God, Our Refuge and Provider
The Feast of Firstfruits marked the day on which the first produce of the winter barley harvest was presented to the Lord. Seven weeks later, Shavuot marked the day on which the first produce of the summer wheat harvest was presented to the Lord (Exodus 34:22). The period between Firstfruits and Shavuot is known as Sefira (Hebrew, “counting”).
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The Giving of the Law
Where does the Bible begin? Where does any good story begin? At the beginning, of course. For the Bible, it would seem most obvious that this beginning is the Book of Genesis. After all, Genesis is at the front of the Book as we have become familiar with it. More than that, Genesis deals with origins, as its very name implies.
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The Giving of the Firstfruits
When the people of Israel began to settle into the Promised Land, the celebration of Shavuot became an agricultural holiday that celebrated the Lord’s provision for His people. In Deuteronomy (the final book of the Torah), Moses reminded the people to faithfully celebrate Passover (Deuteronomy 16:1-7), Unleavened Bread (Deuteronomy 16:8), the Omer Count (Deuteronomy 16:9), and Shavuot (Deuteronomy 16:9-11)…
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What is Shavuot — Pentecost?
Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the single most important event in Israel’s history: the giving of the Torah (the first five books in the Hebrew Bible) to Moses at Mount Sinai. Although it is not as well known among non-Jews as Passover…
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Celebrating Shavuot — Pentecost
Shavuot is the Jewish harvest festival that Israel was first commanded to observe in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), as described in the book of Leviticus. “Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast…
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God Sends a Deliverer
God chooses Moses to deliver His people from slavery — despite Moses’ many objections.
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Pharaoh’s Hardened Heart
Despite increasingly difficult circumstances God imposes through nine plagues, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened against Moses’ request to let God’s people go.
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Remember This Day!
God brings the tenth and most devastating plague, killing the firstborn in each Egyptian household. But God promises to pass over the houses of the Israelites if they follow His instructions and place the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorframes of each household. God instructs the people on how to celebrate this miraculous deliverance, the first Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread.
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What is the Significance of Passover?
An overview of the Passover and how the underlying themes of deliverance and freedom are being played out today in the “Second Exodus.”
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Passover and the Paschal Lamb
A closer look at how many of the sacred elements of Christian worship can trace their spiritual roots directly to the Jewish faith.
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The Jewish Seder Passover Meal
A brief primer on the ancient customs and rituals associated with the Seder meal at Passover.
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The Life of Esther: The Story of a Jewish Exile in Persia Who Helped Save Her People from Destruction by their Enemies
This Bible Study explores the life of Esther, a young Jewish girl who was chosen to be Queen of Persia, and how God used her in this position to save the lives of His people from total destruction.
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What is Purim? — An Overview
This overview explains the biblical background of Purim and highlights what we can learn from the heroic actions of Mordecai and Esther, the main characters in the story.
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Purim — From How Firm a Foundation
By Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
This chapter from Rabbi Eckstein’s book, How Firm a Foundation, offers a more in-depth look at Purim and its significance to the Jewish people.
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What is Sukkot?
An overview of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of the Tabernacles, and how this is a time for rejoicing and thanksgiving for God’s provision and protection.
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Thanksgiving: An Act of Joy and Humility
This lesson explores the connection between the Sukkot and the act of thanksgiving; the countless reasons we have to thank God, the different forms that thanksgiving takes, and how praising God in difficult times can transform us.
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What is Rosh Hashanah?
An overview of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and how this is a time for introspection and repentance for the Jewish people.
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What is Yom Kippur?
An overview of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar and how this is a day of inner purification and of reconciliation with God and fellow human beings.
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Celebrating Rosh Hashanah
This church bulletin insert takes a closer look at how Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah today, both here and in Jerusalem.
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Celebrating Yom Kippur
This church bulletin insert takes a closer look at how Jewish people celebrate Yom Kippur today, both here and in Jerusalem.
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What is True Repentance?
This lesson explores how repentance is a major theme throughout Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days and what it looks like from the story of King David and Nathan.
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Jonah, God’s Reluctant Prophet
Through the study of the book of Jonah, we will be reminded of encouraging truths about God — and the reason Jewish people read this story at Yom Kippur.
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