The Shofar Newsletter
THE SHOFAR Newsletter of Bet Yeshurun Messianic Assembly
Good News for the Assembly of Bet Yeshurun
No. 1702 / May 22, 2025
2025 Gatherings (doors open at time shown; services start at 3:00 pm)
5/24 Praise & Worship Services 12:30 pm
5/25 Sabbath Services 2:30 pm
5/31 Praise & Worship Services 1:30 pm
6/1 Sabbath Services 2:30 pm
6/2 Shavuot (Feast of Weeks – see Announcement) * 11:00 am
6/7 Praise & Worship Services 1:30 pm
6/8 Sabbath Services 2:30 pm
6/14 Praise & Worship Services 1:30 pm
6/15 Sabbath Services 2:30 pm
6/19 Chodesh (Celebrating the 4th month of the Divine Year) * 1:30 pm
6/21 Praise & Worship Services 12:30 pm
6/22 Sabbath Services 2:30 pm
* A Holy Day like Sabbaths (a day for no work)
2025 Schedule for Reading the Bible in One-Year
Nevi’im; Shemu’El 1 (Heard of El) First Book of Samuel
5/20 - Chapters 13 – 16 5/21 - Chapters 17 – 20 5/22 - Chapters 21 – 24
5/23 - Chapters 25 – 28 5/24 - Chapters 29
Nevi’im; Shemu’El 2 (Heard of El) Second Book of Samuel
5/25 - Chapters 1 – 4 5/26 - Chapters 5 – 8 5/27 - Chapters 9 – 12
5/28 - Chapters 13 – 16 5/29 - Chapters 17 – 20 5/30 - Chapters 21
Nevi’im; Melakim 1 (Sovereigns) First Book of Kings
5/31 - Chapters 1– 4 6/1 - Chapters 5 – 8 6/2 - Chapters 9– 12
6/3 - Chapter 13 – 16 6/4 - Chapters 17 – 20 6/5 - Chapters 21 – 22
Nevi’im; Melakim 2 (Sovereigns) Second Book of Kings
6/6 - Chapters 1 – 4 6/7 - Chapters 5 – 8 6/8 - Chapters 9 – 12
6/9 - Chapters 13 – 16 6/10 - Chapters 17 – 20 6/11 - Chapters 21 – 25
Nevi’im; Yeshayahu (Salvation of Yah) Prophecy of Isaiah
6/12 - Chapters 1 – 4 6/13 - Chapters 5 – 8 6/14 - Chapters 9 – 12
6/15 - Chapters 13 – 17 6/16 - Chapters 18 – 22 6/17 - Chapters 23 – 27
6/18 - Chapters 28 – 31 6/19 - Chapters 32 – 36 6/20 - Chapters 37 – 40
Tabernacle Invitation
Interested in joining Bet Yeshurun Assembly? Please contact Pastor ObadiYah by email, telephone, mail, or in person at a gathering of Yahushuah’s Body.
The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)
(Exodus 34:22; KJV) Thou shalt observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end.
In a few days, Bet Yeshurun Assembly (BYA) observes Shavuot (see Shofar Announcement). This annual Holy Day is also known as the Feast of Weeks, an appointed time to meet with YAHUAH: (Numbers 28:26) In the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new meat (grain) offering to YAHUAH, after your weeks (šāḇûaʿ) are out, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no servile work.
In Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word for weeks is שָׁבוּעַ (H7620; šāḇûaʿ). It’s defined as “sevened, i.e. a week (specifically, of years).” That numeric name is a good description of our Feast as we determine the date of Shavuot by counting 7-weeks plus one-day, or 50-days total from BYA’s firstfruits (H1061; bikûr) offering: (Leviticus 23:15-16) You shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete. Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meat (cereal) offering to YAHUAH.
This article will consider other physical and spiritual attributes of the Feast. For example, we celebrate Shavuot with our family and friends per Scripture: (Deuteronomy 16:9-11) Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee. Begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn, and thou shalt keep the Feast of Weeks unto YAHUAH Elohim with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give, according as YAHUAH Elohim hath blessed thee. Thou shalt rejoice before YAHUAH Elohim, thou, thy son and daughter, thy manservant and maidservant, the Levite within thy gates, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which YAHUAH Elohim hath chosen to place his name there.
Shavuot is known by another name: the Feast of Harvest. Ancient Israel, an agricultural nation, celebrated YAH’s spring and summer harvest blessings (in early spring, it was barley; in late spring, it was wheat; in early summer, it was grapes; and in late summer, it was olives). These harvests sustained lives, so Israel rejoiced with festive dancing, eating and drinking. They also gave offerings of praise and worship to Elohim through prayers and songs of thanksgiving! (Exodus 23:15-16) Thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread: (Eat unleavened bread seven days as commanded thee in the appointed time of Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before Me empty.) And the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field.
At Shavuot, Israel’s priests also waved 2 loaves of wheat bread to symbolize their community’s renewed life. This thanksgiving offering to YAHUAH was in obedience to Torah: (Leviticus 23:17) Bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals. They shall be of fine flour, baked with leaven. They are firstfruits unto YAHUAH.
That annual offering of wheat foreshadows a harvesting of human souls from the time of our Messiah’s resurrection until the time of His second coming. Consider this parable, which likens the gathering of people into Yahushuah’s Kingdom to the harvesting of wheat that grows in a field among weeds: (Matthew 13:24-30) The Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. When the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So, the servants of the householder came and said to him, “Sir, did not you sow good seed in your field? From where then has it tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this!” The servants said to him, “Will you then that we go and gather them up?” But he said, “Nay! Lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. In the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, 'Gather together first the tares. Bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
While Shavuot pictures a wheat harvest, it also marks when a spiritually set-apart nation, Israel, received YAH’s Torah at Mt. Sinai: (Exodus 19:1-8) In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto Elohim, and YAHUAH called unto him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which YAHUAH commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, “All YAHUAH hath spoken we will do.” Moses returned the words of the people to YAHUAH.
Having passed through the Red Sea to escape Egypt, Israel now stood at YAH’s Holy Mountain, washed and consecrated to receive the Torah through Moses. (Exodus 19-24) Their acceptance symbolized a Marriage Covenant (Ketubah) with YAH. Today, Shavuot also pictures the Church (Bride) becoming betrothed to Yahushuah.
Initiated long ago, the Father’s Plan of Salvation and Redemption brings humanity into a life-saving relationship. Elohim’s Word (Yahushuah) is a Living Torah providing instructions in righteousness. Thus, when BYA gathers as a spiritual people on the Feast of Weeks, we come to hear the Word: (Matthew 4:4) It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Elohim.”
Yahushuah further explains the kernels of wheat which become bread or new plants, foreshadow Disciples (Students of the Word) following Yah’s Way of Life to produce more spiritual fruit onto eternal life: (John 12:23-26) “Verily, verily, I say to you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life shall lose it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serves me, him will my Father honor.”
That sounds like a good reason to have a firstfruits Feast. Indeed, as Yah reconstructs and perfects our collective and individual temples, BYA gathers and rejoices in celebrating our blessings. (James 1:17-18) Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His Own Will begat He us with the Word of Truth that we be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
While Shavuot is a time to meet with Elohim, many out of ignorance, apathy, or rebellion disregard YAH’s Appointed Times (Moedim). Shavuot isn’t a Jewish festival as some erroneously think. It’s YAHUAH’s Feast! (Leviticus 23:1–2) YAHUAH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them concerning the Feasts of YAHUAH, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My Feasts.”
The message foreshadowed at Mt. Sinai extends beyond Shavuot. It’s about obeying the Father’s Will and Way of Life. This Feast offers us an opportunity to confirm an anointed relationship with YAH and HIS wondrous plan of redemption. May all at BYA get ready to serve as laborers in Yah’s harvest, like these Disciples sent centuries ago: (Luke 10:1-2) After these things the Adonai appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He himself would come. Therefore, said He, “The harvest truly [is] great, but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Adonai of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” (John 4:35) Say not, “There are yet four months and then cometh harvest?” Behold, I say, “Lift your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” Shalom, Elder Curt
Announcements
2025 Shavuot Friends and family are invited to join with BYA in celebrating a Feast of Weeks at an outdoor gathering (Monday, June 2 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Maple Ridge Shelter of Marshbank Park on 2805 Hiller Road, West Bloomfield, MI.
Thoughts for Meditation
Isaac Newton, mathematician and physicist in the 17th century - “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”
Galileo Galilei (1564 -1642 astronomer) - “When I reflect on so many profoundly marvelous things that persons have grasped, sought, and done, I recognize even more clearly that human intelligence is a work of God, and one of the most excellent.”
Martin Luther - “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”