How does Exodus 34:22 guide us in observing the Feast of Weeks today? The Text at the Heart of Our Study “‘You are to celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.’” – Exodus 34:22 Original Command and Agricultural Context • Timed for the close of the barley harvest and the start of the wheat harvest (Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:15-17) • Required counting seven full weeks from Firstfruits, then gathering for worship and offerings (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9-10) • Highlighted God’s provision: “firstfruits” acknowledged the harvest belonged to Him (Proverbs 3:9) Timeless Principles Still Binding on the Heart • Gratitude: every good gift “comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17) • Generosity: freewill offerings proportionate to blessing (Deuteronomy 16:10; 2 Corinthians 9:7) • Rhythm of worship: pausing at harvest’s beginning keeps the Lord central in work and plenty (Psalm 100:4) • Covenant remembrance: the feast was a pledge of loyalty to God’s covenant (Exodus 34:27) • Inclusion: men, women, children, servants, and sojourners rejoiced together (Deuteronomy 16:11) Bringing the Feast into Our New-Covenant Walk 1. Mark the date: count fifty days from Resurrection Sunday, arriving at Pentecost (Acts 2:1). 2. Gather for celebration: worship, Scripture reading, and preaching on the harvest theme (Acts 2:41-42). 3. Present firstfruits: • Financial gifts for missions, benevolence, or church planting. • Tangible produce—garden harvests or baked loaves—shared with the needy. • Testimonies of spiritual “firstfruits” (new salvations, answered prayers). 4. Rejoice together: include all ages; make it a feast, not a fast (Deuteronomy 16:11). 5. Remember freedom: Israel recalled Egypt; we recall freedom from sin (Romans 6:22). Practical Ideas for Home and Congregational Celebration • Bake two loaves (Leviticus 23:17) and break them at a fellowship meal. • Read Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Acts 2:1-13 aloud. • Share testimonies of personal harvest—souls saved, ministries launched. • Collect a special offering earmarked for outreach or relief work. • Serve wheat-based dishes and seasonal produce to underline the harvest motif. • Conclude with singing Psalm 65 and 126, songs of harvest joy. Seeing Christ and the Spirit in the Feast • Christ as firstfruits: “Christ has been raised…the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). • Spirit poured out on Pentecost: the down payment of the full harvest (Acts 2:1-4; Ephesians 1:13-14). • We offer ourselves: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). Firstfruits and the Coming Harvest • The Spirit within us is “the firstfruits of our redemption” (Romans 8:23). • Every Feast of Weeks celebration looks forward to the final ingathering when the Lord of the harvest gathers all who are His (Matthew 13:39). Summary Takeaways • Exodus 34:22 calls us to honor God at the start of every harvest. • The core practices—gratitude, generosity, joyful gathering—remain unchanged. • Celebrating Pentecost as the Feast of Weeks renews our focus on the Spirit’s power and the mission field ripe for harvest (John 4:35). • By offering our first and best—time, resources, praise—we keep covenant with the God who faithfully supplies every harvest, physical and spiritual. |
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