The Sunday Mail
Rev Titus Murefu
IT is the final part of the Feast of Passover also known as the day of the Sheaf of First Fruits.
It commemorates Israel’s final entrance into the Promised Land.
It could not be kept while Israel was in the wilderness of wandering and bareness (Joshua 5:10-12).
The custom was that when the barley and wheat harvest was standing ripe, a person would go into the field and take one sheaf and bring it out to the Priest.
The lone “sheaf” was called the Sheaf of the First Fruits.
The Priest would take this sheaf and wave it before the Lord in the Lord’s house on the day after the Sabbath.
No one could reap the harvest until that sheaf had been presented to the Lord and accepted for Israel.
Overview of the Feast
The people were to bring a “sheaf” of the harvest to the priest as an offering of thanks and expectation for the coming harvest (Leviticus 23:10) (Psalm 126).
The sheaf of the First Fruits is what the sheaf is to be called.It was to represent the first, best, choicest and foremost of the harvest(Leviticus 23:10).
Jesus Christ is seen as:
The first fruits of the coming resurrection(1Corinthians 15:20-23) ).
First-born of Mary(Matthew 1:23-25),first begotten of the Father (Hebrews 1:6),firstborn from the dead( Colossians 1:18), and firstborn among many brethren(Romans 8:29).
They were to wave the sheaf before the Lord as a form of consecration and praise for His strength in the harvest (Leviticus 23:11, Exodus 23:19).
Leviticus 23:11 represented the fact that as the sheaf was accepted as worship on behalf of the owner so also, Christ has been accepted by the Father as the sacrifice for our sins!We are now accepted by God because of Jesus Christ (the first fruits) Ephesians 1:6.
It was celebrated on the morrow after the Sabbath (Lev 23:11; Num 28:26).This is a prophetic statement concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ who arose on the “third day” or the first day of the week which was the day after the Sabbath! (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-6,John 20:1,Luke 24:1)
They also present offerings with the presentation of the sheaf (Lev 23:12-13).
These are:
(a) Burnt Offering — lamb without blemish of the first year; Body and Blood sacrifice
(b) Meal Offering — along with the Drink Offering represented the communion; bread and wine
(c) Offering of the sheaf — firstfruits offering.
This feast brings beautifully the story of the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ along with the Lord’s Supper.
A great harvest time was the promise for the obedience to this feast (Lev 23:10; Matt 13:39 Rev 14:12-14).
As Jesus arose from the dead, He became the first fruit that was accepted of the Father that insured our resurrection as a part of the last day harvest! (Rev 20:1-6,Daniel 12:13).
Reverend Titus Murefu is a minister with AFM in Zimbabwe.
