26 December 2014

EJ&T - Deuteronomy 26: First-fruit baskets, third-year tithes, and holy speeches

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613. See here for a list of those that I've found so far.

  1. When God gives you some land, put all of its first fruits in a basket and take the basket to the place that God chooses to place his name.
  2. 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; 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. Deuteronomy 26:1-2

  3. Take your basket of first fruits to the priest and say to him, "I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us."
  4. 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 am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us. Deuteronomy 26:3

  5. The priest shall take your basket of first fruits and set it down before the altar.
  6. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God. Deuteronomy 26:4

  7. After the priest puts your basket on the altar, say the following words to God:
  8. 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: And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: 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: 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: And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits 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:

    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: And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: 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: 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: And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits 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: Deuteronomy 26:5-10

  9. Rejoice in the Lord.
  10. Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee. Deuteronomy 26:11

    Rejoice with trembling. Psalm 2:11

    Rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Psalm 32:11

    Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous. Psalm 33:1

    Rejoice before him. Psalm 68:4

    Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous. Psalm 97:12

    Rejoice. Psalm 98:4

    Be glad and rejoice. Joel 2:21

    Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God. Joel 2:23

    Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Zephaniah 3:14

    Rejoice, O daughter of Zion. Zechariah 2:10

    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Zechariah 9:9

    Rejoicing in hope. Romans 12:12

    Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4

    Rejoice evermore. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

  11. When you finish giving your tithe in the third year, give it to the Levites, strangers, fatherless children, and widows.
  12. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; Deuteronomy 26:12

  13. After after you finish giving your tithe, say the following words to God:
  14. I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

    Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey. Deuteronomy 26:13-15

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