Happy holidays once again! It’s Shavuot (shah-voo-OHT), the time of first-fruits, or the wheat harvest in Israel. Shavuot begins Saturday night and lasts for one day in Israel and two days in the rest of the world.
One of three pilgrimage festivals (Shalosh Regalim), when all Jewish males were required to present themselves at the Temple in Jerusalem, the three are Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles (or Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot in Hebrew). These are referred to as the Festival of Unleavened Bread/Matzot, the Festival of First-Fruits/Reaping and the Festival of the Harvest in Exodus 23 & Exodus 34.
Shavuot marks not only the time of the wheat harvest in Israel, but also the giving of the Torah (the Law) at Sinai after the Israelites’ departure from Egypt following Passover. The holiday falls during the Hebrew month of Sivan, which means between mid-May to mid-June according to the lunar calendar. In honor of the harvest, which portion of the Bible do you think is read?
Think it through… harvest… reaping… gleaning… you’ve got this….
Working in the fields…. Any of this ring a bell?
That’s it—the Scroll of Ruth is read in the synagogue on Shavuot.
Fast-forward to the New Testament when Jesus (Yeshua) tells his disciples to stay in Jerusalem. He was seen of them for forty days following His resurrection. A group of 120 men and women remained in prayer from His ascension (40th day) until the Day of Pentecost (50th day) – Acts 1 & 2. Now, that’s a prayer meeting!
I’ve been in some “all-night” prayer meetings where some of the folks bring pillows-! We might need to build up our spiritual/physical levels to be able to press through and prevail in prayer like the early believers.
I’m in no way saying that they did not sleep for nine or so days, but they were definitely giving their waking hours to prayer during this time.
And then… the outpouring of the Holy Spirit-! The Day of Pentecost. Changed everything. Changed everyone. Those who were fearful and hiding behind closed doors, concerned about being arrested themselves, suddenly became bold proclaimers of the Gospel! Those who could not speak publicly began to declare the wonderful works of God!
A crowd gathered, the Word went forth, thousands were added to the faith!
Do it again, Lord.
May we be people of earnest prayer. There’s a world and a harvest waiting to be reaped. Be built up in prayer and then go into the fields which are ripe. Speak of His goodness and salvation.
It all started during Shavuot in Jerusalem!
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