first fruits

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

The Means...

God brought us forth by exercising His will.  This suggests a deliberate, premeditated, and purposeful action on His part.  Wherever He has brought you today, it was not the result of an afterthought, a mistake, or simply a lack of action on His part.  He has a will, and He never hesitates to exercise it.

God also brought us forth by the word of truth.  1 Peter 1:23 goes further to say we have been "born again...through the living and enduring word of God."  He spoke the world into existence, and He spoke you into existence.  His loving words not only brought us into this physical realm, but also into a lasting, amazing relationship with Him if we accept His outstretched hand and invitation.

...to the End.

What does it mean to be part of God's first fruits?  Based on Jeremiah 2:3 and Revelations 14:4 (scriptures that were footnotes for this verse in my bible), I think it means to be set apart as holy to the Lord.   In the Jeremiah scripture, the prophet states that anyone who "devours" Israel will be overtaken by disaster.  So not only does God set us apart as holy, He also provides a hedge of protection around us to help keep us holy.

Additionally, being a first fruit is living your life as your sacrifice to God.  First fruits of the harvest were always set aside and offered up to God as a sacrifice of thanks, a humble way of thanking Him for protecting the crops and for His sovereignty.

The verse from Revelation that's referenced above describes "chaste" followers of God following the Lamb wherever He goes, and that they "have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb" (14:4).  So being a first fruit means you follow Jesus....wherever He goes and wherever He takes you.  It means that you have been bought with a price, and as a result your overwhelming gratitude becomes one of the many reasons why all you want to do is follow Him.

I'm a far way away from really appreciating what it means to be one of God's first fruits.  Since these first fruits are described as "among men" or "among His creatures," that means, of course, that these first fruits are set apart and certainly do not include all of God's creation.  So with the many labels I'm continually adding to my identity (Chosen.  Royal.  Loved.  Saved.), I'm adding another one to the list:  First Fruit.  May I continue to delve further into this part of my identity as His child.

harlot's wages

"Her gain and her harlot's wages will be set apart for the Lord..." Isaiah 23:18

Today's passage is Isaiah 23...yep, I'm still in Isaiah. Maybe one day I'll move on to the other prophets.... :o)

This chapter contains the prophecy regarding the city of Tyre, which one commentator describes as "the mart of the nations" since it was established near the sea and it served as a place for merchants to buy and sell (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, found here). The city is destroyed due to the pride of its inhabitants and their unwillingness to turn to God (verses 9-11). However, after a period of seventy years, God will again "visit" Tyre and show mercy to the city and its people (verse 17). But Tyre goes back to its old ways. It is described as "playing the harlot with all the kingdoms of the face of the earth" (also in verse 17), which is pretty much what it was doing before. Here's the kicker...Tyre's "harlot's wages" are described as being "set apart for the Lord" (verse 18). My first reaction upon reading this was, huh?

So I looked in the margin of my Bible since the phrase "set apart" had a couple of other references; I mainly studied the first reference, which is found in Exodus 28:36. In this passage God is instructing His people regarding the construction of His temple and all of its elements, specifically the priestly garments. Verse 36 describes a plate of pure gold that has the phrase "Holy to the Lord" engraved on it. This plate is then to be fastened on a blue cord and put on the front the turban that Aaron, the chief priest, was to wear. Aaron was to wear this plate because he would bear "the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate...that they may be accepted before the Lord" (verse 38). All of the sacrifices and gifts that the priests brought to the temple were still defiled in a way since they were human and had a sinful nature. But if Aaron, the appointed priest, brought the sacrifices to the Lord in His appointed way, God would accept them (phrasing borrowed from here).

I think at this point I may have uttered another huh? How in the WORLD can you compare the wages of a harlot to a chief priest bringing sacrifices before the Lord? The phrase "set apart" is used in both of these instances, so they must have something in common, right?

If we read further in Isaiah 23:18, we find out what Tyre's gains are to be used for: "food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord." And furthermore, these wages are described as "sufficient" for this purpose, and are not to be hoarded or stored up (also in verse 18). So basically although the people of Tyre will ultimately return to their old ways, their profit will be used for the furthering of God's kingdom.

Here's where it gets a little trickier. To me, it's not clear whether this new monetary exchange is really endorsed by the people of Tyre. Are they giving their wages over to God voluntarily or are they just accepting the fact that their money is not their own anymore and doing so begrudgingly (which I would almost be afraid to do, given the massive wrath and destruction their city saw seventy years earlier)? Different commentaries say different things; some say this passage is a lesson about being a good steward no matter what your calling is, and others say it is an example of God allowing His people to slip back into their old ways but yet also furthering His kingdom by doing so.

Either way, there is a question to be asked of yourself. Just how much are you giving to His kingdom? Are you hoarding your wages or worse, playing the harlot and spending them on idols for your own personal gain? And this goes beyond money. These "wages" can encompass a bunch of different things, such as how you spend your time, how you set your priorities, and where you focus your attention. If there is one thing to be learned from the prophecy against Tyre, it is that God can set apart anything as holy to Him. No matter how worldly something may seem, it is not beyond God consecrating it and using it for His kingdom. So will you give it willingly and take part in the blessing that comes as a result, or will you try to withhold it with a clenched fist and feel the pain of it being taken away? God wants to further His kingdom, and will use whatever means He thinks necessary to get us to be a part of it, but I believe it truly blesses His heart when we do so with a willing and loving heart. It's time to give, even if it's just the wages of a harlot.