Deuteronomy 26:1-11 - Israel’s first first fruits & Christian spiritual worship

<p>     In this section (Deut 26:1-11), Moses reminds Israel of God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage, His faithfulness to bring them into the land of promise, and how they were to show their loyalty and gratitude by annually giving Him the first fruits of their agricultural production.</p> <p>Directives for Entering Canaan</p> <p>     God was giving Israel the land of Canaan as an inheritance, which was a reminder that God owns the world and controls who occupies territories (cf. Lev 25:23; Deut 10:14; Psa 24:1; 89:11; Acts 17:24-26). The time of this annual celebration was to begin after Israel had entered the land of Canaan, as Moses said, “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” (Deut 26:1). This would be the first celebration of the feast of Firstfruits, in which Israelites gave to the priests the first and best of their produce of the land (see Deut 18:1-5). It was given to the priests because they served as God’s representatives, meditating between the people and God. Also, the priests were not given land and had to rely on their fellow Israelites for their daily needs. This new celebration marked a shift from Israel’s life as herders to farmers. Peter Craigie states:</p> <ul><li>"Unlike Passover and the covenant ceremony, the offering of firstfruits would be a new religious institution in Israel; before taking possession of the land, they were not an agricultural people and therefore had no harvest festival. Thus, this first offering of the firstfruits by the Israelites, once they had taken possession of the land, would mark the inauguration of the new life which had been anticipated for so long on the basis of the covenant promise of God."<a href='#_ftn1'>[1]</a></li> </ul> <p>     Israel was a theocracy (Isa 33:22), and the annual practice of going to the tabernacle/temple was intended as a display of loyalty and appreciation to God for His blessings. The Israelite who had worked the land and been blessed by God