal. They were blessed more because they are God's choosen people. They ezpressed thier glory unto the world because of what God had done before them. catcmo2006