Grateful Offerings and Covenant Loyalty

26:1 When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it, 26:2 you must take the first of all the ground’s produce you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where he chooses to locate his name. 26:3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord promised to our ancestors to give us.” 26:4 The priest will then take the basket from you and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 26:5 Then you must affirm before the Lord your God, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number, but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people. 26:6 But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor. 26:7 So we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and he heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression. 26:8 Therefore the Lord brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power, as well as with great awe- inspiring signs and wonders. 26:9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 26:10 So now, look! I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.” Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him. 26:11 You will celebrate all the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family, along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you. 26:12 When you finish tithing all your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages. 26:13 Then you shall say before the Lord your God, “I have removed the sacred offering from my house and given it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows just as you have commanded me. I have not violated or forgotten your commandments. 26:14 I have not eaten anything when I was in mourning, or removed any of it while ceremonially unclean, or offered any of it to the dead; I have obeyed you and have done everything you have commanded me. 26:15 Look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us, just as you promised our ancestors – a land flowing with milk and honey.” 26:16 Today the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul. 26:17 Today you have declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances, and obey him. 26:18 And today the Lord has declared you to be his special people (as he already promised you) so you may keep all his commandments. 26:19 Then he will elevate you above all the nations he has made and you will receive praise, fame, and honor. You will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has said.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Israel must bring firstfruits and tithes to the Lord, remember his rescue and provision, care for the vulnerable, and live as his holy covenant people.

When Israel enters the land, they must bring the first produce to the place the Lord chooses. This gift is not just about food or income. It is a confession that God rescued them, brought them out of Egypt, and gave them the land and its harvest.

The people are also told to rejoice and to share with the Levites and the resident foreigners. In the third year, the tithe is to be given to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows so they may eat and be satisfied. This shows that obedience to God includes practical care for people in need.

The worshiper must also confess that he has obeyed the Lord’s commands and has not misused the holy gift. He asks the Lord to bless his people and the land. The passage ends with a covenant declaration: Israel says the Lord is their God and promises to walk in his ways, and the Lord declares Israel to be his treasured people set apart to obey him.

• Firstfruits belonged to the Lord and were brought to the sanctuary.
• The offering was tied to remembrance of God’s saving history.
• Israel’s story included slavery, crying out, rescue, and land given by God.
• The harvest is a gift from the Lord, not self-made success.
• The tithe supported Levites, resident foreigners, orphans, and widows.
• Holiness includes obedience in worship and care for the vulnerable.
• Israel declared the Lord to be their God.
• The Lord declared Israel to be his treasured people, set apart to keep his commandments.

• Bring the first of the harvest to the Lord.
• Present the basket before the altar through the priest.
• Remember and confess the Lord’s saving acts.
• Rejoice with the Levites and resident foreigners.
• Give the third-year tithe to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
• Do not violate or forget the Lord’s commandments.
• Do not use the sacred offering in mourning, while ceremonially unclean, or for the dead.
• The Lord will bless his people and the land as promised.
• Keep these statutes with all your heart and soul.
• Walk in the Lord’s ways and obey him.

This passage comes near the end of Moses’ covenant instructions before Israel enters the land. It looks back to the exodus and the promises to the fathers, and it shows how redeemed people are to live in the land. God gives the land, the harvest, and the blessing, and his people answer with gratitude, obedience, and care for the vulnerable.

God’s people should remember God’s rescue before they talk about giving or blessing. Gratitude should shape generosity. Worship should lead to practical care for people in need. Holiness is not only private devotion; it also affects money, work, and community life. The passage warns against careless or proud handling of holy gifts and calls for faithful obedience before God.

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