The First Fruits Principle

Foundational Scriptures

Proverbs 3:9-10

Leviticus 23:10

Malachi 3:8-12

Series Overview

This series is a holistic, Bible-based journey that equips believers to manage their money with kingdom purpose—from budgeting and saving to giving and generational wealth. It highlights how spiritual principles guide financial prosperity, not just for personal gain, but for legacy and kingdom impact. Money/possessions are mentioned more frequently than faith, love, prayer, or salvation—not because they are not more important spiritually, but because money touches almost every area of life and reveals what truly matters to us. When you read the gospels, 16 out of 38 parables Jesus told were about money or possessions, highlighting a spiritual truth about faith, the heart, or the Kingdom of God. Money is mentioned often because it’s a mirror of our heart, but faith, love, salvation, and prayer are mentioned because they are the very heartbeat of God.

Sermon in a Sentence

If God is not first in your finances, then it is a possibility that He is not first in your faith.

What the Bible says about Finances

The Bible talks a lot about finances, over 2,300 verses are related to money, wealth, possessions, stewardship, generosity, and financial ethics. In fact, Jesus Himself taught more about money than almost any other subject. Here’s a breakdown to help you grasp just how much the Bible addresses financial matters:

Money & Possessions 2,300+

Generosity/Giving 500+

Stewardship 300+

Debt & Lending 100+

Greed & Covetousness 200+

Tithing 30-40

Economic Justice 100+

Yet the Bible only mentions what we give weight to:

Faith — 500 verses

Salvation — 150-200 verses

Love — 700 verses

Prayer — 650-700 verses

The Bible focuses on money because: (1) Money reveals the heart — Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (2) Money tests trust in God — Proverbs 11:28 “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” (3) Money affects relationships — Proverbs is full of wisdom about avoiding debt, helping the poor, and fair business. (4) Money shapes priorities — Jesus warns that you can’t serve both God and money (Luke 16:13). Money is one of the most frequently address topics in all of Scripture because it is a mirror of our values, priorities, and faith. God cares how we earn, manage, give, and think about money, not just for our benefit, but because it reflects our relationship with Him.

Why is Giving not Taught?

The topic of giving in the Black Church is complex and layered, not because it’s ignored, but because of a combination of historical, cultural, theological, and socio-economic dynamics. While many Black churches do teach giving, the depth, frequency, or method may vary—and in some contexts, it may feel underdeveloped or imbalanced. Here’s a nuanced breakdown of why giving is not consistently taught or taught well in some Black churches:

Trauma and Economic Realities

Slavery, sharecropping, and Jim Crow shaped economic distrust

Black communities were historically denied land ownership, financial education, and generational wealth.

Tithing and giving often occurred out of sacrificial necessity, not abundance.

Preachers, recognizing the poverty of their people, were often afraid to ask more from already burdened congregants.

“They gave out of their lack, and it wasn’t preached out of guilt, but out of grace.”

Theological Avoidance or Imbalance

Overemphasis on Emotional Giving

In many pulpits, giving is preached emotionally (Give and God will bless you) but not always theologically or strategically.

Lack of Financial Discipleship

Tithing may be mentioned during offering but is rarely taught as a part of spiritual maturity or biblical stewardship.

“We teach salvation, but not stewardship. We preach deliverance, but not debt freedom.”

Distrust from Abuse or Manipulation

“Prosperity Preaching” Gone Wrong

Some leaders abused giving, promising blessings without biblical accountability.

Some church mismanaged resources leading to skepticism and cynicism toward giving campaigns or financial transparency.

“When people don’t trust the institution, they’ll withhold their investment.”

Cultural Pressure: Guilt Instead of Grace

Giving has often been tied to guilt or shaming (If you don’t tithe, you’re robbing God) without balancing that with grace, growth, and generosity. There is rarely a teaching on how to budget, save, invest, or build wealth—just the demand to give. Giving must be taught as joyful worship, not transactional obligation.

Church Culture Prioritizes Shouting over Strategy

Some churches excel at celebration but not education. There may be deep resistance to workshops, budget classes, or financial teaching, seen as “too secular” or “not spiritual.” But Proverbs, Jesus, and Paul talk extensively about money, stewardship, and economic justice.

Survival over Stewardship

In financially struggling congregations, giving is used for survival (keeping lights on, paying bills, maintenance, salaries...etc.) rather than teaching kingdom-building vision. This survival mode can feel like begging rather than building.

“We preach giving to meet the budget, not to release the blessing.”

What Needs to Change?

The Black Church needs to reclaim giving as discipleship, teaching that giving is a spiritual act, not just an economic one. Congregants must connect it to faith, trust, legacy, and mission. The church must promote financial literacy, such as: budgeting classes, debt freedom workshops, savings groups, and investment education. Finance officers and ministries must clear the “fog” in finance by embracing transparency and accountability. That simply means providing clear and applicable church financial records. By providing clear financial records and eliminating the “double speak” builds trust and encourages generosity. Pastors are not only charges with preaching salvations; we are charged with preaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27 ESV). What good is for people to celebrate salvation, celebrate Christ while looking forward to that great day but can’t even afford the funeral. What good is it to be saved and struggling financially...The church needs to honor the sacrifices of past generations. It is important that we remember that past generations gave when they had little—now we must give with purpose and strategy.

“Giving is not about raising money—it’s about raising faith. The Black Church doesn’t need another fundraiser—we need financial discipleship. You can’t talk about freedom without talking about finances.”

The Principle of the First Portion

“Giving is not about money—it’s about mastery. Who’s really in charge? “

We live in a culture that gives God what’s left over. We give after the bills are paid, after the trips are taken, after the trip are taken, after the fun is had, and then we ask God to bless what’s broken. But biblical stewardship is never about leftovers—it’s about first fruits.

Leviticus 23:10 “10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,”

The Lord Commands Israel to bring the first portion of their harvest—not the last or the least. Why? Because giving God first place is the visible sign of invisible faith. Firstfruits giving isn’t about God needing your money—it’s about God checking your mastery or your misplaced trust. We don’t tip God—we trust Him. We don’t fund God—we follow Him.

First Means Faith

Leviticus 23:10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,”

Greek word for first is (aparche), meaning the first and best portion, set apart for sacred use.

Faith is not shown in what your give, but in what you give first. Do you trust God enough to give before you know what’s left?

The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers Excursus 43: First Fruits (18:12–13)

The first issue of all life—called

The bringing of the firstfruits was not optional, nor a suggestion that God is putting on the table. Upon entry into their promise land and their subsequent working of the land, they were instructed to bring their “firstfruits” to the priest. The firstfruit principle is about believing God enough to give before you see the rest. “If your want the remainder blessed, then, you have to give God his first.” The faith you have that God can make the remainder stretch comes from your ability to trust God with His first.

Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”

The “first” offering is found in Genesis 4:3-5 is not brought to a table in a plate, but to the Lord. People focus on Cain’s reaction to Abel’s accepted offering and his rejected offering, but the bigger question is how did they know to bring an offering.

Oral tradition is implied in Genesis 4:6-7 and our reference scripture. It is strongly implied that God had revealed the expectation and pattern of worship and offering, even before Moses, the Law, or the Tabernacle. God’s regard for Abel’s offering and rejection of Cain’s shows there was already a standard. This means Abel’s offering wasn’t just a random act—it was in response to divine truth he believed. Faith must have an object—you can’t believe in what you haven’t been told. So Abel heard, believed, and responded. Cain may have heard but did not respond in faith or obedience. God later says to Cain “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” This implies Cain knew what was right and chose otherwise. The absence of a written command doesn’t mean there was no revealed expectation. Secondly, Adam and Eve likely taught their sons what they learned from God’s provision in Eden (Gen. 3:21). This is the first blood sacrifice recorded in Scripture—God himself covers sin through a life sacrificed. Abel may have been imitating what he’d seen modeled by God, handed down by his parents. Abel’s offering of a firstborn lamb (with fat portions) aligns with this pattern of atonement and worship. Next, it could have been an innate human intuition toward worship. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Even then, humans understood God is to be worshiped and honored with substance. Worship through giving is not a later invention—it’s a primal instinct shaped by revelation.

Cain and Abel brought offerings because worship through giving was already revealed by God—either directly, through example, or by inherited understanding. Abel responded in faith and reverence; Cain brought a religious form without faith or obedience.

“God accepts what reflect what reflects Him—faith, honor, and sacrifice.”

First Means Honor

Proverbs 3:9–10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (about trusting the Lord with all your heart) sets the foundation for verses 9-10: faith is not only emotional but financial. Proverbs 3:9-10 is a wisdom principle—not a legal formula—but it reveals a spiritual law: when God is honored first, provision and overflow follow.

Ancient Israel was an agarian society, so wealth was often measured in terms of: crops, grain, wine, and livestock. The concept of firstfruits comes from the Torah (Lev. 23:10; Ex. 23:19), where God commanded Israel to give the first and best portion of their harvest as an offering of worship and trust. Giving firstfruits was an act of faith, trusting that more would follow. It was also an act of honor, acknowledging God as the ultimate source of provision.

Solomon’s audience would have understood that to “honor the Lord with wealth” was not just a ritual—it was a spiritual discipline tied to covenant blessing. It implied: (1) Acknowledging God’s ownership over ones possessions (Dt. 8:13), (2) Participating in worship and social equity, as firstfruits supported the priests, Levies, widows, and orphans (Num. 18:12; Dt. 14:28-29). This reflects a theology where: God blesses faithfulness, not greed, and generosity opens the door to divine abundance.

Proverbs 3:9-10 teaches that:

Wealth is spiritual — how you manage it reflects your trust and values.

God expects priority, not leftovers—firstfruits represent worship through obedience.

Provision is a promise, not a purchase — God responds to honor with abundance, not manipulation.

The overflow (barns filled, vats bursting) is the fruit of order, not the reward of obligation.

The word “honor” in Hebrew is kabed, meaning to give weight to; glorify.

Giving is worship, not just obligation. It’s not about the check—it’s about the choice to say:

“God, You matter more than my mortgage. You matter more than my menu. You matter more than my materialism.”

You can’t say God is your Provider and never prioritize Him.

There’s a humorous but poignant story about a man who prayed for financial blessings. After a long time, the answer didn’t come, and he struggled financially. Skeptical, he went out for a walk, seeing an empty wallet on the ground. He picked it up, opened it—only to find it was completely empty but had a quote inside: 'Seek first the Kingdom of God!' He chuckled, realizing perhaps that’s where he had gone wrong—putting money first instead of God. Sometimes God simply wants to remind us that priorities matter, and it doesn’t always need an empty wallet to show us!

The sign of Christian maturity is when your offering carries the same weight as your praise, your prayer, your shout, your worship...Your firstfruit is your faith in financial form. “The same energy you use to praise, pray and shout should be the same energy you use when it comes to your envelope.”

Praise and prayer (practice our faith)

Serving (productive faith)

Giving (participation in faith)

So, before you pay your bills, shop, or save—set aside your giving. We have to budget with God in mind first. Oddly enough, most people forget to give, not because they’re stingy, but because they’re inconsistent. Christians should make giving automatic. If you have online accounts, your providers have a feature called auto pay. This allows the customer to set up recurring payments...If your streaming subscriptions are automatic, your giving can be too. Parents, we have to teach our children how to tithe off allowance, gifts, or jobs. Create a system:

Give — to God/church

Save — for the future

Spend — with discipline

Pray over your income before you spend. Every paycheck or deposit is a chance to say, “Lord, I trust You.” Take 60 seconds to pray:

“God, this is yours. Guide me to use it wisely. Keep me from waste, fear, or greed. I honor You with my first.”

First Means Access to Overflow

Malachi 3:10–12 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”

The prophet is writing to a disillusioned and disobedient remnant of Israel who had returned to the land but had grown lax in their faith and covenantal responsibilities. In verses 6-9, God accuses Israel of robbing Him by withholding tithes and offering. In vv. 10-12, God invites them to test His faithfulness—if they return to honoring Him with their giving He will unleash unprecedented blessing.

“God doesn’t need your money. He want’s your heart because your heart always travels with your treasure. When you give God his first from the heart, then your barns will be filled...your vats will overflow....”

The tithe in ancient Israel was 10% of one’s produce, livestock, or income. Today, it is often asked what does my tithe support not because really don’t know God’s allocation of the tithe in the context of Scripture.

The Levites (minister/pastor) and priest — Num. 18:21-24 — The priest and Levites had no land inheritance and were called to serve full-time in the house of the God, the tithe was God’s ordained provision for them—a spiritual act of worship for the people. When they brought the tithe to the priest, they were: (1) obeying God’s command, (2) honoring the covenant, and (3) sustaining God’s house through those who served in it full time. When you brought your best to the priest, you were saying, “God, I trust You with the rest.” Paul affirms supporting those who labor in the gospel 1 Corinthians 9:13–14 13 “Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” Paul is teaching that just as priest in the Old Testament were supported by the people’s tithes and offerings, so should New Testament ministers/pastors be supported by the generosity of the church. He is sayig: “If someone is dedicating their life to preaching, teaching, and leading God’s people, they should be able to live from that calling.” It is an unreasonable expectation to demand dedication when the world compensates those in ministry better than the ones they serve. Two things here: (1) Ministers are not to manipulate or exploit giving, and (2) But neither are churches to neglect or starve their shepherds. If the Word feeds you, the work deserves your seed. A church that eats well should also give well...Ministers shouldn’t have to choose between their calling and paying their bills...

The temple operations (ministry) — Deut. 14:22-27 — The storehouse was part of the temple infrastructure where supplies and offerings were kept for priestly support, ministry operations, and for the poor. The temple symbolized God’s presence on earth, thus the temple preserved holiness, order, and access to God. The temple is were heaven met earth, and the priest stood between God and the people (Is. 56:7). Today, the principle of supporting God’s house and ministers remains, and the church is now the temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). We still need order, stewardship, teaching, and worship operations. Temple operations now look like: staff salaries, worship teams, building maintenance, Bible education, benevolence and outreach, hospitality, AV teams, and administration. “The temple did not run on prayer alone—it ran on purpose, people, and provision. If we want worship at the altar, we need stewardship behind the scenes.

The poor, widows, and orphans (mission) — Deut. 14:28-29 — The tithe supports the work of caring for the disenfranchised, marginalized and the poor. If you don’t have a mission, then, you close yourself off to God’s provision. God uses those He can pour into, and trust they will pour into other.

The people we not bringing their full tithe, which meant: (1) the priest had to abandon ministry to provide for themselves, (2) the temple lacked resources for worship and service, and (3) the poor and vulnerable were neglected. The storehouses were designated storage rooms in the temple used to hold grain, oil, and other tithes for distribution. Without full tithes, the storehouses was empty and the house of God lacked sustenance and supply. The devourer is a reference to crop-destroying pest (e.g. locust, blight, drought). Economic hardship was seen as both natural consequence and covenant discipline (Deut 28:15-24). God connects economic blessing or lack to faithful covenant living. “If you want God to rebuke the devourer, you must return what belongs to Him.”

Tithing is not a loss—it’s a key that unlocks heaven’s windows.

What God wanted them and us to understand is that tithing is a covenant issues, not a church tax. (1) Tithing in this context is not just about generosity—its about faithfulness to God’s covenant. God is not demanding a donation; He’s calling for covenantal obedience. (2) God invites us to test His faithfulness. “Put me to the test..” — This is the only time in Scripture God invites His people to test Him. You are not testing Him out of doubt, but out of expectation that obedience leads to overflow. Understand that this is not prosperity gospel—it’s provision promise. (3) Blessing comes through obedience. Today, we live financially within the margins of our paychecks. Most live on “fixed incomes” that seem broken more than it’s fixed. We live in the margins of rising costs, growing inflation, shrinking job market, politicians playing roulette with healthcare and taxes, and the length of the dollar shrinking by the minute. We live in the margins, and our present needs outweigh the trust we we profess to have in God. He wants His people to be a land of delight, a witness to the nations. Malachi is the last prophetic voice before 400 years of silence—before the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus. The issue of giving, reverence, and honor is part of God’s final call to repent and prepare. It is Malachi that sets the stage for the New Covenant, where giving becomes not just a law, but a lifestyle of love and trust (2 Cor. 9:6-8).

Overflow is not just about cash flow—it’s about:

Peace in your house

Provision in your pantry

Purpose in your life

Protection from the devourer

The Firstfruit that Saved us All

The greatest picture of firstfruits isn’t found in Malachi or Proverbs—it’s found in Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:20

1 Corinthians 15:20 ESV

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Jesus was God’s tithe to humanity—the first, the best, the only begotten Son, given in faith, before you and I ever said yes. If God gave us His first, how can we not give Him our first.

“Jesus is the firstfruit that saved us all—how can we not trust Him with our wallet?”