From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you are to count off seven full weeks. From the day after the SabbathThis phrase marks a specific time in the Jewish calendar, indicating the start of the counting of the Omer. The "Sabbath" here refers to the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In Hebrew, "Sabbath" is "שַׁבָּת" (Shabbat), a day of rest and worship. The day after the Sabbath is significant as it begins the countdown to the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, which is also known as Pentecost in the Christian tradition. This timing underscores the continuity and connection between Passover and Shavuot, symbolizing liberation and the giving of the Law. the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering
The "sheaf" refers to the firstfruits of the barley harvest, known in Hebrew as "עֹמֶר" (Omer). The "wave offering" (Hebrew: "תְּנוּפָה" - tenufah) was a ritual act of presenting the firstfruits to God, acknowledging His provision and sovereignty. This act of offering the first sheaf is a demonstration of faith and gratitude, recognizing God as the source of all blessings. It also foreshadows the resurrection of Christ, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). you are to count off seven full weeks
The counting of "seven full weeks" (Hebrew: "שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת" - sheva shabbatot temimot) is a period known as the Counting of the Omer. This period is a time of anticipation and spiritual preparation, leading up to the celebration of Shavuot. The number seven, representing completeness and perfection in biblical numerology, emphasizes the fullness of time and God's perfect plan. This counting not only connects the agricultural cycle with the liturgical calendar but also serves as a reminder of the journey from physical liberation in Egypt to spiritual liberation through the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Persons / Places / Events 1. The IsraelitesThe original audience of the Levitical laws, including the instructions for counting the weeks leading to the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). 2. The SabbathA day of rest and worship, significant in Jewish tradition, marking the starting point for counting the weeks. 3. The Sheaf of the Wave OfferingAn offering of the firstfruits of the harvest, symbolizing gratitude and dedication to God. 4. The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost)A festival celebrated seven weeks after the wave offering, marking the end of the grain harvest and commemorating the giving of the Torah at Sinai. 5. MosesThe leader and prophet who conveyed God's laws, including these instructions, to the Israelites. Teaching Points Understanding God's TimingThe counting of weeks teaches us to be mindful of God's timing and seasons in our lives. It encourages patience and anticipation for God's appointed times. Gratitude and DedicationThe wave offering symbolizes our need to dedicate the first and best of our resources to God, acknowledging His provision and sovereignty. Celebrating Spiritual HarvestsJust as the Israelites celebrated the physical harvest, we are called to recognize and celebrate spiritual growth and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Fulfillment in ChristThe Feast of Weeks finds its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, reminding us of the new covenant and the empowerment we receive to live out our faith. Community and WorshipThe communal aspect of these feasts highlights the importance of gathering together in worship and celebration, fostering unity and shared faith experiences. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the practice of counting the weeks from the Sabbath to the Feast of Weeks teach us about the importance of God's timing in our lives? 2. In what ways can we offer our "firstfruits" to God today, and how does this practice deepen our relationship with Him? 3. How does the celebration of Pentecost in Acts 2 relate to the instructions given in Leviticus 23:15, and what does this mean for us as believers? 4. What are some spiritual "harvests" you have experienced in your life, and how can you celebrate and share these with your community? 5. How can understanding the connection between Old Testament feasts and their New Testament fulfillment in Christ enhance our worship and appreciation of God's redemptive plan? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 34:22This verse connects to the Feast of Weeks, emphasizing its significance as a harvest festival. Acts 2:1-4The New Testament account of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, fulfilling the promise of empowerment and marking the birth of the Church. Deuteronomy 16:9-10Provides additional instructions for counting the weeks and celebrating the Feast of Weeks, highlighting its importance in Israelite worship. 1 Corinthians 15:20Relates to the concept of firstfruits, with Christ being the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, connecting the Old Testament offering to the resurrection. People Ephah, Israelites, MosesPlaces TemanTopics Bringing, Complete, Completed, Count, Full, Grain, Morning, Morrow, Numbered, Offering, Perfect, Rest, Sabbath, Sabbaths, Seven, Sheaf, Wave, Wave-offering, Waving, Weeks, YourselvesDictionary of Bible Themes Leviticus 23:9-20 4442 firstfruits Leviticus 23:9-22 8644 commemoration Leviticus 23:10-16 4464 harvest Leviticus 23:15-16 1653 numbers, 6-10
4456 grain
4951 month
4970 seasons, of year
8270 holiness, set apart Leviticus 23:15-17 4404 food
7480 wave offering Leviticus 23:15-18 5222 baking Leviticus 23:15-21 4506 seed
4975 week
7355 feasts and festivals, nature of
7408 Pentecost
8642 celebration Leviticus 23:15-22 4208 land, divine responsibility Library The Consecration of Joy
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. 35. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureOf a Private Fast.
That we may rightly perform a private fast, four things are to be observed:--First, The author; Secondly, The time and occasion; Thirdly, The manner; Fourthly, The ends of private fasting. 1. Of the Author. The first that ordained fasting was God himself in paradise; and it was the first law that God made, in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. God would not pronounce nor write his law without fasting (Lev. xxiii), and in his law commands all his people to fast. So does our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety In the Last, the Great Day of the Feast'
IT was the last, the great day of the Feast,' and Jesus was once more in the Temple. We can scarcely doubt that it was the concluding day of the Feast, and not, as most modern writers suppose, its Octave, which, in Rabbinic language, was regarded as a festival by itself.' [3987] [3988] But such solemn interest attaches to the Feast, and this occurrence on its last day, that we must try to realise the scene. We have here the only Old Testament type yet unfilfilled; the only Jewish festival which has …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Deputation from Jerusalem - the Three Sects of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes - Examination of their Distinctive Doctrines.
APART from the repulsively carnal form which it had taken, there is something absolutely sublime in the continuance and intensity of the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. It outlived not only the delay of long centuries, but the persecutions and scattering of the people; it continued under the disappointment of the Maccabees, the rule of a Herod, the administration of a corrupt and contemptible Priesthood, and, finally, the government of Rome as represented by a Pilate; nay, it grew in intensity …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Chronology
45. The length of the public ministry of Jesus was one of the earliest questions which arose in the study of the four gospels. In the second and third centuries it was not uncommon to find the answer in the passage from Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2), which Jesus declared was fulfilled in himself. "The acceptable year of the Lord" was taken to indicate that the ministry covered little more than a year. The fact that the first three gospels mention but one Passover (that at the end), and but one journey to Jerusalem, …
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth "But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." It is true the soul is incomparably better than the body, and he is only worthy the name of a man and of a Christian who prefers this more excellent part, and employs his study and time about it, and regards his body only for the noble guest that lodges within it, and therefore it is one of the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth Year.
(Nazareth and Jerusalem, a.d. 7 or 8.) ^C Luke II. 40-52. ^c 40 And the child grew [This verse contains the history of thirty years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare Luke i. 80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite minds], and waxed strong [His life expanded like other human lives. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Healing Peter's Mother-In-Law and Many Others.
(at Capernaum.) ^A Matt. VIII. 14-17; ^B Mark I. 29-34; ^C Luke IV. 38-41. ^c 38 And he arose out of the synagogue [where he had just healed the demoniac], ^b 29 And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they came { ^c entered} ^b into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [Peter and Andrew had dwelt at Bethsaida (John i. 44). They may have removed to Capernaum, or Bethsaida, being near by, may be here counted as a part, or suburb, of Capernaum. Its name does not contradict …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
(from Bethany to Jerusalem and Back, Sunday, April 2, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 1-12, 14-17; ^B Mark XI. 1-11; ^C Luke XIX. 29-44; ^D John XII. 12-19. ^c 29 And ^d 12 On the morrow [after the feast in the house of Simon the leper] ^c it came to pass, when he he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, ^a 1 And when they came nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage unto { ^b at} ^a the mount of Olives [The name, Bethphage, is said to mean house of figs, but the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Leviticus 23:15 NIVLeviticus 23:15 NLTLeviticus 23:15 ESVLeviticus 23:15 NASBLeviticus 23:15 KJV
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