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Shavuot - Two Testaments on Two Mountains
A Kingdom of Priests, Set Apart for G-d's Service;
Torah Engrafted - Spirit Empowered
In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt, on the very
day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. After they set out
from Rephidim, they entered the desert of Sinai and Israel camped
there in the wilderness in front of the mountain. Then Moses went
up to G-d and the L-RD called to him from the mountain and said,
"This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what
you are to tell the people of Israel. You yourselves have seen
what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles'
wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and
keep My covenant, then out all the nations you will be My special
treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will
be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (consecrated,
set apart to the service of G-d). These
are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. Exodus 19:1-6
A Tale of Two Mountains
G-d brought Israel to Mount Sinai selecting the inaugural Feast
of Shavuot as His appointed time to give them the Torah as His Ketubah.
(Ketubah - Keh-too-bah (Hebrew) = A Marriage contract ) About 1500
years later, on another Shavuot [Acts 2:1-4 & 16-21], His faithful
followers gathered in the temple on Mount Moriah, (Although Christian
tradition teaches that the disciples of Y'shua gathered in an upper
room on Mt. Zion, it would be more consistent with biblical Jewish
tradition for faithful Jews to be worshipping G-d in the Temple)
on Shavuot.fulfilling the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29, concerning the
outpouring of HaRuach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) upon His people.
This resulted in the engrafting of His Torah upon their hearts [Jeremiah
31:33 & Ezekiel 36:26-27] as He empowered them to become His
witnesses [Acts 1:8] and able ministers of the Brit Hadashah (New
Covenant) [2 Corinthians 3:6].
On the first mountain He gave Israel His covenant through Moses
as an act of betrothal. On the second mountain He wrote that covenant
on their hearts as the seal of the eternal union that was theirs
as members of the elect remnant Bride of Messiah. This was the predestined
purpose of our awesome Abba in Heaven. It is no coincidence that
Mount Moriah was the same place where G-d confirmed His covenant
with Abraham, to provide him a lamb. He fulfilled that promise on
a nearby mount called Golgotha by providing His only begotten Son
to die in the place of every human being, redeeming us all from
the penalty of our sinful rebellion to G-d.
The Torah reveals to us the righteous requirements of being His
chosen covenant people, bearing His holy name before the nations.
It reminds us of how holy G-d is and of how much we've all fallen
short of His glory. We need His abundant grace and mercy to be close
to Him and to become more like Him. This can only happen as we allow
HaRuach Elohim (The Spirit of G-d) to write His Torah (teaching,
instruction) upon our hearts. This happens more in the ordinary
humdrum activities of our everyday lives than in the momentous mountaintop
miracles, which we would very much prefer, but are all too few and
far between.
Meeting G-d On The Mountains
It came to pass in the morning that there was thunderings and
lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of
the shofar was very loud, so that all the people who were in the
camp trembled. Now Mount Sinai was covered in smoke, because the
L-RD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke
of a furnace and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the
blast of the shofar sounded long and became louder and louder,
Moses spoke and G-d answered him by voice.
Exodus 19:16-19
The festival of Shavuot had finally arrived; they were all with
one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from
heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them tongues as
of fire distributed and resting on each of them. And they were
all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to speak with other
tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem religious Jews from every
nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered:
they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking
in their own language. Totally amazed they asked, "How is
this possible? Aren't all these people who are speaking from the
Galilee? How is it that we hear them speaking in our own native
languages?
We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia,
Judah, Cappodacia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya,
Rome, Crete and Arabia! How is it that we hear them speaking in
our own languages about the great things G-d has done?" Acts
2:1-11
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