Shavuot is coming

From May 29th...

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi everyone!

Today is Israel's Independence Day, Yom Ha-Atzma'ut. Tonight begins the Shabbat before Shauvot, (Shav-oo-ote', aka Pentecost) which is one of the High Shabbats.

This week's Parashah, or "Portion" is Naso, which means "Take" and refers to when The Father told Moses and Aaron to "take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi..." It also teaches about the amazing offerings to the Tabernacle, Nazarite restrictions, and the judgement of the wayward wife. It is a longer reading and an immense study opportunity!

Naso is found in Numbers 4:21-7:89;

Haftarah:Judges 13:2-25

Brit Chadasha: Acts 21:17-26

We are doing our normal Shabbat preparations; cleaning the house, readying for guests, cooking... But since Sunday is also a Shabbat, AND our 23rd anniversary, we are doing a little extra to be ready for that day as well.

The LORD is very kind in that cooking is permissible for a High Shabbat, just no servile work, (work that involves the exchange of money.)

Here is some of what we have learned about Shavuot so far:

Shavuot is one of the Biblical Feasts of the LORD and is not just for the Jews. Just as the Levites are from the tribe of Levi and the Rubanites are from the tribe of Ruben, the Jews are from the tribe of Judah and are only are only 1/12th of the equation.

Shavuot is one of the only feasts NOT given a specific date in the Bible but is determined by counting 50 days, or seven Sabbaths after Bikkurim, or First Fruits, the beginning of the Barley harvest. (Bikkurim is the second day of Hag Ha-Matzah, or Unleavened Bread)

This counting of days between Bikkurim and Shauvot is called Sefirat Ha'omer, or Counting the Omer. An omer is a unit of measurment and was the amount of barley offered on Bikkurim and of wheat offered on Shavuot. It is aprox. 3.7 quarts and makes a really large loaf of bread.

Counting the Omer helps connect the first Pesach, or Passover to the giving of the Law, and the sacrifice of Jesus, Yashua (which means Salvation!) to the giving of the Holy Spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh.

Shavuot happened on the 50th day after the children of Israel left Egypt and was the day The Father gave The Torah, The Law, the Pentatuch, to the children of Israel in HIS own voice from Mt. Sinai. 3,000 men died that day due to disobedience. It was later mandated to be when the first of the wheat harvest was waved before The Alter of the Tabernacle when Israel entered into the Land.

It was one of the three feasts mandated by The LORD for the men to travel to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple. The Greek name for Shavuot, Pentecost which means 50th, is also when The Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles as "tongues of fire." The Apostles, who were NOT in the upper room at this time as commonly taught, but were at the Temple for the Feast of Shavuot, began preaching boldly to the masses who were there from every country for the Feast. The LORD spoke through the Apostles, and every man heard in his own native language. As a result, 3,000 souls were added to the Kingdom on that day.

Some refer to this miracle as the "birth of the church." However, Pentecost is not when the church started. The church started that same day, aprox 1,500 years earlier in Exodus at Shauvot, when the people said "All that the LORD hath said, we will do." Thus, agreeing to the "Ketubah" or marriage covanant with the LORD and entering into a betrothal with HIM.

Hope this helps!

Shabbat Shalom!

~WOW