Shavuot and the fire of love

Feeling lonely?  Sad and rejected?  Well be of good cheer, for Pentecost is almost here!

What the church knows of as "Pentecost" is actually the Biblical holiday of Shavuot (the "Feast of Weeks").  It is sort of the "forgotten holiday" on the Biblical calendar, yet a careful look at it reveals some incredible depth! 

Agriculturally, Shavuot marked the beginning of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22).  Historically, Shavuot marked new beginnings in the relationship between Elohim and His people.  This is significant because any God-ordained relationship will produce fruit.  And so as it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual.  Ostensibly this holiday was about celebrating the firstfruits of a harvest--but the way it has played out in history points to much more than just agriculture.  It points to romance.  It points to passion.  And it points to the fire of love between a husband and wife.

On Shavuot some 3500 or so years ago, the Israelites recieved their Law. Then on the same date some 1500 or so years later, the Israelites recieved the infilling of the Holy Spirit (as we read about in Acts 2).  Both occasions were marked by fire (Exodus 19:18; Acts 2:3). 

Listen to these words out of Song of Solomon 8:6 concerning fire and love:  "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame."

Our God is a lover.  But this holiday is not only about God's love for us--it is also about our response of love to Him.  It is significant that on this holiday the book of Ruth is read in synagogues around the world.  The book of Ruth is the story of a Gentile Moabitess who willingly and self-sacrificially embraced the God of Israel.  The result of her decision was the birth of King David (Ruth 4:17).  The result of our decision to embrace not only the God of Israel--but also the people of Israel--will be the return of the Son of David to the earth (Psalm 133:3; John 17:23).