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The first and the best
When we offer ourselves to the Lord, He requires that we bring the first and the best. In Old Testament times, each man was asked to bring to the altar a male lamb which was one year old and without spot or blemish. This perfect animal would have been of prime breeding age when it was presented to be completely consumed by fire. In fact, nobody derived any benefit from this sacrifice apart from the Lord Himself who enjoyed it as a sweet-smelling savour. In the book of Malachi, we read an admonition from the Lord to His people who had obviously become very pragmatic in their offering. The Lord accused them of defiling His altar and asked ‘Where is My honour? Where is My respect when you offer the lame and sick? Would you offer this to your governor or anyone else for that matter?’ Mal 1:6-8.
But even when we do offer our best, we need to be sure that we are offering the first to the Lord because every firstborn thing already belongs to Him. In the book of Exodus we read that the Lord instructed Moses, saying, ‘Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.’ Ex 13:1,2. We know that the Lord is not fundamentally interested in our sacrifices because He owns the cattle on a thousand hills anyway, and therefore, has no need of our offering. However, He is interested in our heart attitude. Psa 50:10. Furthermore, the nation of Israel was told to present the first of their produce to the Lord as a firstfruits offering. Ex 23:16. They were to offer up by fire, roasted heads of grain mixed with pure beaten olive oil which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he referred to Jesus Christ as the firstborn of all creation and the firstborn from the dead. Col 1:15,18. All things were made by Him and for Him; thrones and dominions, things visible and invisible in heaven or on earth. Col 1:16. And in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul called Jesus, ‘The firstfruits of those who are raised’. 1 Cor 15:20. In fact, Jesus said of Himself, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end’. Rev 22:13. It is interesting for us to read in the book of Hebrews that we are called ‘the church of the firstborn’ and that James referred to us in his letter as a ‘kind of firstfruits’. James 1:18. We can, therefore, be assured that the principle of the ‘first’ still has relevance for us. In the same way that the priesthood fundamentally belonged to the firstborn in the Old Testament, we have the privilege of being included in the royal priesthood today. 1 Pet 2:9. Just as the prophet Joel foretold a time when the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all mankind, the apostle John declared that the anointing now abides in us to teach us all things. Joel 2:28 .
I John 2:27. And like the oil that was added to the grain offering in the days of old, the Holy Spirit now empowers our lives when we offer the first and the best.
David Falk
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Feature Articles
March 2010
First Place
In and out
Facing our fears
First love
Fronting up!
Are you the one?
Seek Him first
The first and the best
When the axe is blunt
Come home
Familiarity breeds contempt
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