Shavuot - The Confirming of Covenants
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Shavuot in Torah
Shavuot in Torah
We will begin today by reading 2 passages: Deut. 16:16-17 and Lev. 23:15-22:
Three times a year all your males are to appear before Adonai your God in the place He chooses—at the Feast of Matzot, the Feast of Shavuot, and the Feast of Sukkot. No one should appear before Adonai empty-handed— the gift of each man’s hand according to the blessing Adonai your God has given you.
“Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer of the wave offering, seven complete Shabbatot. Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat you are to count fifty days, and then present a new grain offering to Adonai. You are to bring out of your houses two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They are to be baked with hametz as firstfruits to Adonai. You are to present, along with the bread, seven one-year-old lambs without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They will become a burnt offering to Adonai, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to Adonai. Also you are to offer one male goat for a sin offering and a pair of year-old male lambs for a sacrifice of fellowship offerings. The kohen is to wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before Adonai, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Adonai for the kohen. You are to make a proclamation on the same day that there is to be a holy convocation, and you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the furthest corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Rather you are to leave them for the poor and for the outsider. I am Adonai your God.”
Passover to Shavuot
Passover to Shavuot
Passover is not complete until Shavuot. The last cup during the Passover Seder is Ex 6:7 “I will take you to Myself as a people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Adonai your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Passover is just the engagement, Shavuot is the marriage! God brings them to Mt. Sinai in chapters 19 and 20 of Exodus, and enters into a marriage covenant with them by giving them the Ten Commandments (a ketubah). Now even though it shouldn’t have taken so long, the time it took for them to get from Egypt to Mt. Sinai was 50 days. This is significant because the number 50 symbolizes Jubilee (or new beginnings), and after 30 days a slave can be eligible to marry (Deut. 21:10-14).
Theophany of Theophanies
Theophany of Theophanies
The central event in the Hebrew Scriptures is receiving the Torah from God. It is called by some, “The Theophany of all Theophanies.” This may be because this theophany is seen in Exodus 19 as a wedding between God and Israel where they received the Torah from God and became His people through covenant. We are all are familiar with the Apostle Paul’s analogy of the congregation as the bride of Messiah, but are unfamiliar with where he is getting that analogy. It is God’s marriage with Israel at Mt. Sinai.
Marvin Wilson writes that:
The 10 commandments may be seen as a ketubah or ‘marriage contract.’ It is a “document detailing the obligations and terms of the union, and is read to the bride before she is asked to make her final commitment to the bridegroom. The rabbis point out that this act is biblically depicted when God, on Sinai, declared to Israel, ‘Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.’ (Exodus 19:5).”
Cup of Betrothal
Cup of Betrothal
This is the same as when Yeshua offers the cup of the new covenant. 1 Cor. 11:25-26
In the same way, He also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in memory of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Many scholars see this cup as the cup of betrothal. This is where the groom-to-be would drink from the cup, pass it to the bride-to-be, and her drinking of this cup signified her acceptance of the proposed marriage.
The following quote is from Jon D. Levenson who shows the true heart of the covenant at Sinai.
Israel’s part in the covenant is “to realize her love in the form of observance of her master’s stipulations, the mitzvot, for they are the words of the language of love, the fit medium in which to respond to the passionate advances of the divine suzerian. It is not a question of law or love, but law conceived in love, love expressed in law. The two are a unity. To speak of one apart from the other is to produce a parody of the religion of Israel.”
It is the love of God which moves Israel to embrace His law at Sinai.
Does not Jesus (Yeshua) even say Jn. 14:15
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Establishing Covenants
Establishing Covenants
Two major events have occurred on Shavuot, The first was the giving of the Torah, and the second was the giving of the Ruach, Who writes the Word of God on our hearts. Ex. 20:18-22
All the people witnessed the thundering and the lightning, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled and stood far off. So they said to Moses, “You, speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” So Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that His fear may be in you, so that you do not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Then Adonai said to Moses, “Say this to Bnei-Yisrael: You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
Concerning the giving of the Torah, Rabbi Johanan said:
“Every single word that went forth from the Omnipresent was split up into seventy languages.”
The Babylonian Talmud (Sabb 88a) also says,
“Like a Hammer that breaks the rocks in sparks so every single word that went forth from the Holy One, blessed be He, split up into seventy languages.”
And again Philo writes,
“From the midst of the fire that streamed from heaven there sounded forth, to their utter amazement, a voice, for the flame became articulate speech in the language familiar to the audience, and so clearly and distinctly were the words formed by it that they seemed to see them rather than hear them.”
Notice all of these sources talk of the sound of many languages, and the fire that was seen. This should bring to our mind the giving of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-11
When the day of Shavuot had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues like fire spreading out appeared to them and settled on each one of them. They were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak in other tongues as the Ruach enabled them to speak out. Now Jewish people were staying in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound came, the crowd gathered. They were bewildered, because each was hearing them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “All these who are speaking—aren’t they Galileans? How is it that we each hear our own birth language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and those living in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and parts of Libya toward Cyrene, and visitors from Rome (both Jewish people and proselytes), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own tongues the mighty deeds of God!”
The Ruach HaKodesh had been promised many times and in many ways. John the baptizer said of Yeshua, Matt. 3:11 ““As for me, I immerse you in water for repentance. But the One coming after me is mightier than I am; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will immerse you in the Ruach ha-Kodesh and fire.”
Yeshua, himself, said to wait for the “Promise of the Father” and that “John baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5) Peter quotes Joel in saying that God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh . . . (Acts 2:17-21) and he states “This is what was spoken of.”
Promise of the Ruach HaKodesh
Promise of the Ruach HaKodesh
Here are several other places where the outpouring of the Ruach was specifically talked about. Isa. 44:1-5, Eze. 36:25-28, Eze. 39:28-29
“But now listen, Jacob My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.” Thus says Adonai who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you: “Do not fear, Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants. They will spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. This one will say, ‘I am Adonai’s.’ That one will be called by the name Jacob. Another will write on his hand, ‘Adonai’s’ and will take the name Israel.”
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. Moreover I will give you a new heart. I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the stony heart from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Ruach within you. Then I will cause you to walk in My laws, so you will keep My rulings and do them. Then you will live in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be My people and I will be your God.
Then they will know that I am Adonai their God, since it was I who caused them to go into exile among the nations and I who will gather them back to their own land. I will never again leave them there. I will never again hide My face from them. For I have poured out My Ruach upon the house of Israel.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
These last two prophesies of Ezekiel are very interesting, especially considering that they were given while in exile, although they were partially fulfilled in Acts 2, their fulfilment was not as encompassing as mentioned. This leads the understanding that, a latter day outpouring is what is being referred to.
[Read testimony of Sid Roth, https://youtu.be/-ITXEuOIfw4 ]
Filled with the Ruach, Why?
Filled with the Ruach, Why?
But why are we to be filled by the Ruach HaKodesh? The prophet Jeremiah says that through the Ruach we would know Adonai, fear Adonai, and remain with Adonai. Jer. 31:33, Jer. 32:39-40
No longer will each teach his neighbor or each his brother, saying: ‘Know Adonai,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.” it is a declaration of Adonai. “For I will forgive their iniquity, their sin I will remember no more.”
I will give them one heart and one way, so they may fear Me forever; for their good and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good for them. I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will not depart from Me.
Ezekiel says that because of the Ruach we will follow His Word from our hearts and that we would witness to the nations. Eze. 36:27, Eze. 36:23
I will put My Ruach within you. Then I will cause you to walk in My laws, so you will keep My rulings and do them.
I will sanctify My great Name, which has been profaned among the nations—which you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Adonai’ ”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“ ‘when I am sanctified in you before their eyes.’ ”
Yeshua said that through the Ruach we would receive power to be His witnesses. Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Ruach ha-Kodesh has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and through all Judah, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Peter then demonstrated this by going from someone who denied Yeshua to speaking. Acts 4:8
Then Peter, filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!
And the rest of the disciples also did the same. Acts 4:31
When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. And they were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
Paul says that the Ruach is the seal of our Salvation, the One who sanctifies us, and the One who changes our hearts desires. Eph: 1:13, Titus 3:5, Gal. 5:22-23
After you heard the message of truth—the Good News of your salvation—and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach ha-Kodesh.
not by deeds of righteousness which we had done ourselves, but because of His mercy— He saved us through the mikveh of rebirth and renewing of the Ruach ha-Kodesh,
But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law.
John then says that the Ruach is the evidence that Adonai abides in us. 1 Jn. 3:24
The one who keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him. We know that He abides in us by this—by the Spirit He has given us.
Who is the Ruach HaKodesh for?
Who is the Ruach HaKodesh for?
Who then can receive this gift of the Ruach HaKodesh? And how often can we be filled? Peter said to the Jewish people in Jerusalem: Acts 2:38-39
Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Messiah Yeshua for the removal of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away—as many as Adonai our God calls to Himself.”
And then with Cornelius the Gentile the Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. Acts 10:44
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Ruach ha-Kodesh fell on all those hearing the message.
How often should we be filled?
How often should we be filled?
In terms of how often should we be filled, Acts 4:23-31 shows us that the filling of the Holy Spirit should be an ongoing lifestyle.
As soon as they were released, Peter and John went to their own people and reported all that the ruling kohanim and elders had said to them. When they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “O Sovereign Master, ‘You made heaven and earth and the sea, and everything in them.’ You said by the Ruach ha-Kodesh, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, ‘Why did the nations rage and the peoples plot foolish things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against Adonai and against His Anointed One.’ “For truly both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together in this city against Your holy Servant Yeshua, whom You anointed. They did whatever Your hand and Your purpose predetermined to happen. And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant Your servants to speak Your word with utmost courage— while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy Servant Yeshua.” When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. And they were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
What should we do?
What should we do?
I long for the Ruach HaKodesh today! 1 Cor. 2:1-5 What is our faith in, the wisdom of men or the power of G-d?
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God. For I decided not to know about anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah—and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power— so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.