Shavuot (Pentecost)

“And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.” (Exodus 34:22)




Shavuot, the Festival (or, feast) of Weeks, was a time God told Israel to set aside to give back to Him the first fruits of the wheat harvest. God's instructions for this feast are given in Leviticus 23:16-18, Numbers 28:26 and Deuteronomy 16:10.


Shavuot 2014 began the evening of June 3 and ends the evening of June 5.

The Greek word “Pentecost”, meaning 50, is used in the New Testament to refer to this day, noting the fact that the celebration takes place 50 days after Passover.


In Jewish tradition, Shavuot also coincides with “Zman Matan Torateynu” or “Season of the giving of the Law.” Rabbis later calculated, using biblical references, the time of the giving of the Law by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and discovered that it was during this time, the time of Shavuot.


Think about this... on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2, the entire nation of Israel was gathered to remember God's covenant with His people. The Holy Spirit was given on the same day God gave the Law to Moses!


The parallels between the giving of the Torah and the giving of the Spirit are remarkable.

WHEN THE LAW WAS GIVEN: “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.” (Exodus 19:18).


WHEN THE SPIRIT WAS GIVEN: “And when the day of 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.” (Acts 2:1-3)



Shavuot marks the day Israel gave God the first fruits of the harvest. 

And, when God gave us His Spirit? Think about this...


“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:22-23


Thank You, LORD God of Israel, my God, for giving us Your Word and for giving us Your Spirit so that we may know Your ways and be empowered to live for You.