The Feast of First Fruits

I am deeply perplexed and overwhelmed to see how so many of us who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ are failing to give to Him the glory and honor that is due unto Him when the scriptures quite explicitly state; “'You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:30;26:2)

It is by observing the Lord’s Sabbaths that we ascribe to the Lord the glory that is due to His name for example;

·         The seventh day weekly Sabbath (Saturday) gives glory and honor to the Lord as the Creator who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

·         Passover / days of Unleavened Bread given glory and honor to the Lord as our Redeemer and Savior

·         Feast of first-fruits gives glory and honor to the Lord as our resurrection and the life

·         Pentecost gives glory and honor to the Lord as our Helper, Guide, Teacher, Healer, Provider

·         Feast of trumpets gives glory and honor to the Lord as our Conqueror, Deliverer

·         Day of Atonement gives glory and honor to the Lord as our High Priest and sin bearer

·         Feast of Tabernacles gives glory and honor to the Lord as our King of kings and Lord of lords

·         Eighth Day gives glory and honor to the Lord as our circumcision and the Eternal God.

What is even more perplexing is that the majority of those who observe the weekly Sabbath and are so passionate in doing so have totally rejected the observance of the yearly festivals and what is even more shocking is that, even those who are observing the annual festivals such as the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread have completely shut their eyes and mind with regards to the Feast of First Fruits, the question is Why?

Why is a festival which is of such great significance to the believer and gives such great honor and glory to the Lord be totally ignored or disregarded by those who proclaim to know and believe in Him when the scriptures state clearly that this festival is an ordinance or statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings?” (Leviticus 23:9-14).

The Feast of First fruits is one of the Lord’s ordained festivals from which one arrives at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) for we have been instructed saying; “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:13-16).

Now since this statute is a law or decree made by God forever throughout the generations and in all our dwellings, why is this festival not being observed today? When we are admonished to;" Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!? (Deuteronomy 32:43, Romans 15:10).

Furthermore, the death of Jesus Christ made both Jews and Gentiles one as we have been duly instructed saying; “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:14-16).

One must take into consideration also what Jesus said to the, Samaritan woman He said to her; “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews:” And the admonition given to the Gentiles states as follows: “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "

For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope." (Romans 15:7-12; Deuteronomy 32:43).

So now, in our new dispensation, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus. So when Jesus Christ presented Himself to the Father after His resurrection He reconnected the human spirit which was disconnected from God since the fall of Adam and Eve, to the Spirit of God and gave humanity a new life in the spirit.

And so, the rationale, the purpose, the objective, the intent and the spirit for observing this festival of First Fruits it is to express one’s gratitude and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ for being our hope in receiving a glorified immortal body as summarized by the apostle Paul who wrote; “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first -fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.” (1Corinthians 15:20-23)

One should also note as well that, when Mary Magdalene first saw the risen Lord He said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "

And later the same day at evening, being the first day of the week (Sunday) when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:17, 19).

So the crux of the matter is, worshiping God on the day and for the reason why this day was ordained by Him is not in vain or thus says the Lord; “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23).

Surprisingly, I have heard some who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ instructing others saying that, one simply has to believe in Jesus Christ and not necessarily have to observe these festivals. Can this be true? 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFP1SMV

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYGDD7M

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph