First Fruits

[Newborn]

I'm wondering: What ultimately happened to the one-tenth "first fruits," offerings and sacrifices? If I remember correctly, some of it went to the priests, but what about the rest of it? Seems like a massive amount of "food."

[prisonersetfree]

im thinking mabye they used it to help feed their army, or the poor, or mabye to export it? interesting question! thanks! :hug

[CarolLyn]

Numbers 18: 8. And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
9. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
10. In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
11. And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. 12. All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.
13. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
14. Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Deuteronomy 26: 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 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:
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.
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; 13. 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.

My understanding is that this is for the entire tribe of Levi, as well as the stranger, the fatherless and the widow. Since the tribe of Levi has no inheritance of land, it is up to the other 11 tribes to supply them with food.

[Zack]

Don't confuse Mosiac tithe with first fruits. Here's first fruits:

Deu 26:2 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.

A small enough quanity to be carried in a hand basket, not a tenth of anything. Literally, the 'first fruits'. First of the annual crop. Kind of like the first few ripe tomatoes in your garden this year.
Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, also Nehemiah are very good reading on what and how much was paid to whom. And how often. And who paid it. And who did not.