Sabbath Thought - Number Our Days

(The following is a letter the President of UCG, Rick Shabi, wrote this past week. It has a very timely point made as we come up on the Feast of Pentecost.)

Spring and warm weather have settled into America and the northern hemisphere. The days are pleasant and the sun has been shining bright here in Cincinnati. In the parts of the world where early spring crops have been planted, the time for harvesting is near.

Those who live in the southern hemisphere--in places like Australia, New Zealand, and parts of South America and Africa--may be experiencing more autumn type weather, but in your area of the world, you too know that the season of God's "spring" Holy Days is here.

Today, Thursday, June 13, is the 47th day from the wave-sheaf offering that occurred during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Three days from now, on Sunday, June 16, is the "50th day," the Day (or Feast) of Pentecost, a holy convocation.

Pentecost is rich in meaning. Doubtless you will hear much about the significance of this Holy Day as we assemble together on Pentecost. Moreover, our minds should be focused on this part of God's plan now. As we prepare our hearts to observe this time, we should be sure to ask God to further deepen our understanding and appreciation of His plan for mankind as revealed in the Holy Days.

It is significant that God ties Pentecost to a notable event that occurred during the Days of Unleavened Bread. You will recall that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after the resurrection, on the day of the wave-sheaf offering (Leviticus 23:11; John 20:17). He was accepted by God the Father as the first of the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Jesus Christ had perfectly fulfilled His mission by living a perfect life as flesh and blood, and offered Himself as "payment" for our sins. His sacrifice was accepted by the Father, and now the next step in God's plan for mankind would begin.

God the Father calls us (John 6:44), and as we respond to His call, we accept the sacrifice of Christ, determining and purposing to follow Him wherever He leads and to do whatever He commands. We commit to "purifying ourselves" (1 John 3:3) by putting sin, weaknesses, faults and bad attitudes out of our lives and we learn and consciously choose to live God's way. That step in our lives is pictured by the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Beginning from the wave-sheaf offering that occurs during that Feast, we are commanded to "count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath" and observe the Feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16).

There is much that is symbolized in our Pentecost observance and a very important aspect we should consider is the "counting" of the days.

God gives us the greatest opportunity any human being could be afforded when He calls us into His family, puts His Holy Spirit in us, and for the rest of our physical lives trains us, prepares us, lovingly corrects us and molds us (as we allow Him to) into who He wants us to become. We are being prepared to serve with and under His Son, Jesus Christ for eternity.

For God to give us the promise of eternal life, we must endure to the end, always yielded to Him and His will, always committed to overcoming the world, ourselves, our carnal human nature, and the pride and lust of life.

We have a limited number of days in this physical life. We realize that. None of us know when the days of our lives will end. Only God knows.

Knowing that our days are "numbered," we're reminded of Psalm 90:12: "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (emphasis added).

As we count those 50 days to Pentecost, we are reminded of our mortality, and we understand and appreciate God's admonitions to redeem the time, wake up, and have that sense of urgency recognizing the day of our "salvation is nearer than when we first believed" (Romans 13:11).

Have we asked God to teach us to number our days as He instructs? Are we truly using the time God gives us to become like Him? Will we accomplish the calling and purpose for which He has called us, like Jesus Christ fulfilled the purpose for which He came to earth? Are we willing to strive to become the humble, united body He desires us to be? He does give us all we need. The rest is up to us and how we choose to live our lives.

As we prepare our hearts and minds to observe Pentecost, let us renew and re-energize our commitment to completely yield to God and His will, striving to become "at one" with Him and each other.

Have a wonderful and meaningful Sabbath and Pentecost all around the world as His family assembles "in one accord."

In Christian love,

Rick Shabi

15 June, 2024