Exodus 12:1-2 CSB “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year.” God began His calendar with salvation and deliverance. In the second month, God introduced Himself to His people as Healer and Provider. God extended the covenant to the Hebrews through the Torah in the third month.
For us, the year begins in January, when it’s cold. However, God begins His calendar in the springtime with new life. God doesn’t view time the way you and I do; God doesn’t respond to time in the same way, either.
At Sinai, God began changing His people from an Egyptian mindset to the mindset of provision, health, and love He intended for His people. Remember, when they were leaving Egypt, God took them on a roundabout journey so they did not have to face war unnecessarily, which may have caused them to return to Egypt1.
God always does things in such a way that sets us up for success. Even though another course may be quicker, God sees snares and obstacles we don’t, and He knows what and when we are ready to handle certain things.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Joshua 1:8 CSB “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.”
Joshua was the successor to Moses. The Instruction of God (the Ten Commandments and the whole of Genesis through Deuteronomy) was given for a purpose, for us to prosper and succeed in all that we do.
When Moses received the Ten Commandments, God told him to hurry and go for the people who had corrupted themselves. Even though they had come out of Egypt, they hadn’t yet driven Egypt out of themselves. They left one place, but they hadn’t yet committed to God. As a result, the generation that came into the wilderness only partially accepted the new way of doing things, and they perished in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb entered in with the next generation.
Each month on God’s calendar flows into the next one. Pentecost wasn’t a one-time event in Exodus chapter twenty. We know the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost in Acts chapter two. And even that wasn’t the end of Pentecost. The same people that were filled in in chapter two were filled again in chapter four.
It’s easy to get out of alignment with the Word and plan of God for our lives; we do it when we speak contrary to the Scriptures, don’t obey what we know, and allow negative influences to change our path. Pentecost, or Shavuot in Hebrew, is not just a time to remember the giving of the Torah over three thousand years ago or the giving of the Holy Spirit over two thousand years ago. This time each year, we have an appointment to renew our commitment to the Word of God and walk in His ways.
Along with ensuring we are walking on the right path, Shavuot is a time of giving2. Giving cheerfully to the Lord unlocks new levels of blessing in our lives. Giving at Shavuot is a way of saying thank you, Lord, for your goodness and promises. Giving is part of receiving revelation. Part of the purpose of plundering Egypt was to make the furnishings for the Tabernacle, and the enemy tried stealing that through the golden calf. The furniture of the Tabernacle was part of Israel’s closeness to the Lord. The enemy wants to pervert the biblical truth of giving to rob us of a blessing and ruin our communion with the Lord.
God is a giver. He gave His only Son for us. He gave the Torah to Israel, the essence of Himself and the path of life. As He gives, so should we give back to Him and give to be a blessing to others.
Receiving the Word of God is a joyous thing; being a giver, a joyful giver, has joy in it. This is a month of Joy! Let joy overtake your heart as you commit yourself anew to the Word of God. Be free within the Word, turn from the lies of freedom that lead down a path of sin, and say, no, I am free from the law of sin and death, and free to walk in the ways of Torah. The law has been written on our hearts, our hearts are circumcised, and we belong to God; we have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel3!
To learn more about God’s calendar; including the Feasts of the Lord, Hebrew months, the Tribes of Israel, and the importance and blessing of giving during appointed times, read A Time to Advance: Understanding the Significance of the Hebrew Tribes and Months by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler
- Exodus 13:17-18
- Leviticus 23:15-16
- Romans 6-8; Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 36:24-30; Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Ephesians 2:11-22
To help you understand giving from a biblical Hebraic perspective I recommend A Time to Prosper by Chuck D. Pierce and Robert Heidler
Casey D. Bell 