βAnd 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 youβ (Deuteronomy 26:11).
Israel is to βrejoice in every good thing which the LORD [her] God hath given unto [her].β What are these βgood things?β
Aged Moses will soon die, pass off the scene. Joshua will assume leadership of Israel. Todayβs Scripture is part of Mosesβ final instructions to his fellow Israelites. They are to observe those rulesβyea, all of the Lawβfor one particular reason. After wandering throughout the Middle East, they will now enter the Promised Land under Joshuaβs command. More specifically, they will inhabit Godβs land, so He expects them to follow His rules. One of these orders is found in the context of todayβs Scripture.
We read at the beginning of Deuteronomy chapter 26: β[1] And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; [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. [3] And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us. [4] And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.β
In other words, every Jew is to gather the firstfruits of the land of Canaan, put those fruits in a basket, and take that basket to the Tabernacle to give it to the priest. This is to be done as a gesture of gratitude to JEHOVAH God, that He was faithful to His promise that He swore to their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are to remind themselves of their βhumbleβ beginningsβ¦ source
