Thru the Bible - #178-Deuteronomy 26 - Offering First Fruits

Transcript

Welcome And How We Study Scripture

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Welcome to Bereen's Corner, the podcast where we go through books of the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Wherever you are in the world, thank you for joining. Grab a glass of water, a cup of coffee, a tea, and let's get into today's lesson. Alright, welcome back. And yes, this is the podcast where we go through books of the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse, keeping everything in its proper context. Hope you all are doing well. Open your Bible to Deuteronomy chapter 26.

Reading Deuteronomy 26 First Fruits

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The title of today's lesson is Offering First Fruits. Deuteronomy 26, and let's read.

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Deuteronomy 26. When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and have taken possession of it and settled in it. Take some of the first fruit of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you, and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name, and say to the priest in office at the time, I declare today to the Lord your God, that I have come to the land that the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us. The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God, my father was a wandering Aramae, and he went down into Egypt with a few people, and lived there, and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our misery of toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and now I bring the first fruits of the soil that you, O Lord, have given me. Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him, and you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the Lord your God, I have removed from my house the sacred portion, and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands, nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred portions while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God, I have done everything you commanded me. Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel, in the land you have given us as you promised, on earth to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws, carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands, and laws, and that you will obey him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession, as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame, and honor high above all the nations he has made, and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God as he promised.

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Remembering

Why We Forget God’s Goodness

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God's faithfulness through grateful worship. One of the easiest things for us to do as human beings is to forget. We forget all kinds of things. We forget appointments, we forget birthdays, we forget people's names. Sometimes we forget where we put our keys, we forget where we put our uh our items that we're gonna take to work. You know, we forget things, and perhaps the greatest thing we ought to forget is what God has done for us. It is amazing how quickly we can move from thanking God for his blessings to complaining about our problems. When life becomes difficult, our attention naturally shifts to what we don't have instead of what God has already provided. And I know I have been guilty of that. We uh get on to complaining because things may not be going so good with you right now, and you seem to forget what God had already done for you instead of looking back and saying, you know what, the Lord has done these things for me, He will do it again, He will bring us out of this again. And this is what's happening with Israel, and as Israel is preparing to enter the promised land, he knew prosperity could become just as dangerous as poverty, and that's something that the Lord was worried about. And what that's referring to is the fact that when things are going bad, we remember the Lord. So that would be the poverty. But when things are good, you know, prosperity, we forget the Lord, we forget to thank the Lord, we forget to praise the Lord. And for Israel, when they were slaves in Egypt, they cried out to God daily, it was a daily thing they did. When they wandered into the wilderness, they depended on him for food, for water, protection, and guidance. But once they entered the land flowing with milk and honey, and they were enjoying fruitful harvests, built homes, and experienced prosperity, there would be a temptation to think they had accomplished it all themselves. So before they entered Canaan, God established a way for his people to intentionally remember his faithfulness. The central theme of this chapter is this God wants his people to continually remember that every blessing they possess comes from him. And one of the ways they express their gratitude is by joyfully worshiping him with their first and their best. Notice that God's concern wasn't merely that Israel gave an offering, his concern was their heart. Given was to become an act of worship, an expression of gratitude, a testimony that everything they possessed ultimately belonged to him. James reminds us, every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. James chapter 1, verse 17. David declared, For all things come from you, and from your hand we have given you. 1 Chronicles chapter 29, verse 14. Nothing we have is ultimately ours, our health, our homes, our families, our opportunities, our salvation. Every good gift has come from God's gracious hand. In Deuteronomy 26, Moses teaches Israel to remember God's blessings in three different time frames. The

Bring The First And Best

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first being, remember God's faithfulness in the past. We notice that in verses 1 through 11. See, God begins by looking backwards. Before Israel focused on the blessings they were enjoying in the present, he wanted them to remember where they came from. Memory is one of God's greatest tools for strengthening faith. Throughout scripture, God repeatedly causes people to remember, remember his covenant, remember his works, remember his deliverance, remember his faithfulness. When we remember correctly, gratitude naturally follows. Moses gives five instructions here. The first being, bring the first fruits to the place God chooses. Verses 1 through 2 say, Then it shall be when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you shall bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish his name. When Israel entered the land and harvested his crops, they were to gather some of the very first produce and bring it to the place God designated for worship. Notice they didn't choose where to worship. God did. That emphasized his authority. Their worship wasn't based on convenience, it wasn't based on personal preference, it was based upon obedience. For Israel, that eventually centered around the place where God established his sanctuary. And today, under the New Testament, believers gather through the ministry of the local church. We see that in Acts chapter 2, verses 42 through 47. We also see it in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, verses 1 through 2. Now, while we no longer bring first fruits under the Mosaic covenant, we still worship God by faithfully giving, serving, and acknowledging that everything we possess belongs to Him. Notice something else. God asked for the first fruits, not the leftovers. The first portion demonstrated faith. It acknowledged, Lord, I trust you to provide everything. That principle still speaks today. God deserves our first priority, not merely what's left over after we spent our time, energy, and resources elsewhere. Jesus said, Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Matthew chapter 6, verse 33. Putting God first has always been the mark of genuine worship. Second, publicly acknowledge God's faithfulness. Verses 3 through 4 tell us, you shall go to the place who is in office. Excuse me, I'm sorry about that. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, I declare this day to the Lord my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us. Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. After arriving, the worshiper would present himself before the priest and declare that God had fulfilled his promise by bringing his people into the land he swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This wasn't simply dropping off an offering, it was public testimony. The worshiper acknowledged God keeps his promises. Now I want you to think about that. Generation after generation had waited. Abraham never fully possessed the land. Isaac waited, Jacob waited. Joseph died believing God's promise. Now this generation stood in the fulfillment, in all the fulfillment, I should say, of what God had promised centuries earlier. Think about that. God promises centuries earlier, and this generation is getting ready to stand in it. See, God never forgets his promises. He never does. Sometimes his timetable is longer than ours, but his faithfulness never changes. 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 20 says, For as many as are the promises of God in him, they are yes. God always keeps his word, always. His promises are yes and amen. Remember that. Which brings us to the third principle we want to look

Tell The Story Of Deliverance

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at. Remember where God brought you from. Notice verses 5 to 9. You shall answer and say before the Lord your God, my father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, but there he became a great, mighty, and populous nation. And the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us and imposed hard labor on us. Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our impression and our oppression. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders. He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Now, this is perhaps the most moving portion of this whole chapter, in my opinion. As the worshipper stood before the Lord, he rehearsed Israel's history. He remembered his spiritual heritage. He remembered God's grace. Now there are five memories every Israelite was to recall. First, I came from a wandering Aramean. That points back to Jacob. Israel didn't begin as a powerful nation. Their story began with a man who wandered from place to place, depending entirely upon God's promises. Second, remember Egypt. Israel wasn't always prosperous. They were slaves. They were oppressed. They were afflicted, powerless to rescue themselves. Third, remember crying out to God. When Israel reached the end of themselves, they called upon the Lord. Exodus chapter 2, verses 23 through 25 tells us God heard their cries. How often has God answered your prayers? That's my question for you. And it's also a question for me. How many times has he carried you through situations that you couldn't solve yourself? Lord knows I've been there. Those memories should fuel continual worship. Forth. Remember God's mighty deliverance. God didn't merely improve Israel's circumstances. He rescued them completely, just completely, through signs. He did it through wonders. He did it through miracles. He did it with the Passover. He did it at the Red Sea. He did it through plagues. God displayed his unmatched power. Our salvation is even greater than that. Jesus Christ delivered us, not even Egyptian slavery, but from slavery to sin. It was the greatest delivery. Colossians chapter 1, verse 13 says, He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. Every believer has an Exodus story. All of us do. God brought us out so he could bring us in. Did you get that? The fifth thing, remember the land God gave you. Israel now enjoyed vineyards they hadn't planted, homes they hadn't built, fields they haven't cultivated. Everything before them testified to God's goodness. Likewise, when we stop and honestly evaluate our own lives, we quickly discover that we are far more blessed than we deserve. Now I'm going to speak, I can only speak for me, but I say that every day, Lord, you have taken care of me more than I deserve. Sometimes I even go as far and say, Lord, why have you even blessed me like this? Why have you delivered me? Then I just close my mouth and I just thank the Lord for his blessings. Every answer prayer, every open door, every opportunity, every spiritual blessing in Christ. First, excuse me, we see that in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3. None of it exists apart from God's grace. It's just that simple. Our gratitude grows as our memories grow. Now, as God's people reflected on his faithfulness, they were not simply remembering history, they were remembering grace. The same is true for us. Every believer ought to have times where they intentionally stop and look back. Think about where you were before Christ. Think about how God pursued you. Think about the doors he opened that uh that you never could have opened yourself. Think about the prayers he answered. Think about the protection that he provided when you didn't even realize you needed it. Think about the forgiveness he extended when you deserve judgment. The more we remember God's faithfulness, the easier it becomes to trust him with our future. You know, I do that a lot myself. Now, myself, you know, I have a decent drive when I go to work every day and on my way home, a decent little commute. And a lot of times I will use that time to reflect on those things that I just said to you. I think about how God has answered my prayers. I think about the things he protected me from, I think about his faithfulness, and I think about the fact that I deserve his judgment, yet and still he has given me grace and have delivered me. It's a good thing to do every single day. David understood this principle as well. Before facing Goliath, he remembered the lion and the bear that God had already delivered him from. We uh see that in 1 Samuel chapter 17, verses 34 through 37. Yesterday's faithfulness gave him confidence for today's battle. And if you remember that story, that's exactly what David did when he was about to face this giant. He said, Look, man, God delivered me from the lion, he delivered me from the bear, and he's gonna deliver me from this Philistine. Our memories of God's grace shall strengthen our faith.

Worship That Leads To Joy

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Which brings us to the fourth thing: worship God with gratitude. Verse 10 says, Now, behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which thou, O Lord, hast given me, and you shall sit down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. After recalling God's faithfulness, the worshiper was instructed to place the basket of first fruits before the Lord and bow in worship. Notice the order. First came remembrance, then came worship. Worship wasn't it wasn't mechanical, it wasn't merely following a ritual, it flowed from a heart overwhelmed by the goodness of God. The worshiper acknowledged, Lord, this produce came from you, not from luck, not from favorable weather alone, not simply from hard work. Certainly the farmer, I mean, he labored, he planted, he watered, and he harvested, but without God providing the rain, without God giving life to the seed, without God protecting the crop, there would have been no harvest. It was just that simple. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 7, what do you have that you did not receive? Now that question should humble us. Every talent, every ability, every opportunity, every material blessing, every spiritual blessing, all of it ultimately was a gift from God. True worship begins when we recognize that everything we have belongs to Him. Fifth, rejoice in God's blessings together. Notice verse 11. You and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household. This chapter closes this section by saying that the worshipper, the Levite, even the foreigner living among them were to rejoice together in all the good things the Lord had provided. Notice that worship produced joy. God never intended gratitude to become gloomy. That wasn't the purpose. His blessings were meant to be celebrated. There is something beautiful about God's people rejoicing together over his goodness. When someone shares how God answered a prayer, when someone testifies about God's provision, when someone promises God uh and praises God for his faithfulness, it should encourage every believer. Romans chapter 12, verse 15 tells us, rejoice with those who rejoice. A healthy church is filled with people celebrating what God is doing in one another's lives. That's how it should be. Sadly, though, sometimes the opposite happens. Instead of rejoicing, people become jealous. Instead of celebrating another person's blessing, they become resentful. That spirit doesn't honor God. That is not a God-honoring spirit. Everything we have comes from his gracious hand. If God chooses to bless another brother or sister in Christ, we ought to praise him for that. Gratitude drives out jealousy. It just does. Contentment replaces comparison, joy replaces bitterness. When we remember God's faithfulness, worship becomes joyful instead of burdensome. And you know, it's a shame that it has to be that way. It's a shame that when someone gives you good news, when someone comes to you and says, Hey man, I just want to let you know, you know, that job that I went out for, I got that job. Or uh, you know, that though, you know, that house that we that we wanted, God bless us with that house. Instead of being resentful, we ought to thank the Lord. We ought to, in our prayers at night, say, Lord, we thank you for blessing brother and sister so-and-so, for that job they got, or that trip they got to go on, or that ministry opportunity that you opened up for them instead of being jealous and wishing that it happened to you, or you just don't pray about it at all, which is still a form of resentment. Which brings us to the second order of things, which is acknowledge God's faithfulness in the present. Now we

The Third Year Tithe For Needs

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already looked at the past, now we talk about the present. We see that in verses 12 through 15. After looking back at God's blessings in the past, Moses now turns Israel's attention to the present. Every third year, God's people were instructed to set aside a special tithe for those who had genuine needs within their communities. This offering was specifically intended to help the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows so that everyone will be cared for and able to enjoy God's provision. This reminds us that biblical worship never stops with gratitude. It moves towards generosity. When we understand how generous God has been towards us, we naturally become more generous towards others. Jesus said, Freely you receive, freely give. Matthew chapter 10 and verse 8. God's blessings were never intended to terminate on his people, they were meant to flow through his people. Moses records several declarations the worshiper was to make before the Lord. Rather than simply dropping off an offering, the giver publicly affirmed that he had obeyed God's word. He acknowledged that the offering came from his own household. He declared that it was being given exactly as God instructed. He affirmed that it would uh care for the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. In other words, his giving demonstrated both obedience and compassion. Throughout Scripture, God consistently revealed. His concern for those who are vulnerable. Psalm chapter 68, verse 5 calls him a father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows. James chapter 1, verse 27 says, Pure and undefiled religion is this, to visit orphans and widows in their distress. See, God has always cared for people who are often overlooked by society. His people should care about them as well. One principle becomes very clear throughout this section. Obedience matters. The Israelites weren't inventing their own way of worshiping, they weren't giving however they felt. They were following God's revered word. Several times in this chapter, the emphasis is, I have done according to your command. Now see that principle still applies today. God is not looking for creative substitutes for obedience, He is looking for willing hearts that respond to His word. Jesus said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John chapter 14, verse 15. Obedience has never been the means of earning God's favor. Rather, it is the evidence that we love God who has already shown us his grace. Moses continues by showing that giving was not simply about making a donation, it was about demonstrating a heart that honored God. One of the statements the worshiper was to make was that he had not used any of his sacred offerings for himself, even during times of grief or personal hardship. Think about what that meant. There were undoubtedly seasons when crops were smaller than expected. That would happen, right? There were years when finances were tighter, there were difficult family situations, there were unexpected hardships. Yet God expected his people to set aside his portion first. That required faith. It declared, Lord, even when life is difficult, I still trust that you will provide. Giving has never been primarily about the amount, it was about trust, just that simple. There's times where you can't give as much, but it was about the trust. Jesus illustrated that beautifully when he watched people giving in the temple treasury. Wealthy people contributed large amounts, but then a poor widow came and gave two small coins. Remember what Jesus said? This poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury. Mark chapter 12, verses 43 through 44. Why? Because she trusted God. Her offering reflected complete dependence upon him. God has always looked beyond the gift to the heart of the giver. Paul echoes this same truth in 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 7. Each one must do just as he has portion in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. That doesn't mean God is only interested in financial giving. Let us remember that. It means everything we offer him should come from a heart filled with gratitude. We give him our worship, we give him our time, we give him our service, we give him our resources, not because he needs them. Remember, God doesn't need anything from you and I, but it's because we recognize everything already belongs to him. Moses also instructed the worshiper to declare that the offering had never been associated with anything ceremonial, unclean, or connected to pagan worship.

Obedience And Undivided Devotion

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God was making something very clear. Holy worship cannot be mixed with worldly worship. Israel could not worship false gods during the week and then expect God to accept an offering on the Sabbath. Their worship was to be pure, their devotion was to be undivided. The same principle carries into the New Testament. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14: Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? See, God deserves wholehearted devotion. Jesus said the greatest commandment is you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew chapter 22, verse 37. God has never wanted divided loyalty. He deserves first place in every area of our lives. And then finally, Moses says the worshiper has to affirm that he had obeyed God's commands concerning this offering and then asked the Lord to continue blessing his people and the land he had promised to their fathers. You know, I find that prayer especially interesting. Notice what Israel appealed to. They did not pray, Lord, bless us because we earned it. They prayed on the basis of God's covenant faithfulness. They were dependent on God's promises, not their perfection. This is exactly how we approach God today. We don't come before Him claiming we deserve His blessings. We come because of His grace. We come because of Christ. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16 tells us, therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. Why? Because Jesus Christ has opened the way. Every blessing we receive today ultimately comes through his finished work on the cross. Which brings us to the third fact.

Living Today For Future Promises

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Live today in light of God's future promises. Verses 16 through 19 tell us, This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways and keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and listen to his voice. The Lord has today declared you to be his people, a treasure possession, as he promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments, that he shall set you high above all nations, which he has made for praise, fame, and honor, and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God and excuse me, as he has spoken. In the final section of the chapter, it shifts to Israel's attention from the past and the present but to the future. God reminds his people that obedience is not merely about remembering yesterday or thinking about him today, it is about living in anticipation of what he has promised for tomorrow. Moses highlights four realities that every believer should understand. The first was God desires wholehearted obedience. Verse 16, he said, This day the Lord your God commands you to do these things and ordinances, to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. Moses tells Israel that they are to carefully observe God's statutes and ordinances with all their heart and with all their soul. Notice the emphasis, not merely outward obedience and heart obedience. God has always been after the heart. Always. He's after your heart, he's after my heart. A person can't perform religious duties while their heart is far from God. We see that in uh later on in Matthew when Jesus says that uh there are going to be many who say, Lord, Lord. See, a lot of people they do the religious rituals, they do the praising and they do the shouting and the jumping, but it's the heart that God is after. See, Jesus uh confronted that very problem when he quoted Isaiah saying, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Matthew chapter 15 and verse 8. See, external obedience without inward devotion, that's just empty religion, just plain and simple. God desires both, he wants our actions to flow from our hearts that generally love him. That is why worship is never merely about attending church, it's about loving God from the inside out. Second, God's people publicly declare their commitment to him in verse 17. You have today declared the Lord to be your God. Israel publicly affirmed that the Lord was their God. They and and by the way, when you look at go back and look at verse 17, you have declared today that the Lord, that Lord is in capital letters, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. That is Yahweh, that is the covenant God. Israel publicly affirmed that Yahweh was their God. They committed themselves to walk in his ways, to obey his commandments, to listen to his voice. That declaration, the uh this it distinguished them from every surrounding nation, and that's what this is really all about. They belong to God. As believers today, we make a similar declaration whenever we confess Jesus as Lord. Romans chapter 10, verse 9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Our lives should consistently affirm what our mouths confess. People should see Christ in us, not just on Sunday morning, throughout the week, at work, at home, in our conversations, in our relationships. Every area of our life should reflect our commitment to follow Jesus. Now, that is something that I judge myself on. You know how the scripture tells us to judge yourself. See, I do that daily. Uh, I judge myself daily. I've always I've told you all dozens of times now that the scripture that sticks to me is that God came to say Christ came to save sinners of whom I am the worst. I've said that dozens of times. Regardless of sometimes where I might seem like I'm puffed up in my pride, I still see myself as the worst sinner, as the lowest of sinners. And we need to remember that every day, that in our conversation, every area of our life, that we need to reflect Christ, that we need to look at what he did for us, and we need to confess, and we need to remember that when people see us, they need to see Christ. Every day when I wake up and I'm on my way off to work, I ask the Lord that Lord, let this be the day that someone sees Christ in me. That I strive for that. Let someone see me and see Christ. Are we perfect? No. Will we ever be perfect? Never, we never will, but we strive for it every day. Third, remember that you are God's treasured possession.

Your Identity As God’s Treasure

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Verse 18 said, The Lord has today declared you to be his people a treasured possession. Moses reminds Israel of an incredible truth. God had declared them to be his own treasure possession. This wasn't because Israel was the largest nation or the strongest nation. It wasn't because they had somehow earned God's favor. It was because God, in his sovereign grace, had chosen them and set his love upon them. We saw that back in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verses 6 through 8. Think about that for a moment. The creator of heaven and earth looked upon Israel and said, You are my treasured people. That word treasure speaks of something highly valued, something precious that belongs exclusively to its owner. Parents understand this. There may be many things in a home that have value, but there are certain items that are treasure because of what they represent. God says his covenant people are his treasure. That doesn't mean he loves them because they're perfect. It means he has chosen to place his covenant love upon them. As New Testament believers, we see this truth carried even further. Peter writes to the church, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9. What an amazing thought. What an amazing thought that is, people. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we belong to God. We are his children, we are his heirs in Christ. Romans chapter 8, verses 16 through 17. And we have been adopted into his family. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 5. Our identity is no longer found in the world, people. It is found in Christ. That changes everything. If we know I belong to him, I don't have to find my work in possessions. I don't have to find my identity in success. I don't have to seek my value through uh people's approval. I already know who I am. I am a child of God. That truth ought to produce humility, it ought to produce confidence, it ought to motivate obedience. We see, we don't obey God in order to become his people. We obey because we already are his people through his grace. Jesus said, If you love me, you keep my commandments. John chapter uh 14, verse 15. Love always produces obedience. It always does. Which brings us to the fourth part. Live in light of God's future promises. Verse 19. That he shall set you high above all nations, which he has made for praise, fame, and honor, and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God as he has spoken. Moses concludes this chapter by pointing Israel towards what God had promised to do in the future. If they will continue walking in him, God promised to distinguish them among the nations. Notice the five promises that Moses highlights. First, God will set Israel above the nations. This was never about pride, it was about purpose. God intended Israel to display his glory before the world. People, that's what this was all about. Second, God would give them praise. As God blessed his people, the surrounding nations would recognize his hand upon them. That's what this was about. It was for the other people to look at Israel and say, Wow, their God's hand is on them. Look at the things he's done for them. Look at what he's delivered them from. Third, God will give them honor and a respected reputation. When God's people live according to God's word, their lives become a testimony to his greatness. Fourth, that God would give them renown. The nation would become known because of the God they served. History proves that has happened. Thousands of years later, people all over the world continued to study the history of Israel because God's hand had been upon that nation from the beginning. And then finally, God promised they would be a holy people unto himself. That word holy means set apart. See, Israel was not to live like the pagan nations around them. They belonged to God, they were to reflect his character. The same is true for believers today. Peter wrote, but like the holy one who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior. 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 15 through 16. See, holiness is not merely avoiding certain sins. That's not what it's about. It is living a certain life that is distinctly God's. Our speech should be different. See, people, the way we talk, it ought to be different. Our priorities should be different. You should change the your the way your parties used to be. Our marriages should be different. Let that be uh a lesson to us husbands and wives. Your marriage is supposed to be different and reflect different. Your finances should be different. How you spend your finances, what you use your financials on, it should be different. Our attitude should be different. We should be doing an attitude, attitude check, everything. Everything about our life should point towards uh Christ Jesus. Everything. And let's conclude.

Three Closing Questions To Examine

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As we close this chapter, now one truth rises above everything else. God never wanted Israel to forget. He didn't want them to forget where they came from. That's how he that's why he reminds them of Egypt. He didn't want them to forget how he delivered them. He didn't want them to forget who provided every harvest. He didn't want them to forget his faithfulness in the present. And he certainly didn't want them to forget his promises for the future. See, the same danger exists for us. It is easy to remember our disappointments. It is easy to remember our hurts. It is easy to remember the prayers that haven't yet been answered. But God, God calls us to remember his faithfulness. He wants us to remember every answer prayer because he has answered prayers for each and every one of us, every act of protection. My fellow saints, I can't speak for you, but I can speak to me. I can look back in my life and remember. And I'm talking about times in my life when I wasn't even thinking about the Lord as I should, but God still protected me. Every provision, he wants us to remember every door that he opened, that door he opened for you to get that job, opened for you to get that opportunity. Every time he carried us when we couldn't even carry ourselves, above all, never forget the cross. The greatest blessing God has ever given us is it's not financial prosperity, it is not our good health, it is not earthly success, it is his son. Romans chapter 8, verse 32 says, He who did not spare his own son, but delivered us over for all, excuse me, delivered him over for us all, he and how he will not always, I am sorry, people, how will he not always with him freely give us all things? I am sorry I butchered that up. I literally uh lost my spot as I'm talking to you. I'm actually looking down from my notes and and and trying to turn to my scripture and get to the uh scripture I want to read. So I kind of jammed that up. No, Romans, the Lord wants you to read that again. Romans chapter 8, verse 32. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all. How will he not also with him freely give us all things? Praise the thing, praise the Lord for that. Sorry about that. I felt the need to read that again instead of jambling it up like I did. See, Jesus Christ is God's greatest gift. He left heaven, he lived a perfect life, he died on the cross for our sins, he rose again on the third day. That's what we believe. And through faith alone in him, we receive forgiveness, we receive eternal life, and we receive every spiritual blessing. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 3 reminds us of that. Everything we have begins with his grace. That is why our worship should never be casual, it should never be mechanical, it should never be something we simply squeeze into our schedules. You know, okay, I'll try to make some time for God today. Worship is a grateful response of our heart that remembers. So let me leave you all with three these three questions. One, have you forgotten where God brought you from? Won't you think about that? Two, have you stopped thinking and thanking him for what he has already done? Third, are you living today with confidence in what he has promised to do tomorrow? May we as believers who continue to count God's blessings, who joyfully worship him, who faithfully obey his word, who generously give because he has first given to us, and who never lost sight of the incredible grace that he has poured into our lives through Jesus Christ. As Solomon wisely instructed, honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce, so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your bats will overflow with new wine. That's Proverbs chapter 3, verses 9 through 10. And remember, the Lord's invitation through the prophet Malachi, bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and test me now in this, says the Lord our uh says the Lord of hosts. If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Malachi chapter 3, verse 10. He showed Israel that all the time with that rain. That was God opening the windows of heaven, and that rain came down on those crops, and God gave them a blessing that overflowed. May our lives continually demonstrate that we remember God's faithfulness, his worship, and we worship him with grateful hearts and trust him completely for every blessing he has promised. To God alone be the glory. Amen. Alright, that brings us to the end of Deuteronomy chapter 26, offerings of the first fruit.

Prayer Requests And Final Encouragement

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Lots and lots in that chapter, and I hope that you got a lot from it. As always, I hope that you got something out of this lesson. See, God's word in this old testament is not dry, it's not dusty. There is something that we get from it in all of these books. Right now, we're in Deuteronomy. At some point, we're gonna be in 1 Chronicles. You know, we're gonna be in some books that's hard to get through, but I want you to know something, people. There is something great in all of these books. See, me, I love this stuff. Every bit of it, every drop of this word of God, I love, and there's always a lesson to be learned from it. As always, I ask you to pray for me, pray that I stay on a straight and narrow path. Uh, people, you got to remember, pray for me to sometimes calm down because in my excitement and going through this word of God, I start reading my notes too fast, and sometimes I'm uh doing two things at once. I'm talking to you, but I'm also turning to uh scriptures that I'm you know trying to read to you, so sometimes I lose my place. So, hey, pray for me that I stay with a steady hand and a steady mind and steady eyes. Pray that I stay in good spirits and good health. I appreciate that. And I'm praying for you as well. I don't take it lightly that you take time out of your morning, your afternoon, your evening to go through the word of God with me. It means a great deal to me. And as I always say, I may never meet you and see you on this side of eternity, but one day we will be together and we will be able to enjoy each other and be brothers and sisters forever. I am praying for you that you are doing well, that you are in good health, good spirits, and that you are doing well physically and mentally. I thank you, and I appreciate you all a great deal. All right, that is another lesson down, Deuteronomy chapter 26. That is all for now. God bless.

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Thank you for listening to Berean's Corner. We appreciate you joining us as we dive into God's word and seek biblical truth together. If this episode encouraged or challenged you, be sure to subscribe, share, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. You can find Berean's Corner on BuzzSprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon Music, and more. Let's stay connected. If you have questions, comments, or prayer requests, reach out to us at Bereans Corner.buzzsprout.com where you can follow along with Show Transcripts and leave a message in the fan mail slot. Also follow us on YouTube at Berean's Corner and don't forget to subscribe. We'd love to hear from you. Until next time, keep searching the scriptures like a Berean. Stay discerning, stay faithful, and God bless.