Deuteronomy 26
BBCDeuteronomy 26:1
Q. Rituals and Ratifications (Chap. 26)1. The Ritual for Firstfruits (26:1-11)After the people were settled in the land, they were supposed to go to God’s sanctuary and present the first of all the produce to the priest in joyful recognition of what God had done. Then they were to rehearse the Lord’s gracious dealings with them, beginning with their ancestor, Jacob (a wandering Syrian), going on to the slavery in Egypt, God’s mighty deliverance, and concluding with their possession of the land flowing with milk and honey. Phillip Keller explains this colorful term: In the Scriptures the picture portrayed of the Promised Land, to which God tried so hard to lead Israel from Egypt, was that of a “land flowing with milk and honey.” Not only is this figurative language but also essentially scientific terminology. In agricultural terms we speak of a “milk flow” and a “honey flow.” By this we mean the peak season of spring and summer, when pastures are at their most productive stages. The livestock that feed on the forage and the bees that visit the blossoms are said to be producing a corresponding “flow” of milk or honey. So a land flowing with milk and honey is a land of rich, green, luxuriant pastures. And when God spoke of such a land for Israel He also foresaw such an abundant life of joy and victory and contentment for His people.
Deuteronomy 26:12
- The Ritual for the Third Year Tithe (26:12-15)In addition to the above firstfruits, the Jews were to offer a second tithe, called the festival tithe, which was to be shared with the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow every third year. This tithe was to be distributed to the needy in their own towns. The people then had to testify before the LORD that they had obeyed . . . all of the commands concerning the tithe.
Deuteronomy 26:16
- Ratification of the Covenant (26:16-19)Because the people had agreed to walk in the ways of the Lord, He in turn acknowledged them as His own special people and promised to exalt them above all other nations. They were a holy people because God had set them apart from the other nationsnot because of any intrinsic merit. They were different from any other nation on earth, being the peculiar treasure of Jehovah. Their response to such an honor was supposed to be obedience to His commands.