One of the beauties of the Biblical moedim (Feast Days) is that each is celebrated in different ways.
Biblically, Pesach is seen as the first of all major feast days and is celebrated once per biblical year. While Shabbat (Sabbath) is actually the first feast mentioned in Leviticus 23:3, it is commemorated weekly as a sabbath of rest, “an holy convocation” during which no work is done.
THREE IN ONE: PASSOVER, FEASTS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD AND FIRST FRUITS
Passover (Pesach) which is considered a meal, is the first recognised yearly moed, like all of the others that follow. While Passover is really a one-night observance, the fourteenth day of Nisan, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) is a 7-day celebration starting on the fifteenth day of Nisan. This is commemorated with searching for and removing chametz (food with leavening) from the home; eating matzah (unleavened bread); celebrating the Seder, which is the festive meal in which the recounting of the story of the exodus is told along with other traditions, like finding the afikomen (a piece of matzah hidden during the ceremony), to name a few. During the Seder, families will read from the Haggadah to tell the story of Passover and pass down the traditions and lessons of the story to their children, relatives, and friends. At this time, a special Seder plate is adorned with symbolic foods that illustrate the story. These include three matzot, a roasted bone (zeroa), an egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), a sweet paste (haroset), and a vegetable (karpas). Some Seder plates also include hazeret, another form of bitter herbs.
The Feast of First Fruits (Yom HaRaysheet), or early first fruits, coincides with these other feast days and with the barley harvest. First Fruits is observed the day after the sabbath that occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
It is important to note that First Fruits doesn’t always land three days after Passover – but it did when the Messiah was crucified, which is why Paul made this reference to Jesus, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (1 Cor 15:20). This was Resurrection Day.
WAVING THE SHEAF
At this festival, the Israelites offered the very first sheaf of the harvest and were not allowed to eat anything from the crop until they gave its initial portion to the Lord (Lev 23:9-14). The farmers took the sheaf of barley to the priest, and he would wave it before the Lord as an offering to Him.
It is during these feast days, specifically at the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that the counting of the omer is done every evening for seven weeks until the night before Shavuot, the next set-apart time. Moses received this instruction from God in Lev 23:15-16. Thus, Shavuot (also called Shavuos) takes place on the 50th day, known also as the Feast of Weeks or the latter first fruits. In ancient times, two wheat loaves would be offered in the Holy Temple on Shavuot.
It was also at this time that people would begin to bring bikkurim (offering of first fruits): their first and choicest fruits, to thank G-d for Israel’s bounty. These were generally the fruits of the Seven Species of the land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. (See Rain Vol. 5 Issue No. 44 for more on the Seven Species.)
SHAVUOT
Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah by God to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai more than 3,300 years ago, is observed in a variety of ways. These include desisting from work, candle-lit dinners, staying up all night to study Torah, listening to the reading of the Ten Commandments in synagogue, enjoying dairy foods such as cheesecake, cheese pizza, and cheese blintzes (a rolled pancake filled with sweetened cream cheese and fried) and other festivities.
In some communities, the book of Ruth is also read, as this scripture account recalls the Moabite widow working in the field of Boaz during a harvest season. This is also significant as King David—whose passing occurred on this day—was a descendant of Ruth.
As Shavuot now coincides with Pentecost, some Christian churches adopt some or all of these customs.
The Freedom Come Ministries International looks forward to having a “high season of worship” and feasting temporally and spiritually as the moed winds down. This is also the end of the spring festivals, after which will come other moedim, ending with Sukkot.
As we walk in step with these God-appointed feast days, we pray that our eyes will continue to be opened as we see how God will manifest Himself in the Word and the world. It’s all connected!
Chag Sameach! (Happy Holiday!)