“On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that the "Feast of Weeks," celebrating the firstfruits of the harvest, was explicitly a day to cease from "ordinary work." It wasn't just about offering sacrifices, but about a divinely appointed pause to acknowledge God's provision and presence. This holy rest underscores that even during times of great thanksgiving and harvest, our focus is meant to be on the divine source of our abundance, not just the labor that produced it.
“On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes the special sacrifices for the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Day of Firstfruits or Pentecost. It follows instructions for daily and monthly offerings, emphasizing that this harvest festival, marked by the presentation of new grain, required a holy gathering and a cessation from ordinary labor. The celebration anticipates the offering of two loaves made from the first wheat harvest, commemorating the completion of the wheat harvest period that began with Passover.
Imagine the joy of the first harvest, a tangible sign of God's provision! This verse marks a special day to celebrate that bounty.
Numbers 28:26 describes the "Feast of Weeks" (also known as Pentecost), a celebration that occurred seven weeks after Passover. It was a time to offer the "firstfruits" of the wheat harvest to the Lord.
God's feasts weren't just about sacrifice; they were also about rest. What does it mean to 'do no ordinary work' today?
The command to "do no ordinary work" on this holy day is a crucial part of the celebration. It signifies a distinct separation from the routine of life to focus entirely on God.
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Understand the original words
bikkurim · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the initial portion of the harvest, presented to God as an act of thanksgiving and acknowledgment that the entire harvest belongs to Him. It signifies the consecration of the whole by offering the first part.
miqra · Hebrew Noun
A sacred assembly or a formal calling together of the people of God for the purpose of worship, instruction, or observance of a feast. It implies a setting apart from common activities for divine service.
This command, given during the wilderness wanderings, points to the structured worship God established for Israel, grounding their agricultural cycle in sacred observance and remembrance of His provisions.
~1445 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Following their liberation from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites begin their journey to the Promised Land, carrying the divine instructions for worship and festivals.
~1445 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God delivers the Law, including detailed instructions for festivals and sacrifices like those described in Numbers, establishing the framework for Israelite worship and national identity.
~1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites begin to enter and conquer the Promised Land, setting the stage for the establishment of their national religious life.
During the Judges Period— this verse
Establishment of agricultural festivals
As the Israelites settle in the land, they observe agricultural festivals like the Feast of Weeks, which celebrates the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and requires special sacrifices and holy convocations.
c. 950 BC
Dedication of Solomon's Temple
The construction and dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem provide a central place for the prescribed sacrifices and festivals, solidifying their national observance.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonian conquest leads to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of many Israelites, interrupting the regular observance of these festivals.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
Following their return from exile, the Israelites rebuild the Temple, and the observance of festivals and sacrifices, including the Feast of Weeks, is gradually restored.
This passage describes the Feast of Weeks, also known as the day of firstfruits, and specifies the offering of two loaves made from new grain, directly correlating with the 'new meat offering' mentioned in Numbers 28:26.
Exodus 23:16This verse links the 'feast of harvest, the first of the increase of thy labours' with the offering of firstfruits, highlighting the agricultural and celebratory aspect that is central to the day described in Numbers 28:26.
Acts 2:1This New Testament passage describes the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) with the coming of the Holy Spirit, showing how the Old Testament celebration of firstfruits foreshadowed a spiritual harvest and a new beginning for believers.
1 Corinthians 15:20Paul calls Christ the 'firstfruits of them that are asleep,' drawing a parallel between the offering of the first harvest in the Old Testament and Christ's resurrection as the first of those who will be raised to new life.
Romans 8:23This verse speaks of believers themselves groaning 'as we wait for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies,' using the imagery of firstfruits to describe the present experience of the Holy Spirit as a down payment on future glory.
bensonNumbers 28:26: "Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:"
Numbers 28:26 . Also in the day of the first-fruits — In the feast of pentecost, Acts 2:1 . The weeks — The seven weeks which you are to number from the passover. This fifth stated and national sacrifice was also annual, namely, at the harvest festival, when the first-fruits of corn were to be offered up, E…
calvinNumbers 28:16-31: "And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD."
After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
Secundum haec facietis singulis diebus septem dierum, panem oblationis ignitae odoris quietis Jehovae: ultra holocaustum juge fiet, et libamen ejus.
And on the seventh da…
This verse highlights that the "Feast of Weeks," celebrating the firstfruits of the harvest, was explicitly a day to cease from "ordinary work." It wasn't just about offering sacrifices, but about a divinely appointed pause to acknowledge God's provision and presence. This holy rest underscores that even during times of great thanksgiving and harvest, our focus is meant to be on the divine source of our abundance, not just the labor that produced it.
This passage describes the special sacrifices for the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Day of Firstfruits or Pentecost. It follows instructions for daily and monthly offerings, emphasizing that this harvest festival, marked by the presentation of new grain, required a holy gathering and a cessation from ordinary labor. The celebration anticipates the offering of two loaves made from the first wheat harvest, commemorating the completion of the wheat harvest period that began with Passover.
This passage describes the special sacrifices for the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Day of Firstfruits or Pentecost. It follows instructions for daily and monthly offerings, emphasizing that this harvest festival, marked by the presentation of new grain, required a holy gathering and a cessation from ordinary labor. The celebration anticipates the offering of two loaves made from the first wheat harvest, commemorating the completion of the wheat harvest period that began with Passover.
"“On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work," — This verse highlights that the "Feast of Weeks," celebrating the firstfruits of the harvest, was explicitly a day to cease from "ordinary work." It wasn't just about offering sacrifices, but about a…
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Last reviewed October 2026