Also the Feast of the Harvest of the Firstfruits (Pentecost) of your labors, which you have sown in the field (Exodus 23:16, HBFV).
And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest . . . (Exodus 34:22, HBFV).
God commanded that on Pentecost no work is to be done.
And in the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord after your weeks have been counted, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no servile work. (Numbers 28:26, HBFV).
Pentecost represents the consummation of the first harvest, after seven weeks of labor, and also the arrival of the Israelites at Mount Sinai after seven weeks of weary wandering. Tradition states that God gave Israel the Ten Commandments on Pentecost.
The apostle Paul wanted to be at Jerusalem for Pentecost.
For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16).
Christians have the firstfruits of God's spirit within them, allowing them to be the first of many who will ultimately receive salvation. Believers follow in the path of Jesus, the first of the firstfruits in God's great plan.
The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God. Now if we are children, we are also heirs - truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ . . .
For the earnest expectation of the creation itself is awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God . . . For we know that all the creation is groaning together . . . And not only that, but even we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, also groan within ourselves . . . (Romans 8:16 - 17, 19, 22 - 23).
But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the first-fruit of those who have fallen asleep (1Corinthians 15:20).
The 144,000 people of the tribes of Israel, converted during the great tribulation, will also be firstfruits unto God (study Revelation 14:1 - 4).
Why wait?
Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, after his resurrection, he gave a very important command to his disciples. He told them to wait or tarry in Jerusalem so that they could be given the might power of God's Holy Spirit (Luke 24:46, 49). The Greek word translated as "tarry" is kathizo (Strong's Concordance #G2523), which means to sit down. Jesus was telling his restless disciples to relax a bit and wait in Jerusalem until they received the power of God. It is then they could go out and preach the gospel to the world! The disciples would only have to wait a short time until Pentecost.
When the day of Pentecost arrived 120 of Jesus' disciples, which included the twelve apostles, received the promised power of God. Peter spoke to the crowd gathered on the holy day about what the miracles they saw symbolized. They were a shadow fulfillment of what the prophet Joel predicted would happen at the end time just before the return of Christ (see Acts 2).
One of the many lessons of Pentecost is that sometimes we must wait for God to act, in his wisdom, before rushing off to do his will.