Acts 2:41, 47 CEVDCI
[41] On that day about 3,000 believed his message and were baptised.
[47] … while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.
The Harvest is Plentiful
When I think of Pentecost, one image that often comes to mind is that of a field filled with ripe fruit (whichever is our favourite) waiting to be picked. Part of that stems from the fact that, in the Hebrew agrarian tradition, Pentecost marked the beginning of the wheat harvest. It marked the first fruit after the barley harvest of Passover.
What we see then, are two first-fruits festivals. Under the Law, i.e., the Hebrew Covenant, both were affiliated with literal agricultural offerings. The very first yields of barley and wheat were offered back to God in gratitude and anticipation. These offerings ensured that God’s priests – those who were full-time and had no property of their own – had provisions. This enabled them to dedicate all their energies toward tending to the spiritual needs of the nation. The wheat and barley tithes would therefore have been enough to sustain the priests until the next first fruits festival.
Self-Check
Although the Firstfruits festival isn’t practised in such a literal way, how are we contributing to the welfare of God’s ministers? Are we contributing gifts in gratitude and anticipation?
Digging Deeper
It is not hard to see that the new Pentecost had spiritual significance. The 3,000 new believers are the Firstfruits in Christ. Y’shua was killed for our sakes on the eve of the Feast of the Passover. His resurrection was the evidence that the barley sacrifice had been received. It was permanent. After His Ascension forty days later, Y’shua invited the disciples to await what they would later discover was a bumper harvest far greater than the miraculous catch of fish. And they became the unexpected priests who received the crop. In that sense, they both harvested and gleaned.
Here’s the powerful piece that affects us all. The 3,000 wasn’t the final harvest. The second part of our Nougat indicates that God added to the numbers daily. The growth was exponential! It tells us that where there are willing, available workers, God’s Spirit will provide the increase. Whether uptown, downtown, on the highways, byways, at the crossroads, in the grandstands, bleachers, the Olympics, or the World Cup (or any other Cup for that matter), God’s field is ripened and ready. What of us, the workers?
Siblings, it matters not how we see ourselves. God makes experts, we don’t have to begin this ministry with years of experience. Much more than our experience, God desires willing hearts. With a little imagination, we can see God’s fields, ready for the harvest. And along the perimeter of God’s fields is the sign: Help Wanted. Apply Within. No Experience Required. On-the-job training is available.
What’s our response? This is the opportunity for all eternity.
Point to Ponder
Can we recall the person who helped to ‘harvest’ us for Christ? As we thank God for their availability, let’s ask God to direct us to our section of the vineyard so God can add daily to our numbers.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
