ḤAG SAMEAḤ SHAḆUOTH – Ancient pictures to remember – At the Foot of the Covenant Ministries

7^th of the 3^rd month 2016/2017

Shabbat Shalom all,

As we enter into this Shabbat, the 7^th Sabbath of our commanded count “from the morrow after the Shabbat” during Matzot, we now enter into DAY 49 of our count to Shaḇuoth and certainly look forward to celebrating and rejoicing together this coming first day morning, as we celebrate the Feast of Weeks on the morrow after this Shabbat!

Wayyiqra/Leviticus 23:15-17 “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. 16 ‘Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to יהוה. 17 ‘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.”

On the morrow after the Sabbath during the Feast of Matzot we looked at the ‘Sheaf of the first fruits’, which in Hebrew is written as follows: עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית – ‘omer reshiyth’.

The word translated as ‘sheaf’ is עֹמֶר omer – Strong’s H6016 and the word translated as ‘first-fruits’ is רֵאשִׁית rěshiyth – Strong’s H7225 which means, ‘beginning, chief, first fruits, foremost’ and comes from the primitive root word ראֹשׁ rosh – Strong’s H7218 which means, ‘head, beginning, top, chief’. It was from this day that we began our count of 7 completed Sabbaths and come to the 50^th day of our count and celebrate Shaḇuoth where the wave offering of two loaves of the bread of the first fruits is brought before יהוה. Messiah is our Head and we daily count the cost of following Him so that we may enter His rest as we continue to guard His Sabbaths, as a faithful people of Elohim. Tonight I want us to look at what is clearly commanded for us to do on Shaḇuoth as written in Wayyiqra/Leviticus 23 which we have already read, as well as in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 16:9-12 “Count seven weeks for yourself. Begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 “And you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to יהוה your Elohim, according to the voluntary offering from your hand, which you give as יהוה your Elohim blesses you. 11 “And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are in your midst, at the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell. 12 “And you shall remember that you were a slave in Mitsrayim, and you shall guard and do these laws.”

The instructions here are very clear, and so I would like to look at these instructions in a little more detail, so that we are able to grow in our understanding of the joy of this great Feast that we will celebrate together, on the morrow after this Shabbat!

Over the past couple of years we have explored various root words and how they were written in the ancient pictographic alphabet which has each letter as a picture that expresses a clear message in and of itself and when these letters are placed together to form words we are able to recognise the wealth of wisdom that is contained in these words that are expressed in pictures. Tonight I want us to be reminded of some of the key words that we have looked at on various occasions in the past and recognise the clear lessons that we can learn when we consider the clear instructions regarding this Feast of Shaḇuoth. Tonight in a message called, ‘ḤAG SAMEAḤ SHAḆUOTH – Ancient pictures to remember!’ I would like us to look at a few of the words that are contained in these instructions for Shabuoth, as they are written in the ancient pictographic form. Therefore, tonight is all about pictures and what these pictures teach us! Pictures have a way of helping us remember things in a better way and therefore we will be looking at 7 key words that are used in these instructions as well as another word that is not used here yet is clearly identified in the application of guarding this Feast along with all of the other Feasts of יהוה. The title of my message, ‘ḤAG SAMEAḤ SHAḆUOTH’ is made up of three of the words we will be looking at and this phrase can simply be rendered as meaning ‘A festival of rejoicing sevens’, and we will look at these words shortly. I would first like to look at the word for ‘count’, as this is what we are commanded to do in order to get to this Feast! The Hebrew word used for ‘count’ in our instruction to count 50 days to Shaḇuoth is the word סָפַר saphar – Strong’s H5608 – meaning, ‘to score, mark as a tally, record, inscribe, recount, celebrate, commune’. It is used 161 times in the Tanak (O.T), also being translated into English as, ‘tell, told, number, tell me, declared, numbering’.

סָפַר saphar is the denominative root verb of the word סֵפֶר sepher – Strong’s H5612 which means, ‘a missive, document, writing, book, scroll, letters’, and is used to describe the Book of the Torah!

As we consider the clear importance of this commanded ‘counting period to 50’ we recognise how this is a great season that teaches us to continually be a ‘counting people’ who daily ‘count the cost’ of following our Master and Redeemer, יהושע Messiah. And to be faithful in being a ‘counting people’, we need to realise that we cannot do this without the Word of Elohim – as we are to meditate on His Torah day and night and allow this סֵפֶר sepher or Book of the Torah to lead us each and every day:

Yehoshua/Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and act wisely.”

If we do not count we cannot be cleansed! To count means to reflect on where we are and repent of our sin.

The word סָפַר saphar (spelt from right to left is with a סָ – samek, פַ – pey, ר – resh).

Now when we see these symbols as written in the ancient script we get a wonderful picture of what true cleansing entails when we ‘count’:

THE ANCIENT FORM OF WRITING THE WORD “COUNT” – SAPHAR!

Samek – סָ:

The ancient script has this letter pictured as , which is a thorn and has the meanings of ‘pierce and sharp’ and can also carry the meaning of ‘a shield’, as thorn bushes were used by shepherds to build a wall to enclose their flock in the night against the attack of predators. Another meaning would be ‘to grab hold of’ as a thorn is a seed that clings to hair and clothing.

The Word of Elohim is sharper than a doubled edged sword and when we find that we do not grab hold of His Word and allow His Word to be our shield of faith, we may find ourselves being pierced through with sin and compromise! Our praise we have for our Master is that in Him we are upheld forever, for He is the shield of our Help, as He Himself took the crown of thorns upon His head, bearing our sin and shame that we may be found to be shielded in Him! It can also give a meaning of ‘turning’, for it is the thorn that turns us away from danger to that which is secure.

Pey – פָּ:

This is the letter ‘pey’, which is pictured as , which is an ‘open mouth’ and carries the meaning of ‘speak and blow’, from the functions of the mouth, and can have the meaning of ‘scatter’ by blowing. It can also mean sword or beard as in things with edges, as well as a region in depicting a place with edges or boundaries. It also can represent that which has been spoken forth from the words of one’s mouth, as being established!

Resh – ר:

The ancient script has this letter pictured as , which is ‘the head of a man’ and carries the meaning of ‘top, beginning, first, chief’, as in being the top of the body or the head of a tribe and the one who rules; and also speaks of possession or inheritance that is decided by the chief. Our true life of praise unto יהוה, our Head, begins when we fear Him, for He is the beginning of our strength, and true separated praise entails a true fear of the One who is Chief over us!

When seeing the construct of this word for count in its ancient form we have a clear picture of how cleansing entails true repentance through being able to correctly count! This ancient grouping of letters can carry various meanings for us, and in terms of being a people who count, we realise that this can only be done when we:

Grab hold of the Word of the Head!

This picture, in terms of counting, teaches us that our shield and refuge is in our Head and Master, who teaches us through His Word to number our days and we recognise that When we bring our sins (pictured by the thorn) and confess them (open mouth) to יהושע our Messiah (head of a man); then He is the one who cleanses us!

As we count the cost of following our Master and surrender and submit our lives to His Word that leads us, we then recognise how we are to be hearers and doers of His Word and not simply hearers only!

“Doing” the Word implies a proper obedience that does what the Master commands us to do and here at Shaḇuoth we are commanded to ‘perform’ the Festival of Weeks to יהוה. The word translated as ‘perform’ comes from the root word עָשָׂה asah – Strong’s H6213 meaning, ‘to do, work, make, produce, to act with effect, to observe, to bring about, institute’ and can also mean, ‘celebrate’, which I think is very fitting, as it is truly a great ‘joy’ TO DO the laws and right-rulings as prescribed! So many today think that it is a huge burden to do what is commanded, yet that is so far from the truth – when we diligently observe and guard to do all He commands us to do – it is a great joy and a delight and not heavy at all! A derivative of this root is the word מַעֲשֶׂה ma’aseh – Strong’s H4639 and means ‘a deed, work or acts, accomplishments’. The Acts of the Apostles speaks of the deeds or acts of that which the Apostles did and records their ‘acts’ of obedience.

Our obedience in ‘doing’ or ‘performing’ this Feast should be evidenced with great commitment and joy!

We shall be known by our fruits based on our proper reverence and submission to our Master, which shall be evidenced in our “acts of obedience”, as we walk in righteousness, guarding to do all He has commanded us to do, all the time!!! We are to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only!

Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:22-25 “And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. 25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.”

As we consider this root verb עָשָׂה asah in terms of our need to ‘perform’ this Feast and be doers of the Word, we recognise that we can only be proper doers if we are in fact looking intently into the Word, and when we see this word in the ancient pictographic script we gain further understanding of what it is to be a proper doer of the Word!

In the ancient pictographic script the verb עָשָׂה asah – Strong’s H6213 which means, ‘to do, work, make, produce, to act with effect, to observe, to bring about, institute, celebrate’ looks like this:

Ayin – עָ:

The original pictograph for this letter is: and represents the idea of ‘seeing and watching’, as well as ‘knowledge’ as the eye is the window of knowledge.

Sin – שָׂ:

This is the letter ‘sin/shin’ which in the ancient script is pictured as: , which is ‘two front teeth’ and carries the meaning of ‘sharp or press, chew or devour’; which is what the teeth do, and also speaks of the sharpened word that comes forth from the mouth, as the teeth ‘chew’ or ‘meditate’ on the Truth, making what comes forth pure and sharp! It also carries the understanding of consuming or destroying – as teeth do to food.

Hey – ה:

The ancient script has this letter as and is pictured as a man standing with his arms raised up and out as if pointing to something, and in essence carries the meaning of ‘behold’ as in when looking at something very great. It can also have the meaning to ‘breath’ or ‘sigh’ as when looking at a great sight and having your breath taken away so to speak! It also has the meaning of revelation or to reveal something by pointing it out, as well as ‘praise’ through the lifting up of our hands in complete awe and surrender.

When looking at this word עָשָׂה asah in the ancient pictographic form, we are able to further understand how critical it is for us to be doers of the Word and so perform and do that which is instructed for us to do. From this picture we can see the meaning of:

LOOKING AT THE WORD THAT HAS BEEN REVEALED!

This teaches us that we are unable to DO or PERFORM the Word if we are not looking intently at the Word!

Ok… we have counted… and having come to Shaḇuoth we are now commanded to perform this Feast!

As we look intently into the clear instructions given to us in regards to performing the Feast of Shaḇuoth, we take note that a key component of our performing this Feast is one of rejoicing!

The Hebrew root word translated as ‘feast’ is the noun חַג ḥag – Strong’s H2282 which means, ‘a festival, feast, sacrifice, festival gathering, solemnity’, which comes from the root verb חָגַג ḥagag – Strong’s H2287 which means, ‘to make a pilgrimage, keep a pilgrimage, celebrate a feast, observe a feast, dance’.

This word חַג ḥag – Strong’s H2282 which means, ‘a festival, feast, sacrifice, festival gathering, solemnity’, in the ancient pictographic text looks like this:

Ḥet – חַ:

The ancient script has this letter as which is a ‘tent wall’, and carries a meaning of ‘SEPARATION’, as a tent wall separates two halves of the tent; or it can also reflect the outside walls that separate the people inside from that which is outside and so can also symbolise protection and security to those inside, while picturing a cutting off of those who are outside. Hence this letter can mean ‘established, secure’ as well as ‘cut off, and separated from’. As a tent wall we are also able to recognise the picture of stones being built up to make a complete wall, having been separated from the world and built up in the master!

Gimel – ג:

This is the letter ‘gimel’, which in the ancient script in pictured as – –which is ‘a foot’ and carries the meaning to ‘walk, gather, carry’, as clearly referring to the functions of a foot; and it can also give the meaning of a gathering of people, and we know that ‘feet’ in Hebrew speaks of one’s walk and ability to keep the Feasts of יהוה, and represents one’s ‘walk’, and therefore also pictures for us the idea of ‘gathering’.

This word in its ancient pictographic form can have the meaning of ‘SEPARATED GATHERING’, and teaches us the necessity of being gathered together as commanded, in order to properly perform the Feasts of יהוה.

The Feasts of יהוה, which includes His Sabbaths, are separated gatherings and cannot be properly performed alone!

We are commanded to rejoice before יהוה and the command to perform this separated gathering is to be done according to the voluntary offering from your hand, which you give as יהוה your Elohim blesses you.

The Hebrew word for ‘rejoice’ is שָׂמַח samaḥ – Strong’s H8055 and means, ‘to rejoice, be glad, be joyful, delight in and be elated’, and can also carry the meaning ‘to brighten up’, giving us the picture how we are to carry His joy as the light of the world and let praise and rejoicing abound! A derivative of the verb שָׂמַח samaḥ is the adjective שָׂמֵחַ sameaḥ – Strong’s H8056 and carries the meaning, ‘glad, joyful, merry, pleased, rejoicing’.

In the ancient pictographic script this word שָׂמַח samaḥ and שָׂמֵחַ sameaḥ looks like this:

Shin – שָׂ:

Mem – מַ:

The ancient script has this letter as and is pictured as ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture. This also carries for us the picture of washing, as we understand the function of water being that which cleanses us and sustains us, showing us how we are washed and sustained by the Living Waters of the Word! This letter also can represent any liquid, especially blood!

Ḥet – ח:

The ancient script has this letter as which is a ‘tent wall’, and carries a meaning of ‘SEPARATION’, as a tent wall separates two halves of the tent; or it can also reflect the outside walls that separate the people inside from that which is outside and so can also symbolise protection and security to those inside, while picturing a cutting off of those who are outside. Hence this letter can mean ‘established, secure’ as well as ‘cut off, separated from’. As a tent wall we are also able to recognise the picture of stones being built up to make a complete wall, having been separated from the world and built up in the master!

When looking at this word in its pictographic form, in terms of our command to rejoice, we are able to see why we are able to rejoice as we recognise the following:

THE WORD THAT WASHES US HAS SEPARATED US AND SECURED US!

This is a clear reason to rejoice, for as long as we allow the Word to wash us and keep us clean, we are able to confidently make our boast in Elohim, whom we praise and rejoice in, as we are built up as living stones in the Master; living stones that offer up lives as a daily living offering with rejoicing praise!

As we consider the Feast of Shaḇuoth we need to understand the reason for our rejoicing and not just be doing it “because we are told to”, but be doing it “because we are told to” … if that makes sense… and having the clear understanding of the reason for our rejoicing!

The word שָׁבֻעוֹת Shaḇuoth is the plural for the word שָׁבוּעַ shaḇua – Strong’s H7620 which means, ‘a period of 7 (days, years)’, which comes from the denominative verb – שָׁבַע shaḇa – Strong’s H7650 which means, ‘to swear, exchange oaths, take an oath, vow’; and from this root we get the Hebrew word for ‘seven’, which is the word שֶׁבַע sheḇa – Strong’s H7651. Having said that we recognise then that this is, in a manner of speaking, the Feast of Oaths or Feast of Sevens, where the Covenants of Promise, that we were once excluded from and had no expectation and were without Elohim in the world, have now, in Messiah, been brought nearby His blood! We have not only been brought near, by His blood, as celebrated by the blood of the Passover Lamb that was slain, but in celebrating this Feast of Oaths/Sevens, we rejoice in the fact that His Covenants of Promise have now been written on our hearts, giving us a firm expectation in our Master as we work out our deliverance each and every day with fear and trembling!

As we look at this word for שָׁבֻעוֹת Shaḇuoth in the ancient pictographic text we are able to glean a powerful understanding of our reason for rejoicing!

In the ancient pictographic script – שָׁבֻעוֹת Shaḇuoth meaning, ‘sevens, oaths’, looks like this:

Shin – שָׁ:

This is the letter ‘shin’ which in the ancient script is pictured as, , which is ‘two front teeth’ and carries the meaning of ‘sharp or press, chew or devour’; which is what the teeth do, and also speaks of the sharpened word that comes forth from the mouth, as the teeth ‘chew’ or ‘meditate’ on the Truth, making what comes forth pure and sharp! It also carries the understanding of consuming or destroying – as teeth do to food. This can give us the meaning of WORD or Words.

Beyt – בֻ:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.

Ayin – ע:

The original pictograph for this letter is and represents the idea of ‘seeing and watching’, as well as ‘knowledge’. as the eye is the ‘window of knowledge’, and can also render the concept of knowledge revealed!

Waw/Vav – וֹ:

This is the Hebrew letter ‘waw’ or ‘vav’ which in the ancient script is pictured as , which is a peg or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying down of the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.

Taw – ת:

The ancient script has this letter as which is pictured as two crossed sticks, and can represent for us ‘seal, covenant, mark or sign’; as this once again points to the complete work of Messiah in the renewal of the Covenant in His Blood that brings the two Houses of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah together in Him, as One, for He is not only the ‘aleph’, but is also the ‘taw’ – the beginning and the end of all creation!

When we look at these pictographic symbols of the word for שָׁבֻעוֹת Shaḇuoth we can clearly see the message being made clear through this Feast as it can render for us the following meaning, in terms of the requirements of the Covenants of Oaths being secured by the Blood of Messiah, by which we have now been sealed by His Spirit:

THE WORD OF THE HOUSE HAS BEEN MADE KNOWN AND SEEN (WORD MADE FLESH) IN ORDER TO SECURE US AND SEAL US (FOR THE DAY OF REDEMPTION)!

With שָׁבֻעוֹת Shaḇuoth being the 50^th day of the count we recognise the clear picture of the Yoḇel/Jubilee – which is understood as the year of release!

This Feast has a clear commanded call for a formal observance of this event, done so with great joy, and even dancing!!!

While this may sound obvious, many still battle with the ‘HOW’ part of faithfully observing this Feast. So ‘How are we to perform this Feast?’ The text here in Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 16:10-12 tells us ‘how’! Firstly we are told that we perform this Feast to יהוה our Elohim, ‘according to the voluntary offering from your hand, which you give as יהוה your Elohim blesses you’! Other translations render this as, ‘with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand which you shall give as יהוה your Elohim blesses you’.

The Hebrew word used here for ‘according to’ or ‘with the tribute’ is from the root word מִסָּת missath – Strong’s H4530 which means, ‘sufficiency, enough, tribute, full amount, proportion affordable’.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘voluntary offering’ is from the root word נְדָבָה nedaḇah – Strong’s H5071 meaning, ‘voluntariness, freewill offering, volunteer freely, willingly’ and comes from the word נָדַב nadaḇ – Strong’s H5068 meaning, ‘to incite, impel, make offerings willingly, volunteers’.

Tehillah/Psalm 54:6 “Voluntarily I slaughter to You; I praise Your Name, O יהוה, for it is good.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:8 “Please accept the voluntary offerings Of my mouth, O יהוה, and teach me Your right-rulings.”

This speaks of our willing choice to offer up our lives in wholehearted devotion to serving our Master – and to do so voluntarily is a great expression of our joy in loving Him as we should, with praise and thanksgiving. This speaks of our eagerness and willingness to freely offer up our lives as a living offering and incite others to do so too!

Therefore we are able to see the ‘how to’ of keeping this Feast being clearly explained – you bring with your hand a sufficient voluntary offering! One’s ‘hand’ speaks of that which you do, or that which you have been equipped and enabled to work with, and this Feast therefore calls for one’s hand to be moved to bring a tribute unto יהוה – a tribute that is in accordance to His blessing upon your life! How has יהוה blessed you? This is a Feast to come and show it by the voluntary offering of your hand!

To do so ‘voluntarily’ is to do so with great joy and not under compulsion:

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 9:7 “Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not of grief or of necessity, for Elohim loves a joyous giver.”

In Wayyiqra/Leviticus 23:16 we are told that a new grain offering was to be brought on Shaḇuoth and the Hebrew word that is used for ‘grain offering’ is מִנְחָה minḥah – Strong’s H4503 and means, ‘a gift, tribute, meal offering, present’.

This ‘minḥah’ does not always require blood, and is most frequently referred to as the ‘grain offering’ which represents the gift being offered, that was prepared by the hands of the one bringing the gift, and given to the High Priest, to present before יהוה, and a remembrance portion was taken from the offering and offered up to יהוה, and the rest was set-apart for the priests only. At Shaḇuoth we wave two loaves of bread as the ‘wave offering’ – and this offering of bread is baked with leaven – and this is the ‘Bikkurim’ to יהוה!!! However, we take note that no portion of this offering was burnt on the slaughter place for a remembrance offering, for no leaven was to be burnt in an offering unto יהוה, and this leaven that is in the bread being waved is a picture of the ‘good leaven’ of the Kingdom that has permeated the whole body of Messiah, as the old leaven of sin has been cleansed and washed away!

Luqas/Luke 13:20-21 “And again He said, “To what shall I compare the reign of Elohim? 21 “It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened.”

This parable teaches us that these three (3) measures of flour that leaven has been hidden in, until all is leavened, is a great picture of the three (3) times a year all men were to go up to Yerushalayim to celebrate the Feasts of יהוה, which collectively would cover all seven (7) Feasts; and this wave offering of the ‘Leavened bread’ at Shaḇuoth is a clear picture of the establishment of a ‘renewed’ Covenant, sealed in the Blood of Messiah and confirmed by the outpouring of His Spirit, so that the 3 witness together – that is the water, blood and spirit – which can also represent the 3 measures of flour:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5: 6-8 “This is the One that came by water and blood: יהושע Messiah, not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the Truth. 7 Because there are three who bear witness: 8 the Spirit, and the water, and the blood. And the three are in agreement.”

In the ancient Hebrew script the word מִנְחָה minḥah – Strong’s H4503 which means, ‘a gift, tribute, meal offering, present’, is pictured as:

Mem – מִ:

Nun – נְ:

The ancient pictographic script has this letter pictured as , which pictures a ‘sprouting seed’ and gives the idea of continuation or an offspring or an heir, speaking of that which sprouts forth will be the heir of the promise of continuation, and represents one’s life expectancy, and can carry the meaning of ‘new life or renewal, rebirth’.

Ḥet – חָ:

The ancient script has this letter as which is a ‘tent wall’, and carries a meaning of ‘SEPARATION’, as a tent wall separates two halves of the tent; or it can also reflect the outside walls that separate the people inside from that which is outside and so can also symbolise protection and security to those inside, while picturing a cutting off of those who are outside. Hence this letter can mean ‘established, secure’ as well as ‘cut off, separated from’. As a tent wall we are also able to recognise the picture of stones being built up to make a complete wall, having been separated from the world and built up in the master!

Hey – ה:

The ancient script has this letter pictured as , which is ‘a man standing with his arms raised out’. This word can also mean “behold, look, breath, sigh and reveal or revelation”; from the idea of revealing a great sight by pointing it out. It also carries for us the meaning of surrender, as we lift up our hands and submit to יהוה as we lift our hands in praise, declaring His authority under which we humbly submit!

As we look at this word in the understanding of a gift offering or tribute, we can see how this can represent our joy in bringing our lives daily before our Master and Redeemer, as a daily living sacrifice; for here in the ancient script we can see by this Word the Truth of how:

We, who are immersed in Messiah, having died to self, are raised to new life in Him to become a part of His body, that is His Tabernacle as pictured by the tent wall, in order to offer up the daily praise due to His Name!!!

This can also be understood as:

BY THE BLOOD OF MESSIAH WE, HIS BODY, HAVE BEEN WASHED, RENEWED AND SEPARATED UNTO HIM AND WE SUBMIT AND GIVE OUR LIVES AS A DAILY LIVING OFFERING!

The minḥah clearly pictures for us today how we are to be a ‘daily living offering’ and with it being a ‘new’ minḥah, we also recognise that from the Hebrew word for ‘new’ being חָדָשׁ ḥadash – Strong’s H2319 which means, ‘new, new thing, something new’ and in its primitive root form means, ‘to renew, repair, restore’, how we are to be continually reminded, as Sha’ul teaches us in Romiyim/Romans 12:1-2, to offer our lives as a daily living offering and be transformed by the ‘renewing of our minds’.

Wave offering:

The word used for ‘wave offering’ is תְּנוּפָה tenuphah – Strong’s H8573 and means, ‘wave offering’, or the offering that was lifted up and waved and presented before יהוה, in a figurative way of giving it or releasing it fully to יהוה; and this carries great significance for us as we too need to realise that our lives are to be lifted up as a wave offering before יהוה; and that includes everything we have, as we lift up our hands in the declaration that all we have is presented to יהוה; and that we now belong to Him, having been bought at a price and betrothed by the Blood of the Lamb; and have been sealed with His Set-Apart Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession!

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “But He who establishes us with you in Messiah and has anointed us is Elohim, 22 who also sealed us, and gave the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

On Shaḇuoth we wave the two loaves of Bread which represent the two Houses of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl being brought together as one in the Hands of our Redeemer, High Priest and King, and it is also symbolic of the two tablets of the witness of the Ten Words, that the entire nation of Yisra’ĕl heard in the Wilderness, which were then written on stone as a witness. With the first two stones having been broken by Mosheh when he came down and saw the perverted worship in the camp, he was required to make two new stones like the first, upon which יהוה would write the 10 Words again. This was a powerful shadow picture of the renewal that we celebrate on Shaḇuoth! With Yisra’ĕl, a called out, chosen and betrothed Bride, who broke her marriage vows and covenant with יהוה; יהוה was already declaring His promised provision, by Mosheh having to make two stones like the first, that יהוה had made and upon which יהוה would once again write His 10 words; prophetically declaring that the very Word of Elohim would be made flesh and come down to be broken for us, taking on the form of the flesh in order to redeem us from the sinful nature, and ‘make new’ the true witness of His Covenant seal and pledge over us, as His called out and chosen Bride in Messiah, who has now made it possible for His Torah to be written upon the fleshly tablets of our hearts by His Spirit through the Blood of Messiah!

The ‘wave offering’ celebrates the promise of renewal or rather the making of a renewed covenant.

In the ancient pictographic script the Hebrew word תְּנוּפָה tenuphah – Strong’s H8573 which means, ‘wave offering’, looks like this:

Taw – תְּ:

Nun – נ:

Waw/Vav – וּ:

Pey – פָ:

Hey – ה:

Therefore we can see that this wave offering of the two loaves is a proclaiming of that which has been renewed, made new, and by these pictures we can see that it declares to us:

THE COVENANT OF LIFE HAS BEEN SECURED BY THE REVEALED WORD WHO IS TO BE PRAISED, or:

BEHOLD THE SEAL OF THE COVENANT THAT IS RENEWED AND SECURED BY THE WORD WHO WAS LIFTED UP AND WHO IS TO BE PRAISED! Or:

BEHOLD THE COVENANT HAS BEEN RENEWED AND WE HAVE BEEN ADDED AND SECURED BY THE REVEALED WORD WHO IS TO BE PRAISED!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 31:31-33 “See, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when I shall make a new covenant with the house of Yisra’ĕl and with the house of Yehuḏah, 32 not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares יהוה. 33 “For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”

These verses are quoted in Iḇ’rim/Hebrew 8, and what we celebrate on Shaḇuoth is this very promise that has been given by יהוה, our Mighty Elohim – His Torah now on our hearts!!! At Mount Sinai 3000 died as a result of rebellion and on this day at Mount Tsiyon, and the renewal of the Covenant, sealed by the outpouring of the Spirit, 3000 were added to the number of the body that day – a complete restoration of death to life, that His Word proclaims for us who call upon His Name and guard to do His commands! Messiah has renewed the Covenant in His own Blood and secured for us the promise of everlasting life, sealing us by His Spirit and continually intercedes for us as He lifts us up, equipping us to be the wave offering of set-apartness and a faithful Bride!

Shaḇuoth celebrates our Marriage/Betrothal with our Kinsman Redeemer – יהושע Messiah, and the account of Ruth and Boaz is a very powerful and great shadow picture of us being redeemed and betrothed to the King!

It was around the Feast of Shaḇuoth that Ruth lay herself at Boaz’s feet to ask for his protection, and in the same way we come to the feet of the Messiah, the very Bread of Life, and receive His protection. Bo‘az gave her enough food for her and Na‘omi to see them through until he returned from making arrangements to redeem them together.

This is very symbolic for us, as it is through יהושע Messiah, Our Redeemer, that we are given His Spirit and Word to see us through while He is away making final arrangements for our complete redemption.

Tonight we have already looked at 7 words in the ancient pictographic script that are used in the instructions regarding the Feast of Shaḇuoth – SAPHAR (COUNT) – ASAH (PERFORM) – ḤAG (FEAST) – SAMEAḤ (REJOICING) – SHAḆUOTH (SEVENS/OATHS/WEEKS) – MINḤAH (GRAIN OFFERING) – TENUPHAH (WAVE OFFERING)

All of these words are certainly ancient pictures to remember! I would like us to look at one more Hebrew word that I feel is pictured prophetically in this Feast, despite it not being used in the instructions of this Feast. That word is the Hebrew word Yoḇel – יוֹבֵל – Strong’s H3104 means, ‘a ram, ram’s horn (a wind instrument) or trumpet’, and is also translated as ‘jubilee’, as it is used to mark or signal the year of release, which would be every 50^th year, which is prophetically pictured through the counting of 49 days with Shaḇuoth being the 50^th day, upon which the Spirit was poured out and the promise of release was sealed upon the hearts of the body of Messiah!

In the ancient pictographic script this word Yoḇel – יוֹבֵל – Strong’s H3104 looks like this:

Yod – י

The ancient script has this letter as which is ‘an arm and hand’ and carries the meaning of ‘work, make, throw’, from the primary functions of the arm and hand, and it also represents worship or giving thanks in the extending of hands as a gesture of this. The work of one’s hands is the basic meaning of this letter!

Waw/Vav – וֹ:

Beyt – בֵ:

Lamed – ל:

The ancient script has this letter as , and is pictured as a ‘shepherd’s staff’, can give the meaning of ‘to or toward’ and can represent that which pushes or pulls a flock in a direction, and can speak of authority or a yoke that is used to lead and guide, as well as the ability to bring back by Authority.

As we consider this word in terms of the announcement of the release that our Master and Elohim came to proclaim we are able to see the following:

THE WORK OF THE ARM AND HAND OF יהוה SECURES THE HOUSE OF THE SHEPHERD!

With the House of the Shepherd being secured by the work of our Master we have the ability to hold fast to the expectation we have in Messiah, as we faithfully wait for the His soon return at the sounding of the Trumpets of Elohim.

The Yoḇel sounded long on Shaḇuoth in the Wilderness of Sinai when Yisra’ĕl heard the voice of יהוה speaking the 10 Words of the Marriage Covenant and on Shaḇuoth in Yerushalayim there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, as the Spirit of Elohim was poured out on the believers!

We are the Dwelling Place of Elohim, which has been secured by the work of His outstretched Arm and Hand and are no longer slaves to sin, but are sons and daughters of the Most High Elohim!

Galatiyim/Galatians 4:6-7 “And because you are sons, Elohim has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir of Elohim through Messiah.”

On Shaḇuoth we gather together and celebrate the assurance we have in Elohim, as being a secured Dwelling Place where He will come and dwell in the midst of; and on Shaḇuoth we collectively celebrate our betrothal to Him, having been sealed with His Spirit in our hearts, giving us the ability to be the continual daily living offering that counts the cost of following our Redeemer, equipped to perform the set-apart service of a faithful priesthood that rejoices in our Master and King!

Shaḇuoth marks the celebration of the gift of the Set-Apart Spirit that we are able to receive by faith, through the Blood of Messiah, being made one in Him. Our responsibility as a called out and chosen Bride, is to walk steadfast in being a daily living offering, and offer up our lives as a voluntary sacrifice, giving Him, who has redeemed us, our all in all!

As we enjoy this Bread Feast of Weeks together this coming first day, may we be reminded of the sure and promised hope of His soon return and hold fast to that which we have been brought near to….!

May we be faithful as a Bride who makes Herself ready – for all of us here have said the ‘I do’ – therefore let us remember our ‘Marriage vows’ and live accordingly as we walk by His Torah/Marriage covenant now written upon the fleshly tablets of our heart, sealed by His very breath – His very Set-apart Spirit. Come ready to rejoice in word and deed!

ḤAG SAMEAḤ SHAḆUOTH – Ancient pictures to remember!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face to and give you shalom!