Pentecost and Gleaning

Leviticus 23 records the instruction God gave Moses regarding His holy days. Verses 15 through 22 detail the observance of a feast that is not named in the passage, but elsewhere is called the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, and, in the New Testament, Pentecost. This holy day marks some very significant events in God’s dealings with mankind. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses on the Feast of Firstfruits. The New Testament church began on Pentecost with the giving of the Holy Spirit to the believers. The Holy Spirit was given as part of the New Covenant, a covenant in which God actually puts His nature and character into humans through writing His Law into our hearts and minds. This holy day points to the small early harvest in God’s plan of salvation, to those called to be the firstfruits in the Kingdom of God, a tremendous calling and a tremendous blessing that we are a part of.

Interestingly, in Leviticus 23 a command is given which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the holy day, yet it reveals a very practical application that God wants those who are the firstfruits to remember and observe.

Leviticus 23:22

'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.'"

Part of the Pentecost command is to leave some of the harvest in the field for the poor and the stranger. Today, very few of us are able to literally apply this instruction, and if we wanted to, it is likely that none of the poor would have a clue what was going on. The question is, “What does gleaning teach us about Pentecost?”

We know that the holy days picture God’s plan of salvation and are a vital part of the gospel message. For us, this holy day has a special and personal meaning. We are the firstfruits. We who are the early harvest in God’s plan are commanded in this verse to be concerned about the poor and the stranger. When we reap the harvest, when we receive God’s blessings, we should be filled with thanksgiving and joy. Having a deep appreciation for what we have received should lead us to want to share some of it with others.

God’s Concern for the Poor

This passage teaches us that God has a deep concern for the poor and the stranger. In other places, the oppressed, the widow and orphan are also mentioned as ones God wants us to remember. David wrote in Psalms 140:12, “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.”

How the World Treats the Poor

Sadly, that is not how we see the poor and oppressed treated in the world we live in. Ezekiel 22:29 describes our present world: “The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.” Every day we see an increase in oppression by the oligarchy of elitists who are seeking increased power and prestige and wealth for themselves. Isaiah gave God’s view of such treatment.

Isaiah 3:14-15

14 The LORD will enter into judgment
With the elders of His people
And His princes:
"For you have eaten up the vineyard;
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing My people
And grinding the faces of the poor?"
Says the Lord GOD of hosts.

The rich and mighty will answer for grinding and crushing the poor, the oppressed and the needy.

Biblical Instruction

The Bible is filled with instructions about providing for the poor. Christ told the rich young ruler "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; …." (Matthew 19:21). On another occasion He gave this instruction to a ruler of the Pharisees who had invited Him for a meal:

Luke 14:12-14

12 …, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

James wrote of the need to back up our beliefs with practical works.

James 2:14-17

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

If we keep Pentecost, but do nothing to provide for the poor and the stranger, just say warm platitudes to them, we are not keeping the gleaning command. God’s wants us to demonstrate our beliefs by taking action. He wants us to give evidence of living faith by doing good works.

How to Give to the Poor

Leviticus 23:22 teaches us how to give to the poor. In Old Testament times, many landowners who deeply wanted to fulfill this command told the reapers to leave whole bound sheaves in the field for the poor, or to leave handfuls through the fields that would be easy to glean. They had received a bountiful harvest; they wanted to give a bountiful gleaning. This practice shows that those giving had deep respect for the poor. The poor were treated with dignity. Grain and fruit were left for them to come and gather what they needed. They had to put forth effort. It wasn’t just a handout. Giving in this way requires deep humility on the part of the giver. There is no tooting of the horn, no belittling of those receiving the gift, no giving to feel superior. There is no giving to get, no giving to control the one receiving the gift. Through this practice, we can learn a powerful lesson: GOD USES HUMANS TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHER HUMANS. He does not always rain manna from heaven for the hungry or drop dollars down to the poor. He needs humans to practice kindness, concern, and giving. Anyone who has been in need knows this to be true. A helper can come from any direction; he or she can be converted or unconverted. All God needs is someone who is willing to help and give. We who keep Pentecost are called to help provide for the needs of others; we are called to be those who are willing to help and give.

Spiritual Application

The gleaning command also has spiritual applications. The firstfruits, depicted by Pentecost, have responsibility. We not only give to God, but we are to provide for those who are needy – physically and spiritually. Doing so shows the nature of God in action. Practicing the gleaning command is a demonstration of the fruits of the spirit and shows we have the Spirit of God.

Those called now are reaping a spiritual harvest. That harvest is shown by the fruits of the spirit; those fruits are our harvest in this age. The fruits that we reap are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). As these fruits grow in us, we will seek to share that harvest, those fruits, with others. Part of our calling is to share the spiritual gifts we have been given with those who do not have them.

Our Mission and Calling

Christ was given a mission to perform.

Luke 4:16-19

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

The Spirit of God was given to the New Testament church on Pentecost. Today, we are the Body of Christ, we are the ones He is using to do His Work on earth at this time. We have been commissioned to preach the gospel to the poor. The body of Christ, the firstfruits, seeks to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. We are here to proclaim liberty to all who are oppressed. That is our calling; that is our mission.

We who have received the firstfruits of the spirit and are the firstfruits in God’s plan of salvation are encouraged to remember the poor and the stranger; we are encouraged to be generous in providing for the needs of the unfortunate. God has called us to share in His work of giving. We who have received such a bountiful calling and have reaped the reward of the early spiritual harvest are to always remember to provide for those who do not have what we have – physically and spiritually. We who have been given love must share and spread that same love. We who have received mercy must be merciful to those who need mercy. We who have received kindness must be kind to others. A vital lesson of this holy day is that we must always remember and provide for the poor and the stranger.