Happy Shavuot! Happy Pentecost!
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. -Acts 2:1
Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus and ten days after His ascension into heaven was the appointed time known as Shavuot. Christian may recognize this day by another day, Pentecost. Shavuot is one of the Lord’s appointed times and three of those appointed times when the Lord commanded His people to return to Jerusalem.
It is the anniversary of the Lord giving His word, the torah, at Mt. Sinai. A few thousand years before the tongues of fire of Pentecost on that day there were thunderings and lightnings and it is said that everyone heard the commands of God in their native language, and that divine sparks went forth. The Lord compares the His spoken word to rocks being struck by a great hammer causing sparks to fly.
“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
-Jeremiah 23:29
I believe the Apostles were not surprised on this day. Tradition would have them reading or reciting the Torah the night before. I believe they were likely in the temple on Shavuot when the Spirit descended. They were drawing near to the Lord on this day by His word.
It is interesting to note that the only people to hear the Gospel that day were those that were obedient to God’s word and gathering at the temple on one of the three days of the year the Lord commanded. The three thousand who believed in Jesus and were baptized received the good news because they believed God already.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. -Acts 2:5
Devout men. Men who already heard and obeyed the word of God. Are we devout? Are we expecting the Lord to do great things? If so, are we devoted to Him and His ways? I have noticed that in scripture the first ones to experience a move of God are the ones that are doing His will at that time. Here are a few examples:
-Simeon, a righteous and devout man was given the honor of dedicating Jesus at the temple.
-Cornelius, is called a devout man. He was the first gentile to receive Jesus without being compelled to convert to an Israelite. He was still devoted to the commands of God that applied to a gentile.
My point is are we as willing to devote ourselves to the Lord like those who observed Shavuot before us.
By the way, have you noticed that today, Pentecostals do not observe Pentecost? Would not those who focus on the day of Pentecost desire to dig deeper and understand what this day is all about? Just asking.