Recently, a
lady who works in their church office, told me how her senior pastor is
insisting on seizing their January salary in a bid to force them to give their “firstfruits
offering”. He said that he wants to help them to obey God. Even though the lady
has told him that she does not want to participate in the practice because she
does not believe that her January salary is her firstfruits, he insists that
everyone of them must be involved.
I have made
out time to see the senior pastor on behalf of the lady. I hinged my argument
on three reasons: the first is that God created man and gave him freewill. He
does not violate our freedom to choose whether to obey Him or not. Let us
assume that your firstfruits offering is your January salary, God will not twist
our hands to obey Him. He persuades, makes promises, warns, and paints the
pictures of the consequences of disobedience and the rewards of obedience. It
is our responsibility to make a choice to either obey Him or not. Moses told
the people of Israel, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against
you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose
life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord
your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,
and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deut. 30:19-20 NIV. He is not a tyrant. He loves us
and calls us to a loving relationship that is real and practical. His Judgment
is only fair when man has exercised his freewill. It is unbiblical to violate
the freewill of an adult because you want him to obey God. Secondly, if you
love a people and want them to obey God in such a way that they receive God’s
blessings, you must make effort, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to bring them
to the point where they apply their faith to the Word of God you teach them.
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God…” Heb.11:6. Paul also places the responsibility on the
person with knowledge to ensure that he does not destroy others who are weak
with his knowledge. Again, let us assume that your January salary is your firstfruits
and God has revealed it to you as what Christians should practice, you have the
responsibility to bring the ignorant person to the point where he gives it in
faith. “…everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Rom 14:23. NIV. If
this lady does not want to participate in this practice, do not take it by
force. Lastly, I told him that "The worker deserves his wages." 1 Tim
5:18. NIV. If the lady has worked for the month of January, she deserves her
wages. She ought to be paid, then she will decide on how to worship God with
her salary. You cannot violate a part of the Scriptures because you want to
practice another part of the Scriptures.
After a long
time of argument, he said that he is taking his stand as a father who wants his
children to do the right thing. To this I told him that his analysis of a
father and his children is faulty in this matter. At last he promised to think
about the points I raised and later will decide whether to give the lady her
salary or not. I challenged him that he was sounding like an autocratic leader
who wants to impose his views on those he is leading and that is ungodly and
unchristian.
I have given
the matter a serious thought since after my meeting with him. What is firstfruits
by the way? Is it a must practice for a Christian? How should a New Covenant
person interpret the Old Testament practice of firstfruits?
First, there
are different feasts God commanded the people of Israel to keep: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and
the Feast of Tabernacles. (Read Lev. 23). Firstfruits particularly was a
constant reminder that God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and gave them a
land that flows with milk and honey, which was never their own from the
beginning. Hence, in the land of Canaan, they ought to honor God and make Him
their numero uno. It was to be a sheaf of grain, which is like a bunch of grain
out of the first set of their harvest or crops. Nothing connects it with January
salary.
Secondly, I believe
that the significance of all these Old Testament feasts have been accomplished
in Christ who has become our Passover Lamb, Atonement Sacrifice, “the firstfruits
of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor.15:20), the One who is coming again to
take us as His firstfruits, and also the One that will oversee the final
harvest, which is final judgment. Our resurrection is sure because of His resurrection.
Halleluyah!
Thirdly, it
is based on this Old Testament practice that Prov 3:9-10 emphasized “Honor the
Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns
will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” NIV.
It does not have anything to do with your January salary.
Finally, in
all the seven times firstfruits is mentioned in the New Testament, it is used
symbolically to buttress a point. For example, in 1 Cor.16:15, the household of
Stephanas is called the firstfruits of Achaia. This means that they were the
first converts in Achaia before many others became believers. Firstfruits is
never emphasized as a giving method or practice in the New Testament.
The New
Testament believer is to give willingly, cheerfully and liberally, (2 Cor.9) “for
God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor.9:7). We are to honor God with the best of
the things He has blessed us with and make Him our number one. That is the principle
we can draw from the Old Testament firstfruits practice. If God tells you to
give up your January salary or you feel persuaded to give up the salary of the
first month of your job, please do not impose your personal experience on the Scriptures
or on other of God’s children. Your individual experience is not worth to be
used to establish doctrine. Let us not place strange burdens upon God’s
children which He has not placed on them.
