OBSERVE THE FEAST OF WEEKS

With his last words to the people before his death; Moses continues to advise Israel of the most important things to remember. One of those things is to observe The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost.

THREE TIMES A YEAR

This is one of the three times a year that God made it mandatory for the male population of Israel to go before the Lord in celebration with an offering.

The scripture found in Deuteronomy 16:9-12 records it this way:

Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name–you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.

REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE SLAVES IN EGYPT

Again; there is that reminder to remember that God’s people were once slaves in Egypt. This is to be remembered forever.

Why do you think that is important?

One reason would be that we would also remember the reason Israel was allowed to be caught in the bondage of slavery in the first place; because they had forgotten who was God and they had not obeyed His commandments to be faithful. After years in slavery; God granted them freedom again. It is important that they know what to do with the freedom that they have – Pentecost/Feast of Weeks helps to remember the things that matter most.

SHAVUOT OR PENTECOST

The Hebrew word for Pentecost is Shavuot; and that is the name of this festival today for the Jewish people.

Many other observant gentiles call it Pentecost. Pentecost is simply the Greek word for Shavuot.

THE FEAST OF WEEKS

Because of the counting of the omer that numbers the 49 days leading up to Pentecost we also call this festival The Feast of Weeks. There are seven weeks of seven days from Passover until Pentecost. If you want to review our lessons on how to count these days just click here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/passover-week-looking-at-early-first-fruits-and-counting-the-omer/;https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/seasons-coming-into-the-spring-holy-days-counting-the-omer-part-one/.

This festival always comes seven weeks from the day of the first-cutting of the barley harvest in the springtime when we observe Passover/Early Firstfruits and Unleavened Bread.

It comes 50 days after the day of Firstfruits (49 days + 1 (Firstfruits) = Pentecost.)

Technically we could say this is a PRE-harvest ceremony because Firstfruits (Bikkurim) does NOT actually mark the beginning of the harvest but a sheaf of green, un-ripened barley is cut and presented to be waved by the priests at the Temple in a pre-harvest ceremony that asks the Lord to make the harvest a good one. 50 days after the waive sheaf is waved; we celebrate Pentecost.

Pentecost was originally celebrated as an agricultural and religious festival of asking God’s blessings for the harvest. During the days of Moses; it became known as the day that God gave Israel the Ten Commandments. Later; after the Resurrection of Christ; it became celebrated as the day God gave His people The Holy Spirit.

If you think about this; each of these progressive celebrations (the new always remembered the old too) brings yet another element of freedom to God’s people. We can see how God provided blessings and the freedom from hunger. Then we can see how having the law would allow people the freedom that comes from obedience and knowing God’s ways. Next we get the greatest freedom of all; the ability to be able to have the comfort of knowing that Jesus died for our sins and then rose from the grave and later sent us The Holy Spirit who will be a witness for us in the days to come that we belong to The Kingdom of Heaven and have the rights to eternal life with God forever.

Moses wanted the people to remember all that they knew so far of Pentecost and to observe it as God had commanded when they reached the Land of Promise.

If you wish to study more about the observance of Pentecost as a Christian; just follow these links from previous lessons: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/waiting-on-pentecost/; https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/pentecost-2020-is-coming/; https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/pentecost-in-a-vineyard/;https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/pentecost-in-the-park/; https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/pentecost-past-and-present/;https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/calendar-of-god/.

As you might have noticed; Moses isn’t the only one with a lot to say about Pentecost! We love this celebration of our freedom in Christ.

Note to our readers: Maybe you missed our lessons as we were studying The Book of Genesis. If so; don’t fret. You can read them now in a complete and summarized set of two new books. Book 1 of 2 of THE GOSPEL HIDDEN IN GENESIS has now been published. You can get your copy by clicking the box below. Book 2 of 2 will be out sometime this fall. Watch for it!