Continuing our exploration of our Jewish faith, this week marked the observance of Shavuot, one of the Feasts of the LORD given to Israel. According to Lev. 23:15-17, this feast is to be observed 50 days, which includes 7 Sabbaths, after the Feast of First Fruits. Jesus fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits by His resurrection. Shavuot, 50 days later, was fulfilled by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with fire upon the disciples who waited according to His instructions. This event is known to us as Pentecost.
The rabbis teach that Shavuot memorializes the giving of the Law, the Torah, on Mt. Sinai. The later outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost would seem to have no connection to the giving of the Law, but we will see that it is directly connected. It is also directly connected to the prophetic promises made by God regarding the new thing that He would do concerning His Law.
In the account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers on this feast day, Acts records:
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:1-4
This miraculous event was witnessed by many devout Jews who had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from all the nations of the world to observe Shavuot. These devout pilgrims were visiting the tomb of David, which was located directly beneath the Upper Room, where the disciples were. They heard the disciples of Jesus praising God in the visitors' languages of their various foreign homelands. They wondered how these disciples could be speaking in so many different foreign languages, even foreign languages not commonly known or used in Israel (v. 5-12). The disciples explained that this was the fulfillment of the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit sent by God because of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus (v. 32-33).
Connecting this occasion to the understanding of Shavuot, the receiving of the Torah, Moses documents that the receiving of the Law was the engraving into stone tablets by the fire of God:
"...The LORD came from Sinai (thorny), and rose up from Seir (sacrificial animal as a goat, dread, horror) unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran (place of caverns, to glorify, beautify, adorn, honored by Jehovah), and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words." Deut. 33:1-3, (Ex. 20:18)
Jewish teaching also contains a description of the receiving of the Law on the mountain, with the accompaniment of fire:
"On the occasion of [the giving of ] the Torah, the [children of Israel] not only heard the Lord’s voice, but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from the Lord’s mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left the Lord’s mouth traveled around the entire camp and then came back to every Jew individually." Midrash Chazit
In His prophetic promise to His people, the LORD states that He will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. He promises, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jer. 31:31-33). The prophet Ezekiel wrote of the promise of God to sprinkle His people with clean water to cleanse them of filthiness. He promises to give His people a new heart and a new spirit. He would put His Spirit in them, and cause His people to walk in His statutes and judgments (the Torah). His people would return to their land, and receive great blessings in that restoration, which we have seen fulfilled in this generation (Ez. 36:24-28).
The giving of His Word is connected to receiving fire. Prophecy promised that the Word within His people's heart would be connected to the Spirit that would be placed in them. The giving of the Holy Spirit was also connected to receiving fire.
Paul wrote about this connection, and also the differences between the old covenant giving of the Law, and the new covenant giving of the Holy Spirit:
"...ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. ...(God) made us ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life....if the ministration of death, written and engraven on stones, was glorious ..How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?...much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory."
2 Cor. 3:1-9 (excerpt)
The Law written upon our hearts by the receiving of the Holy Spirit represented in this feast of Shavuot/Pentecost, is not about religious legalism or tradition, or the setting aside of the Law. Jesus explained:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill...one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whoseoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven....except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Mt. 5:17-20
Having the statutes and judgments of God written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, creates in our hearts a keeping of the Law in a manner that even the most stringent religious adherents could never attain, because the keeping of it is by the (fire) power of the Spirit of God, received in that much more glorious ministration spoken of by Paul, rather than by the natural strength and understanding of man.
Paul wrote that this new testament is not of the letter, but of the Spirit:
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law....If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Gal. 5:14-25 (excerpt).
Walking and living in those fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned by Paul, is the preventative against those sins that, by the Law, condemn us to death. By walking in the Holy Spirit that God sent in fire because of His Son, rather than walking in the ways of the flesh, we fulfill all of the requirements of the Law.
God has given us new hearts and new spirits, and has placed His Spirit within us who will receive. These are new hearts upon which He has written His Law by fire. This is Shavuot and Pentecost.
*The above is based upon the 6/9/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
Paul wrote about this connection, and also the differences between the old covenant giving of the Law, and the new covenant giving of the Holy Spirit:
"...ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. ...(God) made us ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life....if the ministration of death, written and engraven on stones, was glorious ..How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?...much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory."
2 Cor. 3:1-9 (excerpt)
The Law written upon our hearts by the receiving of the Holy Spirit represented in this feast of Shavuot/Pentecost, is not about religious legalism or tradition, or the setting aside of the Law. Jesus explained:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill...one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whoseoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven....except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Mt. 5:17-20
Having the statutes and judgments of God written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, creates in our hearts a keeping of the Law in a manner that even the most stringent religious adherents could never attain, because the keeping of it is by the (fire) power of the Spirit of God, received in that much more glorious ministration spoken of by Paul, rather than by the natural strength and understanding of man.
Paul wrote that this new testament is not of the letter, but of the Spirit:
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law....If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Gal. 5:14-25 (excerpt).
Walking and living in those fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned by Paul, is the preventative against those sins that, by the Law, condemn us to death. By walking in the Holy Spirit that God sent in fire because of His Son, rather than walking in the ways of the flesh, we fulfill all of the requirements of the Law.
God has given us new hearts and new spirits, and has placed His Spirit within us who will receive. These are new hearts upon which He has written His Law by fire. This is Shavuot and Pentecost.
*The above is based upon the 6/9/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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