Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks

 ¹⁰ You are to observe the festival of Shavu‘ot  for Adonai your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which Adonai your God has prospered you. ¹¹ You are to rejoice in the presence of Adonai your God — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the Levites living in your towns, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you 

-Deuteronomy 16

¹⁵ “‘From the day after the day of rest — that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving — you are to count seven full weeks, ¹⁶ until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to Adonai. ¹⁷ You must bring bread from your homes for waving — two loaves made with two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with leaven — as first-fruits for Adonai.. ²¹ On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.

²² “‘When you harvest the ripe crops produced in your land, don’t harvest all the way to the corners of your field, and don’t gather the ears of grain left by the harvesters; leave them for the poor and the foreigner; I am Adonai your God.’”

-Leviticus 23 

The above verses tell us to keep Shavu'ot.

But as we have learned, these holy days YHWH commands us to keep are not just random days. 

  

In digging deeper into the Bible, I learned that the Commandments were given on Shavu'ot! God's Commandments written on stone.

19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai... Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. ⁶ And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

⁷ So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. ⁸ Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 

 -Exodus 19 

And fast forward hundreds of years, and the Holy Spirit was given on Shavu'ot! God's Commandments written on our hearts!

The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. ² Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. ⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

-Acts 2

These celebrations are not obsolete! They are so amazingly rich in meaning and I learn more about YHWH with each one I celebrate.