“But the Egyptians treated us badly; they oppressed us and imposed harsh slavery on us. So we cried out to Adonai, the God of our ancestors. Adonai heard us and saw our misery, toil and oppression; and Adonai brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. Now he has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, as you see, I have now brought the firstfruits of the land which you, Adonai, have given me.’ You are then to put the basket down before Adonai your God, prostrate yourself before Adonai your God, and take joy in all the good that Adonai your God has given you, your household, the Levi and the foreigner living with you.”-Deuteronomy 26:5-11
We’re now examining the first fruits prayer the Hebrew farmer was to proclaim out loud to the Lord when he offered his basket of produce to the priest who set it before the Altar.
Embedded within this prayer are the following historical points:
-We’re told how Jacob’s clan was so tiny that in the beginning they weren’t even seen as a “people” or “nation” but how over time when they went down into Egypt they grew into a large nation!
-It is stated in clear no uncertain terms that Israel was cruelly mistreated while in Egypt.
-Amidst their harsh oppression in Egypt, we’re told how the Lord supernaturally intervened and rescued His people from bondage.
-We’re told how God took Israel from a situation where they were hopeless and had no land of their own to the land He promised to the Patriarchs, a land flowing with milk and honey (meaning a land that would produce abundantly for them).
-This prayer also serves as a reminder that it is the Lord who is the Owner and Creator of all things. Thus, it logically follows that all things produced from the soil of the Holy Land should be viewed as the Lord’s property. That is why the first and best portion of all the crops are to be offered to HASHEM in thanksgiving.
In addition to the above, hidden behind this prayer is an incredible assumption and assertion that affects every person on the planet.
What might I be talking about?
I’m talking about the fact that this prayer boldly denies the Canaanite’s claim that Ba’al is the god who possesses ruling authority over the land.
Through this prayer, the Hebrew farmer is asserting that it is HASHEM alone who is supreme and who possesses authority to decide the fate of the land.
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