“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 3:9 Mean?
Solomon gives a practical command about worship through wealth: honour the LORD with thy substance. Substance means possessions, wealth, resources — what you have. Honour God with it. Not just acknowledge God. Honour him — give weight to his claims on your resources.
"With the firstfruits of all thine increase" specifies the portion: not the leftovers. The firstfruits — the first, the best, the initial portion before anything else is consumed. The order reveals the priority.
The promise that follows (v.10): thy barns shall be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Honouring God with firstfruits triggers provision. The generosity toward God produces abundance from God.
The principle is counter-intuitive: giving first produces having more. The natural instinct is to secure your needs first and give from the surplus. Solomon says: reverse the order. Give first. The barns will be full.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'honouring the LORD with thy substance' look like practically in your finances?
- 2.Why does God ask for firstfruits rather than leftovers — what does the order reveal?
- 3.How is the promise of filled barns different from prosperity gospel?
- 4.What does your giving pattern reveal about what you actually prioritize?
Devotional
Honour the LORD with thy substance. Your money. Your resources. Your possessions. They are the substance of your life — and Solomon says: honour God with them.
With the firstfruits of all thine increase. Not the last fruits. Not the leftovers after everything else is paid. The first. Before the bills. Before the savings. Before the spending. The first portion goes to God.
That is a statement of priority. Whatever gets the firstfruits is what you value most. If God gets the leftovers, the leftovers are what you think he is worth. If God gets the first, he is first.
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty. The promise is not prosperity gospel — give to get. It is a principle of the kingdom: when God is honoured first, provision follows. Not because giving is a transaction, but because the God who receives the firstfruits is the God who fills barns.
What does your giving say about your priorities? Is God getting the first or the leftover? The substance of your life reveals the substance of your worship.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Honour the Lord with thy substance,.... Or, "out of thy substance" (n); for as it should be a man's own that he gives,…
“Substance” points to capital, “increase” to revenue. The Septuagint as if to guard against ill-gotten gains being…
We have here before us three exhortations, each of them enforced with a good reason: -
I. We must live in a humble and…
substance … increase Perhaps (as Speaker's Comm.) capital, and revenue. It is interesting that (as there pointed out)…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture