Of the three pilgrimage festivals- Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Booths)- Shavuot tends to get short shrift. Let's take a look at the significance of a moed that God commanded all delegates should drop everything to attend.
It occurs 50 days after Passover, the time marking Israel's departure from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, as stated in Exodus 19:1. There, Moses ascended the mountain to meet with God. Then and there Adonai stated that the people had seen Him carry them "on eagles' wings" from Egypt and brought them to Himself. He stated His desire to be their keeping His Covenant, and they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and a special treasure.
Then God gave Moses 2 stone tablets with 10 commandments, practical means towards keeping the Covenant. The people pledged to keep His Covenant, but immediately broke it and continually did so, bringing on the disciplines promised in the Torah in passages like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Would God have to cancel His relationship with Israel because of our failures? Thankfully, no! He promised us in passages like Ezekiel 36, "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within your flesh. I will take away the the stony heart from within your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My Ways..." This was fulfilled in Acts 2, ironically and appropriately, on the first Shavuot after Yeshua's Resurrection. Here, the Torah and the Ruach haKodesh are celebrated on the same day, and so we do.
Chag Shavuot Sameach, everyone!
