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Fifty days after the Sabbath following Passover comes the feast of
Shavuot, or Pentecost, meaning fifty. This is an early harvest feast,
one of the three feasts that all Jewish men were required to come up to
Jerusalem to celebrate. In Acts 20 we find an interesting passage
regarding Pentecost: For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that
he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in
Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16). What’s the
hurry, Paul? And why Jerusalem? Why not stop at Ephesus where so much of
your ministry has been accomplished? (see Acts 19). Its likely that if
Paul had stopped at Ephesus he would have been delayed by many, many old
friends desiring to see him. Even when Paul came to Ceasarea he was
warned that in Jerusalem he would be arrested, and placed in bonds. So
why did Paul make getting to Jerusalem by Pentecost such a priority?
What’s in Jerusalem at Pentecost? In a word: people.
A Dynamic Opportunity!
Three times a year all Jews everywhere were to come to Jerusalem and to
the Temple for worship: The Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and
Tabernacles (Deut. 16:16). Though more people came to the Temple at
Passover, there were more out of town Jews able to come to Jerusalem at
Pentecost (see Josephus’ Antiquities 14,13,4 & 17,10,2). This was mainly
because the more favorable weather later in the year made the roads
passable, and thus Jerusalem more accessible.
That’s why we read in Acts 2:7-10 of the crowds coming from so many
different nations to Jerusalem at Pentecost. Messiah had promised His
disciples that His Spirit would empower them to be His witnesses so they
could reach the world with the Good News (Acts 1:8). At that Pentecost,
the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, was given to the body of believers
in Yeshua. The many countries represented by individuals who received
the pouring forth of the Spirit pictured God reaching out to the whole
world!
The Abrahamic Covenant Fulfilled
In Genesis 12:3 God told Abraham “In you will all of the families of
the earth be blessed.” This Abrahamic Covenant has its ultimate
fulfillment in the Good News of Yeshua, and Gentile believers were
evidence of it. So Paul was bringing a gift from Gentiles in Corinth and
Macedonia to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:3-4; 2 Cor.
8:1-15; Rom. 15:25-27); he knew that since his Jewish brethren from all
over the world would be coming for Pentecost, the timing of this gift
would be a wonderful testimony of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic
Covenant! So even with the warnings Paul was determined to be in
Jerusalem on this Pentecost. Through the grace of God Gentiles were
showing love to Jewish people, that indeed the blessing of Abraham has
come to the Gentiles!
A Two-Loaf Offering
At Pentecost, the most distinctive element of the festivities in Temple
service was the offering of the two Pentecost loaves. Since leaven is a
picture of natural corruption: pride, wickedness, unbelief (see 1 Cor.
5:6-8), the temple offerings were ‘leaven free’ (Lev. 2:11). But the
two-loaf Pentecost offering was specifically to contain leaven (Lev.
23:17). Why? The two-loaf offering was a picture of natural man
corrupted by sin, yet accepted by God. Since the Scriptures make it
plain that our sins have made a separation between us and God (Isa.
59:1-2), how can a holy God accept a sinful person? In Leviticus
23:18-20 a bloody sin offering was also presented along with the two
loaves: they all had to be presented together (Lev 23:20). Thus we see
that sinful man is accepted before God only so long as the blood
offering for sin is provided. The Pentecost offering was a picture of
the Gospel message, and provided a perfect opportunity for believers to
proclaim the Good News. We all have fallen short of God’s holy standards
and on our own merits can never come before the Holy God of Israel. But
God provided the atonement in Yeshua, our sin offering (2 Cor. 5:20)
that we might be fully accepted in Messiah... but only in Messiah. Every
Pentecost we are reminded that though we are fully accepted in the
Beloved, no matter how ‘mature’ we get we never outgrow the cross, or
our need of Him every day: “He must increase, but I must decrease”
(John 3:30. Apart from Messiah we are but corrupted and condemned
sinners, but in Him we are saved and kept by God’s grace in the eternal
sufficiency of His blood atonement.
Feast & Fellowship!
Following the regular offerings for the Feast of Pentecost (see Lev.
23:15-21, Numbers 28), the people brought their own freewill offerings
as the Lord had prospered them. They would then share with all the
various people from all over the world and rejoice in the Lord (Deut.
16:12-15). This would customarily last almost a week with the people
reaching out to one another in love and fellowship. What a great
opportunity for the believers and especially for Paul to reach out with
the Good News as the Spirit of God gave them an open door. This way Paul
could continue to win souls and make strategic contacts into new areas
for the Good News!
The Pentecost Priority
This was Paul’s priority: to make the most of every opportunity for the
sake of The Good News. Hence he would write, “Walk in wisdom toward
those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5). Paul’s
Pentecost Priority reminds us of our ultimate purpose in life while on
this side of heaven: to share Good News with those around us. Are we
using our summer vacations, holidays, business travel seeking a
‘Pentecost moment’ to share with a ‘whomsoever’ the Lord may bring our
way? Whether it’s a Feast Day (whatever the date), a family event, work
time or leisure, let’s be like Paul and take every opportunity to share
the love of God and reach out with the message of Messiah to all with
ears to hear, even to the Jew first!
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