The First Commandment
No other gods
Exodus 23.19
“The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God.”
Proverbs 3.9, 10
Our text emphasizes that the best of our firstfruits are to go to the Lord. This required a process of selection, comparison, and “sanctification” of the firstfruits, setting apart the best for the Lord. Giving to the Lord must not be a mindless or automatic task. We should think and pray over our giving, make sure that we are investing in the best Kingdom enterprises, and consecrating our gifts to the Lord with prayer and rejoicing.
The way we practice giving to the Lord says as much, and perhaps more, about our relationship with Him as the mere fact that we give.
This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.MyParuchia.com and click on our Book Store.
