“And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect.”  (Genesis 4:3-5)

 

All through the Bible, we see the “law of the first portion” in force. The Feast Of Firstfruits was about taking the first of their new crops, giving it to the service of God with the promise of a greater harvest to come. When shepherds brought the “firstlings” of their sheep, that means they gave in sacrifice their first born with the promise of many more for their income.

 

The principle here is that we give to God first and trust Him for His blessing to follow. This takes faith. Cain didn’t bring the first of his produce. The scripture says “in the process of time” he gave of his fruit. God doesn’t want us to give him the leftovers of our time or money. He wants (and deserves) the first portion.

 

Here’s the applicable principle: Worship the Lord on the “first day of the week”, and the rest of your week will be blessed. Give God the “first portion of your day” and the rest of your day will be blessed. Give God the “first portion of your money” (tithe & offering) and the rest of your money will be blessed.

God gave us His Firstborn Son, laid Him in a manger, took Him to the cross, raised Him up the third day so that we can look for even a greater harvest (resurrection) to come!