Shavuot

INTRODUCTION

This morning I want to speak on the Feast of Shavuot. Shavuot, or Pentecost, as it is often called, is deep in meaning. It represents the fulfillment of God’s promise that He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower His people. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of this day in 36:26-28.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit with you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers you shall be my people, and I will be your God."

Shavuot is also called in Hebrew Atzaret Pesach, The Conclusion of Passover. Historically, this feast was observed as an agricultural feast. It represented the beginning of the wheat harvest, just as Passover represented the beginning of the barley harvest. When the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., this feast lost much of its agricultural meaning, and came to be recognized as the time when God gave the law to the nation of Israel.

Jewish tradition teaches that Passover is when God promised to marry Israel, while Shavuot is the time when God entered into the marriage covenant with them. The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot symbolize the seven days a bride-to-be counts in preparation for the consummation of her marriage.

Exodus 19 describes the giving of the law to Israel. In fact, this law represents the time when God entered into and proposed His marriage covenant to Israel. The covenant of the law is parallel to the Ketubah. A Ketubah is a written marriage covenant between a husband and wife whereby they agree to the terms and obligations outlined in their relationship. Ex. 19:6-8, when God entered into this covenant of marriage with Israel, there were great manifestations of His presence to demonstrate His commitment to his covenant.

So also, the Feast of Shavuot represents our marriage to the Messiah. Our act of betrothal was when we said, "I do accept Yeshua as my Messiah and Lord. All that the Lord has spoken I will do." I believe that Yeshua died for me. He gave His very life for me when He bought me with His blood as He did with each one of you. As our bridegroom, Yeshua made a promise to us: "I will keep my covenant with you by sending my Holy Spirit as a seal of my promise that I will never leave you or forsake you. I will send you a helper who will teach you all things…"

So also in Eph. 1:13,14 -

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation , in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Who isthe guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

One day, we will experience the full redemption of our bodies and consummate our marriage covenant with the Messiah. In the meantime, God has given us His Holy Spirit as a pledge, a promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will always be with us, even until the end of this age. In fact, it is during this feast that we enter into the deeper fullness of the Holy Spirit when He promises to empower us. Pentecost is a feast of power. As the bride of Messiah, God has given to us His authority and power to fulfill His purpose for us as a bride.

It is no coincidence that during this Feast of Shavuot the book of Ruth is read. Prophetically, the story of Ruth symbolizes God’s purpose and longing for the Jewish and non-Jewish believer to be joined together as one new man. I want to also link Ephesians 2:11-22 with the story of Ruth. Mother’s day has just passed, and so this story also fits into this special day on the calendar when we honor mothers.

The story of Ruth and Boaz is a wonderful picture of the type of relationship that should exist between the Church and the Messianic Community today.

Ruth, a Gentile, being wedded to Boaz, a Jew. Together, their lives became the fulfillment of one of the great Messianic prophecies in the Bible. It has always been God’s purpose for Jew and Gentile to walk in love and unity as one new man and together build up the household faith.

The story of Ruth takes place during the grain harvest. We know that the Feast of Passover and Shavuot are joined together by the counting of the Omer. During temple times, there were two official ceremonies, one at the beginning of the 50th day and one at the end.

The barley harvest coincided with Passover, and Firstfruits, the wheat harvest, coincided with Shavuot, fifty days later. Because of the ritual of counting, the period between Pesach and Shavuot came to be known as the Counting of the Omer.

The story of Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges. It was a time of confusion and turmoil in Israel, with only temporary periods of peace and prosperity. As a severe famine was plaguing the land of Judah, Naomi and Elimelech, a family from Bethlehem (which ironically means The House of Bread –Beit Lachem) chose to leave the land of promise and sojourn to the land of Moab, a Gentile pagan society. This Jewish family left their inheritance to look for provision among the Gentiles. The land of Moab means a ‘Desirable land’. Somehow they thought their life would be more desirable in a foreign land. How often have we thought this, that things would be better if only we moved somewhere else? The grass always seems to be greener in someone else’s pasture.

The meaning of the names in this book are very prophetic and significant. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, means ‘My God is King’. Elimelech was the strength of Naomi’s life, as a husband should be to his wife. They had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, meaning "Sickly" and "Pining Away"

Naomi’s name means ‘pleasant’, and is a picture of ancient Israel. Israel was once beautiful and pleasant, the joy of all the earth. Naomi is the key character in this story. Prophetically, she typifies the nation of Israel. While in spiritual famine and drought, Israel too left her land to sojourn among the nations. Most of Israel's tragedies and suffering have come when they have dwelt among the nations.

While living in the land of Moab, their two sons married two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. But it was not long before tragedy struck their family. First Naomi’s husband Elimelech, the strength of her life died and then some time later both of her sons died. Mahlon and Chilion both fulfilled their prophetic names: ‘Sickly’ and ‘Pining Away’. Naomi was devastated. It was bad enough that she lost her husband, but then her two sons died. All that was left of their once happy family was her two Gentile daughters-in-law.

Naomi heard that the famine had ended in Bethlehem and chose to return to her family and her roots. Where else could she go? Live in a foreign land or return to her own people. She admonished her two daughters-in law to return to their own people and seek a husband from among them. The name Orpah means "The back of one’s Neck" or "One who turns back". The name Ruth means "Friend and Comrade". 1:8-11.

It was in this decision that both of her daughters were to fulfill their prophetic names.

As these two women walked with their mother-in-law for some distance, Orpah, at the urging of Naomi chose to turn back and return to her people. Three times, Naomi urged them to depart from her and return to their own people and their gods. Orpah lived up to her name. She returned to her people and her gods.

Ruth, on the other hand, withstood the temptation and the urging of Naomi to return to her people and her gods, and chose to be loyal and cling to the God of Naomi. Ruth saw in Naomi and her people something that she longed to have and to hold on to. It is interesting that both sisters were married into the same covenant people, but only one lived up to her vows!

Ruth’s name means Friend and Comrade and she lived up to her name. In fact, Ruth gave expression to her commitment to old and helpless Naomi when she said in 1:15-18.

Today this scripture is often used in marriage ceremonies, demonstrating the depth and degree of devotion between husband and wife. However, these words were originally spoken between two women. One was born into the covenant of God and the other entered into it through marriage.

We see in the life of these two sisters a prophetic picture of the two types of people within the Church. Down through the centuries, there have been many Christians who have joyfully expressed their devotion and commitment to the God of Israel, but sadly not to His people. There have been those who have chosen to disregard and reject the people of Israel. Yet there have been many Ruth-like people who have been unwavering in their love and commitment to not only cling to the God of Israel but her people.

When Naomi returned with Ruth to her people it was at the beginning of the "Barley harvest". This significant timing of the natural harvest is a wonderful prophetic picture of a great spiritual harvest when God will unite together both Jew and Gentile in purpose and ministry to see the greatest move on the earth by God at the end of this age.

When Naomi returned to her home town she was a bitter and discouraged woman who had lost hope. Life had not been good to her. When she returned it, caused quite a stir among her people. Vs.1:19-22 - Naomi was depressed and full of sorrow. So much so that she told them not to call her Naomi but Maror which means bitter, like the bitter herbs of Pesach. Naomi recognized that all the bitter experiences in Moab had brought such grief into her life that she could no longer bear the name Naomi, or pleasant.

The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. She recognized that the tragedies of her life were not accidents but that the hand of God had been in each one of them.

She thought that God was angry with her for leaving her home and journeying to a foreign land and so God punished her by taking the life of her husband and two sons. We know that God who is sovereign controls all the circumstances in our lives, both good and bad. He is able to work all things together for good after the counsel of His own will.

As Naomi returned home, we read how God began to unfold His plan and His purpose for them. Often Gods purposes for our lives come out of suffering and trials that He brings us through.

We see the hand of providence on Naomi and Ruth as they begin to settle in their new home. Naomi encourages Ruth to go and glean some grain in the fields. And lo and behold — she just happened to go to the field of Boaz who just happened to be a close relative of Naomi. Boaz noticed this young woman and inquired who she was. 2:5-13.

Ruth was a woman of great integrity and virtue. When Ruth returned to tell Naomi of the good success she had that day and how she had met a man by the name of Boaz, Naomi at that moment realized that God had not abandoned her after all. God had providentially led Ruth to the very field of Boaz, one of Naomi’s closest relatives, in fact, he was a kinsman redeemer. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. God is able to lead two people together who are committed to Him. Don’t settle for second best by compromising your commitment to God by choosing someone that does not walk in godly love.

Boaz was a man of integrity. His very name means a "In Him there is strength". He was also their Kinsman- Redeemer and a type of the Messiah. According to Israel’s law Boaz and his close relative were the only men who had the legal right to redeem the name and the property of the deceased. Boaz’s relative gave up his right. Boaz who was unmarried, could also restore the hope of future descendants by marrying the widow of the deceased which he later did.

Ruth’s humility and faithfulness attracted the attention of Boaz and he declared in 2:11 "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me." The manner in which Boaz and the Jewish people of Bethlehem welcomed Ruth, a Gentile was very significant. The people of Moab were descendants of Lot and the result of an incestuous relationship with one of his daughters. You recall the story of Sodom and Gomorrah when God saved Lot and his two daughters. The Moabites became a people who were barred from participating in the life of Israel. They became outcasts and were despised and frowned upon because of how they treated Israel. In Deut. 23:3-6. And yet we see in this story, Boaz and the Jews of Bethlehem embracing her with love and compassion. Ruth a foreigner was welcomed into the commonwealth of Israel and later came to be a full partner in all the privileges and rights as a child of Israel.

Like a good Jewish mamma. Naomi began to plan for her daughter-in-laws future. Maybe there is hope for my daughter in law and I she thought. Naomi began to give Ruth lots of motherly advice. What was totally amazing was how obedient and submissive Ruth was to her mother-in -law. (How many of ladies are obedient and listen to the advice of their mother in law without question?) 3:1-5.

Naomi and Ruth had the purest of motives in their plans. Although Boaz had been kind to Ruth, he had made no suggestion of marriage. Naomi’s plan was to find a way for Ruth to be alone with Boaz. Under normal circumstances one could have interpreted what Ruth did as being an immoral act yet it was perfectly consistent with the instructions in the Torah.

"If brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family, her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel."

Deut. 25;5,6 In this very act of obedience it demonstrated a quality in Ruth that revealed her integrity and virtue.

She said to Boaz, spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. The custom of a man placing a corner of his garment over a maiden as a token of marriage was common in Middle East culture of that day.

Notice how Boaz responded in vs. 5-10.. Ruth was willing to marry an older man, possibly much older than her. She was commended for not seeking the company of the young men in Bethlehem who would have been more attractive to her. She honored the words of Torah that Naomi had taught her, putting aside her own interests and demonstrated a commitment to honor and maintain the integrity of her family. 3:10-13/ 4:1-6 /10-12The scriptures testify that she became his wife and he went into her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive and she gave birth to a son. 4:13. Strategically, Ruth’s womb was opened at the Lord’s appointed time. Ruth was not a virgin but a widow who had borne no children. God had closed her womb until the time of her appointed marriage to Boaz, her kinsman redeemer. So also the true Church bears no spiritual offspring until God’s appointed time. Only when God’s people are intimately united with the Lord our great kinsman -redeemer.

And who was this son who Ruth gave birth to? Ruth 4:17 says "A son has been born to Naomi." How was that possible, that old Naomi has now given birth to this child? Boaz was not Naomi’s husband, nor was it her womb that brought forth this son. Yet the prophetic announcement was that the child was born to Naomi. The prophetic picture was that this young and loving Ruth offered her womb in type so that Naomi could have a son. A son was born to resurrect and preserve the family and blood line.

Ruth 4:14,15 - "Blessed is the Lord who has not left you with a redeemer today…may he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons has given birth to him."

The scriptural suggestion was that Naomi actually nursed the child. Because of her godly qualities, Ruth went down in history as one of the famous Matriarchs of the faith. She was counted along side of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah who together built up the household of Israel. We know that Ruth had the distinct honor of being the grandmother of King David.

Their son Obed was the father of Jesse who was the father of King David through whose family the Messiah and Savior of the world was born. The name Obed means ‘one who serves’.

This union of a Jewish man and a Gentile woman and the birth of their son Obed served as a prophetic picture of the Jewish and Non-Jewish believer called to serve together in the kingdom of God . Notice that in this prophetic scenario it was only when Ruth joined herself to Naomi that she found her kinsmen redeemer and husband, thus covenanting herself to the ancient people and their destiny. Their destiny became her destiny.

As Boaz and Ruth were joined together in marriage they became heirs together in the covenant of God. Israel today is in need of Ruth like people who are willing to be their friends and comrades. Will many in the church be Ruth’s or Orpah’s. God is looking for cleavers and not leavers. He is looking for those in the Church who are willing to help give spiritual birth to Israel once again. This is what is happening today. Naomi (as pictured by Israel) is returning back to their own homeland (Bethlehem) leaning on Ruth’s arm. The fields are rich with harvest ready to be reaped and gleaned and Boaz, the Messiah is waiting for His bride to return. And as Jew and Gentile as seen in Boaz and Ruth who united in marriage to fulfill God’s eternal purpose, so also God is longing for Jew and Gentile to come together as one new man.

We are one in the Messiah. Eph. 2:14-22

"For he himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us... that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility. Vs. 19-22 Now then you are no longer strangers…"

A Messianic Congregation today is an expression of what Shaul speaks of in these verses. God is joining together Ruths and Boazes together to fulfill God’s endtime purpose at the end of this age. Consider yourself as chosen by God.

written and / or assembled by Cal Goldberg, Messianic Leader, Beth Shechinah