TORAH: Exodus 18:1-20:23
HAFTARAH: Isaiah 6:1-7:6, 9:5-6
GOSPEL: Matthew 19:16-26
Portion Outline:
The seventeenth reading from the Torah is named Yitro, which is the literal Hebrew behind the name Jethro. The title comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which says, “Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people” (Exodus 18:1). The portion tells the story of Jethro’s visit to the camp of Israel, then relates the great theophany at Mount Sinai, where God gives Israel the Ten Commandments and invites the people to enter a special covenant relationship with Him.
Torah
Exodus 18:1 | Jethro’s Advice
Exodus 19:1 | The Israelites Reach Mount Sinai
Exodus 19:9 | The People Consecrated
Exodus 20:1 | The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:22 | The Law concerning the Altar
Prophets
Isaiah 6:1 | A Vision of God in the Temple
Isaiah 9:1 | The Righteous Reign of the Coming King
Portion Commentary:
The Giving of the Torah
Long before the tongues of fire fell upon the believers in Jerusalem, the fire fell upon Mount Sinai.
Most Christians know the story of Pentecost: the mighty wind, the tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit, and the apostles speaking in every language. Most, however, are unaware of the significant background behind the story. The church holiday known as Pentecost was not originally a church holiday at all; the festival goes back to the days of Moses.
Christianity celebrates Pentecost as the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in tongues of fire:
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)
The first Pentecost happened at Mount Sinai. Long before the tongues of fire fell upon the believers in Jerusalem, the fire fell upon Mount Sinai. The children of Israel arrived in the desert of Sinai in the third month, as the Torah says. On the sixth day of the third month, God descended onto Mount Sinai to give Israel the Torah. He came in blazing fire heralded by the loud blast of the shofar.
Just as Passover memorializes the exodus from Egypt, Pentecost memorializes the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. For that reason, Pentecost is called the festival of Mattan Torah (מתן תורה), the “Giving of the Torah.”
To commemorate the day that He gave His Torah to Israel, the LORD commanded the children of Israel to observe the day of Shavuot as an appointed time.
Pentecost means “fifty.” The festival is called Pentecost because it comes fifty days after the first day of Passover. The Torah refers to it as the Festival of Weeks (Shavu’ot, שבעות) because it occurs seven weeks after the first day of Passover. Henceforth we will use the Hebrew name of the festival: Shavuot.
Read complete commentary at First Fruits of Zion.
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