Deuteronomy 26:10
And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God: And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:
The firstfruits of the land were to be brought and set before the Lord as a grateful acknowledgment that the land itself, its produce, and every gift connected with it came from Him and displayed His goodness, and the setting of the offering before Him was accompanied by worship. The presentation was made at the sanctuary as a public act of worship and gratitude. The firstfruits thus presented were then devoted to the priests.
That worship carried a distinct remembrance, for in bringing the offering the worshiper recognized that God had delivered Israel from bondage and affliction in Egypt and had brought them into a fruitful land. The goodness confessed in the gift therefore included both the present bounty of the soil and the past act of deliverance that had given Israel possession of it.
The offering was acceptable only when given with reverence and gratitude, and to bring it with pride or as though God were indebted to the giver rendered it unacceptable. The worshiper was then to rejoice in the good things God had given and to share that joy with the household, the Levite, and the stranger. Remembering and providing for the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow belonged to this worship as a standing requirement.
Acknowledging God's gifts was not a single observance but a continuing requirement. When He specially blesses His people they are to acknowledge those blessings publicly, so that His name is glorified and His word is shown to be true.