Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Hebrew Roots or Messianic you might find yourself in a dichotomy over how to keep or observe Biblical Feast Days. Besides the contradictions you might find in these areas, there are still countless podcasts on when feast-days begin or even if they should be celebrated. Oy vey! Is it possible to know these things?
This week in preparation for Shavuot, I did a brief review on two outside perspectives. I looked at the viewpoint from “Jewish Voice” a Messianic based information site and “My Jewish Learning” a site for Jews to substantiate their beliefs. Both are credible sources with a good deal of understanding and wisdom. Are you willing to take a “brief” look?
“Jewish Voice” began their take on Shavuot from the following quoted standpoint,
“Want to live more like Yeshua (Jesus)? Take ownership of the heritage you’ve been grafted into by learning to embrace the traditions and cultures that Jesus Himself celebrated.”
From here “Jewish Voice” summarizes the following:
- As with the other biblical feasts God commanded Israel to observe, Shavuot contains a picture of what would come later. Shavuot became “filled full” on Pentecost as described in Acts chapter two.
- The Lord commanded that, for Shavuot, all those physically able to travel were to bring their harvest offerings to Jerusalem. This means that Jewish men from all over the world were present on Pentecost to see the tongues of fire descend from Heaven and hear the Good News preached in the languages of the countries they’d come from. As God gave the Torah on Shavuot at Mount Sinai, He gave us His Holy Spirit on Shavuot (Pentecost), fulfilling His promise to write His Law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
The viewpoint from “My Jewish Learning” seems be in direct contradiction and reads:
“The Jewish holiday of Shavuot is often confused with a Christian holiday that happens around the same time of year. But Shavuot is not the Jewish Pentecost. Shavuot, which comes from the Hebrew meaning “weeks,” celebrates the early barley harvest and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. “Pentecost,” which comes from the Greek meaning “fifty,” commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the birth of the early church.”
So, if the Jewish perspective does not align with the Messianic perspective should we try to lump Pentecost and Shavuot together? Are they distinctly different or are the similar elements that we need to consider?
It’s easy to note that the Messianic point of view adds Messiah to the mix of Torah, while the Jewish point of view is strictly Torah centered. What is fascinating, is that while Messianic culture wants to maintain the customs and traditions of the Jewish culture, the Jewish religion does not recognize a Christian Messiah nor the attempts of a Messianic to act or behave Jewish. To better understand or compare the traditions of Shavuot, let’s review just a view. I’ll add personal questions for each:
1. Shavuot Then and Now
Shavuot was originally an agricultural feast. God commanded Israel to bring to the Temple in Jerusalem a sacrifice of the first of their summer grain harvest. After the Temple’s destruction, these sacrifices were no longer possible. Jewish sages noted that Shavuot’s timing aligned with when the newly freed Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, and they re-framed the holiday as a celebration of God giving us the Torah.
**My question: If the Messianic position points to the Shavuot Yeshua kept, how can this be truly done if Shavuot itself was reframed by the sages? Did Yeshua keep the new and reframed Shavuot or did He keep the Shavuot described in Lev. 23?
2. All-Night Torah Study
One of Shavuot’s unique traditions is staying up all night studying the Scriptures. It’s called Tikkun Liel Shavuot, meaning “night of correction for Shavuot,” and is based on a Jewish legend that the Israelites overslept on the morning they were to gather at the foot of Mount Sinai while Moses received the Torah for us. All-night study of the Torah and Tanach (the full Hebrew Scriptures) is a way to compensate for and correct the error of our ancestors.
** My question: Can anyone help me find a verse or reference from either the Torah or the Dead Sea Scrolls referring to the Israel tribes “sleeping in” on the morning of receiving the Torah? Seem like a fun tradition, but is it necessary for those of us who like to go to bed early?
3. Reading the Book of Ruth
Another Shavuot tradition is reading the book of Ruth. The most common reasons are that:
- Ruth’s acceptance of her mother-in-law’s God, the God of Israel, reflects the Jewish people’s acceptance of the Torah
- Shavuot is a harvest festival, and much of Ruth’s story occurs in a harvest setting
- Jewish tradition teaches that King David, a descendant of Ruth, died on Shavuot
**My Question: Does the story of Ruth reflect the giving of the Torah, or does it more aptly apply the picture of grace and mercy through the “Kinsman Redeemer?” A direct picture of the workings of Yeshua Messiah—Boaz covering a lost bride?
4. Dairy Products
Dairy foods are a delicious Shavuot custom. The holiday is associated with scrumptious desserts like cheesecake, cheese blintzes, and savory foods like mac and cheese, creamy noodle dishes, and cheesy breads. Why is dairy part of Shavuot celebrations?
- Tradition explains that our ancestors didn’t have time after receiving the Torah to prepare meat according to its laws and therefore ate dairy that day
- Each Hebrew letter has an associated number, thus giving words a numerical value. The number for “milk” is 40, reminding us of Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai and the Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness
- God promised Israel a land “flowing with milk and honey”
- The spiritual sustenance of the Torah is likened to the physical sustenance of milk
**My Question: Sounds fun! But again, do I have to? Or, could this be optional?
5. Synagogue Liturgies
Synagogue services on Shavuot typically include:
- Piyyutim – Jewish liturgical poems (some centuries old), chanted or sung in synagogue
- Hallel – psalms of praise
- Yizkor – the Jewish prayer service in remembrance of the dead
**My Question: Didn’t Yeshua say, “let the dead bury the dead, come and follow me?”
6. Shavuot in Israel
In Israel, Jewish people celebrate Shavuot in many other ways such as attending music festivals, exhibitions, and outdoor family activities. Holiday decorations often include greenery, flowers, and other items highlighting nature’s bounty.
**My Question: Can I go? Sounds fun!
7. Christian Pentecost vs Shavuot
As with the other biblical feasts God commanded Israel to observe, Shavuot contains a picture of what would come later. Shavuot became “filled full” on Pentecost as described in Acts chapter 2.
The Lord commanded that, for Shavuot, all those physically able to travel were to bring their harvest offerings to Jerusalem. This means that Jewish men from all over the world were present on Pentecost to see the tongues of fire descend from Heaven and hear the Good News preached in the languages of the countries they’d come from. As God gave the Torah on Shavuot at Mount Sinai, He gave us His Holy Spirit on Shavuot (Pentecost), fulfilling His promise to write His Law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
**My Question: Can the Holy Spirit (a sweet aroma) be given without the sacrifice of a spotless lamb? Is this why Peter’s sermon in Act 2 is so important for us to understand? What are the similarities between Pentecost and Shavuot?
Ending comments:
Whether you know it as Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, in my mind, it celebrates the Lord’s goodness and His gifts. He gives us harvest (a living) to sustain us physically. He gave us the Torah to guide us in how to form boundaries, how to treat one another and to teach us about the awesome promises of YHWH. He gave us His Son—Yahshua, not only as a blameless sacrifice, but to intercede for us as our high priest. And of course, the imparting of the Holy Spirit the Ruach was given to nourish our heart, soul, and mind as a new spiritual person in and through Messiah so that we can hear the voice of the Father.
With this being said, let us wave the offering of Living Bread before the Holy One and celebrate in His goodness and mercy. Stop condemning or arguing. Yeshua is coming soon to gather those who believe in His saving grace. I’ll let Him correct every one of our perceptions.
Praise be His Name!
Be blessed,
Rollyn