Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 34:22-24.

“And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.  Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.  For I will drive out nations from you and enlarge your borders, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.” Exodus 34:22-24.  

——————-

The “first fruits” points us to God and His “first fruits”.  

God’s “first fruits” are Christ and “those who are Christ’s at His coming”.  

“But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.”  1 Corinthians 15:20-24. 

“In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”  James 1:18.

“Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.  … These have been purchased from mankind as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.  And no lie was found in their mouths;  they are blameless.”  Revelation 14:1-5.

And, the command in today’s Scripture that “Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD” points us to Christ presenting to Himself the church in all her glory.

“…  Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”  Ephesians 5:25-27.