SHAVUOT
Shavuot is Hebrew word which is
translated as "weeks". It is one of three pilgrim feasts (shalosh
regalim) (Pesakh, Shavuot, Succot). Shavuot occurs on the sixth day of
Sivan (late May or early June).
Shavuot is the feast of harvest, the firstfruits - ''hag ha-katzir bikurei'' (the wheat) (Exod 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.)
Shavuot is the day of the firstfruits too - ''yom ha-bikurim'' (Num 28:26 Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks [be out], ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:)
''Shavuot was also the first day on which individuals could bring the Bikkurim (first fruits) to the Temple in Jerusalem (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:3). The Bikkurim were brought from the Seven Species for which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and [date] honey (Deut. 8:8).'' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavuot)
We can read about Shavuot in Torah:
Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath,
from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths
shall be complete:
Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number
fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two
tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven;
[they are] the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish
of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be [for] a
burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink
offerings, [even] an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin
offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the
firstfruits [for] a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they
shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, [that] it may be an
holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work [therein: it shall be] a
statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Shavuot is the feast of the Lord!
At present ''two wave loaves'' can symbolize Jews and Gentiles who are united
in the Body of Messiah.
Ruth the
Moabitess said to Naomi:
Ruth 1:16 ... thy people [shall be] my people, and thy God my God:
Every Christian needs to repeat these words of Ruth!
''An interesting tradition of the Jewish people is to read the book of Ruth at Shavuot. The most significant message of the book of Ruth is that it is a shadow of the Gentiles coming to follow the God of Israel, which is also the most significant event following the Shavuot celebration recorded in the book of Acts. Joel 2:28 promises that God will pour out His Spirit on all mankind that first Shavuot, the power to fulfill this promise came into the world.'' (http://jvmi.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=Shavuot_A_Biblically_Appointed_Holiday)
Tradition tells us Shavuot is the feast of Torah too. ''Historically, it (Shavuot) celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).'' (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holidayc.html) Too it is called Zman Matan Torataynu (the time of the Giving of our Torah).
''Over Three thousand three hundred years ago, the Children of Israel stood at the foot of Har Sinai and received the Torah from Hashem. Together they proclaimed: "Na'ahseh V'Nishma, (We will do and we will listen)" (Shmot 24:7). Each year on the Yom Tov of Shavuot, this historic event is relived as we commit ourselves anew to observing the Torah.'' (http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/shavuos/shavustr.htm)
The Messianic meaning of Shavuot
Yeshua
is ''the firstfruits'':
1Cor
15:23 ... Christ the firstfruits...
On Shavuot the disciples of Yeshua were filled with Ruah ha-Kodesh (the
Holy Spirit):
Acts 2:1 And when
the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place.
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and
it sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
A prophecy of Jeremiah came true:
Jer 31:33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law (Torah) in
their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and
they shall be My people.
What does "one accord" mean?
- one heart (lev echad) - one spirit, one mind, one desire, one love -
all inner man:
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye
be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1Cor.
1:10)
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind. (Phil. 2:2)
- one shoulder or shoulder to shoulder (shchem echad):
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call
upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent (one
shoulder or shoulder to shoulder - shchem echad) (Zeph. 3:9)
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:29-30)
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2)
It is important be all with
one accord!
We can read in Acts 2:41 about first spiritual fruits - there were about three thousands people believing in Yeshua Messiah:
Acts 2:41 Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
At Zion Torah was given to all Israel as a whole, in Jerusalem Torah ''was put
in their (believers) inward parts'' and was written it in their hearts.
Isaiah 2:3 ... for out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the Word of the
LORD from Jerusalem.
Parallels between Mt. Sinai and Acts 2
1) Sinai: God gave Torah to Israel at Sinai.
Acts 2: God filled talmidim of Yeshua with Ruah ha-Kodesh (the Holy Spirit);
2) Sinai: ''And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.'' (Exod 19:16-18)
Acts 2: ''And when the day of Shavuot (Pentecost) was 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 all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.'' (Acts 2:1-4)
3) ''The Commandments were given to Israel as a sign of God’s covenant with his people. The Spirit was given to Yeshua’s followers as a sign, a seal, and an empowerment.'' (http://derek4messiah.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/prepare-yourself-for-shavuot)
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Eph 1:13 In Whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
SHAVUOT IS ATZERET (THE CONCLUSION) OF PESAKH (PASSOVER). ''During these seven weeks, the Jewish people cleansed themselves of the scars of Egyptian slavery and became a holy nation, ready to enter into an eternal covenant with G-d with the giving of the Torah.'' (http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2150/jewish/What-is-Shavuot.htm)
Customs of Shavuot, largely observed in Ashkenazic communities
''On Shavuot, Jews light candles, decorate with greenery, eat dairy food, study Torah, attend prayer services, and read the Book of Ruth.'' (http://judaism.about.com/od/shavuot/a/all_shavuot.htm)