I Being a Foreigner | #ruth

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Today is Pentecost!

FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES

One of the most devastating lessons a young person learns is that people break their promises. Children naively assume that if someone says, [I promise,] they can count on it. But this assumption takes a vicious beating. A father vows to go camping with his son, but weekend after weekend finds dad too busy with other matters. A mother pledges to take her daughter to the zoo and then forgets all about it. A child shares a secret with a friend, only to discover that everyone in his or her class at school is in on it. No doubt you can give examples of promises made to you that were never kept. Jonathan Swift once said: [Promises and pie crusts were meant to be broken.] But YHVH is able to keep His Promises, no matter how unlikely their fulfilment may seem. Take the case of Abraham in the Old Testament book of Genesis. He was nearly 100 years old when Adonai renewed His pledge to give him a son. The patriarch's wife, Sarah, was 90. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered not at the promise of YHVH through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to YHVH; “and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:18-21). Abraham was not the only person in the Old Testament who recognized YHVH's ability to keep His Promises. Joshua wrote: “There failed not ought of any good thing which Adonai had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45). “And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which Adonai your YHVH spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.” (Joshua 23:14). A few hundred years later King Solomon reminded his generation of the same thing when he said in 1 Kings 8:56: “Blessed be Adonai, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.” Yes, the Bible gives ample proof of YHVH's ability to keep His Promises, even when they seem incredible. Yet most of us have difficulty believing our Adonai can calm our emotions or silence the worries that nag at our hearts. Unlike Abraham, we do not feel completely assured that what YHVH has Promised He is also able to perform.

1 – What Are YHVH’s Promises?

The word [promise] in its noun and verb forms is mentioned not less than 65 times in the New Testament alone. Only 2 of these instances refer to human promises. All the rest are Vows that YHVH makes. Let me just point out a few of the prominent examples of divine Promises in Scripture. YHVH Promises Ruach HaKodesh to people who have put their faith in Moshiach. Ephesians 1:13 states: “In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Ruach HaKodesh of Promise.” If you are a believer, you possess YHVH's Ruach Kodesh in your heart. “But the Fruit of HaRuach is Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness and Temperance: against such there is no law”. (Galatians 5:22-23). Because this is YHVH's Promise we can display those virtues in our lives if we have yielded to Ruach HaKodesh. A second biblical promise is an abundant life that will never end. 1 John 2:25 declares: “And this is the Promise that He hath Promised us, even eternal life.” Many verses teach that we believers possess eternal life right now. 1 John 5:11-12 says that: “And this is the record that YHVH hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of YHVH hath not life”. [Note the present tense] Hath the Son hath Life. This means we are secure in our salvation that is YHVH's Promise. Yeshua said: “and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Hand.” (John 10:28.) What a Promise! Our Heavenly Father Promises us spiritual rest. Hebrew 4:1 tells us that: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a Promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” YHVH wants us to cease striving to earn our salvation and start resting in the finished work of Moshiach on the cross. He invites us to rest from worry by trusting in Him. He tells us to rest in the Power of His Ruach, who alone can produce holiness in us. Why then do not more believers experience this rest? The answer is simple: We have not put our trust in YHVH's Promise. We believe our way of achieving peace and fulfilment is better than YHVH's way. That always leads us to restlessness. As Augustine said centuries ago, [You have made us for Yourself, O YHVH and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.] The people of Israel under Moses failed to receive their rest in the Promised Land. They died in the wilderness because they did not believe Adonai could keep His Promise. With this in mind, Hebrews 3:19 says: “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” We too, can forfeit our spiritual rest, merely by refusing to trust YHVH for it. We could examine other specific promises. James 2:5 mentions: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not YHVH chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which He hath Promised to them that love Him?” 2 Peter 3:4 speaks of: “and saying, where is the Promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” To sum it up, all of YHVH's Promises are included in His Son, Yeshua Moshiach. “For all the promises of YHVH in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of YHVH by us. (2 Corinthians 1:20). Yeshua fulfils such Old Testament promises such as: “and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My Voice.” (Genesis 22:18.) “He will swallow up death in victory; and Adonai YHVH will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for Adonai hath spoken it”. (Isaiah 25:8). “And there was given Him Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14). Do you have Moshiach in your heart? Then you possess all of YHVH's Promises. Receive Yeshua and you receive everything.

2 – Why Are YHVH’s Promises True?

Scripture gives us two good answers to this question:

A) YHVH is Truthful:
Titus 1:2 affirms that the divine promises are dependent on: in hope of eternal life, which YHVH, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. A lie would contradict the Heavenly Father's nature. Romans 15:8 say that: “Now I say that Yeshua Moshiach was a minister of the circumcision for the Truth of YHVH, to confirm the Promises made unto the fathers”. Yeshua said: “Yeshua saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (Romans 14:6). To harbour suspicions of YHVH's Word is to challenge His Character, for as Truth He cannot lie. We know that people often renege on their promises, so we expect the same from the Heavenly Father. We bow in prayer, claim a divine Promise, thank YHVH in advance for its fulfilment and then are sure we will never possess it. The Bible labels that kind of person: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8). When Adonai first promised Abraham a son, the patriarch doubted. He tried to help YHVH by taking his wife's servant girl, Hagar and having a son through her. Eventually he overcame his scepticism and grew strong in faith by trusting in YHVH's truthful nature. That is what our Heavenly Father wants us to do. The second answer to why are YHVH's promises true? is:

B -- YHVH is Trustworthy:
Speaking of Adonai, Hebrews 10:23 says: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is Faithful that Promised”. The New English Bible translates it; “The Giver of the Promise may be trusted”. The original word for [promise] was used in secular literature for the empty promises of politicians and of quacks who were selling supposed miracle potions in a bottle. People soon learned that these promises were unreliable. But YHVH is trustworthy. It is a part of His nature to keep His Promises. Some people consider themselves so worthless and corrupt they refuse to believe that divine grace will suffice for them. But the Promise of Salvation does not depend on us. If it did, no one would know Moshiach. Never doubt that YHVH can Love you, for His acceptance is based on His own Trustworthiness, not our unworthiness. We honour our Adonai by trusting in His Grace as much as Abraham honoured Him by trusting in His Power. YHVH called on Abraham to believe he could become a father, even though it was physically impossible. He asks us to believe we can be children of YHVH in spite of our unworthiness. Though we are faithless, YHVH is dependable; therefore, His Promises are true.

3 – How Do We Receive YHVH’s Promises?

Here are four ways through which we receive YHVH's promises:

A -- First, Prayerful Study of Scripture:
The Word of YHVH is the treasury of every promise. It also reveals Moshiach, who embodies each one. So, we must deeply mine the soil of YHVH's Word to discover its gems. A little girl pointed to the Bible that stood untouched on the bookshelf and asked her mother: Whose book is that? Startled by her daughter's question, the mother answered: Why honey, don't you know? It is YHVH's book. With eyes wide open the girl replied: Then don't you think we should give it back to Him? No one around here ever reads it? Ignore the Bible and you ignore Moshiach. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople in the 4th century A.D. said: The cause of all evil rests in ignorance of and imperfect acquaintance with Holy Scripture. Unless we study YHVH's Word, unbelief will spread like a cancer in our hearts. How can we know what our heavenly Father has Promised unless we hear His Voice in the pages of the Bible? We cannot. That is why many people go astray. They assume YHVH has made Promises, when in fact He has not. They assume He has Promised them physical healing; a job; fair treatment; a good marriage. But the bottom line is that our faith is no insurance policy against severe trials and pain. What then, does YHVH Promise us? In one word; Himself! He is all we need! In Moshiach all the Promises of YHVH are yes. But we must search the Scriptures to find and claim each one.

B -- Secondly, Patiently Waiting:
Hebrews 6:15 say of Abraham, And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the Promise. Perhaps right now you are thinking; I did not make up a promise; I claimed one straight from the Bible, but it still did not come true. Why does YHVH not keep His Promises for me as He did for the heroes of Scripture? Remember how Adonai fulfilled His Promises for the biblical heroes. Abraham waited 25 years, until he was 100 years old, between YHVH's original Promise and the birth of Isaac. Have you waited that long? Do not rush YHVH. Let Him do His own work in His own time. Before He is through, He will keep His Promises in your life too. David is another example. YHVH Promised him he would be the king of Israel. Yet he waited for years during the wicked reign of Saul before he came to the throne and through it all he learned patience. Even as early as the book of Genesis Adonai promised His people a Moshiach, but it took centuries for Moshiach to come in the fullness of YHVH's timing.

C -- Thirdly, Obedience to YHVH's Will:
Hebrews 10:36 teaches that obedience is a key to obtaining YHVH's Promise: For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of YHVH, ye might receive the promise. Part of our obedience is a childlike faith that takes YHVH at His Word without any questioning. Often Adonai's Promises are conditional. We have to fulfil responsibilities before we can receive the privileges. Take YHVH's greatest Promise, Yeshua Moshiach. The Heavenly Father does not give His Son to us automatically. Before He becomes ours, we must trust Him as our Adonai and Saviour. The Promise does not come through until the responsibility is fulfilled.

D. Fourthly, Faith:
Hebrews 10:36 says the Old Testament heroes: by faith... obtained promises. When YHVH promised Abraham a son, the patriarch: he staggered not at the Promise of YHVH through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to YHVH. -- Romans 4:20. Dare to take YHVH at His Word. For we walk by faith, not by sight. -- 2 Corinthians 5:7. Unlike us, Abraham did not have the full revelation of the Bible. The patriarch knew the Promise of the Moshiach, but we know the Moshiach Himself. Yet in spite of our advantages over Abraham, we doubt much more quickly than he did. If he could believe YHVH for a promised child when he was 100 years old, we can claim the Promises our Heavenly Father makes to us.

Let me ask you: What is the promise you need to claim? Maybe the one from Philippians 4:7: And the Peace of YHVH, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Moshiach Yeshua. Perhaps you need a promise of victory over temptation. Here it is: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but YHVH is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. -- 1 Corinthians 10:13. Or you may require wisdom to deal with trials in your life. Claim James 1:5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him asks of YHVH, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. If you are the victim of slander, divorce, or disease you may wonder if anything good can come out of it. Grab hold of 1 Peter 5:10: But the YHVH of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal Glory by Moshiach Yeshua, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle you. Perhaps you shoulder a tremendous burden of guilt. You would give anything to wipe out your past sin. Instead of giving something, just receive this promise: If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -- 1 John 1:9. Whatever your need, YHVH is able to keep His Promises.

this started as a reply to nick's post of some hours ago.
i always like your inspirational bites, nick, and this time you took isa 6.
now i'm a bit of a loose cannon, and as such i let others point to my next steps to understanding. it works for me. as i read chapter 6 i saw stuff that made me write this post.
so, here's something i see in isaiah 6.

firstly, yet again it's on this sensitive topic, ourselves.
'this people' of verse 9 is not only those israelites of old.
it is all israelites, of which i'm sure Torah keepers, among others, have joined.
let's look at what this people are to be told (verse 9-10)

- “Go and tell this people,
‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
Make the hearts of this people calloused;
deafen their ears and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.” -

so first we hear.
the meaning of hearing is always listening to counsel.
so we're listening to counsel before we're seeing, which is always reading the Word, for only There does one see the Truth.
and this hearing counsel first (what a surprise, we're first listening to 'truths' of men), makes us not understand correctly, and then clouds our sight (the reading is prejudiced by those 'truths') so we can't perceive the Truth.
and our hearts are hardened, not to others, that's not so important, because that heart is the ground in which the Seed must grow.

so, as so many of you have wrested yourselves free from, let's say, the traditions of men streams of thought, i hope you can see what i mean.
anyway, so because otherwise what might happen?
things might occur in the right order, that one sees the Truth without prejudice, listens to It's counsel only, and understands with one's heart, bringing one to turn, healing the heart so the Law can be written in it.

this understanding entails union. judah and ephraim coming together again at last. it is the Law and the Prophets, it is moses and elijah.
it is only when we see only the Truth (aka the Law), cleansed from 'truths' of men, and follow its counsel only (as the Prophets had to do), that we bring the two sides of our own kingdom back to unity.
until such time the truths we perceive and the counsels we follow continually are at war. let's say we tend to mix and match.

how long before we turn? verse 11-13

- Then I asked:
“How long, O Lord?”
And He replied:
“Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left unoccupied
and the land is desolate and ravaged,
12until the LORD has driven men far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will be burned again.
As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled,
so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.” -

until the citadels built up of myriad 'truths' are torn down and no 'truth' inhabits them anymore.
until the houses (our house is our temple!) we built from the bricks of counsels of 'truths' we follow are left behind.
until the heart is calloused, desolate and ravaged.
until all these 'truths' emanating from 'men' are driven far away,
and the heart is utterly forsaken, in despair.
so that everything is cleansed, the ground barren, except for that Holy Seed, the only thing left in the land.
now conditions have been met for it to sprout, the turning can take place, judah willl only listen to the Truth, ephraim will only follow its counsel, and the kingdom can unite, rocks and thorns are not interfering. the Seed, having died, sprouts to Life.

this is that new heart in which the Law will be written. one will not stray from it anymore.
this is beyond the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
now, for those who think they've 'done' their bit, their preparations are complete, and any delay in this new heart coming to being, where the flesh conforms to the spirit, is only part of 'waiting', which we are told to do, allow me to point out that what exactly is happening in this 'waiting' period is the destruction of 'truths' of men and inappropriate 'counsels' and the laying desolate of the land, so that it can be BURNED yet one last time!
our Father is not interested in delays.

hehe, a nice moment to stop

Chag Hashavu’oth – The Festival of Weeks

It is commanded in Torah that all the males of Yisrael are to present themselves before YHWH three times in the year at His annual festivals. In ancient times, when the Temple still stood in Yerushalayim, each family of Yisrael would prepare a basket of “Habikkurym” – the first-fruits of the land, to take with them up to the place where YHWH had chosen to place His name, for Chag Hashavuoth. The basket contained in it seven kinds of ripe fruit arranged in the following order: barley in the bottom, wheat above that, then layered to the top: olives, dates, pomegranates, figs and grapes. The basket was guarded all night by a company of at least twenty-four persons from each tribal father’s house as they counted the fiftieth and final day of the Omer, then studied, recounted or recited the Scriptures and commandments until dawn. In the morning when they set out for the Temple, they would say, “Arise, and let us go up to Tzion, to YHWH Eloheynu!” (Yirmeyahu 31:6). An ox, to be the “Shelomim” (peace offering), went before them with gilded horns and an olive branch crown upon its head, as the people sang, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of YHWH’” (Tehillah 122: 1). Upon approaching Yerushalayim a messenger was sent before them to announce their arrival, and the first-fruits were tastefully arranged for presentation. The officiating Kohayn, Leviym, and other officials of the Temple went out to meet them and accompanied them into the city. At the gates, the watchmen would cry out, “Brothers! Men of (tribe or family), you have come in shalom!” The incoming party would sing in response as they entered, “Our feet are standing within your gates, O Yerushalayim!” (Tehillah 122:2). The piper, who led the music of the party, continued to play until the procession came to Mount Moriyah, the site of the Beyth Hamiqdash (Temple). Here, every head of household, even the King, took his own basket upon his shoulders and went forward until coming to the Temple court, singing, “Halleluyah! Hallelu El in His set-apart place!...” (Tehillah 150). The Leviym then responded with, “I will extol thee O YHWH…” (Tehillah 30). Pigeons or doves, which were hung about the baskets, were taken for Olah (whole burnt) offerings to be sacrificed upon the altar. With baskets still upon their shoulders, the leader of each group would recite the story of Ya’akov from Devarym 26:3-11. When each came to the verse, “My father was a wandering Aramean…,” he would let down the basket, holding it by its rim. The Kohayn would then put his hands under theirs and “wave” it – forward, back, up, down, denoting the directions of the compass, heaven and earth – as the offerer continued to recite the story. When he reached the verse, “And now behold, I have brought the first of the produce…,” he would put the basket beside the north side of the altar and then, having prostrated himself before YHWH one final time, would depart. After passing the day and night celebrating in Yerushalayim, the pilgrims turned the following day for their homes.

None of these private offerings were allowed to be presented until the public offering for the entire nation was first made on Shavuoth by the kohanym after the morning Olah offering and sacrifices in the third hour of the day – about 9 o’clock. In fact, this was the purpose of the festival service, to consecrate the first-fruits of the entire land to YHWH, so that each of those crops could then be used by the people as food, in commerce, and during the rest of the year. The Torah nowhere states specific amounts to be given in these particular offerings, which was left to the giver’s discretion. It only demanded that the first and choicest portions be offered to YHWH.

In the third and sixth year of the Shemittah (seven-year cycle), verses 13-15 of Devarym 26 were substitutionally declared. Certain types of people were also allowed exemptions for various reasons. For example: those who owned trees but not the land they were on, could not offer, because they could not say, “…the ground which Thou, O YHWH, has given me.” Those living beyond the land of Yisrael could not bring first-fruits, because they could not say from, “…a land flowing with milk and honey.” An unconverted proselyte, though bringing the offering, was not to recite the service, being unable to say, “I have entered the land which YHWH swore unto our fathers to give us.” Servants, slaves, women, sexless persons, and hermaphrodites were not allowed to recite the service, because they were unable to say, “I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which thou, O YHWH, has given me,” they having no original share in the land.

Now, in modern times, Shavuoth is celebrated with decorations of flowers in homes and synagogues, along with eating fresh fruits. The 10 commandments are read along with the book of Ruth, and a worship service is held. It is a celebration of great joy and thanks for YHWH giving us the produce of the land, His spirit, and His promises.

Blessed Art Thou YHWH Eloheynu who gives to us the festival seasons and has enabled us to reach this Chag Hashavuoth!

CHAG SHAVUOTH SAMEACH!

“And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to יהוה. Bring from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread, of two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour they are, baked with leaven, first-fruits to יהוה. And besides the bread, you shall bring seven lambs a year old, perfect ones, and one young bull and two rams. They are an ascending offering to יהוה, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to יהוה. And you shall offer one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old, as a slaughter of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave offering before יהוה, besides the two lambs. They are set-apart to יהוה for the priest. And on this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do no servile work on it – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”

“And when the Day of the Festival of Shavuoth had come, they were all with one mind in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Ruach Haqodesh and began to speak with other tongues, as the Ruach gave them to speak. Now in Yerushalayim there were dwelling Yehuḏim, dedicated men from every nation under the heaven. And when this sound came to be, the crowd came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to each other, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how do we hear, each one in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Ěylamites, and those dwelling in Aram Naharayim, both Yehuḏah and Kappadokia, Pontos and Asia, both Phrygia and Pamphulia, Mitsrayim and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Yehuḏim and converts, Cretans and Araḇs, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great deeds of Elohim!”

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Thought for Today: Sunday June 08

Personally, I think that Isaiah 6 is one of the most unforgettable chapters in the Bible. In that chapter we find Isaiah’s intimate account of his experience with YHVH. The ultimate experience of life is knowing YHVH, and Isaiah came to know HIM in His Righteousness and Holiness. The challenge however is: We who see YHVH as He is, are to see the world as He sees it – and then step out in faith to make a difference. Remember, we as individuals or even as believers in groups, cannot change the world but if we have the right attitude, we can surely make a difference.

Chag Hashavu’oth – The Festival of Weeks

It is commanded in Torah that all the males of Yisrael are to present themselves before YHWH three times in the year at His annual festivals. In ancient times, when the Temple still stood in Yerushalayim, each family of Yisrael would prepare a basket of “Habikkurym” – the first-fruits of the land, to take with them up to the place where YHWH had chosen to place His name, for Chag Hashavuoth. The basket contained in it seven kinds of ripe fruit arranged in the following order: barley in the bottom, wheat above that, then layered to the top: olives, dates, pomegranates, figs and grapes. The basket was guarded all night by a company of at least twenty-four persons from each tribal father’s house as they counted the fiftieth and final day of the Omer, then studied, recounted or recited the Scriptures and commandments until dawn. In the morning when they set out for the Temple, they would say, “Arise, and let us go up to Tzion, to YHWH Eloheynu!” (Yirmeyahu 31:6). An ox, to be the “Shelomim” (peace offering), went before them with gilded horns and an olive branch crown upon its head, as the people sang, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of YHWH’” (Tehillah 122: 1). Upon approaching Yerushalayim a messenger was sent before them to announce their arrival, and the first-fruits were tastefully arranged for presentation. The officiating Kohayn, Leviym, and other officials of the Temple went out to meet them and accompanied them into the city. At the gates, the watchmen would cry out, “Brothers! Men of (tribe or family), you have come in shalom!” The incoming party would sing in response as they entered, “Our feet are standing within your gates, O Yerushalayim!” (Tehillah 122:2). The piper, who led the music of the party, continued to play until the procession came to Mount Moriyah, the site of the Beyth Hamiqdash (Temple). Here, every head of household, even the King, took his own basket upon his shoulders and went forward until coming to the Temple court, singing, “Halleluyah! Hallelu El in His set-apart place!...” (Tehillah 150). The Leviym then responded with, “I will extol thee O YHWH…” (Tehillah 30). Pigeons or doves, which were hung about the baskets, were taken for Olah (whole burnt) offerings to be sacrificed upon the altar. With baskets still upon their shoulders, the leader of each group would recite the story of Ya’akov from Devarym 26:3-11. When each came to the verse, “My father was a wandering Aramean…,” he would let down the basket, holding it by its rim. The Kohayn would then put his hands under theirs and “wave” it – forward, back, up, down, denoting the directions of the compass, heaven and earth – as the offerer continued to recite the story. When he reached the verse, “And now behold, I have brought the first of the produce…,” he would put the basket beside the north side of the altar and then, having prostrated himself before YHWH one final time, would depart. After passing the day and night celebrating in Yerushalayim, the pilgrims turned the following day for their homes.

None of these private offerings were allowed to be presented until the public offering for the entire nation was first made on Shavuoth by the kohanym after the morning Olah offering and sacrifices in the third hour of the day – about 9 o’clock. In fact, this was the purpose of the festival service, to consecrate the first-fruits of the entire land to YHWH, so that each of those crops could then be used by the people as food, in commerce, and during the rest of the year. The Torah nowhere states specific amounts to be given in these particular offerings, which was left to the giver’s discretion. It only demanded that the first and choicest portions be offered to YHWH.

In the third and sixth year of the Shemittah (seven-year cycle), verses 13-15 of Devarym 26 were substitutionally declared. Certain types of people were also allowed exemptions for various reasons. For example: those who owned trees but not the land they were on, could not offer, because they could not say, “…the ground which Thou, O YHWH, has given me.” Those living beyond the land of Yisrael could not bring first-fruits, because they could not say from, “…a land flowing with milk and honey.” An unconverted proselyte, though bringing the offering, was not to recite the service, being unable to say, “I have entered the land which YHWH swore unto our fathers to give us.” Servants, slaves, women, sexless persons, and hermaphrodites were not allowed to recite the service, because they were unable to say, “I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which thou, O YHWH, has given me,” they having no original share in the land.

Now, in modern times, Shavuoth is celebrated with decorations of flowers in homes and synagogues, along with eating fresh fruits. The 10 commandments are read along with the book of Ruth, and a worship service is held. It is a celebration of great joy and thanks for YHWH giving us the produce of the land, His spirit, and His promises.

Blessed Art Thou YHWH Eloheynu who gives to us the festival seasons and has enabled us to reach this Chag Hashavuoth!

Chag Shavuoth Sameach!

“And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to יהוה. Bring from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread, of two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour they are, baked with leaven, first-fruits to יהוה. And besides the bread, you shall bring seven lambs a year old, perfect ones, and one young bull and two rams. They are an ascending offering to יהוה, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to יהוה. And you shall offer one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old, as a slaughter of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave offering before יהוה, besides the two lambs. They are set-apart to יהוה for the priest. And on this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do no servile work on it – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”

“And when the Day of the Festival of Shavuoth had come, they were all with one mind in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Ruach Haqodesh and began to speak with other tongues, as the Ruach gave them to speak. Now in Yerushalayim there were dwelling Yehuḏim, dedicated men from every nation under the heaven. And when this sound came to be, the crowd came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to each other, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how do we hear, each one in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Ěylamites, and those dwelling in Aram Naharayim, both Yehuḏah and Kappadokia, Pontos and Asia, both Phrygia and Pamphulia, Mitsrayim and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Yehuḏim and converts, Cretans and Araḇs, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great deeds of Elohim!”

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