Shavout – An Appointed Time
Shavuot means journey.
It is also known as the counting of weeks, first fruits, Pentecost.
We are to count seven weeks from the time of First Fruits and the waving of the First fruits of Barley during Unleavened Bread Week.
Shavuot represents fifty and the counting of seven Years is the Year of Jubilee. Leviticus 25
We are told in Leviticus 23 to: 15 “‘From the day after the day of rest that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving — you are to count seven full weeks, 16 until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to Adonai. 17 You must bring bread from your homes for waving two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven — as first fruits for Adonai. 18 Along with the bread, present seven lambs without defect one year old, one young bull and two rams; these will be a burnt offering for Adonai, with their grain and drink offerings, an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for Adonai. 19 Offer one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The cohen will wave them with the bread of the first fruits as a wave offering before Adonai, with the two lambs; these will be holy for Adonai for the cohen. 21 On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.” CJB
Count
Take the day off
Wave two loaves of leaven bread.
Wait for the Ruach Hachodesh
Pray
It is the completion of Yeshua’s death by sealing it with the Ruach Hachodesh. Our personal counselor, friend and truth.
It is a celebration of the giving of the Ruach Hachodesh.
Luke 3:16 “16 so Yochanan answered them all, “I am immersing you in water, but he who is coming is more powerful than I — I’m not worthy to untie his sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.” CJB
Acts 1:14 “14 These all devoted themselves single-mindedly to prayer, along with some women, including Miryam (Yeshua’s mother), and his brothers.” CJB
Acts 2:1 “The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” CJB
We are to use our language or languages to proclaim Yeshua and to be a testimony about His Kingdom.
John 15:26-27 “26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send you from the Father — the Spirit of Truth, who keeps going out from the Father — he will testify on my behalf. 27 And you testify too, because you have been with me from the outset.” CJB
John 14:25 “25 “I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.” CJB
John 16:8-11 “8 “When he comes, he will show that the world is wrong about sin, about righteousness and about judgment — 9 about sin, in that people don’t put their trust in me; 10 about righteousness, in that I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 about judgment, in that the ruler of this world has been judged.” CJB
Are you willing to speak about the kingdom of God?
Today is the day.
Sukkot
Sukkot is one of the biblically Appointed Times set apart by God.
Many times in our lives, we put our hopes and faith in things that give us security such as careers, finances, the stock market, and insurance. These things, however, do not last and many times we are disappointed and even discouraged. We convince ourselves that we are secure and nothing can shake us; but in reality, we are very vulnerable, very unprotected, and very weak.
Yeshua is the only one that can provide protection. He is the only one that can provide a shelter that no one can break down and no one can move. We have a covering that is forever, a covering that gives us eternal security and lasting shalom. God wants us to remember during sukkot that we are vulnerable without Him in our lives. By temporarily building a sukkah to live in for seven days, we are reminded that we are open and exposed to hurt, bad experiences, tribulation, sickness, being lost, and emotional pain. We also learn during Sukkot that tribulations in our lives are also temporary. Even though they seem to last a long time, it will eventually pass. Yeshua puts an end to uncertainty, to wandering, to fear, and provides love and protection. He is a shelter in time of trouble, a shelter that never fails, a shelter that lasts for eternity. With Yeshua by our side, we are victorious.
Why Celebrate Sukkot?
It is a commandment. He made the appointment.
Deuteronomy 16:13-15 says, “13 You are to keep the festival of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing-floor and winepress. 14 Rejoice at your festival – you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L’vi’im, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you. 15 Seven days you are to keep the festival for ADONAI your God in the place ADONAI your God will choose, because ADONAI your God will bless you in all your crops and in all your work, so you are to be full of joy!” CJB
Why Build a Sukkah?
It is a commandment.
Leviticus 23:39-43 “39 “‘But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of Adonai seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit, palm fronds, thick branches and river-willows, and celebrate in the presence of Adonai your God for seven days. 41 You are to observe it as a feast to Adonai seven days in the year; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month. 42 You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Isra’el is to live in a sukkah, 43 so that generation after generation of you will know that I made the people of Isra’el live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am Adonai your God.’” CJB
Nehemiah 8:13-18 “13 On the second day, the heads of fathers’ clans of all the people assembled with the cohanim and L’vi’im before ‘Ezra the Torah-teacher to study the words of the Torah. 14 They found written in the Torah that Adonai had ordered through Moshe that the people of Isra’el were to live in sukkot during the feast of the seventh month; 15 and that they were to announce and pass the word in all their cities and in Yerushalayim, “Go out to the mountains, and collect branches of olives, wild olives, myrtles, palms, and other leafy trees to make sukkot, as prescribed.” 16 So the people went out, brought them and made sukkot for themselves, each one on the roof of his house, also in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the open space by the Water Gate and in the open space by the Efrayim Gate. 17 The entire community of those who had returned from the exile made sukkot and lived in the sukkot, for the people of Isra’el had not done this since the days of Yeshua the son of Nun. So there was very great joy. 18 Also they read every day, from the first day until the last day, in the scroll of the Torah of God. They kept the feast for seven days; then on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.” CJB
Therefore, the next time Sukkot comes around, consider making your sukkah saying “Yes!” to His appointed invitation.
