Lev. 23:9-149And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord. 13And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the Lord for a sweet savor: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. 14And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Leviticus 23:9‑14); John 20:1717Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17).
Thou First-fruits from among the dead,
We hail Thee, Jesus, Lord!
Of God’s creation, Life and Head,
In Whom all grace is stor’d.
Before Thy God, who Thee had sent,
Thou, risen from the grave,
Ascending, did’st Thyself present,
The Harvest Sheaf to wave.
To Him Thyself Thou then did’st show,
Once dead—alive again;
Triumphant o’er the mighty foe,
Led captive in Thy chain.
Thou, blessedly, the work and will
Of God had’st fully done,
And did’st His holy bosom fill
With joy in Thee, His Son.
The love which e’er in Him had glow’d,
But which by sin was pent,
On Thine ascension freely flow’d,
And found, through Thee, its vent.
Thy bearing all our sin and shame,
Thou, Lamb, who did’st atone,
Brought glory to Thy Father’s name,
And brightness to His throne.
With Thee, now risen Lord, on high,
In Thee forever blest;
We’ll shout Thy praises through the sky,
E’en now Thy worth attest.
O, worthy Thou of all the praise
That heaven and earth can give;
The Light where God Himself displays,
The Life in Whom we live.