What reason does the firstfruits profession give for bringing the offering?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The speaker recalls the Lord hearing Israel’s distress, bringing it out of Egypt with signs and wonders, and giving it the land flowing with milk and honey. He therefore offers the firstfruits of the land the Lord has given him, leaves them before the Lord, and adores him.

Chapter breakdown

When Israel has entered, conquered, and settled the land the Lord will give it, the person addressed must take the first of all his fruits in a basket to the place the Lord chooses for his name to be invoked. He must go to the priest serving in those days and profess before the Lord that he has entered the land the Lord swore to give their fathers. The priest must take the basket from his hand and set it before the Lord’s altar.

The required words before the Lord say that the Syrian pursued the speaker’s father, who went down to Egypt and lived there in very small numbers before growing into a great, strong nation of an infinite multitude. Challoner’s separate note identifies the Syrian as Laban and refers to Genesis 27. The profession recalls the Egyptians afflicting and persecuting Israel with very grievous burdens. Israel cried to the Lord God of its fathers; he heard and looked on its affliction, labor, and distress. He brought it out with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, great terror, signs, and wonders, and gave it this land flowing with milk and honey. The speaker therefore offers the firstfruits of the land the Lord has given him. He must leave them before the Lord and adore him, then feast in all the good things given to him and his house, together with the Levite and the stranger with him.

After tithing all fruits in the third year of tithes, the person must give the tithe to the Levite, stranger, fatherless, and widow so they may eat within the gates and be filled. Before the Lord he must declare that he has removed the sanctified portion from his house and given it to these four groups as commanded, without transgressing the commandments or forgetting the precepts. He must say he has not eaten it in mourning, separated it for uncleanness, or spent any of it on funerals, and has obeyed the Lord’s voice and done all he commanded. He must ask the Lord to look from his sanctuary and high dwelling in heaven and bless Israel and the given land, flowing with milk and honey, as sworn to their fathers.

The Lord commands Israel that day to keep and fulfill these commandments and judgments with all its heart and soul. Israel has chosen the Lord that day as its God, to walk in his ways, keep his ceremonies, precepts, and judgments, and obey his command. The Lord has chosen Israel that day as his own special people, as he said, and to keep all his commandments. He will make it higher than all the nations he created, to his own praise, name, and glory, so it may be his holy people, as he said.

The story inside

The firstfruits profession connects the offered crop to the land the Lord gave. Its account starts with pursuit and a small company in Egypt, then describes growth, affliction, a cry for help, and the Lord’s deliverance and gift of land. The speaker’s therefore links this recalled gift to the offering. The third-year tithe has a different required statement: what was removed and given, what was not done with it, and obedience to the command, followed by a request for blessing. The closing speech names Israel’s choice of the Lord and his choice of Israel. These are prescribed words and declared relationships, not a narrated farmer’s performance or an invented explanation of his motives.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The basket has a defined destination and sequence. It goes to the Lord’s chosen place, the person makes the profession to the serving priest, and the priest sets it before the altar.
2
The tithe declaration names four recipients and three exclusions. Levite, stranger, fatherless, and widow receive it; the speaker denies eating in mourning, separating for uncleanness, or spending on funerals. These exact claims accompany the request for blessing.
3
The final duties involve the whole heart and soul. Walking in the Lord’s ways and keeping ceremonies, precepts, judgments, and commands accompany the two choices stated that day. The elevation is to the Lord’s own praise, name, and glory.

Test your recall

Why does the firstfruits profession say the speaker now offers the fruits of his land?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 21242–21260
Deuteronomy Chapter 26 The form of words with which the firstfruits and tithes are to be offered. God’s covenant. 26:1. And when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess, and hast conquered it, and dwellest in it: 26:2. Thou shalt take the first of all thy fruits, and put them in a basket, and shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name may be invocated there: 26:3. And thou shalt go to the priest that shall be in those days, and say to him: I profess this day before the Lord thy God, that I am come into the land, for which he swore to our fathers, that he would give it us. 26:4. And the priest taking the basket at thy hand, shall set it before the altar of the Lord thy God:
Lines 21262–21287
26:5. And thou shalt speak thus in the sight of the Lord thy God: The Syrian pursued my father, who went down into Egypt, and sojourned there in a very small number, and grew into a nation great and strong and of an infinite multitude. The Syrian.... Laban. See Gen. 27. 26:6. And the Egyptians afflicted us, and persecuted us, laying on us most grievous burdens: 26:7. And we cried to the Lord God of our fathers: who heard us, and looked down upon our affliction, and labour, and distress: 26:8. And brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders: 26:9. And brought us into this place, and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. 26:10. And therefore now I offer the firstfruits of the land which the Lord hath given me. And thou shalt leave them in the sight of the Lord thy God, adoring the Lord thy God. 26:11. And thou shalt feast in all the good things which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and thy house, thou and the Levite, and the stranger that is with thee.
Lines 21289–21307
26:12. When thou hast made an end of tithing all thy fruits, in the third year of tithes thou shalt give it to the Levite, and to the stranger, and to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled: 26:13. And thou shalt speak thus in the sight of the Lord thy God: I have taken that which was sanctified out of my house, and I have given it to the Levite, and to the stranger, and to the fatherless, and to the widow, as thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments nor forgotten thy precepts. 26:14. I have not eaten of them in my mourning, nor separated them for any uncleanness, nor spent any thing of them in funerals. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done all things as thou hast commanded me. 26:15. Look from thy sanctuary, and thy high habitation of heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou didst swear to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Lines 21309–21324
26:16. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these commandments and judgments: and to keep and fulfil them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. 26:17. Thou hast chosen the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways and keep his ceremonies, and precepts, and judgments, and obey his command. 26:18. And the Lord hath chosen thee this day, to be his peculiar people, as he hath spoken to thee, and to keep all his commandments: 26:19. And to make thee higher than all nations which he hath created, to his own praise, and name, and glory: that thou mayst be a holy people of the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.