Tag: Deuteronomy 26

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Remember, Rejoice, and Rest

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 26.8-11
8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me. And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.

Reflection: Remember, Rejoice, and Rest
By Jill D. Botticelli

Giving has been a part of my church experience since I was a small child. Proudly putting nickels from my grandpa in a white church-shaped plastic bank in Sunday School is one of my earliest church-related memories. When we give today, do we give thought to why and how we can and should give? 

This passage in Deuteronomy instructs the people of God on how to worship through giving. The Israelites needed reminders that good things come from the Lord and that praise and worship for his provision are just and required. So do we.

The instructions on first fruits and tithes reminded Israel of the mighty hand of God and how they were brought out of bondage in Egypt (v. 9). We, too, need reminders of the goodness of God’s provision for our needs. Jobs, housing, food, and even entertainment are often taken for granted. These good gifts proclaim the Lord’s power in caring for his creation. 

As an act of worship, Moses instructed the Israelites to rejoice in all the good that God had given them (v. 11). Rejoicing and praising demonstrate our heart’s acknowledgment of God’s goodness. The Israelites practiced a very visible form of giving. Actions of worship are tangible signs of God’s goodness which others can recognize and also reflect upon.  

Through these statutes, God assures his children that they can rest in his promise to provide, protect and nurture them (vv. 18-19). The Lord declared that they were a people of his “treasured possession,” which he promised to honor above all others. 

As believers, we can rest assured God honors our worship with his everlasting care. As we worship in giving, we are secure in God’s promise to provide for our needs. (Philippians 4.19)

As we place our offerings before the Lord, we are reminded of the mighty hand of God, which provides. We rejoice in all that he bestows upon us. And we rest in his promise to minister to our every need.


Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Your way, O God, is holy; who is as great as our God? — Psalm 77.13

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Deuteronomy 26 (Listen 3:13)
Romans 6 (Listen 3:28)

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Short-Circuit Oppression

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 26.5-12
5 Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. 7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. 

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 

Reflection: Short-Circuit Oppression
By John Tillman

Those who have been abused are not immune from becoming abusers. In history, those who overthrow oppressors, often succumb to the temptation of becoming oppressors. 

Moses, in his many instructions to the people before entering the land, is intentional about trying to prevent those who escaped oppression in Egypt from becoming oppressors themselves. Part of his strategy to short circuit oppression was in worship practices and prayers.

The declaration worshipers were to make when they brought in the firstfruits and the tithe was part history lesson, part confession, and part mission statement. It acknowledged humble beginnings, celebrated what God had done, accepted all peoples into God’s family, and committed the worshiper to care for the vulnerable. This was intentional. Because they had been oppressed they were commanded to care for the oppressed. Because they had been foreigners, they were to treat foreigners as native born.

Bringing our “firstfruits” and tithes to God is inextricably tied in the law to care for the poor, the foreigner, and the outcasts. It won’t matter what we do with our money if our hearts aren’t bent toward caring for the vulnerable.

Today we will pray based on this declaration from Deuteronomy 26.5-19:

Because of what you have done, Lord, we are yours.
Your hands have set us free of our own chains.
When we were hard pressed you brought us into a spacious place.
When we had nothing you gave to us abundantly more that we could imagine.

Lord we bring to you the firstfruits, tithes, and offerings of our lives.
Not our material things only but our hearts, thoughts, and souls, we give to you.
Let us not carelessly “eat” the tithe by participating in the mindless consumption of our culture and economy.
Bend our hearts to care for your church but not to neglect the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.
May they eat in our towns and cities.
May they be satisfied and treated with dignity.
May our offerings and our care for others cause you joy.
As you have set us free, may we work to free all humanity.
As you have treasured us, may we look on all people as your treasured ones.

As you have made us holy and blessed us, may we extend to others your blessing and call others to your holiness.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Deliverance belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be upon your people! — Psalm 3.8

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Deuteronomy 26 (Listen – 3:13)
Psalm 117-118 (Listen – 2:52)

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