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Shavuot, or Pentecost, is
celebrated as the traditional birthday of both Judaism and Christianity.
Traditional Judaism calls it “the Season of the Giving of the Law” at
Mount Sinai, and the New Covenant teaches that it was on Pentecost that
the Holy Spirit was given to believers.
Shavuot, celebrated this year on June 12, literally means “weeks” but is
commonly called Pentecost, from the Greek word meaning “fifty,” and it
is celebrated fifty days, (seven weeks plus one day) after Passover.
“You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then
you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD” (Lev. 23:15-17).
Shavuot Fulfilled!
In The New Covenant we read: When the day of Pentecost had fully come...
suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and
it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to
them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each
one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now
there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under
heaven. And when this sound occurred…each one of them was hearing them
speak in his own language. They were amazed…saying, “Why, are not all
these who are speaking Galileans?…we hear them in our own tongues
speaking of the mighty deeds of God” (Acts 2:1-11).
This passage describes these dynamic events as the fulfillment of
Shavuot, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come.” Shavuot had come to
its fulfillment fifty days after Messiah's resurrection.
A Second Mt. Sinai
Experience
Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, was trained by his mentor Paul to
understand the work of God in Messiah from a biblically Jewish frame of
reference. To Luke, the events of Acts 2 were a ‘second Mount Sinai
experience.’ Since Shavuot was first been celebrated around the time of
receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, about fifty days after leaving
Egypt, the traditional Jewish community calls it “The Season of the
Giving of the Law.” It is also considered the spiritual birthday of
Israel since the Torah brought twelve tribes together into one corporate
people. From Shavuot’s fulfillment in Acts we can also call it “The
Season of the Giving of the Spirit” since the Holy Spirit makes all
believers ‘from many tribes’ into one family in Messiah. So, Happy
Birthday, Body of Messiah!
The Letter Kills…
The true fulfillment of Shavuot in Acts 2 is clearly seen in
contradistinction to when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. When the
Law was given, there was fire and noise as God descended on Mount Sinai.
But while the people waited for Moses to return back down from the
mountain, an almost incredible chain of events began to transpire. Keep
in mind: this was after the Israelis witnessed the ten horrendous
plagues upon Egypt, the opening of the Red Sea, and the supernatural
revelation of God at Mt. Sinai. In light of these events, the following
verses are almost unbelievable: Now when the people saw that Moses
delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about
Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as
for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do
not know what has become of him.”…And he (Aaron)…made it into a molten
calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up
from the land of Egypt” (Ex. 32:1-4.)
How quickly we forget. The people grew tired of waiting for Moses, and
sinned by committing idolatry with a golden calf. Moses did make his way
back down the mountain, and by then the party was in full swing; but
when Moses arrived, the party was over. Sadly, judgment came at the
giving of the Law at Mount Sinai as we read in Exodus 32:
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.
And 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.’” So the sons of Levi did as Moses
instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day
(vv. 26-28). Lest we forget, sin has terrible consequences: 3,000 people
died at the giving of the Law.
…But The Spirit Makes
Alive!
What a difference when Shavuot was fulfilled and Ruach HaKodesh (the
Holy Spirit) was given. We read in Acts 2:41, “So then, those who had
received his word were immersed; and that day there were added about
three thousand souls.” So, when the Spirit was given there were 3,000
people redeemed and made spiritually alive in Messiah. The law reveals
sin that condemns us, but the Spirit reveals the Savior who saves us!
With this New Covenant perspective we can now understand what Shavuot
typified and promised to God’s redeemed people.
Two First Fruits?
When we read in Leviticus 23 regarding the special Shavuot meal
offering, we see that it is called “First Fruits to the Lord.” During
the week of Passover there is a First Fruits offering required, and at
Shavuot there’s a second First Fruits offering. You might think,
shouldn’t it be called “Second Fruits”? Not at all. Remember that the
earlier First Fruits offering was the day after the Sabbath of Passover
week.
The earlier First Fruits offering pictures Messiah as our “First Fruits
offering” from the dead. But the Second First Fruits offering is a
different picture altogether. It pictures believers in Messiah made into
His “body” at Shavuot in Acts 2. and referred to in the book of James,
“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth,
so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” As
Yeshua is the First Fruits offering of the dead, so in Messiah we are a
First Fruits offering in His new creation.
First Fruits may not mean much to us today, but in biblical times the
Lord was honored and recognized as the Provider by being given the first
fruits of the crop. The significance of believers being first fruits is
that we are to be totally dedicated to the Lord. A historical and
biblical overview of God’s firstfruits of Shavuot provides the sense of
dedication that the Feast deserves.
Israel as Firstfruits
At the first Shavuot, the “firstfruits”
were the people of Israel. “‘Israel was holiness to the LORD, the
firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster
will come upon them,’ says the LORD.” Israel is not only God’s
“firstborn” of the nations, but is God’s first fruits, i.e., a nation
called to be holy and dedicated to God alone. This resulted in God’s
foreign policy to the nations that interact with Israel, “I will bless
those that bless you [Israel], and curse those that curse you.”
Final Firstfruits
Another Shavuot first fruits will be the 144,000 Jewish Tribulation
believers. “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the
Lamb.” Even in the midst of the darkest period of history, God will have
His ‘first fruits’ as lights in the world to testify to all who will
believe.
New Covenant Believers as
Firstfruits
The ultimate fulfillment of Shavuot first fruits are New Covenant
believers. When the Spirit of God came upon them at Shavuot, He made
them into His “firstfruits.” Today as well, believers are people of both
privilege and responsibility. This is why the Holy Spirit was given to
empower all believers in Yeshua to follow Messiah. What a privilege to
have the enablement of Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) to live
dedicated and holy lives to the glory of God. But with the privilege
also comes responsibility to live faithfully for the Lord, for “to whom
much is given, much will be required.” Though there is “no condemnation
to those who are in Messiah,” there is chastening and discipline from
the Lord for every child of His that we might develop in righteousness.
As believers we are to present ourselves “for God’s use only.” We
experience His spiritual blessings when we yield ourselves to the Lord,
and in living for Him, we fulfill His purpose for us. May you be
encouraged this Shavuot season to live fully for the Lord, and may the
fruit of His Spirit fill your life!
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