This week we celebrated Shavuot for the first time in our home. Shavuot, meaning weeks in Hebrew is known by Christians by the Greek word Pentecost, meaning fifty, because it is celebrated fifty days after the Day of First Fruits. This feast is also referred to as the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Harvest.
We had been counting the omer since Passover Sabbath and anxiously awaiting this holy day.
After the Israelites escaped Egypt and were in the promised land they were told to celebrate the harvest. It is agreed that this is the time that God gave the commandments to the Israelites. Exodus 19:9-25:20:1-21.
For me this was a very life changing day because as I have been studying his great instructions, I have been asking the Lord to teach me to love His word and live by it as David did. David says that God's scriptures are perfect. Psalms 119 says, how can a youn man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I will seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. David says that he delights in God's decrees and that he will not neglect his word. He then asks God to open his eyes that he may see wonderful things in his law (hebrew, meaning instruction).
So, as children of God, we have been given his law/instructions to set us a part and make us a holy people. The great part is that when all the people were in Jerusalem celebrating this Holy Feast Day of Shavuot, and being obedient to His word, He poured out His Holy Spirit on them. (Acts 2) 3000 people came to know the Lord on this day when the disciples began to speak in the foreign languages of the people. This was a great HARVEST. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit had been prophesied. Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Hebrews 8:8-13; 10:16&17.
That which was written on the tablets was now being written on their hearts. God began His harvest by giving the Holy Spirit, that we should make disciples of all men.
In our home we read the traditional Shavuot passage of Ruth and asked the Lord to accept us as He did Ruth when she followed Naomi and said,"Your people should be my people and your God my God."
Jesus gave us this freedom to be called the children of God and then He gave us the great councelor, the Holy Spirit, and wrote His word on our hearts.
We asked God on this Shavuot to pour out His Holy Spirit on our family so that we may not sin against Him.
Then, we celebrated! We grilled outside and made root beer floats and ice cream sundaes. We visited our good friends and danced before the Lord. We waved the loaves of bread before the Lord for the first time in our lives and were overjoyed to see our children give thanks for the harvest of bread as well as the harvest of unbelievers. Once again, this feast day taught our children God's ways. It helped us all understand that although Jesus had to leave us, that He gave us what we need to be called the children of God.
This was not only comforting to me but the children finally were able to understand the purpose of the Holy Spirit - to obey His scriptures and make disciples!
This is why we celebrate the feasts. This was God's design for how we are to teach others and our children. This is His curriculum. It is without fault.
His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
To consider what the word law refers to click on the link Law&Grace under pages at the top right.
