Deuteronomy 26: A Declaration of Gratitude and Obedience
And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;
That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us.
And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:
And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:
And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:
And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.
When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;
Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.
Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.
Deuteronomy 26 focuses on Israel's response to God's provision once they entered the Promised Land. It outlines specific acts of worship and obedience designed to cultivate gratitude and solidify their covenant relationship with the Lord. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and the responsibility of His people to respond with wholehearted devotion.
Firstfruits: A Joyful Offering (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)
Moses frequently reminded the Israelites to remember God's acts and to obey His commands after settling in the Promised Land. One key instruction involved the joyful presentation of the first produce of their land to the Lord at the designated sanctuary. This offering of firstfruits was more than just a ritual; it was an opportunity for the people to publicly acknowledge God's gift of the land and recognize the harvest as proof of His promise (Deuteronomy 26:2-3).
The act of offering firstfruits was accompanied by a recitation, a historical narrative that grounded their present blessings in God's past faithfulness. This recitation began with a reference to Jacob, also known as Israel, described as a "wandering Aramean" (Deuteronomy 26:5). This phrase alludes to Abraham's time in Aram and Jacob's connection through his wife Rachel, who was also from Aram. The narrative then recounts the Israelites' descent into Egypt with a small family under Joseph's protection, their subsequent growth into a mighty nation, and the oppression they endured at the hands of the Egyptians (Deuteronomy 26:5-6).
The core of the story lies in God's intervention. When the Israelites cried out to Him, He heard their cries and delivered them from slavery, leading them to a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Deuteronomy 26:7-9). The firstfruits ceremony culminated in a moment of profound gratitude, as each family bowed before the Lord, expressing their thankfulness and rejoicing alongside the Levites and the resident aliens who also shared in God's blessings (Deuteronomy 26:10-11). This shared celebration highlighted the inclusive nature of God's grace and the importance of remembering the marginalized within their community.
The Third-Year Tithe: Caring for the Vulnerable (Deuteronomy 26:12-15)
Deuteronomy 26:12-15 discusses the tithe to be brought in the third year. Scholars debate whether this was the same third-year tithe mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:28-29, a one-time offering akin to the firstfruits, or a separate tithe specifically for every third year. Regardless of the specific interpretation, the purpose of this tithe was clear: to provide for the Levites, resident aliens, fatherless children, and widows – those who lacked alternative means of support (Deuteronomy 26:12).
The worshiper was required to declare that they had given the full tithe, withholding nothing (Deuteronomy 26:13-14). This declaration served as a testament to their obedience and integrity. Based on this honest confession, they could then pray for God's continued blessing on His people and their land (Deuteronomy 26:15). This connection between obedience and blessing underscores the importance of fulfilling covenant obligations as a foundation for receiving God's favor.
A Call to Wholehearted Commitment (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)
Concluding this section on Israel's covenant responsibilities, Moses called for the people's complete commitment to the Lord and obedience to His statutes and ordinances. This obedience was not to be a mere formality or a reluctant obligation. Called to love the Lord their God with all their being, they were to obey Him willingly and fully, with both heart and soul.
The people responded by affirming that the Lord was their God and that they would walk in His ways, keep His statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey Him (Deuteronomy 26:17). God, in turn, reaffirmed His covenant promise. If His people kept all His commands, He would elevate them above all nations in praise, fame, and glory, making them a holy people to Himself (Deuteronomy 26:18-19). This reciprocal commitment highlights the mutual nature of the covenant relationship, where obedience leads to blessing and devotion results in exaltation. The promise of being set apart as a holy people emphasizes the unique privilege and responsibility that came with being in covenant with God. Nothing else could compare to this relationship.
And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;
That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us.
And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:
And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:
And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:
And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.
When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;
Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.
Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.
Deuteronomy 26 focuses on Israel's response to God's provision once they entered the Promised Land. It outlines specific acts of worship and obedience designed to cultivate gratitude and solidify their covenant relationship with the Lord. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and the responsibility of His people to respond with wholehearted devotion.
Firstfruits: A Joyful Offering (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)
Moses frequently reminded the Israelites to remember God's acts and to obey His commands after settling in the Promised Land. One key instruction involved the joyful presentation of the first produce of their land to the Lord at the designated sanctuary. This offering of firstfruits was more than just a ritual; it was an opportunity for the people to publicly acknowledge God's gift of the land and recognize the harvest as proof of His promise (Deuteronomy 26:2-3).
The act of offering firstfruits was accompanied by a recitation, a historical narrative that grounded their present blessings in God's past faithfulness. This recitation began with a reference to Jacob, also known as Israel, described as a "wandering Aramean" (Deuteronomy 26:5). This phrase alludes to Abraham's time in Aram and Jacob's connection through his wife Rachel, who was also from Aram. The narrative then recounts the Israelites' descent into Egypt with a small family under Joseph's protection, their subsequent growth into a mighty nation, and the oppression they endured at the hands of the Egyptians (Deuteronomy 26:5-6).
The core of the story lies in God's intervention. When the Israelites cried out to Him, He heard their cries and delivered them from slavery, leading them to a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Deuteronomy 26:7-9). The firstfruits ceremony culminated in a moment of profound gratitude, as each family bowed before the Lord, expressing their thankfulness and rejoicing alongside the Levites and the resident aliens who also shared in God's blessings (Deuteronomy 26:10-11). This shared celebration highlighted the inclusive nature of God's grace and the importance of remembering the marginalized within their community.
The Third-Year Tithe: Caring for the Vulnerable (Deuteronomy 26:12-15)
Deuteronomy 26:12-15 discusses the tithe to be brought in the third year. Scholars debate whether this was the same third-year tithe mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:28-29, a one-time offering akin to the firstfruits, or a separate tithe specifically for every third year. Regardless of the specific interpretation, the purpose of this tithe was clear: to provide for the Levites, resident aliens, fatherless children, and widows – those who lacked alternative means of support (Deuteronomy 26:12).
The worshiper was required to declare that they had given the full tithe, withholding nothing (Deuteronomy 26:13-14). This declaration served as a testament to their obedience and integrity. Based on this honest confession, they could then pray for God's continued blessing on His people and their land (Deuteronomy 26:15). This connection between obedience and blessing underscores the importance of fulfilling covenant obligations as a foundation for receiving God's favor.
A Call to Wholehearted Commitment (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)
Concluding this section on Israel's covenant responsibilities, Moses called for the people's complete commitment to the Lord and obedience to His statutes and ordinances. This obedience was not to be a mere formality or a reluctant obligation. Called to love the Lord their God with all their being, they were to obey Him willingly and fully, with both heart and soul.
The people responded by affirming that the Lord was their God and that they would walk in His ways, keep His statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey Him (Deuteronomy 26:17). God, in turn, reaffirmed His covenant promise. If His people kept all His commands, He would elevate them above all nations in praise, fame, and glory, making them a holy people to Himself (Deuteronomy 26:18-19). This reciprocal commitment highlights the mutual nature of the covenant relationship, where obedience leads to blessing and devotion results in exaltation. The promise of being set apart as a holy people emphasizes the unique privilege and responsibility that came with being in covenant with God. Nothing else could compare to this relationship.