Keeping Shavuot–The Feast of Weeks–Pentecost–Its Importance and Meaning to Messianic Believers Today
Keeping Shavuot-The Feast of Weeks-Pentecost-Its Importance and Meaning to Messianic Believers Today
For the Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah, Shavuot—The Feast of Weeks—Pentecost is about the giving and receiving of YHVH’s Torah and the establishing of the marriage covenant between YHVH and the Children of Israel. The Feast of Weeks is about the re-establishment of a broken covenant through the grace of YHVH and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit to aid fallen man in their keeping of the Creator’s instructions. Pentecost is about life and the establishing of the Body of Messiah through the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua Messiah and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
What is Shavuot—The Feast of Weeks?
Shavuot is one of the seven-annual one of the 3-pilgrimage Feasts of YHVH. The instructions related to its keeping is found in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. However, the origin of this set-apart day is founded upon the story behind the Creator’s giving of the commandments to the mixed multitude at the base of Mount Sinai as recorded in Exodus 19 through 24.
As the story goes, a mixed-multitude of souls, composed of the 12-tribes of Israel and various nationals from other nations, had escaped Egyptian-bondage roughly 50-days prior their settling at the base of Mount Sinai. YHVH, the Creator of the Universe, who bore this mixed multitude (with some estimates as high as 2 to 3-million souls) on eagles’ wings (Exodus 19:4) and brought them unto Himself. It was here and at this time that Father proposed a covenant between He and the Children of Israel that would be the shadow picture of an even greater covenant iteration in the years to come.
The 50-day trek from Egypt to Sinai foreshadowed the 50-day or 7-Sabbath Count (traditionally referred to as the Counting of the Omer) that begins at Wave Sheaf (i.e., Firstfruits) and culminates at Shavuot, also known as The Feast of Weeks and Pentecost in the Greek. (Read or listen to our discussion on the Day of Firstfruits.)
We find in Exodus 19 that Father proposes the establishment of a Covenant between He and Israel, whereby He would be Israel’s God and Israel would be His special and favored people above all the nation-people of the world (i.e., their Elohim) if they would hear His voice and obey His instructions (i.e., His commands). The Children of Israel agreed to the terns of this covenant and on that fateful day, at the foot of Mount Sinai, YHVH, in the midst of fire, lightening, smoke and loud shofar blowing, spoke His commandments directly to the people. Although the people were terrified by this indescribable manifestation, even to the point of demanding that YHVH speak exclusively through Moses to them so as to not repeat this terrifying manifestation, the covenant was ratified by the sprinkling of blood upon the written contract and upon the people.
A covenant is an official, established agreement between 2 or more interested parties. A blood covenant, which is what the Sinai Covenant was, required that both parties swear to abide by the terms of the contract. YHVH, because He is Creator and Elohim, certified His agreement to abide by the terms of the covenant (i.e., He would be the nation’s God and the people would reap the benefits of being a special possession of YHVH), simply by stating His Name—I am YHVH. Israel’s certification to abide by the terms of the contract was embodied in the nation’s collective, verbal affirmation that they would obey YHVH’s instructions and not worship or follow any other god. Thus, the contract—the covenant—was ratified and sealed by the sprinkling of blood upon the written contract and the people.
For all intents and purposes: this very first Shavuot was a marriage. This was a marriage between YHVH and the nation of Israel.
The Covenant is Broken
It was only but a short time after the ratification of the marriage agreement between Israel and YHVH that the people broke the covenant.
Because this was a blood covenant, if either party were to violate the terms of the contract, their life would be required of them. It goes without saying that YHVH could not—would not—violate the terms of the covenant. Israel, on the other hand, because they failed to have the Spirit of YHVH and His Torah (i.e., YHVH’s instructions) implanted in their hearts, returned to the worship of their Egyptian god (i.e., the Golden Calf) while Moses was attending to sacred business on the Holy Mountain (Exodus 32).
Despite the nation breaking the Sinai Covenant, the Almighty continued to honor the covenant. Israel cheated on her spouse YHVH. Yet YHVH did not put Israel, His bride away immediately; at least not until many centuries later when Israel delved so deep into idolatry that they could no longer hear the voice of YHVH and had completely turned their back upon their Elohim. That’s when YHVH divorced His bride Israel and the nation was left to suffer through a severe fracturing of the nation into two, followed by several usurpations, exiles and captivities at the hands of pagan nations and rulers.
The New (Renewed) Covenant
The Father knew that His people would break the marriage covenant from the very beginning. Thus, He set into motion a plan that would re-invigorate that broken covenant and re-establish the nation of Israel (both Houses of Israel—Judah and Israel) back to her favored state as His chosen people. This re-established covenant would be the Sinai Covenant on steroids. For not only would the Father bring back the original covenant to be followed by a reconstituted nation of Israel, it would be extended to the nation peoples of the world if they too agreed to the terms of the agreement. But Father did not stop there. Knowing the inherent problems His people originally had keeping His instructions, He would give His children the help they needed to keep His instructions and to ensure their success in staying in covenant with Him. This He would accomplished through the outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon His elect. Thus the Creator of the Universe’s presence would be within each one of His chosen people, and that Holy Spirit would inscribe Torah—Abba’s instructions—upon each and every heart and mind.
Of this New Covenant, the Prophet Jeremiah wrote:
“Behold, days are coming, declares YHVH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares YHVH. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHVH. I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31-33; NASB).
This prophecy was confirmed by the Prophet Ezekiel who wrote:
“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and givem them a heart of flesh that they may walk in My statutes and keep MY ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God” (Ezekiel 11:19, 20).
Down Payment on the Renewed Covenant
Although the New (or Renewed) Covenant has not been fully enacted, we saw the down-payment of it played out on the Temple Mount on Shavuot, just 10-days after Yahoshua commissioned His disciples on the Mount of Olives and then ascended up on high. On that fateful day, Pentecost 28 C.E., the Holy Spirit (i.e., the Ruach HaKodesh) was poured out upon the disciples of Yeshua who were attending Shavuot, gathered on the Temple Mount (Acts 2). This was the fulfillment of the “shadow picture” of the very first Shavuot at Mount Sinai. At the first Shavuot, YHVH gave the Children of Israel His Torah—His instructions—His commandments. On the Day of Pentecost in 28 C.E., YHVH gave the Children of Israel (i.e., the disciples of Yeshua HaMashiyach) His Holy Spirit. Thus we see how Torah became fully manifested and is Spirit within the people YHVH. At the time of the first Shavuot, 3,000 souls perished because Israel chose to break the covenant. At the time of Pentecost on the Temple Mount, 3,000-souls entered the Body of Messiah and into life eternal.
The Importance of Shavuot For Messianic Believers Today
Shavuot remains relevant to every Torah Observant Believer in Messiah today. Beyond the fact that we are commanded by YHVH to keep Shavuot (Leviticus 23:21, 22), we gain invaluable and crucial understanding of the New (Renewed) Covenant that Messianics are now privileged to be under. Shavuot is important in reminding Messianic Believers of the importance of keeping Torah and being in a right-relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Shavuot also serves as a prompt for every Torah Observant Believer to seek the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives such that they live lives of their chosen status as Kings and Priests of YHVH Elohim. And Shavuot teaches the Messianic Believer that just mechanically keeping Torah is not to secure their place in the Kingdom of YHVH. Torah is Father’s house-rules that help us maintain a substantive relationship with Him. Admission into the Kingdom of YHVH is gained through the shed blood of YHVH, for salvation is a gift from Yah. YHVH’s Holy Spirit aids the believer in his/her keeping of the Creator’s house-rules in the midst of his/her living in this corrupt and dying world.
Shavuot then is about living the life that the Creator of the Universe always had in mind for His chosen people. Shavuot is living life in the Spirit.
Keeping Shavuot
The keeping of Shavuot by today’s Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah is pretty simple. We find in Leviticus 23: 21 that Messianics are to:
- Make a proclamation on Shavuot; such that believers are to extol the glories of the Creator and speak to others of YHVH’s Word.
- Have a holy convocation; such that believers come together (e.g., fellowships and congregations and assemblies) for the reading of Scripture and the breaking of bread.
- Perform or conduct no servile or laborious work.
With the Temple in Jerusalem no longer in existence, Messianics can not truly keep Shavuot as one of the 3-pilgrimage Feasts of YHVH and as instructed in Torah (Exodus 23:14-17; Deuteronomy 16:16). However, under the auspices of the renewed covenant, the believers’ bodies have replaced the Temple proper as the dwelling place of YHVH (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Thus, wherever 2 or 3 have gathered together in their Master’s Name, there He will be in their midst (Matthew 18:20).
Thus every Torah Observant Believer in Yahoshua Messiah is obliged to keep Shavuot in Spirit and in Truth. The actual method for keeping the Feast of Weeks is strictly between the individual believer and YHVH (Colossians 2:16, 17; Romans 14:5).
Faithfully,
Rod and Hilary
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TL-46-Sabbath Thoughts & Reflections–Who’s Your Daddy?
Sabbath Thoughts & Reflections for February 7, 2015 Calendar 11th Biblical Month 6014, 17th day Upcoming Feasts and Messianic Celebrations Astronomically & Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar--Michael Rood Firstfruits--Est. 04/12/2015, or 22nd...
TL 45-We Must Deal with the Stronghold in our Life
We Must Deal with the Stronghold in our Life The Challenge--Causes of Strongholds What is a stronghold? The true, exegetical explanation of strongholds as I've learned this past Sabbath through Arthur's message and my own studies of the chapter has completely...
Yeshua teaches in the Dead Sea Valley During the Winter of 27 CE–Part 1–Prayer and the Disciple of Messiah
My Torah studies have stopped for a time to examine portions of the Gospel that correlate to this time of the year as it relates to the Creator's Calendar. During this period, the Master is believed to have been teaching His disciples in the Dead Sea region as winter...
Hanukkah’s Greatest Hidden Secrets Part 2
Part 2--A Case of Anti-Jewish/Anti-Hebrew Sentiments Leading to Christianity's Profound Ignorance On the Keeping of Easter--From the Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council (Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20) Jude 1:4 speaks to...
Deuteronomy 7:8–The Everlasting Love of Yehovah–Part 1
My Torah studies have brought me to Deuteronomy 7:8 which reads thusly (by the way, I attached verse 7 to verse 8 to ensure a complete thought and complete sentence): CJB Deuteronomy 7:7 ADONAI didn't set his heart [His love-chashaq] on you or choose you because you...
Torah Living 44–Hanukkah’s Greatest Secrets, Part 1–Context, context, context
I posted this audio blog episode specifically for our sister site "It's Not As You Perceive." I was led to post it here for your review as well. I realize that many of you who are of the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Community might be familiar with the context. But I hope,...
The Love of a Father for His Creation
My Torah studies brought me to Deuteronomy 7: 8 this morning and the passage reads accordingly: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you...
Torah Living-Episode 43–5 Reasons to Observe Hanukkah (and Reject Christmas)
Many in the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Community reject Hanukkah as a legitimate time of observance and celebration. The primary reasons are that Hanukkah is not one of the mandated Feasts of Yehovah and that Hanukkah is not found in our Bibles. Both of these are sound...
In Yehovah’s Eyes, Size Doesn’t Matter
Continuing my Torah studies, I've come to Deuteronomy 7:7 &8: 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would...
Torah Living Episode 42–The Oneness of Yehovah–A Salvation Issue?
Dt. 6 speaks to the oneness/uniqueness of Yehovah and the love the nation must have for Yehovah. This is the basis of the Hebrew Faith. This mitzvah is not only central to the Hebrew Faith but also the Faith once delivered. All indications are that it is this creed....
The Shema is NOT a Precursor to the Trinity
Read each of these translations of Deuteronomy 6:4 and see for yourself how the Shema (incorrectly referred to by many) states the "oneness of Yehovah:" ASV Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah: (Deu 6:4 ASV) CJB Deuteronomy 6:4 "Sh'ma,...
Deuteronomy 6:5-Shema Yisra’el, Yehovah is Our God is One Yehovah
My Torah studies brought me today to The Shema, which remains the pearl--the gem--the beacon that stands out in the whole of the Holy Writ. It certifies that Yehovah is the one and only True God of the universe. It crushes (in my mind) any doctrine that insists that...
Speak to Us Yehovah as You did at Horeb
Continuing my Torah studies, I come to Deuteronomy 5: 24 (the corresponding Complete Jewish Bible's verse is 21). The CJB reads as follows: and said, 'Here, ADONAI our God has shown us his glory and his greatness! We have heard his voice coming from the fire, and we...
Commandment Keeping, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Spiritual Side to Torah Observance
My Torah studies has taken me to Deut. 4:41-5:18 Passage Outline: * vss 41-43--Moshe establishes 3 cities of refuge (love of neighbor) * vss 44-49--Taking and marking of the boundaries of the land of promise * 5:1-4--Moshe reminds the people of the covenant that...
Deut 4: 9-40–Avoiding Idolatry at any Cost
As I continue my daily Torah studies, I come to Deuteronomy 4:9-40. What follows is a summary for your reference and review, followed by commentary and application: vs 13--He proclaimed His covenant to you which He ordered you to obey, the Ten Words which He wrote on...
Torah Living Episode 39-Halloween, Christianity (Messianic Believer) and the Bible (Torah)
In the West, this coming Friday--October 31st--will be Halloween. It is a time deemed primarily for children, although many adults take great pleasure in celebrating that night as well. As the day wanes and night settles in, millions of children will emerge from...
America the Beautiful versus Torah
7 For what nation [goy=nation=gentiles] is there so great, who hath God [elohim] so nigh unto them, as the LORD [Yehovah] our God [elohim] is in all things that we call upon him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath *statutes [choq] and judgments...
Keep and Do Torah
6 Keep [shamar-guard, observe, give heed] therefore and do [asah] them; for this is your wisdom [chokmah] and your understanding [biynah] in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding...
Deuteronomy 4:2–Neither Add Nor Subtract from the Word of Yehovah
We've violated this mitzvah on so many levels in our Faith. Catholicism and protestantism alike have added to and taken away from the Word of Yehovah despite His clear admonishment to the contrary (2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye...
Torah Living 37-Yeshua’s Earthly Family
Now the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was drawing near. Yeshua's brothers said to him, "Depart from here and go into Yehudaea that your other disciples also may see the works that you do. For there is no man that does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be...
Looking for Signs
As my practice, I began my day with prayer followed by reading Torah. I deter from Torah reading, however, when specific events contained in Rood's Chronological Gospels correspond to our Gregorian calendar date. In this case, events 114 and 115 happen to occur on...
Torah Living 34-John the Baptist (Yochanan), Christianity and Sex
My daily travels through the Torah was interrupted last week when Michael Rood's Chronological Gospels, event 100, correlated with September 14, 2014. As has become my practice, I temporarily stopped my Torah studies to examine this passage which is found in Matt....
Torah Living Daily Reflections-8-The Art of Listening (from a Hebraic/Messianic Perspective)
Continuing with my daily foray in to the Torah, we come to Deuteronomy 4:1 which reads as follows: "Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the...
Torah Living Daily Reflections 6–The Kingdom of Yehovah (of Yahweh or of God)
Continuing my daily ritual of Torah Study and incorporating Rood's Chronological Gospels as the dates correspond to the Julian calendar--specifically on August 25, 2014, I came across the passage in Matthew 13:36-43 (recorded as event 86) where Yeshua expounds for His...
Torah Living Daily Reflections 5-When Emotions Get in the Way of Service to Yehovah (Yahweh or God)
Continuing my trek through the Torah, I pick up where I'd left off--at Deuteronomy 3: 23-29. I found here a very touching and emotional passage. Despite what most scholars have to say about Deuteronomy not possibly being written by Moshe, my spirit tells me otherwise....
Torah Living Daily Reflections 4–Yehovah Your God will Fight for You-Don’t be Afraid
My daily Torah study foray took me to D'varim (aka: Deuteronomy) 3:1-22. Here Moshe continues to summarize Yisrael's conquest of the promised land in detail. By now, Moshe is 120-years old. The generation of Israelis that left Egypt in the great Exodus had all but...
Torah Living Daily Reflections 3–Following Messiah is not for Everyone
Continuing my foray into the life and 70-day ministry of Yeshua HaMashiach through Rood's Chronological Gospels, today's corresponding passage or event was found in Matthew 8:18-27 (also mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25). The passage reads as follows: "When Yeshua saw...
Torah Living Daily Reflections 2–Parables and Prophecy
Continuing on my in my reading of the date-sensitive, corresponding passages of the Rood Chronological Gospels, I came across an excellent example of the Master use of parable to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. I picked up right after the parable of the tares in...
Torah Living Daily Reflections 1–The Sabbath–True Torah Observance versus Our Own Preconceived Notions
A practice that I've begun following of late is incorporating the Michael Rood Chronological Gospels into my regimen of Torah Study. I do this following the Rood Astronomically & Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar and looking at the corresponding...
Torah Living 33–The Age Old Problem of New Wine in Old Wineskins
Continuing on with the inclusion of Michael Rood's Chronological Gospels and its date-sensitive corresponding passages in addition to my daily Torah studies, I came to the passage in the chronology where the Master responded to a question as to why His disciples did...
Post Sabbath Reflections for August 16–Faith, Spiritual Gifts and Personal Testimony
* Shabbat Night Live--Michael Rood and The Ark of the Covenant--Into the Wilderness * Michael continues on the subject of discovering the location of the Ark of the Covenant--sets the foundation of His coming in to the truth about the end times. He picked up from last...
A Case for Eating Out on the Sabbath or Not
A practice that I've begun following of late is incorporating the Michael Rood Chronological Gospels into my regimen of Torah Study. I do this following the Rood Astronomically & Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar and looking at the corresponding...
Torah Living Episode 28–The Israel-Arab Conflict and the Disciple of Yeshua
If you have been keeping up with news of late, you should be aware of the conflict that wages on between the Palestinian peoples and Israel. You may recall that this all started about a month ago--June 12th to be exact--when 3 Israeli teenagers were abducted by...
Vows–Where Should a Believer Stand on this Issue? (Torah Living 26)
I bet you've heard this before: I swear to God I did or didn't... How about: I solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth...so help me God. Hilary tells me of this one from her youth: truth that God loves? (simply saying, are you telling the...
Torah Living 25–Freedom
Having observed (to some slight degree) the U.S. holiday of Independance Day this past 4th of July, the concept of "freedom" came to my mind. Indeed, the U.S. celebrates its freedom from British rule every 4th of July and has done so since the year 1776. We all know...
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