READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l In today’s world, enhancing productivity and managing time efficiently are key priorities. Resources such as articles and team management software offer guidance on organising time effectively for better productivity, but it’s crucial to pause and reflect on why productivity matters and its deeper purpose.
Deuteronomy 26, delivered by Moses to the new generation of Israelites entering the Promised Land, is set with the expectation that they are to be a productive people, and the ceremony of first fruits entailed the Israelite presenting a basket of the first of their harvest to the priest, making a declaration, and then sharing the fruit. Three key lessons emerge:
1. Remember from the start
The ceremony of the first fruits, a significant event for the Israelites, marks the Jewish new year and the beginning of the spring harvest. During this ritual, they were to memorise and recite a liturgy starting with, “My father was a wandering Aramean,” recalling their past oppression and God’s rescue from Egypt. This practice helps them cultivate gratitude and understand the divine purpose behind their productivity, showing that their work has a deeper meaning than mere production.
God established this ritual to shape their understanding of work, highlighting that productivity is not just about producing for the sake of it but recognising the divine purpose behind their labour. This perspective prevents productivity from becoming a mindless pursuit driven by consumerism.
Scott Russell Sanders underscores how our work has enormous potential to shape our physicality, thoughts, speech, and character. Unless we are intentional in recognising the purpose behind our productivity, we are prone to adopting a mechanistic approach that could strip away our humanity.
Matthew Kaemingk highlights the importance of evaluating workplace rituals, as they can either be life-giving or destructive. Our workplace rituals such as performance reviews may align workers with corporate goals, but also negatively impact employees’ spirits. Valuing a person solely based on their productivity goes against God’s intent. Instead, our identity should be rooted in our humanity and family, as reflected in the passage, which reminds us of our true worth beyond our work.
2. Remember the problem with the first fruit
The first place we see fruit become a problem in the Biblical storyline is in Genesis 3, when Adam and Even took the fruit in the garden and ate of it.
While not immediately apparent, there are three reasons why this might be connected with the ceremony of first fruits.
- The Tabernacle represented Eden through its imagery, and this was where the ceremony of first fruits takes place.
- Adam remains completely silent when they eat the fruit while the Israelite performs a long spoke liturgy.
- The basket of first fruits is offered twice because the Israelite moves from outside the tabernacle before being mediated back into God’s presence by the priest.
In short, as the Israelites offer their produce to the priest, it symbolised their re-entry into the Garden. This act, accompanied by a confession, reflects Adam and Eve’s intended role in tending the Garden. The ceremony contrasts with the self-centred consumption in Eden, highlighting the importance of sharing blessings and avoiding consumerism, which leads to loving things and using people instead of loving people and using things. God’s intention is for us to enjoy and share our blessings, especially with those in need, using our gifts to benefit and love others.
This ceremony prompts us to contemplate the relationship between our faith and our work, questioning who benefits from our labour and how it contributes to others’ fulfilment. If we concentrate solely on amassing wealth for personal aspirations, we adopt an incorrect view of God’s kingdom and succumb to consumerism. Genuine productivity and work should cultivate community and enrich others’ lives, aligning with God’s purpose.
3. Remember who you were
In Deuteronomy 26:5-9, the Israelites acknowledge their ancestor as “Aramean astray,” highlighting their origins from the region northeast of Israel, akin to being Syrian. This narrative opposes nationalism, portraying the Israelites as displaced, foreigners, and sojourners. They are instructed to celebrate their productivity not only with the lost and wandering but also with the Levites, the tribe that did not receive land when settling in Israel, similar to foreigners.
Verses 1-3 repeatedly emphasise that the Lord gave them the land as a gracious gift, reminding them that their presence in the land is not due to their own merit but because of God’s grace. This awareness of being aliens ironically grants the Israelites the right to dwell in the land, reminding them of their past and how far they have come by God’s grace. It is this grace that enabled them to be productive, prompting them to work for the benefit of those who cannot.
There is a caution that some of us may have forgotten this grace, which is dangerous. God’s people should not always assume they deserve everything, but rather, should be outward-looking and mindful of sharing the grace they have received with others. This is God’s calling for them – to remember the grace that started their productivity and to work for the lives of those who are unable.
(Sermon notes by Alex Choe)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- What drives you to be productive? Is that productivity others-oriented or self-oriented?
- Can you think of some examples of how certain kinds of productivity can go very wrong?
- Do you often celebrate the fruits of your labour with others? Can you think of creative ways in which you can do so?
