The Feast of Weeks/Shavuot/Pentecost (Numbers 28:26-31)
Deuteronomy 16:9 – 12 “You are to count off seven weeks from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain. And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully follow these statutes.”
The feast being described here is the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Feast of Pentecost because it is to be celebrated 50 days from the time the grain harvest begins. Traditionally, it marked the beginning of the wheat harvest. This was one of the most joyous festivals God ordained. Unlike the celebration of the Passover, there was no ritual sacrifice connected with this festival; instead, it was a feast of first fruits – offerings that were to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem. Everyone in the community was included in this feast, every family member, all the servants, the Levites who did not farm themselves, the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Nobody was to be left out at this feast! This feast was a celebration of freedom from slavery and of the goodness of God and the abundance of His mercy and grace.
APPLICATION: Acts 2:1-4 begins with these words: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The group referred to here was the group of Jesus’ disciples, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, the brothers of Jesus, and the women who had followed Jesus, about 120 people. All of them were gathered in the Upper Room in which the disciples had celebrated the Passover with Jesus on the night before He was crucified. As observant Jews, Jesus’ followers were celebrating Shavuot/Pentecost. It was no mistake that the Holy Spirit descended as they were praying and celebrating the goodness of God. Psalm 22:3 tells us,”But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” When we praise God and celebrate His goodness, His Holy Spirit comes to be with us and to help us to praise even more.
Does the Holy Spirit still move in this fashion? Yes! The Sentinel Group (http://www.sentinelgroup.org) headed by George Otis Junior has videos demonstrating how communities have been transformed when their members have come together to pray for revival in their community. The Sentinel Group was recording a video in an Eskimo community when the Holy Spirit began to shake the place. Even though all the sound systems were turned off, the sight and sound of the Holy Spirit descending on this group of believers were clearly recorded and preserved.
“But,” you might ask, “Shavuot was an agricultural festival and I am not a farmer. Can I still celebrate anyway?” Once Jesus Christ came and shed His Blood on the cross at Calvary, He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We can celebrate the goodness of God as frequently as possible, making sure to include all those around us who might otherwise go without those things necessary for such a celebration.
What can we offer as first fruits? Recently a friend described to me his experiences in volunteering for an organization that collected food, clothing, and furniture for the needy. One dear lady parceled her donation nicely – the clothing was practically new and there were no rips, no tears, no stains, no missing buttons. This lady had obviously taken these clothes right out of her closet, and they were quite attractive. Then there was the family who had left a sofa out in the Illinois weather for several months but who were trying to demand a tax credit for their donation. When the group refused this execrable object, the man involved angrily huffed, “It’s good enough for poor people, isn’t it?” The team walked away, leaving the man to dispose of his junk on his own.
Why not prayerfully go through your house and ask God if there are things that He wants you to share with others? But be prepared! God may ask you to give up something very special. In 1997 we were preparing to move out of our apartment in New Orleans and to leave for a missionary training program. The antique upright piano on which I had learned to play went to one family. Most of our furniture went to another family who had just returned from the mission field and who had virtually nothing. But the greatest story concerned our Christmas tree. We had a small artificial tree that we had used for several years. That year God told me to decorate the tree with nothing but candy canes, small lights, and red velvet bows, leaving my breakable ornaments in storage. As the volunteers from our church were loading our furniture in a van to send it across town, I suddenly had a nudge to add the Christmas tree to the load. Meanwhile, our friends who had just returned from South America were sitting in their empty apartment waiting for our furniture. “Mary” (not her real name) was in tears because it was Christmas time and she had no Christmas decorations, not even a tree. In addition Mary had just sprained her ankle and was stuck sitting with her foot elevated with an ice pack on it. When the van arrived, the very first item the men removed was that decorated Christmas tree! Now Mary was still crying but her tears were tears of joy! God knew Mary NEEDED that Christmas tree!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us so much that You have ordered us to celebrate and to include all those around us in the celebrations. This Christmas, help us to be generous and to listen to Your Holy Spirit, knowing that untold blessings will follow our obedience. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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