Shavuot
By Eric Carlson in 05_2023-1 on May 1, 2023
Leviticus 23:15-17 “‘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. 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.
God Brought Israel to Mt. Sinai 47 days after the Exodus from Egypt to set Israel apart and reveal Himself to the entire nation:
Exodus 19:3-6 Moshe went up to God, and ADONAI called to him from the mountain: “Here is what you are to say to the household of Ya’akov, to tell the people of Isra’el: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure (Segulah: Private property of the King, treasure, possession, property, peculiar treasure, a thing of extreme value) from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you will be a kingdom of cohanim for me, a nation set apart.’ These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra’el.”
Adonai owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He created all and owns all! The Kingdom belongs to the King! If we accept His covenant promise we become His special treasure! Only if we obey His covenant, if we Shema, will we be His kingdom of kohanim (Priests), a holy nation! The “Kingdom” is an organized community (Kehillat), a major territorial unit, a theocratic form of government ruled by a sovereign king; the eternal kingship of God; the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled. The King’s (Adonai’s) sovereignty is absolute. Sovereignty is possessing, retaining supreme power, one that exercises supreme authority, the acknowledged leader. God is sovereign!
The emphasis God uses here is Kehillat, building a community, building a family, a nation, of Jews and non-Jews, set apart unto Adonai to minister to Him. Until this juncture Israel doesn’t know Adonai and aren’t united. They were a loose band of feudal tribes made up of individuals who had a slave mentality. The essence of Jewish (biblical) identity comes from and resides in the concept of family, Kehillat, community! What is a family?
The basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their own or adopted children. 1 : a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head: 2 : a group of persons of common ancestry : CLAN: a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock : RACE 3 a : a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation in FELLOWSHIP.
Mishpocha is Family in Hebrew which also means adoptive family, relative, one of the family, kin. One of Mishpocha’s root words is “mee-shel” which means belonging to. Another root word of Mishpocha is (Shakan-dwell), the same as Shechinah which means divine presence in Hebrew! This is also the same root word of Sukkah, temporary structures that are built during Sukkot. Families are comprised of all these characteristics, bound together by shared convictions, common affiliation in Fellowship! We are a community in which God’s divine presence dwells! This family is comprised of both Jew and Gentile treasure:
Matthew 13:44-46 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field. 45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it.
Verse 44 is a direct connection to Exodus 19:5, but pearls? From oysters which are not Kosher! It’s a symbolic reference to Gentiles! Yeshua said both were worthy of redemption and salvation in Yeshua!! “Jewishness is obviously not just a religion,” says Ellen Willis, an editor at the Village Voice Literary Supplement, In a certain way it’s like a big extended family.”
Biblical Family is not an arbitrary cultural or social construct, but a fundamental God given foundation of our creation that is built into the very fiber of our being and our universe. That’s why the traditional biblical family with it’s values and ethics are under attack! It’s the fundamental core of the Kingdom! Every family dinner replicates the Temple sacrifices! The family gathers at the Table around the sacrifice, the Father (Priest) giving thanks, and all partaking of the meat before Adonai! Like a family, we don’t always agree with each other. We at time may argue and be critical. But we continue to love each other and remained united while holding each other to a very high biblical standard, knowing that the shortcomings of any individual member of the family will be held against all of us. We are only as strong as our weakest member. Building Family is the reason that Yeshua came for all of Israel:
Ephesians 2:19 So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family.
At Mt. Sinai Israel responded to Adonai as a community, as Mishpocha, as family! A first in scripture! This mixed crowd answered in unity, as one voice!
Exodus 19:7–11 Moshe came, summoned the leaders of the people and presented them with all these words which ADONAI had ordered him to say. 8 All the people answered as one, “Everything ADONAI has said, we will do.” Moshe reported the words of the people to ADONAI. 9 ADONAI said to Moshe, “See, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will be able to hear when I speak with you and also to trust in you forever.”Moshe had told ADONAI what the people had said; 10 so ADONAI said to Moshe, “Go to the people; today and tomorrow separate them for me by having them wash their clothing; 11 and prepare for the third day. For on the third day, ADONAI will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.
The people prepared themselves. Dawn broke on the third day upon Mt. Sinai revealing a divine, supernatural sight:
Exodus 19:16-21 On the morning of the third day, there was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain. Then a shofar blast sounded so loudly that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Moshe brought the people out of the camp to meet God; they stood near the base of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was enveloped in smoke, because ADONAI descended onto it in fire -its smoke went up like the smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moshe spoke; and God answered him with a voice. 20 ADONAI came down onto Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; then ADONAI called Moshe to the top of the mountain; and Moshe went up. 21 ADONAI said to Moshe, “Go down and warn the people not to force their way through to ADONAI to see him; if they do, many of them will perish.
There is a powerful mystery revealed here! Thunder in Hebrew is “kolot”. This literally means a “multitude of voices”. I want you to understand that this is occurring on the festival of Shavuot-Pentecost, The PRESENCE OF GOD CAME DOWN ONTO THE MOUNTAIN on the 50th day after departing Egypt. The day Torah was given is the same day 1,700 years later the presence of Adonai CAME DOWN in the upper room and the Ruach HaKodesh was given! Once again in a multitude of voices! Adonai is a God of patterns, following His own calendar and timeline. Mt. Sinai is the first “God Encounter” experience that occurred on Shavuot, the Upper Room is the second. Both times God spoke in Kolot, a Multitude of Voices so that not only Israel, but every Nation Tribe and tongue heard Adonai‘s voice, commands, and mitzvah’s. All seventy known languages were coming from the top of the mountain conveying Gods instructions for ALL HUMANITY and again from the Upper Room!
It was at Mt. Sinai that Israel entered covenant with Adonai! Adonai commands that we Love Him, we must choose a relationship with Him, it cannot be forced. The 49 days of separation between Pesach and Shavuot was the preparation time for Israel, the mixed crowd to meditate, ponder, and make their choice. God or not God. Israel gave their answer at Mt. Sinai – “we will do and obey” 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 revelation! N’ase is from the root Oseh, which means “do”, plural; N’ase “we will do.” Same with Sh’ma. V’Nishma is Sh’ma in the 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, Adonai’s Torah. We accepted the proposal though we weren’t really in full comprehension or understanding of what it entailed! It’s the same when we received and accepted Yeshua! We don’t know everything about the Kingdom, it’s the starting point of an on ongoing, growing relationship with Adonai!
This is the very heart of Torah, of Yeshua’s message, of Shavuot! It’s the foundation of Kingdom living, obeying the Kings orders regardless if you understand or not!! Adonai teaches obedience to Him and His word while the world teaches non-obedience. The world calls us authoritarians yet, without this obedience, without the connection of obligation to freedom, Pesach to Shavuot, there is no covenant relationship. Knowing God’s desire in your heart is not enough, God requires the application of His mitzvahs and commands! Within this freewill desire to serve and minister unto Him we received the ongoing miracle of Shavuot 2,000 years ago in another divine revelation:
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.
Roar in the Greek is Phero which means to move or, to be conveyed or borne, with force or speed. Wind is Pnoe (pno-ay) which means breath, breath of life, and also wind. At the first Shavuot experience God spoke His word, He cast forth commands like thunder. At the second Shavuot experience God conveyed, He birthed life into those words with His breath-the breath of life!
When those 120 Jews in that upper room, who knew the written word received God’s Breath they became filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit! Holy in the Greek is hagios {hag’-ee–os} which is Most Holy Thing and Spirit in the Greek is, are you ready for this? Spirit in the Greek is pneuma {pnyoo‘-mah} which means breath, gentle move of air, Spirit. When God released His Holy breath of life into His words we received the most Holy breath, the Ruach HaKodesh. The Ruach HaKodesh spoke through those 120 in the upper room, just as God Himself did on Mt. Sinai, speaking Kolot– a multitude of voices.
What a poetic picture, Israel heard a multitude of voices when God cast forth His written word on Shavuot at Mt. Sinai the first time. The second time the word that had been planted into them came forth out of them in a multitude of voices, once again to the nations of the world but now it’s been infused with the most Holy Breath of God, The Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit….. The Holy Spirit in the Brit Chadesha is more than an empowering presence or power that comes upon select individuals. The Holy Spirit is a power, a force, a person that dwells within us allowing us to tap into the Power of Heaven and demonstrate that power. The Ruach HaKodesh marks us as Yeshua’s own:
Ephesians 1:13. Furthermore, you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, and put your trust in the Messiah were sealed (sphragizo {sfrag-id’-zo}: to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, the name of God and Messiah stamped upon their foreheads, to confirm authenticate) by him with the promised Ruach HaKodesh,
The infilling of the Ruach HaKodesh marks us, it seals us, confirming that we belong to Adonai and Yeshua! It’s a living Aaronic blessing within us! Both Jew and Gentile are marked as His Children by the Ruach HaKodesh! The enemy knows you are marked as a child of Adonai in Yeshua! He can’t touch You! We must create the atmosphere for the Ruach HaKodesh to habitate among us as well, in our services. You must surrender your mind, will, emotions, and body to the Spirit to seek His way of living. There are three aspects necessary for a move of The Ruach HaKodesh, The Holy Spirit”
- Honor Him as a Guest, don’t grieve the Ruach HaKodesh:
Welcome Him. When the Scripture says “Honor God” does it not include Father, Son, and Spirit? Honor Him and desire His presence and don’t offend. He can be grieved and quenched through ungodly attitudes and actions.
Ephesians 4:30 Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped (sphragizo {sfrag-id’-zo}) you as his property until the day of final redemption.
- Seek Him! I Cor. 14:1 tells us to “keep on eagerly seeking the things of the Spirit” which is to be our companion and teacher.
John 14:26 But the Counselor (parakletos {par-ak’-lay-tos}: intercessor, consoler, counselor, advocate, comforter) the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Seek to be equipped by the Ruach, He is more than a “special guest”. He is our intercessor, counselor, and advocate who will remind us of everything Yeshua said to us! Ask Adonai in Yeshua’s name to be equipped by the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Kingdom.
- Give Him Freedom and Liberty, Yield to the Ruach.
II Corinthians 3:17 Now, “ADONAI” in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of ADONAI is, there is freedom.
- Allow the Holy Spirit to lead:
Romans 8:14 (NLT) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
The greater body today is experiencing a grievous lack of the Ruach HaKodesh! God wants to fill you with power so that you can move forward and increase the Kingdom! That’s why asking is essential. Shavuot is the appointed time on God’s calendar when He is alive and active, ready to release His fullness to those who repent, surrender, and ask! I pray that you, as a child of God, be filled with the Dunamis, Resurrection power of the Holy Spirit this Shavuot!
Blessings and Shalom!
Rabbi Eric Carlson