30th June 2010

Acts 2: 1-13 – The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost

• The Festival of Shavu’ot [weeks] - The Day of Pentecost - had various other names and was deeply rooted in the minds of Jews as a celebration of harvest and the Giving of Torah. It was also on the day that King David had died and was thought to be by some the day Judaism was born.
• God emphasizes the connection between the Torah [His word] and the Ruach HaKodesh [His Spirit] by giving both with the same signs. Fire and Sound.
• Another connection would be seen by Jews because in their teaching [Shabbat 88b] it talks of how God’s word is split into 70 languages – 70 being the traditional functional/symbolic number of Gentile nations and languages. In Exodus 19:16 people heard ‘thunders’ but the Hebrew word translated is Kolot – meaning ‘voices’ – it seems it was many voices that sounded like thunder. Now as the giving of His Spirit they hear again many voices praising God in many languages.
• Babel was being reversed. God’s word had been split into many languages to bring disunity. And yet now through His Spirit there was a symbolic pulling together for the sake of the Gospel.
• Priesthood was being modified - previously the Holy Spirit had come upon certain individuals, at certain times, for certain acts – but here it was being poured out to all people.
• So the Holy Spirit’s outpouring was meant by God to bring people together for a common cause.
• And yet…
• The day before yesterday I was told of a prominent Bible seminary that told its professors that they must sign a paper promising not to have ‘friendly relations’ with anyone in the Pentecostal movement.
• I have to be honest and say that I struggle to believe that could be true – I feel God's call to be a brother to all who believe - yet apparently it is.
• How could a group so dedicated to God’s word ignore the heart of God so wildly? Jesus challenged His disciples to be the friend of sinners and yet 2000 years later we have group of religious law makers commanding their staff not to be friends with fellow followers of Jesus.
• Can it really be true?
• What could they be afraid of?
• There were two reactions to what happened on the day of Pentecost;
• Some were confused but leant forward and asked why.
• Others did not even want to know why – they immediately disassociated themselves.
• I guess to connect means to be confronted with.
• If we don’t want out thoughts, ideas or beliefs to be confronted we disconnect.
• It must be a sad place to be where you are so uncertain of the things you base your life upon that you are afraid to connect with anything different.
• Praying I will be truly secure in my faith that I don’t need to protect it.
• It has never been me who protects my faith – it has always been God.