Jun 09 2009
First Fruits for the Head Honcho
To the leaders go the first fruits, the first cut of meat.
Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. (Exodus 23-19)
In chimpanzee society, the first and the best is not voluntarily offered to dominant individuals. Instead, coveted foods are taken by force or threat of force.
The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. (Exodus 34:19-21)
Why “first” fruit and best portions? Purity and importance. Sure, give generic canned goods to the poor. But in your gift basket to the boss, make it top-shelf cheese and expensive wine.
For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. (Ezekiel 20:40)
As mentioned previously, there is an important similarity between omnivorous chimpanzees and omnivorous humans. We prize meat. At Thanksgiving we “sacrifice” a large bird for our community of family and friends. At Christmas, maybe a ham. On Easter Sunday many people serve lamb. These foods are placed at the center of the table, in a position of prominance.
Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. (Genesis 4:3-5)
As a tangent, what edibles do men give women on Valentine’s day? Not vegetables. Chocolate. Why? Sweets are prized, too, thanks in part to our innately pleasurable response to them. They are high in caloric value. As are fatty foods. Foods rich in protein are highly prized as well.
Why give offerings of food to the boss, a lover, a god? To win favor.
David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. (2 Samuel 24:25)
May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. (Psalms 20:3)
Perhaps a Valentine’s day verse–penned by a person with a mind on possible evolutionary mechanisms behind the whole affair–would read: “And so pleased was she by the offering of fine chocolates that she lifted the plague of frigidity and allowed the man to bed her.”
It seems that it is not just men whose favor can be won via their stomach on route to their “heart.” Woman and gods, too, respond to treasured edibles. For primitive reasons.
