Passover & First Fruits
Shabbat shalom. I'm Rob Wilson. I'm the Elder is Elder teaching there of Years ago, Jesse, the bass player that plays with his sometimes. He found out I was selected as a, as an elder. But back then, the elders would be submitted to the congregation for approval. So I wasn't yet an elder. I was a potential Elder and Jesse greeted me as as his Elder. And I said, well, I'm not actually an elder yet. I'm I'm, I'm All maybe if the congregation that proves, then I'll be an elder. But right now, I'm not an elder and he said, okay. You're my younger elder brother. But you're much older than me, so I didn't quite understand. Where in Leviticus still in. Leviticus is a beautiful book. This year. I'm amazed at how beautiful it is. We're looking at it kind of with new eyes this year. It's a real blessing. So that's why I have the the lamb up there. If you know anything about the sacrificial system, according to the, the what the Bible says, the first offering of every day was a lamb before. Anything else was offered a lamb was offered and at the end of every day, a lamb was offered. And so when you realize that this continual offering of a lamb morning and night everyday,
Occurred and the sacrificial system happened inside of that. You realize that the lamb actually kind of symbolizes the whole sacrificial system and my own understanding the sacrificial system is it tries to mimic what Jesus accomplished for us? So freedom from guilt, freedom. From all these things are things that Jesus did for us. So I remember the lamb whenever I begin, studying, Leviticus Enough on that. First fruits in Passover. So most of the time, if you're in a Christian Congregation of any kind during the season, you're realizing. We're in length and we're getting ready for Passover Easter the celebration of Jesus resurrection. And because we're kind of a break Roots congregation. That's downplaying a little bit and I'm not sure it should be because Jesus has the whole thing. I'm not I'm not into celebrating each star.
Which means hidden or star, or Pagan goddess, that's how our Easter has been renamed, but I am very much interested in celebrating the resurrection and in preparing for that and realizing, that Jesus had a pretty hard month this month. So, I appreciate lent. I appreciate all the symbols. We just had Saint. Patrick's Day. I did not wear green, but it's not because I'm not into that Aya. I'm Scotch. Yeah.
And that's why. Not true.
Yeah, well he was stated later. Anyway, we're not going to get into st-patrick right now.
Yeah, the nevermind. I've been thinking about Passover, and I've been thinking about lent, and I've been thinking about celebrating honoring the season, in the, in the church year. And I realized something that I realize every year. But this year, I realized it in a new way, first fruits, according to our understanding of firstfruits today occurs in Passover. And so, I'm not sure that many of us think about that often. So I thought I'd kind of emphasized that I wear in Cedar number 23. It's actually. Pathetic, is 23. The number represents the The chapter and the L is for Leviticus. So that's a shorthand way of saying, we're in Leviticus chapter 23 and Work according to the schedule of readings, which is in the back. If you don't have a copy of this, you probably want to get one if you want to follow along with the sermon schedule. Hey, if you're curious, how we came up with this as simulator Vibe, or a lot of people with it, if I said anything more.
The main thing before we even begin the sermon, I want to go through this prayer that has been a big prayer in my life and for some time now, long time now, so please print this with me. Lord. Please reveal yourself to us our children. Our children's children, the body of Messiah and many others beyond the body of Messiah, and help us to receive you. Help us to receive you.
And listen to your instruction and follow your spirits leading for our healing, and our health, and for the good of all your body and your kingdom. Amen. At a knight honors our attempts to follow him and bless us in more ways than we can ask or even imagine. So this isn't just about hearing what God is saying, this is about listening to what God is saying and walking according to his leading and allowing him to instruct us for our healing, and our health, and the health of the body of Messiah.
Enough said on that. God spirit makes us loving happy peaceful patient. Kind good faithful. Gentle and self-controlled got fruit.
Isaiah 66. So I recently gave a sermon, probably 3 weeks ago, and I think the subtitle was eat fruit or die. God wants us to have a good life. He wants us to benefit from what's around us to celebrate life and to have fruit in every way imaginable. In our lives, eat fruit. He wants us to be blessed. That's what the fruit kind of means. As I get older. I realize I really should eat fruit and been working on that or die. Now, if you don't do what God wants you to do, the options aren't so good. So that's the that's the other part of the previous sermon and this was one of the 4:30 is for that particular sermon, and I'm, I'm going to repeat it now just because we're on the first fruits. Discussion I'll gather all nations. This is the end of times, not the end of time, but you could say it's the beginning of time. Renewed resurrected Eternal time. I'll gather all nations and tongues to come to see my glory. I'll see I'll send some of this these people to dig to declare my glory among all nations. So he's not, it is not just going to gather the nation's. He's going to send people out to the nation's so they can preach to the nation's. Anyone who might not have heard them yet, is going to keep sending people out to to hear about his glory and the bringing many brothers. Now, they're called brothers. That's a big name in a break. I understanding. It's not just a believer. It's not just someone who shares your faith. It's a brother. It's family. It's a big deal from all the nations just as a not as an offering to the Lord just as the Israelites bring their grain offerings. To the Lord, I'll receive some of the priests. Some of them, these people that are being brought in from all the nations. I'll receive some of them as Levites and Priests. All the priests. What's the difference between Levi's and a priestess sound the same? A priest is from the line of Aaron. Levites serve the priests. Have access to the holy of holies.
We have access to the holy of holies through our great priest.
Says Lord. so, this is already broken in and yet, it's Going to happen, even more in the future. So Heaven is already broken in and much more to come. Alleluia. Alleluia All Nations. These are the sons of Sons of Shaun of a Noah After the flood ham, sham, and japheth. This is a picture from Stephen. Notley and aunts aunt's. A rainy rainy rainy and not Lee's book, sacred marriage. And it shows that that the family of man. It's a fancy one family and we we we settled in different directions and we had different ethnic things going on and all that but we're all Brothers at the route. Leviticus 20 that's not this week. Leviticus 23 is this week, but it's interesting because there are two words that are translated first fruits. I thought it was just one there too. And there are five sets of verses in the Bible where both words are used. And two of those five are in Leviticus and one of them is this week. And so I decided I would give the two in Leviticus because we're in Leviticus together. This is from Leviticus to bring a grain offering of firstfruits. Remember? The Lord's going to receive the Nations as a grain offering. They're going to be brought in just like a grain offering implied in that first fruits or final fruits. First fruits, the best fruits. So I thought I'd touch on these verses bring a grain offering of firstfruits rishit to the Lord. That's the first word for when you offer a grain offering of firstfruits dekorime to the Lord, you shall offer a grain offering of your first fruits. Bickering, fresh crushed, Newgrange roasted with fire. Now, this is grain. That is not year old rain. This is new rain. This is an old grain. This is new grain.
Other-verse, when you come into the land and harvest, this is this week's reading bring the sheet of first fruits, Rich sheet of your Harvest to the priest who will waive it before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath. Now, I think I love word-plays. I just love word Place. Bring a sheet sheet of the rishit. Is that cool? It's just kind of Twisted but I like it. Bring a Sheaf of the receipt of your Harvest to the preschool, wave it before the Lord, on the day after the Sabbath count, seven full weeks from that day, then present a wave offering of to thine flour loaves of bread baked with lemon to the Lord. They shall be first fruits decoration to the Lord. So the first part of these two verses is about the first fruits, which is about the barley Harvest which is around the time of Passover. And the second one is about shovel load, which is about the first fruits of the wheat Harvest. So you could say, this is about the first fruits of the barley Harvest and the first fruits of the wheat Harvest. And I find it really interesting that in Passover. We eat old wheat Mills into bread, we call matzo. And right. After we starting the old bread, we waive a new Sheaf of barley. And we offer that to the Lord and we offer a bread offering from barley to the Lord, but it doesn't say anything about, you know, I mean, it's just okay. And then in the fall, it's new wheat that there, that there, that they're making into bread. And it's the fault of the Passover offering is, matzo unleavened wheat old wheat, and the shovel out offering is Wheat. With Levin big loaves, two of them wave before the Lord.
New Wii U only to live to the Lord. You only offer new. The order offer the best and you offer the new, you don't give God old things. Just just the way it goes. And three weeks ago. You may remember. We were talking about the fruit trees. You don't complain to me three years ago and it had borne any fruit. I'm kind of angry at it and I'm going to pull it out of the ground cuz it's wasting the ground and they got, the gardener says it kind of reminds them. If you think about it, the first year, you shouldn't have any fruit, the second-year, you don't have any fruit, the third-year you all, for the fruit to God and the fourth, you going to get an increase. So no wonder you can't eat fruit in the third year. It's not time. And if you don't offer something to God, the first fruits of the tree. Then you, you don't have a right to eat anything. So, first fruits is first, who owns everything? Questions.
Arguments. Sir.
Right, right, right. I know.
It's talking about a fig tree but its figuratively. Also talkin about the fourth year of fruit is the year that you offer to God. So, it kind of the situation with the tree in the story, makes its way really nicely coordinated with with the the biblical principle.
Okay, it might take longer than that. Yeah, we had an apple tree. That didn't bear at all until much later. I'm not going to talk about that.
Questions on this. No.
Good.
We have Hebrew. The receipt Mariah Elohim at Hashem. I'm at Shaleen the EPS hearts. The receipt in the beginning, God created Elohim at the heavens. The hottest, the Earth, in the beginning, God created. Boat. Receipt does Rashid sound familiar?
First fruits.
So I decide to Circle it. So one way to translate this is in the beginning. That's correct. That's not bad. For rishit, the first fruits. God, created the receipt for the first one's God, created the heavens and the Earth for the first fruits. Jesus is the first fruit. God, created your first fruit for you. God, created the heavens and the Earth. It said that you should have two pieces of paper in your pockets, one in one pocket, one in the other pocket. And when you have to be reminded of one thing, you pull it out and you say I am but dust and Ashes. And it's kind of not a real positive thing. But if you think about it, it's okay. Cuz God, works with Dustin ashes. And then you pull the other one out. And it says God, created the heavens and the Earth for me. And they're both true.
And some balance. His attention is a balance. You have to play out in your life. Yes. You're worthless. God values you. Well, then I'm not worthless.
God God. Use me. Yes. if you allow that the sink in you realize, you have
great value. No matter how low you feel. What's the first fruits have? Lots of first fruits in the Bible? What's the first fruit? One person, says how many first fruits are there Rob? And I wondered how do I answer that? Our first fruits is about stuff, how many different kinds of stuff. Do you have? There's that many.
I'm not kidding. Christ is the first fruit of those who falling asleep to Adam and Eve or first fruits. We're first fruits, crisis first fruits. Here's the verse on Christ. And some people say Christ was the first first fruit and I would have to say yes, but
It's bigger than that. For you. For me. God, created, we're firstfruits Christ. First fruit, Chrysler, first. Fruit of those who falling asleep. He's the first one raised from the dead. Just as death. Came by 1 man, resurrectionist. Come by one man. Now, he's not the first one raised from the dead. He's the first one raised from the dead by
Now we have a problem. We have different prophets who raise people from the dead.
But they died again. Price didn't die again. He lives. That's how he's first. The verse is a little bit weak. It should go a little further. Their death is gone. Resurrection. Not just life after death, but life continuing after death. We give thanks to God for you. Brothers beloved by the Lord. He chose you as first fruits saved through sanctification in the spirit and belief, in the truth. You are first fruits. He brought us forth by his word of truth. That we would be first fruits. We of all his creatures. So fruit trees, don't need to be formed that Adam was even form. So we reform datum out of the mud.
First fruits, bring the best receipt of firstfruits the cream into the Lord's House. First receipt of all first fruits bigger, aim of all kinds is it three more verses on first fruits, first fruits of what first fruits of the ground first fruits of the trees? The fruit first broom firstborn of sons are first fruits. How many first fruit Sons do we have in here? And daughters. Yeah, their first four daughters. Yet. I Were A bunch of us are firstfruits. How many ways are you first fruits?
Just got complicated. I'm 10 ways. First fruits.
First fruits of the ground first fruits of the sun's herds flocks. The first of the do the first fruit given to the priests. The first of our contributions, these things in the baskets up here is first fruits. The first of our wine when we create wine, when we make orange juice, while whatever you make the, first things you do are kind of to be dedicated to God.
Set a trusting idea. When you make a piece of toast in the morning, maybe you should dedicate it to God. Thank him for it. I don't know. Just an idea. I've been wondering about this all all day. And, you know, I mean, there's nothing that I do, that doesn't fall into the category of possibility of first fruits. What school? B-cycle. So we're doing this Feast cycle that begins in the spring arguably and concludes in the fall or give Lee and we're about to have a stock. The Feast of unleavened bread. Now is Passover the same as the Feast of unleavened bread or different. We can get into a discussion on this and even arguments, but I don't know. I just, you know, celebrated for eight days. and then first fruits, Count the Omer, the count the Omer. So you can get the shovel over to giving of the law. Sukkot with firstfruits, the barley Harvest with shovel load, it's the wheat Harvest with Sukkot. It's everything Harvest. It's the final in gathering of everything. That's our peace cycle that we're about to begin. And if you're interested in knowing how, celebrate the Feast, we have this wonderful hand out, which is put together early this year telling us every holiday through the end of the year. We think there might be more, but there's a big copy like this. For people like me and there's a little copy. If you want a littler one that fits in your Bible there, lots of these copies, so please pick up one, if you don't have one.
Please cycle. So here's I thought okay people don't get this. So I'm going to show him an actual calendar, sort of a waste of time, but maybe so Passover begins on on, on dusk, on this day on the 15th and it runs until Night on this day and first fruits begins at dusk on the day here. Begins there and ends on this day. And so, firstfruits the day that we celebrate first fruits is also Resurrection Day because it begins at sundown the night before.
Now, is that something you've ever really thought about before? The first fruits is on the day of Resurrection. I think it's cool. First fruits and Resurrection Day or the same day. Ye in Christ, are there more gays?
If in Christ, we have hope in this life only. This is one of the verses in the readings. We of all people are most to be pitied. If our only life is now.
We got tricked.
But it isn't Christ. Has been raised from the dead. He's the first fruits of all of falling asleep and we are in him. So we
Have been. Will be raised from the dead, which one. It's got to be both.
We live in the resurrection now.
Do we?
Yes, we should. We should remember that.
Big deal. Barley, and wheat pictures, the different kinds of grain. They're, they're both similar in some ways. In very dissimilar in other ways. Barley is really easy to harvest and and get the barley out of it. You just throw it up in the air. We got to tread it. And make it, make break the kernels, and all that stuff. And then you throw it up in here. Anyway, discussion as Christians. Followers of the shoe in this season. Do you think God intends our foremost focus and of this season, could be on the Incredible Gift of Jesus death on a cross or on our response to his life. Death Resurrection Ascension and rain. No, pick one.
Should we be focused on Jesus or which are should be, would be focused on our response.
Do you know why? I think we should focus on focusing on the response because a lot of people who are Christians, don't
Jesus died. Jesus has raised. I don't need to do anything else.
My life doesn't need to change a whole lot. I celebrate Easter and move on. I got a basket full of candy.
When I was a kid.
I'm not kidding. No. I didn't have it. Five minutes. Later.
So this is interesting, a lot of Christians don't really focus on our response to Christ's Resurrection price Ascension. Christ's raining. We focus more on the suffering and that's not bad. It just it just it's just a little unbalanced sometimes. So you see any significance to the fact that the Feast of firstfruits is celebrated the same day as Jesus. Resurrection.
And what's it mean?
Knowledge of the resurrection of Christ. Knowledge of the resurrection of us now or later. What's the most important? Now.
You live in the resurrection now.
Heaven has broken in Mary Sylvia.
Joy is
Yeah.
Mary Sylvia saw her heart and it was stamped joy and she has is promise. Which is now. Not just then it's now it's already. You already have it. That's the significance. We live in the resurrection. Now, we should be living in the resurrection. Now if we're not, then we need to rethink about how we're living.
I remember someone said, well, I don't have any fruit in my life and I go hell really?
Do you know anyone who has fruit in their life? Not really. And and so, you know, I I I threw up some names that they knew, you know, that they knew. I'm not I'm not going to say those names now, but I'm going to say, as an example. Does Clara have any fruit in her life?
Yeah, how long can we talk about it?
Does Mary Sylvia have fruit in her life. Does surely have fruit in her life? Does Martha Campbell have fruit in her life?
I'm not going to ask you about me.
What's the fruit? We have a hint and Galatians? The fruit of the spirit is love joy. Peace, patience. Kindness goodness. The first time I read that I thought it said cool.
I am dyslexic faithfulness. Gentleness self-control against such things. There is no law, Galatians 5:22 through 23. I often get into conversations about the law. Some people say the law is dead, and I don't know the laws Not Dead. And they said that and I go will Jesus said the laws not dead? Not a jot or tittle. I haven't come to do away with it. I've come to establish it. I've come to build it up. Now. What did Jesus do different about the law? He instructed, how it should be carried out. So now we have something really complicated. We have instructions from The Sermon, on the Mount, in a whole bunch of other things that are harder to keep than the 613 Commandments.
So what's the law was Jesus taught about the law of God or about the limited number of Commandments listed in the Bible? I Think Jesus challenge to us was bigger. Then we realize and it is the law. That's not what Paul's writing against such things. He might have said, is the law. Is the Royal law is, the teaching of Christ is the way we should live. According to God's instructions for raw wood. Paul agree with me. If I had a conversation with him on that, I think. So, I really do. I really do.
And then Jesus said, I am the vine. You are the branches. Where is the fruit? In the vine or in the branches. The branches are the ones that bear the fruit of Christ.
How old are you? And the fruit that we bear? For Christ is like new wine. And the first of the new wine is to be given to the Lord, because it's a first fruit.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He is alive. Passover. Resurrections coming up. He is alive. Who is the? He
Now, I just got to do this in Hebrew. Who is he?
The words if you want to say he in Hebrew, you say who?
I love that. Who is the he and he's alive?
Yeah, I thought about playing that now.
You are the who?
Did that play well?
I didn't say you are the he cuz we have cheese in here. But you are the who but I flipped languages on you. Fruit of the spirit in case you're interested in studying it. There you go. How are we supposed to Bear the fruit of the spirit together? We do it together. This is the body of Christ. We have different gifts. Different fruits. That's okay.
That's okay. It's part of the, the way God made us. So, let's pray. Holy God, we sank you for this instruction on first fruits. We are first fruits. Jesus is first fruits. It's not a meaningless thing that the celebration of first fruits is Resurrection Day. So Lord, as we prepare for this season with that were in the middle of as we prepare to celebrate the Passover, the resurrection. The Omer, the waiting for shovel of the waiting for shovel load celebrations. Shovel the waiting for Yom Kippur the waiting for the Feast of booths Sukkot Lord, we thank you for this season and all that goes with it. We pray that you will guide us and lead us. That we will receive you. And that, and that all of this will take place for our good and our healing and our health. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
Not only the creation but we are still to have the first fruits of the spirit throne and weirdly come Lord Jesus Maranatha.