Numbers 28:26-31 (KJV)
Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord , after your weeks be out , ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: [27] But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord ; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year; [28] And their meat offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram, [29] A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs; [30] And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you. [31] Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings.
This day of the firstfruits was the Pentecost, after seven weeks from when the first sheaf of the harvest is brought and waved by the priest before the Lord. As we know, Pentecost was when the Holy Spirit was poured upon the first believers and some three thousand souls were added, after the risen Christ ascended to be seated at the right hand of Father. The resurrected Christ was then the first sheaf of the harvest waved unto God as an acceptable offering unto the Lord.
As it is written:
1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV)
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Just as a grain of wheat dies and is buried in the ground and to produce the fruits, Christ was buried in the ground and raised up incorruptible. So then, Christ's resurrection, not only His cross, was an offering unto the Lord. Let us remember Paul's words, if Christ is not raised from the dead, we are still in our sins, and all hope of eternal life would be lost. But Christ rose from the dead, that He may wave Himself to God as a firstfruits offering, that the rest of the grains may be accepted in God's sight. We are accepted and beloved and blessed by God only because of Christ's wave offering of His resurrected body unto the Father. His resurrection is our right standing with Him. If He wasn't daily interceding for us in heaven, we would be lost, for we Christians are imperfect. Our imperfections would blow us away like chaff in His sight. But blessed be Christ that He has risen, to be a forerunner and a representative for us. His offering of His life is not like unto the offering of His death. He dies no more, and our salvation in His unending life. We have eternal life, only because He lives.
Have a read of this law:
Leviticus 2:12 (ESV)
As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.
Our risen Christ is offered to the the Lord as a living sacrifice pleasing to God forever, but He is no longer offered as our wrath bearer. The wrath of God towards us believers has been totally consumed on the cross. Christ is no suffering the cursed death for our sins. He is risen forever, as it is written:
Revelation 1:17-18 (ESV)
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, [18] and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
And since He has risen, we who are His have the hope of resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:23 (KJV)
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
We know that this body will waste away, and return to dust, but we can be assured that we will not remain there, but that we will rise from the dead, and we shall be united with our soul. So then we live by hope through suffering in this world, holding firm to Christ's words:
John 12:24-25 (ESV)
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [25] Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Our goal is life in eternity, not on this earth. Our goal is loving eternal life than life in this earth. Our goal is to be bear much fruit by the way of death to self, to sin and to the world. Remember how Christ spoke a parable:
Matthew 13:47-49 (ESV)
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. [48] When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. [49] So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
This will be after the resurrection. That which have obtained the resurrection of the just will be sorted from among those who have received the resurrection of damnation. The matter will be clear after the resurrection, which are the righteous seed that God has planted and which are the wicked seed that the devil has planted. Though it is not so clear now who are the weeds, and who are the wheat, but on the day of resurrection, everyone will be made known. That which are of God's seed shall be gathered to be with God, and that which are not, shall be cast away from His presence. God is the farmer, who sowed His seed, as it is written:
James 1:18 (ESV)
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
It is God who began the good work in us, and it is Him who will finish it for us. If God has chosen us, called us and justified us, we are sure that we shall also be glorified in resurrection. Blessed be God.
While the law is pointing to the resurrection of Christ and the harvest of the first believers, it still expects the offering of the 2 bullocks, 1 ram and 7 lambs. By this we learn that:
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (KJV)
..if one died for all, then were all dead: [15] And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Christ died, that all us believers may live. Then if Christ rose from the dead for all, all must die for Him. We owe our lives unto Him. We ought to be living sacrifices unto Him. We are dead, and our lives are hidden in the risen Christ, and our lives shall be revealed at His coming. We are to be an offering unto Him to died for us. We are dead by crucifixion with Him, yet the life we live in this world we ought to live unto Him who died for us. We are to be without blemish unto Him, just as Christ was a spotless Lamb unto God. If by His death we are made alive, by His life our old lives have been crucified, that we may do His will. Let us stay on the cross, and live always in expectation of the resurrection, at the last feast, when we shall be gathered as wheat into His barn. Our life is not in this world. Our glory is not in this world. Let us give ourselves unto death to self, sin and the world, suffering with Christ, that we may be glorified with Him. Let us confirm our standing with Him, by trusting in the risen Christ as our only righteousness before God. Amen.
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