God Deserves The First and Best

My Giving Journey · Genesis 14:18-20 · November 8, 2026

Is God getting your first fruits or your leftovers?

When Abraham’s nephew was taken captive, God empowered Abraham to rescue him and bring back everything that had been stolen. On his way home he met a mysterious figure who appears in Genesis 14 and just as quickly disappears: Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, who Hebrews says resembles the Son of God (Hebrews 7:1–3).

The very first thing Abraham did was give a tenth of everything. “Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!” (Hebrews 7:4). This happened long before the law of Moses.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), and this series is about understanding why. God doesn’t need our money, but we need to give. “God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly” (2 Corinthians 9:7–8). We are hardwired to be a conduit, not a container: a river where God’s blessings flow into us and out of us in generosity. Our culture’s “consumption assumption” says all that comes to me is for me. The Holy Spirit works to change that thinking.

The first fruits principle

Running from Genesis to Revelation is a principle built into creation: the first and best belongs to God. It predates the law, and Jesus reinforced it. At the first Passover the first and best lamb was sacrificed (Exodus 12). And God gave His own first and best, His Son, “the firstborn from among the dead” (Colossians 1:18). God will never ask us to do something He hasn’t already done.

Why does it matter? Because God is the source of every blessing: “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). The tithe isn’t law; it’s an act of worship, praise and thanksgiving. Jesus said, “You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things” (Matthew 23:23). “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain” (Proverbs 3:9–10). Notice the order: honor first, then blessing. And it’s proportionate. Rich people are rich; generous people are generous.

Two hard questions

1. Is God getting my first fruits or my leftovers? First means off the top, before anything else. King David refused a free field for his sacrifice: “I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24).

2. Who put the hole in my pocket? Sometimes it’s simply the fallen world, and we should never judge someone going through hard times. But sometimes we step out of the river of God’s blessing. In Haggai’s day the people rebuilt their own homes while God’s house lay in ruins, and their wages disappeared “as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes” (Haggai 1:6).

A tip is not a tithe, but start somewhere, even half of 1%, right off the top, as worship rather than guilt. The tithe belongs to God; it can only be returned to Him. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… Test me in this” (Malachi 3:10).

Which kind of crazy?

Some say it takes 100% of what comes to me to get where I want to go. Others want the same security and joy, but give first and discover a whole new level of blessing. Each group thinks the other is crazy. The choice is ours: to worship God with our first and best, because He first gave us His.

Life Group questions

Getting to Know You

  1. When you were growing up, what were you taught or see about money and financial security?

Diggin’ Deeper

  1. In the book of Haggai, God instructs his people to rebuild his house. Read Haggai 1:2-9. Sometimes we wonder why we never seem to have enough. Could it be that our priorities are out of order?
  2. Read Genesis 14:18-24. What did Abraham do? What does Abraham’s words reveal about his heart of generosity?
  3. What has God given you? Based on what God has blessed you with, what does it look like for you to be generous?

Keepin’ It Real

  1. First Fruits or Leftovers: What does it mean to put God first in your finances? How can we tell whether we are giving God our first fruits or simply our leftovers?
  2. What will you do differently this week to make generosity part of your life?

Scripture references

Genesis 14:18-20 · Hebrews 7:1-4 · Acts 20:35 · 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 · Exodus 12 · John 1:1 · Colossians 1:15-18 · James 1:17 · Matthew 23:23 · Proverbs 3:9-10 · Psalm 24:1 · 1 Corinthians 16:2 · 2 Samuel 24:24 · Haggai 1:4-9 · Malachi 3:8-11

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