Shavuot

The Feast Day cycle follows a pattern of seven.  Seven in Hebrew is Sheva and is represented by the letter Zain.  Seven (Sheva) is the central key to God’s design, Sheva is the building blocks of the universe.  The world was created in Sheva (seven) days.  There are Sheva (seven) feasts of the Lord in the annual feast day cycle.  There are Sheva (seven) days in the week.  There is the shenat ha-sheva, the seventh year or Sabbatical year in which the ground is to lay fallow.  Sheva shabtot shanim-seven sabbatical years are counted (49 years) which bring in the Yovel, the Jubilee on the 50th year!  All of creation streams towards the Sheva Millennia, the seventh thousand year which heralds the Messianic age.  Sheva is also woven into biblical culture and lifestyle:
 
There are the shivat ha-minim, seven spices of the land of Israel found in Deut.8:8.  Sheva berakhot), seven blessings of marriage are recited under the Chupah, Sevah (seven) pairs of each clean animal were taken onto Norah’s ark.  Sheva is the number of days it took the priests to be purified before they could enter into the Temple on the eighth day.  Sheva (seven) is the number of creation and is the numbers of perfection.  
 
Seven feasts of the annual cycle are primarily covered in Leviticus 23 and Numbers 28-29.:
 
Leviticus 23:1-2. ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Tell the people of Isra'el: 'The designated times of ADONAI which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times.

Convocation in Hebrew is Mikra (calling out of the holy ones) who's root word is Kaw-raw which means rehearsal. Divine Appointment in Hebrew is Moed, a specific date in which the King of heaven comes off the throne to meet His people.  
 
Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost in Greek, is also referred to in Hebrew as: Z'man mattan torateinu - "The Season of the Giving of the Torah."

Leviticus 23:15-17. "'From the day after the day of rest (Shabbat) -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 one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven -as first fruits for ADONAI.

Shavuot is the commemoration of the divine revelation of God’s oracles given at Mt. Sinai which is the fulfillment of the Passover Experience.  Passover's Freedom isn't experienced until Mt Sinai with the revelation of God and His word unto Israel and all the nations.  Until Mt Sinai God only spoke to Moshe!  Now all Israel will hear God’s voice!  It was at Mt. Sinai that Israel (and the mixed crowd) entered into a free will covenantal, marriage betrothal with God.  1,700 years after the first My Sinai experience the Ruach HaKodesh(Holy Spirit) is given on the same Moedim. When Adonai declared His covenant before Israel and all the nations at Mt Sinai, He established a covenant a promise with a caveat on our part:
 
Exodus 19:5. Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure (Segulaw: possession, property, valued property, peculiar treasure, treasure from among all the peoples) for all the earth is mine;
 
For us to be His special treasure, His first fruits among the nations we must pay careful attention to His covenant, to His word! Yeshua referenced this promise of God in a parable:
 
Matthew 13:44-46.  "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure (thesauros {thay-sow-ros'}: place in which good and precious things are collected, place in which valuables are kept, a treasury, wealth, collected treasures- Segulaw) hidden in a field. A man (anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}: generically all human individuals both male and female, conformed to the nature of God joined with words) found it, hid (krupto {kroop'-to}: conceal, hide, to cover) it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought (agorazo {ag-or-ad'-zo}: purchased, redeemed) that field. 45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant (emporos {em'-por-os} anthropos, Emporos: on a journey for trade, a tradesman, a merchant Anthropos) on the lookout for fine pearls (margarites {mar-gar-ee'-tace}: pearl, a proverb, i.e. a word of great value).  46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought (agorazo {ag-or-ad'-zo}: purchased, redeemed) it.

Yeshua is referencing Exodus 19:5 here, talking about discovering a hidden treasure, God’s word, His Torah, and redeeming it!  The treasure required a kinsman redeemer, Yeshua is that redeemer, He redeemed the treasure hidden in the field, and the pearl, a word of great value, symbolically representing Jew and Gentile, the treasure is the “One New Man, the Field is Israel and the Pearls are the nations (Gentiles) and He redeemed both of them 2,000 years ago.
 
We see in this passage as in the two leavened loaves of bread given as the wave offering that creation is a blessing in diversity. Leaven is forbidden in offerings any other sacrifice or Moedim but is required at Shavuot!  Why leavened bread? When the Shavuot first-fruits offering is taken from the field it represents both the provision and blessing of Adonai, He provided everything needed to grow the wheat.  It also represents man who works the soil and through his stewardship of the field he harvests the wheat, winnows the grain, and makes the bread by adding leaven.
 
This interaction of covenant relationship, man working with God’s provision explains the leaven in the wheat.  Wheat cannot become bread without the addition of yeast, yet, the yeast if left unattended will consume and destroy the entire loaf unless the leavened dough is baked at the appropriate resulting in bread that sustains and nourishes life.  
 
Creation was formed with this paradox of duality, of diversity that represents the relationship between humanity and God!  Creation is blessed, it flourishes and prospers in the harmony and unity of its diversity.  Heaven and earth, good and evil, land and sea, night and day, male and female, the only two people groups God created, Jew and Gentile.  These examples reveal great diversity and differences yet in their relational cooperation, harmony, and unity, the world and its inhabitants are blessed and proper.  
 
Without the inherent differences between male and female there would be no propagation of humankind.  Humanity thrives and propagates because we are physically different!  All creation is blessed in its relationship of diversity:  Heaven produces light and rain that the earth receives allowing plants to grow and produce fruit which in turn sustains humanity.  Contrary to politically correctness humanity would cease to exist as a homosexual society, procreation ceases-unnatural in disharmonious!  
 
Many victories depend on our overcoming some of these differences such as overcoming evil and sin with holiness and righteousness.  God gave us His Torah, His word, His instructions so that if we live according the commands and mitzvahs of God, if we follow and abide by them we will be His special treasure from among all of His creation, blessed and victorious!  We experience Shalom within the diversity of His creation:

Leviticus 26:3-6. "'If you live by my regulations, observe my mitzvot and obey them; 4 then I will provide the rain you need in its season, the land will yield its produce, and the trees in the field will yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing time will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvesting will extend until the time for sowing seed. You will eat as much food as you want and live securely in your land. 6 "'I will give shalom in the land -you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone. I will rid the land of wild animals. The sword will not go through your land.
 
Here is the first key of understanding the life changing principle of Shavuot:  When God's commands and mitzvahs are observed and acted upon, not just head knowledge or awareness, but actually observing and celebrating the Feast Days, nature, Gods' creation correspondingly reacts in Shalom.  Creation is undisturbed, it’s at peace!  A perfect balance between humanity and God's creation.  But when human beings altar this balance with moral and social corruption, by departing from His commands and mitzvah’s creation itself becomes unstable which is exactly what Leviticus 26 stated.  This biblically explains the unusual weather patterns we are experiencing here and around the world.  God's order is being thwarted through humanities unbiblical interaction with Israel and unbiblical morality which results in disharmony with His creation.  It’s not Global warming changing our environment, Its sin and evil!
 
Scripture also reveals a supernatural Power and Shalom in the unity between Jew and Gentile.  There is a hidden mystery recorded in Leviticus 23.
 
Leviticus 23:22.  "'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 (Ger: sojourner, a temporary inhabitant, foreigners in Israel conceded rights) I am ADONAI your God.'"
 
God provisioned in His written word a place for the Gentile, the nations in the original promise to the Jewish people, the One New Man has been His plan all along. But one has to open their eyes and see.  The story of Ruth, a gentile Moabite woman is a Shavuot Story.  Why?  Leviticus 23:22.  The edges of the fields are not harvested.  The blessings are left for the poor and Foreigner, the Gehr!  The non-Jew who is following the God of Israel therefore conceded rights!  When Ruth's Jewish husband died Naomi told her to go home to her own Moabite people, three times, but Ruth knew better:
 
Ruth 1:16-17. But Rut said, "Don't press me to leave you and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. 17 Where you die, I will die; and there I will be buried. May ADONAI bring terrible curses on me, and worse ones as well, if anything but death separates you and me."
 
Ruth powerfully and graphically reveals several things here.  First her profound words to Naomi define and establish the Gentile (Church’s) call and relationship to Israel!  Second, Ruth’s story isn’t just about supporting, standing with, and loving Israel!  The result of Ruth’s covenant promise is a wedding which results in a birth!  Oved, who begot Ishi, who begot King David who was the man after Adonai’s own heart!  Adonai established King David’s throne and rule forever, preparing for the coming Messiah who would be of the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah-establishing David’s throne forever:
 
II Samuel 7:16. Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.'"
 
Then, 2,000 years ago in Shavuot the Ruach is released, issuing forth another marriage between Jew and Gentile bring forth another birth.
 
The first Encounter with God atop My Sinai in Exodus 19-20 is references as a wedding event where God proposed to Israel.  The fire and smoke over Mt Sinai are a representation of the Chuppah, a staple of every biblical wedding.  The Chuppah is reminiscent of Ruth's saying to Boaz "spread your robe over your handmaid.", a profound representation of the Kinsman redeemer and marriage of Jew and Gentile.
 
Torah is Adonai’s marriage proposal to Israel outlining His responsibilities with the bride’s vow of faithfulness, loyalty, and obedience.  When it was presented to Israel, they replied in unity:

Exodus 24:7. Then he took the book of the covenant and read it aloud, so that the people could hear; and they responded, "Everything that ADONAI has spoken, we will do and obey. (Naase VeNishma’: Na'aseh: We will do, accomplish, act, place into effect. v’nishma: obey, be obedient, observe and comply. Root word is Shema: hear, listen, understand) "

‘Naase VeNishma’.  This reply given by Israel embodies a profound secret that only a few Hebrew scholars and now you understand.  N'ase is from the root Oseh, from O'seh Shalom Bimrumov--Oseh means do. Adding the nun makes it plural; N'ase we will do.  Same with Sh'ma. V'Nishma is Sh'ma with the nun added making it plural so the heart and essence of the Sh'ma and what Israel answered to God upon hearing God's proposal was that we, Israel, would accept Torah, Adonais ketubah before knowing what it was all about!  We accepted the proposal though we weren’t really in full comprehension or understanding of what it entailed!  Just like when you got married!  NO one really knows what they are getting into in marriage until they’ve been married a number of years!  It’s on ongoing and growing relationship!  Just like our relationship with Adonai!
 
The essence and heart of ‘Naase VeNishma’, of being Echad, Yachad with Adonai is to receive and obey without understanding.  This is the heart of Torah, of Yeshua's message, of Shavuot!  It’s the recipe for victory in the Kingdom! When you come into the covenant of marriage your echad, Yachad, but your not in full comprehension or understanding of each other!  That takes a lifetime which still isn’t enough time!!
 
The story of Ruth reveals a profound marriage understanding between Jew and Gentile which occurred on Shavuot 2,000 years ago. Naomi the Jewish mother gave Ruth the Gentile daughter specific instructions and Ruth answered in Ruth 3:5- "I will do everything you tell me” Na’ase VeNishma, Ruth complied without fully understanding!!
 
Ruth 3:7-9. After Bo'az was through eating and drinking and was feeling good, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of grain. She stole in, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night the man was startled and turned over, and - there was a woman lying at his feet! 9 He asked, "Who are you?" and she answered, "I'm your handmaid Rut. Spread your robe over your handmaid, because you are a redeeming kinsman."
 
Boaz is the Jewish kinsman redeemer, wrapping his tallit around Ruth the Moabite Gentile and marries Her!  He spreads his Tallit over and around her in the covenant act of matrimony. They enter into Nisuin and the barren Ruth conceives and gives birth to a child which is the beginning of the Messianic thread that leads directly to Messiah Yeshua:

Ruth 4:17. The women who were her neighbors gave it a name; they said, "A son has been born to Na'omi," and called it 'Oved. He was the father of Yishai the father of David.

2,000 years ago Adonai sent the Jewish Kinsman Redeemer, Yeshua to wrap His tallit around Israel and the Gentiles!  His death tore down the middle wall of partition making Jew and Gentile one!  After His ascension 40 days after His resurrection the 120 were waiting in the upper when the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit fell upon them with a mighty roar and what looked like tongues of fire separated and came to rest upon the heads of each one of them!
 
Acts 2:17-21. 'ADONAI says: "In the Last Days, I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my slaves, both men and women, will I pour out from my Spirit in those days; and they will prophesy. 19 I will perform miracles in the sky above and signs on the earth below blood, fire and thick smoke. 20 The sun will become dark and the moon blood before the great and fearful Day of ADONAI comes. 21 And then, whoever calls on the name of ADONAI will be saved”

This First Shavuot at Mt Sinai betrothed Israel unto Adonai!  The second Shavuot experience 2,000 years ago through Yeshua betrothed the Gentiles unto Adonai!  Releasing the Ruach HaKodesh so we could live, walk, and move in unity, in one accord, Echad, unity between Jew and Gentile!  The first Shavuot eventually resulted in Boaz Marrying Ruth which brought us the Yeshua!  The second Shavuot outpouring eventual birthed the Messianic Community!  The body of Messiah who is now preparing for the Grooms return and Nisuin!
 
This is exactly what Yeshua was sharing in Matthew 13, His great great, great, great, grandmother, Ruth, was a Gentile Moabite woman who unified, aligned, and submitted herself not just with the world God, but with God’s chosen people.  She CAME OUT OF MOAB as Israel came out of Egypt and experienced a God encounter with her redeemer just as each and every one of us have who receive Yeshua!  She didn’t cleave to Moab or some Hellenistic, Babylonian religious system! She clove unto the God of Israel, she became obedient to Him and God honored her submission and loyalty by placing her in the lineage of Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah!  The heart of Shavuot is to come out of the world, to come out of bondage, to be united and victorious!  In fact, the word says, as it was in the beginning, so it will be in the end as we are told in the future:
 
Revelation 18:4.  Then I heard another voice out of heaven say: "My people, come out of her! so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not be infected by her plagues,
 
The future is today!  The calling rings true for Jew & Gentile alike, come out of Egypt, come out of Diaspora, come out of Babylon, come out of Greece, come out of Rome, come out of Hellenism My People!  This can only be completed through Jew & Gentile harmony, unity, and the POWER of God with the giving of the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit on Shavuot!  It is the source for Tikkun Olam, the salvation of the world!  Just as Gods promise of freedom from captivity is brought to fulfillment with the giving of His word, so is our salvation and redemption brought to fulfillment and infused with POWER with the Ruach HaKodesh.
 
Acts 2:1-4.  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 Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

In Exodus 19 it was a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles who had departed Egypt who were standing before God at Mt Sinai and 2,000 years ago once again it was a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles who received the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on Shavuot that released the Dunamis POWER of God!!  The result? About 3,000 that day were added to their numbers!  Every encounter is marked by the people coming out of the world, out of Egypt, out of Babylon!  This is the foundation of Shavuot and is ours as well today!   Come out of her, come out of Babylon!  
 
Chag Shavuot Sameach!
 
 Rabbi Eric Carlson