Tag: Deuteronomy 26

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Discussions Torah

Deeper meaning of First Fruits: Give God your first & best (Deuteronomy 26–27)

"Deeper meaning of First Fruits: Give God your first and best (Deuteronomy 26-27)." Adobe Firefly AI image of a woman standing in a vineyard holding a basket full of grain, grapes and other fruit.

The first fruits offering explored in this study of the Torah reading כִּי־תָבוֹא Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:9) reveals God’s desire for our hearts — not just our outward obedience. The narrative reminds us that despite our struggles and feelings of worthlessness, God values us deeply. Tithing further demonstrates how we are to share our blessings with others.

Yet the sobering curses warn that internal rebellion has severe consequences, even to the point of unthinkable acts.

These passages call us to examine our motives and align our hearts with God’s. For when we do, the prophecies of restoration reveal the bountiful blessings that await those who wholeheartedly return to the LORD.

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Torah readings

Torah reading Ki Tavo (כי תבוא): Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8

Studies in Torah

“Correcting” an aggressive driver on the road. “Losing it” with a screaming child in the store. We may think we’re far removed from the horror show described in this week’s Torah reading, כִּי־תָבוֹא Ki Tavo (“when you come in,” Deut. 26:1–29:8), but each of us encounters stress that pushes off any mask over our true characters.

A key point in this passage is entering and living in the “rest” God gives us, fully realized through the Messiah and the Spirit. Like Israel’s move from Mitsraim (Egypt) to the Land, our entering God’s “rest” (Hebrews 3–4) is all about a change of identity, purpose and character.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

No community without boundaries: Another lesson from the Prodigal Son parable (Deuteronomy 26–28; Luke 15)

No community without boundaries: Another lesson from the Prodigal Son parable (Deuteronomy 26–28; Luke 15)

There’s an old saying, “Good fences make good neighbors.” And the Torah reading תבוא Ki Tavo (“when you come in,” Deut. 26:1–29:8) emphasizes that blessings flow from God to people who establish and enforce proper boundaries.

Those include not only fences around property but also fences that clearly establish economic, spiritual and moral boundaries. But there can be no “wealth of nations” without “moral sentiments.”

This is an often overlooked lesson from Messiah Yeshua’s parable of the prodigal son.

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Discussions Torah

Turnaround plan: Why a blessed land gets cursed (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8)

Turnaround plan: Why a blessed land gets cursed (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8)

If the United States of America are in decline as a superpower, it is not the fault of the Communist Chinese, the Russians or the European Union. It is our own fault. The diagnosis and the remedy of this decline are the Torah portion כי תבוא Ki Tavo (“when you come in [to the Land],” Deut. 26:1–29:8). 

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Discussions Torah

Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8: Coveting thankfulness for the LORD’s blessings

God's way to teach us not to covet is to remind us that everything we have comes from him anyway. (Photo by Freeimages.com/Hazel Bregazzi via Creative Commons license)

There’s more to “you shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17) than lusting after other people’s stuff and spouses. That’s the lesson of Torah reading תבוא Ki Tavo (“when you come in,” Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8), which wraps an elaboration of the Ten Commandments that spans most of the book.

Under the hood of the instructions about the thanksgiving ceremony for first fruits of the Land’s crops and the third-year tithe is this message: We also are to be grateful for what the LORD has placed in our hands and use it to produce a “bumper crop” for the Kingdom.

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Discussions Tithe & Finances Torah

Deuteronomy 26: Messianic significance of the third-year tithe

Studies in Torah

Remember that the number three is a Messianic reference. This third-year tithe is a reference to the Messiah: His sacrifice, God’s acceptance of the Messiah’s sacrifice and, from that point, God will make those who accept the Messiah’s sacrifice into His people.

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Discussions Tithe & Finances Torah

Deuteronomy 25-26: Sowing seeds of a healthful culture

Studies in Torah

Honesty in business dealings and setting aside for the LORD the first and a 10th of what He has blessed us with seem like straightforward teachings from these two chapters for modern times. However, what do we do with teachings in this passage about men temporarily marrying their sisters-in-law to perpetuate the name of her dead husband and amputation as punishment for women who “fight dirty” seem way out of step with modern culture? Richard Agee explores what God is trying to show us about Himself with these teachings.