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Summer Series on Old Testament Festivals
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God built rhythms into creation—day and night, seed time and harvest, work and rest. Long before modern festivals, God created ancient festivals for his people: moments to pause, remember, feast, celebrate, and encounter him. These festivals weren't escapes from life, but rhythms that realigned it. They reminded God's people who he is, what he had done, and what he would still do.
Today we're exploring what these festivals mean for us now: How can they help us know God more deeply, live in greater freedom, grow in stronger community, and make a difference in the world around us?
Summer is a time when we might enjoy films like Moana with our children. What's wonderful about watching a familiar film is the confidence and peace we feel, even when things look difficult. We know the ending. We know it will work out okay.
But life isn't like watching Moana. Yet the invitation for today is: What if we could live with a similar kind of confidence? What if, in the ups and downs, twists and turns, and highs and lows of life, we might live with real lasting hope? What if we could know that ultimately it will all work out because we know the end of the story?
This is the invitation of the festival of firstfruits.
At springtime, after celebrating Passover, the Israelites would celebrate the festival of firstfruits. This marked the beginning of the barley harvest—the first harvest of the agricultural year.
When the barley started to appear in the fields, the farmer would cut the first sheaf or bundle of grain. Rather than using it for food, they would present it to the Lord as an offering—an act of worship and trust. By giving the first sheaf, they were saying:
"God, thank you for this. We acknowledge this isn't the full harvest, but it's a signal that more is on the way. We thank you in advance for what is to come."
This was an act of trust, declaring that their confidence was in God, not in their own provision.
We all live in the middle of our story, facing battles and blessings—often simultaneously. We're surrounded by uncertainty. Sometimes we ask, "Lord, how do I trust you for tomorrow when I'm facing so much uncertainty today?"
As we look at this festival, we see that all the Old Testament festivals point to Jesus and are fulfilled in him. The invitation for us—whether we're hearing this for the first time or have been on this journey for years—is to live today with a sure and certain hope. The Bible calls it resurrection hope.
This is a hope unlike any other:
Why? Because this hope is anchored in who God is, what he's done, what he is doing, and all that he will do.
Consider who the Israelites were when they celebrated firstfruits. The previous week we looked at Passover—God's miraculous rescue after 400 years of slavery in Egypt. After that, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Finally, they entered the land God had given them.
For the first time, they were landowners. They planted crops in winter and waited months for the harvest. They prayed for the right weather. When the first grain finally started to grow, the temptation would have been overwhelming: Grab it. It's mine. Take it, store it, keep it.
But God said, "Give it to me." He was lovingly changing how they thought:
"You're not slaves anymore. You don't need to live with a mindset of scarcity and survival. You've got a loving heavenly Father who's going to take care of your every need. Just trust in me."
Notice the pattern: Passover, then firstfruits. Grace, then obedience. Rescue, then trust. God didn't say, "Give me what you've got and then I'll see if I can rescue you." No—he rescued them first, then invited them to trust.
This points directly to the gospel. We don't trust God to earn his love. We've already received his love. Therefore, we trust in him.
Hundreds of years later, the Apostle Paul, writing after Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, referred to this very festival. Here's what he said about Jesus:
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
Suddenly, the festival's meaning becomes richer and deeper. It's not just about trusting God for the harvest—it points to Jesus.
Jesus came and lived the life we couldn't live. He died the death we deserved to die. On the third day, he rose again—and he rose on the festival of firstfruits. God knew exactly what he was doing.
The resurrection of Jesus is not merely proof that life exists beyond the grave. It's God's declaration to the world: Harvest time has begun.
The resurrection is the ultimate firstfruits of a great harvest of souls to come. Just as the priest would wave the offering before the Lord, declaring faith that more goodness was coming, the resurrection of Jesus guarantees our own future resurrection.
For all who put their faith and trust in him, death isn't the end. Our ultimate enemy has been defeated. In Christ, death becomes a doorway into an eternal future of paradise with him.
But it gets even better. The Apostle Paul tells us:
If we follow Jesus, we have received the firstfruits of the Spirit.
God hasn't just guaranteed us an amazing future. Through the Holy Spirit right now, we get a foretaste of it. When we put our trust in Jesus, he comes to live in us. His presence, his peace, the resurrection power of Christ comes to live inside us. He leads and guides us step by step into the good plans and purposes he has for us.
Whatever you're going through right now—uncertainties about health, loved ones, work, challenges and battles—remember: Our confidence isn't in knowing all the details of what the future holds. Our confidence is in the one who holds our future in his hand.
This is what it means to live with resurrection hope today.
Trust is not just an idea or concept. It shows up in the choices and decisions we make every day. One of the clearest demonstrations of trust in God is how we handle what he has entrusted to us—especially our finances.
Why pick finances out of all the areas of life? Because the Israelites lived in an agrarian economy. The harvest was their security, their income, their whole livelihood. A good harvest meant life went well. A bad harvest meant hardship. It was the very thing they'd be tempted to trust in instead of God.
They needed to get their attitude about this area right, because it would impact everything else.
As Billy Graham put it:
"If a person gets his attitude towards money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life."
By presenting the first sheaf to the Lord, they were making a statement: God, you come first in this area because it impacts everything else.
Jesus himself says:
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
He's talking in the context of how we handle our possessions. We live in an uncertain economic climate where the world says, "Protect yourself. Look after yourself first." But Jesus says:
"Don't protect yourself first. Trust in the Lord first. Live open-handed."
As followers of Jesus, we implement the practice of tithing. This beautifully parallels the festival of firstfruits: we put God first in our income by giving back the first 10% as an act of worship to him through the local church.
Why do we do this? Because throughout Scripture, Old and New Testament, God calls us to this. But I love what God says to the Israelites about tithing:
"The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put the Lord your God first."
God isn't trying to get something from us. He's trying to do something in us. He's teaching us: If you can put me first here, it will help you put me first in every other area of your life as well.
When I first started implementing the practice of tithing, my whole life changed. I realized my hope was no longer in the things of the world, but in trusting God for my future and provision. I experienced three things:
I can honestly say that when you live by God's economy instead of the world's economy, things you thought you'd need to budget for for years, he can accomplish in an instant.
For some of you, today might be the first time you're going to say, "God, I want to put you first. I want to trust in you, not in the world." It might be that you're ready to start giving to God in your finances, or to take the step of tithing for the first time.
For others, you may have stepped back from tithing because of uncertainty in the world. I encourage you: Don't step back. Step up again. Step into all that God has for you. Trust in him.
For those of us who've been on this journey for years, it's always good to pause and reflect: Is God really coming first in my financial decisions? Am I trusting him in this whole area?
The wonderful truth is: He is a faithful God. He will take care of us as we trust in him.
I love this passage in Proverbs:
"Honor the Lord with your wealth with the firstfruits of all your crops. Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats brimming over with new wine."
What a wonderful picture of God's blessing and provision!
A couple of years ago, our boiler broke in the middle of winter. I remember thinking, "What are we going to do now?" Literally two days later, we got a letter from the council offering us a free boiler—not only that, but free insulation as well. Within a week it was all sorted. I thought, "Lord, you even care about central heating."
Yes, he cares about every area of our lives. This is what it looks like to live by God's economy.
Of course, we don't give to God to get from him. But the promise is that as we put him first, we will be in a position to give—because that's what the picture in Proverbs shows. As we trust God with the first 10% and are wise stewards with the other 90%, we experience barns filled to overflow. There's a sense of God wanting to bless us so that we might be a blessing to those around us.
Later in Leviticus, God tells the Israelites:
"Don't harvest all the way to the edges of the field. Leave those edges for the marginalized, for the poor, for the widow, for the refugee, for the orphan."
James, in the New Testament, alludes to this beautiful fulfillment:
"Jesus chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might become a kind of firstfruits of all that he created."
So yes, we come to give our firstfruits. But as we do, the promise is we experience blessing so that we might become a kind of firstfruits to the world around us. Through our generosity, through the way we show our trust in God, we become a witness to a watching world of the resurrection hope we have.
Through our generosity, we show people that you don't have to trust in the things of the world. You can trust in our heavenly Father. We can be open-handed—blessed to be a blessing to others.
The tithe isn't the end of the journey of generosity; it's the beginning. God wants to do more. He wants you to be a blessing to others. Look at ways you might give to charities and organizations that meet the needs of the most vulnerable, or through simple acts of hospitality.
This week, ask yourself: Is there an act of generosity I can take that will lead someone else to see the resurrection hope I have in Jesus?
Our church partners with Belember Ministries, an amazing Christian organization caring for, feeding, and educating vulnerable children impacted by severe sickness and poverty. Many live on less than £1 a day. Many are orphaned.
A couple of years ago, we decided to sponsor a girl—let's call her Mary. Her parents were alive, but couldn't look after her. They had to make the heartbreaking decision to give her over to Belember's care.
Over the last couple of years, we've been able to see her progression: growing, eating well, learning about Jesus as well as math and English, making friends.
Earlier this year, we received wonderful news from Belember Ministries:
"We're delighted to let you know that Mary has now been reunited with her family. Her parents are now in a position to provide and care for her. She's returned home to live with them along with her siblings. Thank you for your faithful generosity. Your support has helped make this new beginning possible. Mary is looking to the future with renewed hope."
Isn't that so good? Isn't that a picture of what it means to live a life of barns overflowing? Lives being changed, families reunited, hope being restored.
This is what it looks like to trust in God with your future.
That's the invitation of this festival: Trust in him with your whole life, with your future. A key component is to trust him with what you have in your hands. As you do this, the promise of God is that he will look after you. He will take care of you. He will bless you so that you might be a blessing to those around you.
Our confidence isn't in knowing all the details of what the future holds. Our confidence is in the one who holds our future in his hand. We are a people of faith, not of fear. A people not of scarcity, but of generosity. A people not living by worldly values, but by godly values. Not by the world's economy, but by God's economy.
God is a good God, and he has good plans and purposes for us. Good things lie on the horizon.
