"A basket full of reminders"

Text Deut 26:1-15
Vr. 1 End of Torah=law God is going to bring them into a land. The land will be prosperous and with that the Israelites will be tempted to forget what God has done in their lives.

So He gives a directive…

First Vr. 2 Take a basket and put in the “first fruits” of crops.
Talk about how a farmer must feel to wait for the crops and then give away the first ripe fruits to God. Not the leftovers. Dinner illustrations over for leftovers
=The first thing you need to do is give to the work of the Lord

Second Vr 3-4 Bring it to the priest and declare that God allowed me to come into this land and he gave it to me and fathers. In essence they were saying that God is the King in my life and I am bringing the King the best of what I have in this basket.
= Declaring that God is the King of your life.

Third Vrs 5-10 The worship liturgy that they were to say. The reminder of what is in that basket. Jacob was the Father.
Discuss the passge

=Every time you give to the Lord you should remember what the Lord has done for you and it is a time of worship for you
Susan Ehrnstrom Testimony

Forth Vr. 11 Give thanks for what the Lord has given you.
=Giving is our way of thanking God

Vrs 12-14 what were they giving to and how much was it Levite=rabbi or teachers aside from their temple duties, Stranger=outsider to Israel, Fatherless (orphans) and widows=those in need. So they can eat=support

So God’s people were directed to fund the ministers, the ministries that reach out to outsiders and the ministries that help people in need

Vrs 15 They are calling down a blessing from the Lord


So how did Israel do with this directive?
Duet 26 was written in 1200bc

1050 BC 1 Sam 8 Israel demands a king – shows their lack of reliance on God

700BC Hosea 5:3 Israel is corrupt in their heart because they were prosperous.
6:4 You have lost your heart you forgot your story. Your story is what keeps you connected to God

700 bcAmos – the basket 4:1-22 Cows of Bashon stingy oppressors Cows in region of Israel that were well bred.

So they forgot their King, forgot their story of what God did in their lives and they forgot about the basket and what was supposed to be in it.

What about you?

1. The King- if Jesus is not your King you should not give. That is exactly why we don’t pass the plate because we don’t want people who don’t trust in Christ to feel obligated to give.
2. Are you giving of your “first fruits” do you set aside money each week in proportion to what you earn? Or are you giving Him left overs? Where should you start?
Mal 3, Deut. 14, Numbers 18 23 & 1/3 %
What if you are in debt? Should you still give

3. When you give, every time you write that check or set aside that money are you remembering what God has done in your life and how he has blessed you?

4. Are you saying thank you or are you giving grudgingly?

5. If you are supporting the work of the Lord God will not forget you and He will bless you.

Ann Frank “no one has ever become poor by giving”


So the first step in dealing with your finances is bringing consistently an offering to the Lord.