Shavuot – “Weeks” – A Week of Weeks

Jesus and the Three Jewish Pilgrimage Festivals – Series Outline

My walk with Jesus has always guided me to the text of the Old Testament. In the books of the Old Testament I see Jesus as the great ‘I Am’. I see the work and person of Jesus in the feast, laws, wisdom, psalms, and stories. This series will look at the connection Jesus has to the three Pilgrimage Feast; Passover, Pentecost and Sukkot. Other days and feasts be woven into the series as they connect.

Shavuot – God Spoke to Moses Initiating the Feast of Weeks

God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, initiating Shavuot:

Leviticus 23:9 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11‘He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD …. 16‘You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; … 17 … first fruits to the LORD.”

There is an inseparable connection between Passover, our physical salvation and Shavuot, our spiritual salvation. In my mind Passover and the giving of the Law where important, they seemed so separate in time and meaning, but this is far from the case. Not only do they speak to the 2 areas we need salvation but they were only 50 days apart. It seem different when you think Israel was in Egypt on the passover. The Pharaoh decided to let them go, their neighbors provided gold and other goods for the journey, They arrived at Mt Sinai within 10 days. Moses then spent 40 days with God on the mount, returning with the 10 commands and the rest of the covenant stipulation, the return with the 10 commands on the tablet. This anticipated return is the Feast of Weeks, Shavuot.

Focused Connections Between Shavuot, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit

For the Feast of Passover, the body of Jesus is central. For the Feast of First Fruits, the Body of Jesus is central. For Shavuot, our spiritual salvation, it is the Holy Spirit who is central.

After the resurrection and before Jesus ascended to be with the Father, the Good News according to Luke records the Promise of Jesus.

“44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 “You are witnesses of these things. 49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

What is this promise Jesus is sending forth? In the Good News According to John, Jesus Promises Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, the Spirit of Truth. This Spirit of Truth is from the Father and In Jesus.

16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

and later,

26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

The Gospel of Luke ends with Jesus returning to the Father and one sentence about His followers actions,  “52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising God.”

Finally tying this together Luke continues his accounting to Theophilus in the Acts of the Holy Spirit, Acts. Continuing in the Temple praising God, the second chapter of Acts records the disciples in the the temple on the day of Pentecost, Shavuot, and Fest of Weeks,

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

This is the promise of Jesus and the promise of Jesus is the promise God made and is recorded in the TaNaK, the Old Testament. Peter the disciple who had denied Jesus, was moved by the Spirit to prophesy, this is the first recorded sermon and the purpose is to show the connection between, that occurrence on that day and the spiritual renewal found in the Law.

17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,
‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.

This is the Law written on the hearts of God’s people:

26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

Shavuot is the redemption of the Spirit, including the concept of heart – leb, לֵב, inner man, mind, will, heart

Focused Connections Between Shavuot and The Followers of Jesus

Gift of the Law

All Christian communities I have been part of have stressed salvation by faith in christ alone alone, which I still see as true. The law is seen as what can not be fulfilled. Under the Law we are all guilty of some transgression or other. We are simply incapable of living up to the Law. You can see how this weight on faith tends to foster a negative feelings pertaining to the Law. But the Law is Good, even if it is cozier to snuggle up to faith. Faith in Jesus leads to salvation, To those who believe in Jesus, the promise was that the Holy Spirit would live within them, the Law written on the heart, that we can follow but our hearts bear witness these are righteous directions.

The Yom Tov, the Good Day of Shavuot, “weeks” is the Feast (Yom Tov) of Pentecost. The Torah is studied overnight, Not always the case, all ages groups from infants on are encourage to attend synagogue when all Ten Commands are read. Tradition has it that the souls of all Jewish people who will ever be heard the first two commands. Milk meals are served relating the Torah to milk.

In its deepest meaning, a Mitzvah is more than a command it represents a connection to God. Mishnah is said to find its origin with Moses. There seems to be a mitzvah for everything, but there is no set commands for Shavuot. as it is the beginning of the connection, the connection itself, renewed yearly. Mittzvahs, laws, are followed to show and consider the special connection the Jewish people have to God.

Separation from and Rejection of God is Death

Coming down from meeting with God for 40 days on Mt Sinai, Moses found that the people had made an idol! The tablets in his hands specifically prohibited idols and there what a golden cow being worshiped. Moses had just plead with God not to display His wrath against His people but to have mercy for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then in anger Moses threw the tablets to the ground.

A few things of note happened after Moses threw the tablets to the ground. . Numbers 16:32″ the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up,.. and all the men who belonged to Korah … 35 Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.”

The Rebellion against God Continued: Exodus 32:25 “Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 He said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” 28 So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”

The Crowd Responds to Peter: Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

Shekinah

Lightning and thuder was seen by the people, Exodus 20:18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

When Moses descended the Mount his face shown with a shekinah glory. Shekinah glory shows God coming to rest on or making a dwelling. With the combining of spiritual and earthly, God was making His dwelling among the 12 tribes, Israel became chosen. After meeting with God for 40 days to learn the Torah, Moses face shown bright enough that he had to veil himself so as to not blind the people.

Becoming the Chosen People

God’s Promise: Ezekiel 36:25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

God’s Fulfillment of His Promise: 2 Corinthians 3:3 you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Peter Stood and Taught at Pentecost: Acts 2:30 “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32 “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.”

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