What shall we do?

Today is Pentecost. It means "fifty." It was 50 days after Passover. It was also called the Feast of Weeks when the wheat harvest was celebrated.

By the 2nd century A.D. rabinnic Judaism regarded Pentecost as the day the was given to Israel at Sinai. Which was logical given the fact that ancient Israel had to travel for a time to Sinai to receive the Law.

This made Pentecost a very important Jewish festival. All Jewish men were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to "appear before the Lord."

• Some think that this text was meant to remind us of the giving of the Law at Sinai.
• At Sinai the people experienced "thunder and lightening, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking." They people also begged that God not be allowed to speak to them.

The typology of 2:1-11 is that of making a covenant.  Jews reading this text would have been reminded of their history during the time of the giving of the Covenant.  See Exodus 20:18 and Jeremiah 31:34.  Luke also quoted Jesus who said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you," Luke 22:20.