Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (NRSV)
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Chapter 26When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, Verse 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. Verse 3You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us." Verse 4When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, Verse 5you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. Verse 6When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, Verse 7we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. Verse 8The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; Verse 9and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Verse 10So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Verse 11Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Devotion
Today's reading takes us back to a transition period in Israel's history. The writer reflects on how God provided for his people in the past and how God will provide for them again when they reach the Promised Land. These provisions include deliverance from bondage in Egypt and making of them a great nation under God. The author expects that they will remember God's goodness and give back to God from the "first fruits" of what he will provide for them in this new land. This is not to repay God for what he does for them, but as an act of gratitude.
God is also our great provider. His best gift to us is Jesus, who delivers us from our sins and promises us eternal life. We are encouraged to give back to God out of the goodness God shares with us. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Prayer
Help us this day, O Lord, to remember your goodness by sharing with others what you have first given to us. Amen.