The sensitive concept of first fruits has always been the church’s most difficult teaching. It is a topic that creates confusion and discouragement for many Christians, to such an extent that many dwell away from Christianity.
But, should you give your entire first harvest/salary/income as a first fruit offering, or only a portion of it? How much should you give as first fruit offering? Also, what does the Bible say about giving your entire First Fruit to God?
Well, this article sheds some light on this aspect and explains whether or not to give the entirety of your first salary as a first fruit offering to god.
What does the Bible say about giving your entire First Fruit to God?
Let’s start with the basic question: What are the first fruits? Well, imagine you are a wheat farmer in the times of the Old Testament. You rely on God for the season’s climate, your crops’ protection, and the seeds’ fruitfulness. These elements are far out of your control. Now, you know He’s in control and responsible for your harvest. As harvest time draws near, you realize that the amount of wheat harvested would not be possible without him. Therefore you decide to take the first wheat that is ready to harvest, and you offer it to God to say “thank you”.
Remember that this is your first harvest, yet only a small portion of the field is ready, first. This is the portion you give to God to thank him for the help He has given you, it is a portion that you give first. This practical manifestation you are doing has been around for ages. It focuses on the acknowledgment that God is your provider. It recognizes the utmost importance of God manifesting His provision in your life.
Leviticus 23:9-14 KJV: 9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 KJV: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance and possessest it, and dwellest therein; 2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. 3 And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us. 4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God. 5 And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:6 And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:7 And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.10 And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.
Before you empty your bank account we must investigate the word thoroughly. However, this remains a matter of your own heart, your own choice, and your sacrifice. It is not a task forced on humanity but a mere instruction from the Old and the New Testaments. An instruction that comes with a choice to follow or not. Remember that this is not just an act of giving, it is a sign of worship, adoration, and faith that manifests security and provision. Therefore it requires sincerity in your heart. It is not about the amount that you give, but the heart that you give it with. It is a reflection of your heart. Do you worship sparingly or do you worship wholeheartedly?
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 KJV 6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Mathew 22:21 17 Tell us, therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
Mark 12:41-44 KJV 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Luke 6: 38 KJV:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Do you Give all your First Fruit, according to the Bible?
Now, to answer the question men have asked in the past, “Does the first fruit mean giving my full first salary?”. I believe the answer flows through every paragraph of my article. It is safe to say that there is no scriptural evidence leading to giving everything every cent of your salary to the Lord. This sacrifice is a matter of the heart. If you feel led by the Holy Spirit to do so, do it cheerfully. Or else just a tithe, meaning a tenth of your salary is required. This is to honor God with your finances and thank Him for His provision. In Malach, we find scripture where God himself asks for you to test Him in this and see if He will not open the windows of Heaven for you. Along with Proverbs that confirms the outpour of plenty.
Malachi 3:10 KJV Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Proverbs 3:9-10 KJV 9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
According to Malachi, you ought to “bring all the tithes…” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word tithe means “ to give a tenth of one’s income as a tithe.” So in no way does the word of God force anyone to give their full salary, entirely, to any religious organization, foundation, or campaign. However, it does instruct a full ten percent. The word “tithe” echoes throughout the bible when it comes to giving. Therefore only a tenth, or in other words ten percent of your salary ought to be given.
Apart from giving your tithes of money, it is important to manifest and uphold other things too. The reason why I mention this is because a lot of people tithe with their money and think: “Ah, I give my money to the church, I have done my good deed for the day.” I call this hypocritical thinking. Being a believer is far more than just giving your money. It’s about practicing justice, extending mercy, and increasing faith. – these things require a “tithing” of your time and energy to fix a corrupt world. It is seen as more important than giving your tithing. But all of this, the tithing of money and time, needs to be fulfilled to truly harness and obtain the manifestation of God’s blessing.
Mathew 23:23 KJV23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
In my own opinion out of experience whatsoever you give, give it expecting nothing in return. Just have faith that God almighty does manifest in your finances. Make it a matter of the heart, if your heart says to give more, do so happily. But consider the soil that you sow into. Do not give to a church that does not meet the standards of the word. By it’s fruit, it will be known. You will prosper because you sow into their ministry if they are up to Godly standards. If not, as their prosperity ceases, so will yours. It is a dangerous game I know.
There are so many out there requesting that you tithe into their ministries, but it’s all about them. Their fancy cars, their buildings, and their livelihood. Don’t get me wrong, if a person in the position of ministry works for God, he should live for God. Therefore his work should pay his expenses. But the tithe you bring should also give fruit to the congregation. The people should prosper. Reverting to Malachi 3:10 “ that there may be meat in mine house.” This is the reason for tithing for the wealthfare of the congregation, and for the kingdom of God, the “house” of God. Not just the wealth fare of the minister.
I have to confess, I cheated on my tithing in my younger days, a primer in my twenties. I have given less than ten percent. In doing so this manifested in my welfare. I got over-indebted and started struggling financially. Once I decided to give my full tithing, I had a balance in my livelihood. There was no surplus and no deficiency. But when I decided to give a little more than just my tithe, my salary and livelihood also graciously increased by the same percentile amount I sowed extra. God is into the giving business.
In conclusion, tithing is a tenth of your salary, the first fruit before you pay any bills. It is a must. but when it is done greedily it devours instead of increasing. When it is not done, God’s provision is not secured in your life. Will you continue giving anything to someone without them saying a simple thank you? No, so why do you expect God to do the same?
Jaype Bester is a renowned Pastor, author and Counsellor who lives in Kriel, South Africa. Jaype has a diploma in Psychology, a theological degree in Master of Divinity (Mh.D Divinity), and is currently serving as a Presidential Pastor at Shakeid Ministries. He is also the author of 4 published books namely: The Heart of a Psalmist: David, 365 Prophetic Bullets For Men and a few others. Jaype Bester loves empowering others with his personal coaching.