Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1783
“The day of Pentecost.” Acts 2:1.
[Sermon No. 511, Volume 9, is also entitled, “Pentecost.” Its Scripture verses are Acts 2:1-4.]
LOOKING into a silversmith’s window on Thursday last, I observed a notice card upon which was printed as follows—“This shop will be closed this evening and will not be re-opened until Tuesday evening.” I looked at the name over the window and observed that it belonged to one of the house of Israel. I had forgotten till that moment that we have now reached the Levitical feast of Pentecost which contains, among its regulations, that no servile work is to be done—and hence all business is laid aside by the faithful Jew. Surely, the Jews, in their care to observe their law, deserve much praise. At what an expense must large trading firms suspend their business! They send a lesson to many professed Christians who seem to have little regard for the Lord’s Day, break in upon its rest in a thousand frivolous ways and half regret that they cannot pursue their earthly callings throughout the whole seven days of the week.
It is true that we consider these days, weeks and sacred festivals to have become obsolete by the fulfillment of the great Truths of God which they typified, but as this is not the judgment of the Jew because he has not received Jesus as the Messiah, we may at least learn from his strict observance of the Sabbath, the Passover and the feast of Pentecost, that it becomes us to study the spiritual meaning of these types, and to guard with care the one great festival which remains to the Church, namely, the Lord’s Day. On our Sabbath let us do no needless work, but seek rest both for body and soul.
We are now at the season called Pentecost. In the reading of the Scriptures, I showed you out of Leviticus 23 that the first feast was the Passover and that there is no feasting, no satisfaction, no peace, no rest, no joy to any heart till, first of all, we have seen the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, who is our Passover. When we have understood the great Truth declared in Jehovah’s Word, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you,” then we know what it is to dwell in safety within the blood-sprinkled doors while the Destroying Angel passes by. Through the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
Under the covering of the blood of the Lord’s Passover, we feast upon the Pascal Lamb, and thus our hunger is removed, our desires are satisfied, our strength is renewed and our heart is made glad. As the result of that Passover, we do, in fact, what the Jews did in emblem on the morrow after the Passover Sabbath—we confess that we are not our own, but are bought with a price—and that all that we have belongs to our redeeming Lord. On the morrow after the Sabbath, the Israelite brought the wave-sheaf of his barley harvest, which was waved before the Lord in type that every product of the soil—and all the result of man’s labor—was from God and belonged to God. So, as soon as we have fed upon Christ and have come out of the house of bondage, we begin to enquire, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me?” It becomes an instinct with us to express our gratitude in one way or another. Without any deliberation or delay, we conclude that if He has loved us and given Himself for us, we ought to show our love to Him in some manifest form.
Seven clear weeks passed away from the waving of the sheaf of the barley harvest and then came the feast of first fruits for all the crops, but principally for the wheat harvest which was then in full operation—this was Pentecost. In 50 days Israel was fully clear of Egypt, far away in the desert, and quite delivered from all fear of pursuing armies. Pharaoh’s hosts had been destroyed and the Red Sea rolled between Israel and her former oppressors. Then it was that they held a holy convocation. They did not bring to God in the wilderness the loaves of bread of first fruits, for they had not yet
reached the land which would yield them a harvest. But they held their convocation and were instructed as to what their duty would be when they came to the promised land. When they actually reached their possessions in Canaan, they kept the 50th day and held a solemn feast in which they presented unto the Lord two loaves of bread made of fine flour from the new wheat. This offering dedicated the harvest.
The teaching of this ceremony is just this—“When you are saved, when you have entered into rest, when you have considered and deliberated, then renew your vows unto the Lord, make your consecration more large and full and deliberate—and dedicate yourself and all that you have unto the Lord who has given you all things richly to enjoy. You have already, in the short time since you have known the sprinkled blood, obtained a harvest of joy and peace—therefore delay not to bring a worthy portion unto the Lord and say unto Him, ‘You have set me free and made me to be Your servant. And now I offer to You all that I am and all that I have, for You have bought me with Your precious blood.’”—