Bible Teaching by Rev. Percy Gutteridge
Shownotes for episode #26: The Law of the Firstfruits 
Scripture Reading:

Leviticus 23:9-14
Summary:
There is much significance in the fact that the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Pentecost were to be celebrated on the first day of the week. It signifies God's law of firstfruits. The Lord Jesus Christ, “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20), rose from the dead on the first day of the week. But there is a greater significance: all of our firstfruits must be given to God; “it shall be a statute forever” (Leviticus 23:14).

God's laws never become void, and they each have a purpose. When one of God's physical laws is broken, there is a physical reaction; for example, when Jesus' life was taken, there was darkness over the earth for three hours; and when He rose from the dead, there was a great earthquake. God's law of rest is illustrated in the fact that God entered His Sabbath rest after He finished creating the heavens and the earth, and now he simply sustains that which He created. He has given nature the ability to heal and renew itself.

What then of the fruit of the Spirit? Does not the Lord require the firstfruits of this also to be be given to Him? When the law is in our hearts, we are operating under a higher law, with the Holy Spirit directing and guiding us. If we follow Jesus who offered Himself up as the firstfruits out of love, we apply Galatians 2:20 and let the flesh be crucified with Christ, that we might live and love with Him, producing and enjoying the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
Other Scriptures Cited:

Psalm 92:1
Genesis 3:17-19
Ecclesiastes 5:12
Psalm 119:22
Matthew 24:7
Hebrews 1:3
Romans 11:36
Isaiah 55:12
Psalm 96:11
Matthew 27:45
Matthew 28:2
Isaiah 35:1
Philippians 4:7
Matthew 5:19
Romans 6:14
Psalm 40:8
John 16:13
Acts 20:35
1 John 4:20
1 John 3:15-16
Genesis 2:2-3
Hebrews 4:3-5
Revelation 10:6
Isaiah 34:4
2 Peter 3:12
Matthew 9:2
Matthew 12:13
John 5:17
Revelation 20:4
Revelation 21:5
Revelation 21:4
Job 2:2
1 Peter 5:8
Isaiah 57:20
Luke 16:22
John 11:11
Acts 7:59-60
2 Chronicles 36:21

Leviticus 25:2-4
Leviticus 23:10
Deuteronomy 11:14
Romans 4:21
Leviticus 23:10-15
Exodus 12:16
Mark 16:9
1 Corinthians 15:20
Acts 1:11
Psalm 40:8
Romans 8:34
Matthew 1:21
1 John 3:2
Matthew 24:44
Revelation 14:9
Revelation 13:18
Revelation 14:1
Jeremiah 31:33
Jeremiah 7:18
Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25
Revelation 14:4
Revelation 20:6
Philippians 3:10-14
Hebrews 11:35
1 Corinthians 12:4-10
Galatians 5:22-23
Matthew 7:20
Galatians 5:25
Leviticus 19:18
Deuteronomy 6:5
Matthew 22:36-37
John 13:34-35
Luke 6:31
Romans 5:5
2 Timothy 3:13, 3:2
Galatians 2:20
Isaiah 35:8
Colossians 3:3

Hymns and Poems Cited:

We Plow the Fields and Scatter by Matthias Claudius (translated from the German by Jane Montgomery Campbell)
O Blessèd Life by William T. Matson
O Glorious Hope of Perfect Love by Charles Wesley

Book Mentioned:

It's Never Too Late to Mend by Charles Read

Other Material by Rev. Percy Gutteridge
A list of all of Pastor Gutteridge’s work—audio, online articles, books, and e-books—can be found on our FinestOfTheWheat.org site.
 Acknowledgements
We thank Fellowship member Brian Fettes for providing the digitization of the original cassette tape through the services of Audioanalogy Musicworks of Canada.