Sivan 5 – The Israelites generously gave the firstfruits…

Sivan 5, 5785; from sunset May 31, 2025, to sunset June 1, 2025

(The fifth day of the third month)

This is an image of a bulla, a clay impression, that was used to seal documents. The bulla reads “Belonging to Hezekiah, (son of) Ahaz, king of Judah.” It was discovered near the Temple Mount in 2015.

When Hezekiah became king, he immediately set about restoring the proper worship of the Lord. He cleansed the Temple, celebrated the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (twice), and tore down all of the idolatrous worship centers. The next box to check off on his list was to return to the Lord a tenth of all that He had given them. He understood the need to support the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. Although the text does not mention it specifically, it appears that the Feast of Firstfruits (or Shavu’ot) could have been the catalyst.

He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.

The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps.

They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.

When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel. Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”

Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the LORD, and this was done. – 2 Chronicles 31:4-11 (NIV)

For sixteen years Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, had done what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord. In the first few months of his reign, at only twenty-five years old, Hezekiah has managed to turn that around. He reminded the priests and Levites that the Lord had chosen them to stand before Him and serve Him (2 Chronicles 29:11). Now he’s reminding the people of their obligation to support the priests and Levites.

To read all of our posts about Hezekiah, please click on the image above.