Israel was holiness unto the Lord
When first brought out of Egypt into the wilderness, by the
Lord's choice and separation of them to be a holy people to him
above all others; by covenant with him, and profession of him;
and by his giving them holy laws, and placing a sanctuary among
them; and by their high priest, who represented them in the most
holy place; and had on the front of his mitre written,
holiness unto the Lord;
so the spiritual Israel are chosen in Christ to be holy, and he
is made sanctification to them; they are sanctified in him, and
by his Spirit; they are called with a holy calling, and unto
holiness; and, under the influence of grace, live holy lives and
conversations, which the grace of God teaches, and young converts
are remarkable for; their consciences being just awakened, and
their hearts tender: and the firstfruits of his
increase;
Israel was the first nation that God separated for himself; and
this being the firstfruits, shows that he would separate others
also, and take out of the Gentiles a people for his name, which
he has since done; and the elect of God among the Israelites were
the firstfruits of his chosen ones elsewhere; it were some of
them that first believed in Christ, and received the firstfruits
of the Spirit; and all converted ones are a kind of firstfruits
of his creatures; the grace they receive at conversion is the
firstfruits of a later increase of it, and even of eternal glory:
all that devour him shall offend;
or, "all that eat him shall be guilty" F24; and
be condemned and punished, who eat up the Lord's people, as they
eat bread; see ( Psalms 53:4 ) , these
shall not go unpunished; for his people are as the apple of his
eye, and whoever touches and hurts them fall under the divine
displeasure, and will be looked upon as criminals and offenders,
and will be judged and condemned as such. The allusion is to the
eating of the firstfruits, which only belonged to the priests;
nor might any of the increase be eaten until the firstfruits were
brought to them, ( Leviticus
23:10 Leviticus
23:14 Leviticus
23:20 ) . This is expressed in the Chaldee paraphrase of the
text,
``whosoever eats of them (the firstfruits) is guilty of death; for as the beginning of the harvest, the sheaf of oblation, whoever eats of it before the priests, the sons of Aaron, have offered of it upon the altar, shall be guilty or condemned; so all that spoil the house of Israel shall be guilty or condemned;''so Jarchi and Kimchi: evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord;