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Motivation for Passover and counting the Omer.

 

The Tanach is full of prophecies regarding Messiah ben Joseph’s sacrifice for His people. The first prophesy about Messiah ben Joseph’s suffering is found in Genesis 3: 15, as follows: ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.’ Here HaShem is talking to Satan, telling him that Messiah will succeed him as leader over the earth, but prophesying that he will bruise Messiah ben Joseph’s heel, when the nails were driven through His feet during His execution by crucifixion. When Messiah ben David comes to rule the earth from Jerusalem, He will bruise Satan’s head when He imprisons him in the bottomless pit (as per Revelation 20: 1- 3).

                                                                                   

The prophet Isaiah also foretold Messiah ben Joseph’s sacrifice for the sins of His people in Isaiah 53: 5& 6, saying:‘But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our wellbeing fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. (6) All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but HaShem has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.’  We see further that King David wrote about Messiah ben Joseph’s death in Psalm 22: 6 - 8 and 14 - 18, saying: ‘But I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men, and despised by the people. (7) All who see me sneer at me; they separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, (8) “Commit yourself to HaShem; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” (14) I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it is melted within me. (15) My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and Thou dost lay me in the dust of death.  (16) For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. (17) I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; (18)They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.’At immersion we enter a covenant relationship with HaShem, accepting that Messiah ben Joseph became our personal Passover when He died for the sins of His people the house of Israel, but also for the rest of mankind.We repent of our sins of disobeying the Torah commands of HaShemin the past and He promises to give us a portion of His Set Apart Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to salvation, as explained in Ephesians 1: 13 & 14, in this way: ‘In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of G-d’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.’ The Set-apart Spirit (transliterated as the Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew) also helps us in our walk with HaShemour Father and to continue to obey His Torah. However, because at our immersion we are relatively new to HaShem’s way of life, we are to grow in grace and knowledge of our Master and Savior Messiah ben Joseph and should stop practicing sin and replace our previous bad habits, by practicing righteousness. We know according to 1 John 3: 4 that sin is lawlessness; righteousness being the opposite of lawlessness is obedience to Torah.

 

When we repent and are immersed in the name of Messiah ben Joseph, we accept that His death paid the penalty for our sins,as we read in Colossians 2: 12 – 14: ‘Having been buried with Him in immersion, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of G-d, who raised Him from the dead. (13) And when you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, (14) having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.’This is specifically talking to the lost ten tribes, who come from other religions.Our immersion marks the time when we came out of slavery of sin.It is similar towhen our forefathers came out of slavery in Egypt. We read from Romans 6: 23 that the wages of sin are death, but the free gift of G-d is eternal life in Messiah ben Joseph our Master. By breaking the Torah commands of HaShem, we earned death. However, if we accept that Messiah ben Joseph died for the sins of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (but also for the rest of mankind during the great white throne judgement) and are immersed in His name, HaShem forgives our past sins and gives us a fresh start. At immersion in His saving name, we are given a portion of the Set-apart Spiritwhich assures us of eternal life, as is confirmed in Romans 8: 11, as follows: ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Y’shua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah ben Joseph from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’

 

Even so, Messiah ben Joseph said in John 6: 44, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”  Continuing in verse 47 - 69 of John 6, we read: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. (48)I am the bread of life. (49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (50)This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  (51) I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (52) ‘The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”’ (53)‘Y’shua therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. (54) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (55) For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. (56) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. (58)This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever.” (59) ‘These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. (60)Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” (61) But Y’shua, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?  (62) What then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before? (63) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (64) But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Y’shua knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. (65) And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.” (66) As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. (67)Y’shua said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” (68)Simon Kepha answered Him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.  (69)And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of G-d.”’ Messiah ben Joseph told His disciples that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to have eternal life. Even though they did not know what He meant at that time and it was indeed a hard saying, in hindsight they understoodthat He was referring to the symbolic act of renewing the covenant with Him annuallyby partaking of the symbols that He established in the night during which He was betrayed.

 

The reason why many of Messiah ben Joseph’s disciples found this statement of His difficult to accept is recorded in Deuteronomy 12: 23 & 24, as follows:“Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. (24) You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.” HaShem commands that no blood from an animal shall be eaten with the flesh because the blood is the life of the animal, or put differently, the nature of the animal. HaShem does not want us to partake of the blood or nature of the animal that we eat, but that we pour it out upon the ground.  By consuming the Passover wine, as a shadow of the blood (or life) of our Messiah, we partake of the very nature and spiritual form of Him - A pure nature without sin. Continuing in 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26 we read how Messiah ben Joseph changed the symbols of our Passover, as follows: ‘For I (Rav Shaul) received from the Master that which I also delivered to you, that the Master Y’shua in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (25) In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Master’s death until He comes.’ This is a once-a-year memorial of Messiah ben Joseph’s death, not a weekly or three-monthly event, as some in Christianity interprets these verses. This is how we renew our covenant, which we enteredintowith Messiah ben Joseph at immersionannually, on the night during which He was betrayed, the evening of the 14th of Aviv. If we are not washed in the blood of Messiah ben Joseph, then we are none of His.

 

Our ancient forefathers the Israelites put the blood of a lamb on the door posts and lintels of their homes and partook of the Passover lamb. At midnight HaShem passed through to smite the Egyptians; and when He saw the blood on the doorposts and lintels of the Israelite homes, He passed over the door and did not allow the destroyer to come into their homes to smite them. We eat the bread symbolizing Messiah ben Joseph’s brokenbody and apply His blood to the door posts and lintels of our hearts and minds, recalling what we read from 1 Peter 2: 24 & 25, in this way: ‘And He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (25) For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.’In addition, we read from Ephesians 1: 7, ‘In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.’ Continuing on in Ephesians 2:  11- 13 and 19 Rav Shaul explains:‘Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Un-circumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands – (12) remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise(given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), having no hope and without G-d in the world.(13)But now in Messiah Y’shua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens (Israelites) with the saints, and are of G-d’s household.’This informs us that Messiah ben Joseph came specifically to bring those of us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant that we made with HaShem at Mount Sinai, together with the house of Judah and back into the commonwealth of Israel.For the lost sheep of the house of Israel it is truly aswitnessed in John 3: 16, “For G-d so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” As the Israel of G-d, we have now become what HaShem always wanted us to be. We read accordingly in Revelation 1: 5 & 6, ‘And from Y'shua Messiah(ben Joseph), the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, (6) and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His G-d and Father; to Him be the esteem and dominion forever and ever. Amein.’This is exactly what HaShem told Moses about the children of Israel in Exodus 19: 6, as follows: “‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a Set-apart nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

 

If we fully realize what Messiah ben Joseph’s sacrifice means for us, we will come before HaShem in a humble and repentant attitude. Whilst we are flesh and blood human beings, we will never be righteous enough of ourselves. It is for this reason that we need to appreciate Messiah ben Joseph’s body, understanding what His death and resurrection has done for us.  We need to examine ourselves at this time before the Passover, as we read in 2 Corinthians 13: 5,‘Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Y’shua Messiah is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?’We also read in 1 Corinthians 11: 26 – 29: ‘For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Master’s death until He comes. (27) Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Master. (28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.’We should have Messiah ben Joseph’s attitude in us as we read in Philippians 2: 5 – 8: ‘Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Messiah Y’shua, (6) who, although He existed in the form of G-d, did not regard equality with G-d a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a stake.’ This brethren is not saying that Messiah ben Joseph became a man. It is saying that He was found in appearance as a man – in other words He only looked like us. We read about Him in the New American Standard Bible, in Hebrews 10: 5 ‘Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY THOU HAST PREPARED FOR ME.”’ Yes,Messiah ben Joseph took on the form of a man, but He was not human. Therefore, we read in Acts 20: 28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Set-apart Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of G-d which He purchased with His own blood.”

                                                                                                                                                                           

We need to be mindful of what is recorded in Romans 5: 9 & 10 (paraphrased):‘much more than being justified by the blood of Messiah, we shall be saved by His life’. By following His way of life, He livesHis life in us, as an example to the world. Let us therefore not be found wanting; examine ourselves, spending extra time studying, praying and even fasting, as the annual Passover is fast approaching. Picture in your mind’s eye Messiah ben Joseph on His impalement stake; shedding His blood and finally dying alone and forsaken to pay the penalty for our sins.  He was resurrected from His grave, three days and three nights after His burial, exactly as He said. He is now the first-born (from the dead) among many brethren. The question is: What are we to do after renewing the covenant at the Passover? Rav Shaul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5: 7 & 8, as follows: ‘Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. (8) Let us therefore celebrate the feast (of unleavened bread), not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’After the Israelite’s first Passover in Egypt, they left Egypt in haste. Since Messiah ben Joseph has freed us from our sin and has justified us before HaShem, we must get away from sin in haste. Messiah ben Joseph’s body is represented by unleavened bread, meaning that He did not sin whilst He lived on earth. Likewise, the wine having been fermented to its purest form is a type of the pure shed blood of Messiah ben Joseph, shed for the forgiveness of our sins. The seven days of unleavened bread pictures us coming out of sin completely. By performing the physical, we learn a spiritual lesson: we de-leaven our homes in preparation for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as a reminder to putting sin out of our lives.

 

Having dealt with the Passover, let us consider the reason for counting the Omer. Messiah ben Joseph was impaled in the middle of the week (or Wednesday) in the morning of the 14th of Aviv and buried late that afternoon before the First Day of Unleavened Bread (on Thursday), which started that evening.  He was raised three days and three nights later immediately prior to sunset on the weekly Sabbath Day (17th Aviv), as He told the scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew 12: 39 & 40, when they asked Him a sign from Him that He is the Messiah, saying:“An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; (40) for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” We therefore do the annual Omer count from the day after the First Annual Sabbath, the First Day of Unleavened Bread and counting fifty days to always arrive at Shavuot or Pentecost, the day on which the Torah was given on Mount Sinai. The Nazarene understanding of an eight-day system for the Passover and Unleavened Bread is confirmed by Josephus a Jewish historian (37CE – 100CE) in a statement that he made as recorded in Jos. Antiq. 2:15:1, “…we keep a feast for eight days which is called unleavened bread.” Further details are given in a statement by Him in Jos. Antiq.3:10:5, “In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan (also known as Aviv), and is the beginning of our year. On the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries, (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians) the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover, and so we do celebrate this Passover in companies, leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the Passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and continues seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; on every one of which days two bulls are killed, and one ram, and seven lambs.  Now these lambs are entirely burnt, besides the kid of the goats which is added to all the rest, for sins; for it is intended as a feast for the priest on every one of those days.  But on the second day of unleavened bread, which is the sixteenth day of the month, they first partake of the fruits of the earth, for before that day they do not touch them.” This confirms our counting of the Omer from erev the 16th of Aviv, when the produce of the land may be eaten, as may be verified from Joshua 5: 10 - 12.

Every day, ‘from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the waving’ to the night before Shavuot, we recite a blessing and state the count of the Omer in days and weeks.  In counting we remember the steps our ancient forefathers took when they left the oppression of the land of Egypt behind, until they received the Torah on Shavuot. But the counting also reminds us of each day the disciples waited in Jerusalem, until they received the gift of the Set-apart Spirit on the first Shavuot or Pentecost after Messiah ben Joseph’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.  Each step that we take transforms us from called out people who at Passover become physically free, into people who at Pentecost are spiritually free.  Egypt in the Scriptures is likened unto sin; when HaShem called us out of the world of sin, each one of us like our ancient forefathers, came out of our own personal Egypt or world of sin. Like our ancient forefathers, when we leave our personal Egypt, we reject the world’s way of life. However, like with the ancient Israelites, it is only after we embraced Torah that we find real meaning in life. It is by applying Torah in our lives that we learn to temper our animal instinct with Torah and can resist the challenges that we encounter in our daily lives. Our ancient forefathers could not receive Torah immediately upon exiting Egypt but had to wait for fifty days before they were spiritually equipped to receive it.  Even Messiah ben Joseph’s disciples had to wait for fifty days for the Set-apart Spirit to come, in order to prepare them spiritually for it. After Hisimpalement, the disciples were all scared and went into hiding. We see that Kepha even denied knowing Messiah ben Joseph three times, because of fear of persecution, exactly as Messiah ben Joseph told him before His death. But as witnessed on the first Pentecost after His death in Acts 2: 1 (KJV), ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place’, the disciples and all other believers in HaShem were in one accord (agreement) about the date of Pentecost. Their presence in Jerusalem on Pentecost was in obedience to Torah, as commanded in Deuteronomy 16: 16, in this way: “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before HaShem your G-d in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and at the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), and they shall not appear before HaShem empty-handed.” They also remembered Messiah ben Joseph telling them that the Set-apart Spirit will only come after His death in John 16: 7 & 13, and was eager to receive it.

Now, let us get to the deeper underlying reason HaShem our G-d wants us to understand by counting the Omer. The counting is to be done by each individual believer, not only the priesthood, from the day after the First Day of Unleavened Bread, symbolizing the nation’s deliverance from sin and Satan’s rule until Pentecost – symbolizing the Throne of G-d and complete redemption in the Kingdom of G-d. During this period of forty-ninedays, we are to be working on ourselves, overcoming sin and the pulls of the flesh and develop the righteous, set-apart character of G-d, or more specifically to be conformed to the image of G-d, as we read from Romans 8: 29, as follows: ‘For whom He foreknow, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.’  Rav Shaul adds to this, saying in Galatians 4: 19, ‘My children, with whom I am again in labor until Messiah (ben Joseph) is formed in you.’ Each week of the seven weeks of seven days, we are working on developing one of the seven revealed characteristics or attributes of G-d, which corresponds to the seven days of the week. These attributes revealed in the Tanach are clearly seen in the following passages:

  1. Isaiah 11: 2,(Keter) will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom(Chochmah) and understanding (Binah), the spirit of counsel (Atzah) and strength (Gevurah), the spirit of knowledge (Da'at) and  the fear (Yirah) of HaShem.”;

  2. First Chronicles 29:11, (Chesed) and the power (Gevurah) and the glory (Tiferet) and the victory (Netzach) and the majesty (Hod), indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion (Malkut), O HaShem, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all.”;

  3. Isaiah 28: 16, (Yesod), firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.”;and

  4. Second Chronicles 20: 21 (the last part),(mercy - Chesed) is everlasting.”

 

These attributes list out as follows:

  1. The Spirit of HaShem (crown [Kelter])

  2. Wisdom (Chockmah)

  3. Understanding (Binah)

  4. Chesed (Mercy, lovingkindness)

  5. Gevurah (Severity justice and discipline)

  6. Harmony (Compassion [Tiferet])

  7. Endurance (Netzach)

  8. Hod (Humility)

  9. Yesod (Bonding or foundation)

  10. Sovereignty, leadership (Malchut).

                                                                                                                     

However, with the command of counting the 49 days, transliterated in Hebrew as ‘sefirat ha Omer’, the Torah invites us on a journey into the seven basic or lower emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.

The seven emotional attributes are:

Chesed                                 -              Loving-kindness

Gevurah              -              Justice and discipline

Tiferet                  -              Harmony, compassion

Netzach               -              Endurance

Hod                        -              Humility

Yesod                    -              Bonding or foundation

Malchut               -              Sovereignty, leadership.

 

The seven weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multi-dimensional, it includes within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the actual counting (“Today is day one of the Omer…”) would consist of the following structure with suggested meditations:

 

During the first week we focus on ‘loving-kindness’ and on day one of that week would also be ‘loving-kindness’ – sort of loving-kindness ‘squared’ – the loving-kindness essence of loving-kindness. On day 2, we would work on the ‘discipline’ aspect of loving-kindness and on day three the ‘harmony or beauty’ aspect of loving-kindness.  We will continue in this until we finish all seven aspects of all seven major attributes of G-d’s character. Upon conclusion of the 49 days, we arrive at the 50th day Shavuot or Pentecost.  After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, crossing and refining every emotional corner of our psyche, we then receive a gift from above on Pentecost, which in our case we received at immersion providing us the ability to one day if we qualify, become like Messiah ben Joseph, as we read from 1 John 3: 2,: ‘Beloved, now we are children of G-d, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.’ We read further from Colossians 3: 1 – 10, ‘If then you have been raised up with Messiah(ben Joseph), keep seeking the things above, where Messiah is, seated at the right hand of G-d. (2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (3) For you have died and your life is hidden with Messiah in G-d. (4) When Messiah, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (5) Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. (6)  For it is on account of these things that the wrath of G-d will come, (7) and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. (8) But now you also, put them all aside; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. (9) Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, (10) and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.’

 

As we strive to attain these character traits of G-d, we work for six days on each of these traits, fighting against the downward pull of the flesh (or our animal instinct) and rest on the seventh day, allowing G-d to work in us, and perfecting us. On the seventh day of each count, we will accordingly meditate and pray about the ‘Kingdom’ aspects of each trait. It is on the seventh day that G-d brings all the building blocks of the character traits we are working on together and completes it in us. This is part of our lifelong walk-in overcoming, of developing G-d’s character in us. This is perhaps why Rav Kepha wrote in 2 Peter 1: 3 - 10, saying: ‘Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (4) For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (5) Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; (6) and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; (7) and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. (8) For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Master Y’shua Messiah (ben Joseph). (9) For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. (10) Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.’’

 

Those who do not grasp the concept that there is weekly as well as annual Sabbaths get confused when we start counting the Omer from the day after the First Day of unleavened bread.But there is much more to the word ‘Sabbath’ mentioned in Leviticus 23 than we can imagine. It gives us a deeper level of understanding to the plan G-d is working out in our lives on earth. G-d is as Job stated in the second part of Job 14: 15, (‘Thou wilt) longingfor the work of (Thy) His hands.’  HaShem our G-dplans to complete the work He has started in us when He created us in His image and likeness. We were made to eventually conform to the visible image of the invisible G-d. Counting the Omer serves like all G-d’s other commandments a wonderful purpose in the life of every believeras it teaches us to build His set-apart character in us. Far too many of G-d’s people have and slouched along, not really understanding the importance of the daily Omer count as a positive step towards building G-d’s divine character in us. They start counting diligently, but because of being too busy with making a living they never finish what they started and as a result do not understand our reason for counting the Omer, especially knowing that we will always end up on the 6th of Sivan. The reason G-d used the word ‘Sabbath’ in relation to counting the Omer, in Leviticus 23: 15, whereas He used the word Weeks in Deuteronomy 16: 9, is telling us that during this period of 49 days (7 x 7) we are to become perfect as Messiah ben Joseph told His disciples when He magnified the commandments in Matthew 5: 48, saying: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I hope this helps us understand the reason for keeping the Passover and counting the Omer better.

John 16: 7 & 13, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

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