the OMER COUNTING SCRIPTURES AND PRAYERS are mostly in relation to Galatians 5:22-23 – THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT in preparation for SHAVUOT.

We need to be clean in preparation for meeting with YAH in a very special way just like the Israelites and Apostles in the days of old as seen in Exodus 19 and Acts 2.

HA-SEFIRAT OMER / THE COUNTING OF THE OMER is a Very Special Holy Season / Period of SEPARATION / ALONE WITH YAH / GOD.

HA-MATZOT / THE WEEK OF UNLEAVENED BREAD lasts 7 days and commences with PESACH / PASSOVER. PESACH /PASSOVER is a time of DELIVERANCE / CROSSING OVER FROM THE ENEMY’S CAMP TO YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD’S CAMP.

During the Week of Unleavened Bread, we start Counting the Omer (2 days into the week). The commencement of COUNTING OF THE OMER leads us into a a period of SEPARATION. SEPARATION implies being ALONE WITH YAH / RETREAT WITH YAH ALONE. When YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD sent Moses to Pharoah, HE asked Moses to say to Pharoah to Let HIS People go that they could serve HIM in the desert without any interference of any sort.

After crossing the Sea of Reeds (also known as the Red Sea), the Israelites were SEPARATED from the Egyptians / slavery / bondage. They were alone with their MAKER AND DELIVERER. They had no one else to look up to except YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD alone!

Every time we observe the FEASTS OF YAH, there is an underlying theme behind the specific FEAST we are observing.  As we remember the PASSOVER story, we read the relevant scriptures from both the OLD & NEW COVENANTS / TESTAMENTS. In the current case, the theme is SEPARATION.

In the OLD COVENANT, it is written in Leviticus 23 that we are to COUNT THE OMER. Additionally, in Exodus 19 that some time after the Israelites crossed the Sea of Reeds, Moshe /Moses was called up to Mount Sinai to receive the TORAH on behalf of the Israelites. The three days preceding this event, YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD instructed the Benei-Yisrael / Children of Israel to cleanse themselves and prepare for YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD’S Meeting with them to give them the TORAH The three days preceding this event. The initial plan was for YAH to meet with all the Israelites at the bottom of Mount Sinai to speak to them but in the end, Moshe had to go up Mount Sinai to meet with YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD privately as the Benei-Yisrayah / Benei-Yisrael were too afraid of YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD. HIS voice and appearance was too thunderous and scary.

The cleansing / preparation instructions were actually given in the third month of the year which on the Hebrew Calendar is SIVAN when counting from Nissan (note that YAH had changed the calendar by this time.)

Exodus 12:2 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

2 “You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you.

Exodus 19:7-13 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

(v) 7 Moshe came, summoned the leaders of the people and presented them with all these words which Adonai had ordered him to say. 8 All the people answered as one, “Everything Adonai has said, we will do.” Moshe reported the words of the people to Adonai. 9 Adonai said to Moshe, “See, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will be able to hear when I speak with you and also to trust in you forever.” Moshe had told Adonai what the people had said; 10 so Adonai said to Moshe, “Go to the people; today and tomorrow separate them for me by having them wash their clothing; 11 and prepare for the third day. For on the third day, Adonai will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. 12 You are to set limits for the people all around; and say, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or even touch its base; whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death. 13 No hand is to touch him; for he must be stoned or shot by arrows; neither animal nor human will be allowed to live.’ When the shofar sounds, they may go up on the mountain.”

It is interesting to note that the Israelites left Egypt after the first night of PASSOVER which was therefore on the 15th day of the month of Nissan. It took them about a month and a half to get to the Sinai Desert where they received the TORAH for the first time. All this while, they were separated from the Egyptian slavery and were alone with YAH.

YAH gave them three days to prepare themselves. During these three days, they physically washed their clothes and bodies and living environments. We as Spiritual Israelites are to prepare ourselves by asking YAH to clean us spiritually as well as clean our living environments spirtually. We do this daily in prayer and through reading plus meditation upon YAH’S WORD.  We need guides to encourage us to keep going. It is not just about counting. It’s about what we look and smell like spiritually before YAH. The Orthodox Jews know / understand this and do it daily (sadly they don’t do it in YAHUSHUA’S name and blood).

In the NEW COVENANT, when YAHUSHUA died in Israel over 2000 years ago, HE died on PASSOVER day. HE arose on the FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS which is when we start Counting The Omer. He appeared to HIS Disciples in different places for 40 days after that, then HE ascended to the SHAMMAYIM / Heavens to sit at the Right Hand of HIS ABBA / FATHER. Before ascending, he specifically instructed HIS then Disciples to wait / tarry / stay in Yarushalayim / Jerusalem until HIS ABBA had sent HIS Gift which they very much needed from henceforth. The Gift as we all know is the RUACH HA KODESH / HOLY SPIRIT. The period of waiting for the special spiritual Gift was a Period of SEPARATION.

Acts 1:1-5 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 Dear Theophilos:

In the first book, I wrote about everything Yeshua set out to do and teach, 2 until the day when, after giving instructions through the Ruach HaKodesh to the emissaries whom he had chosen, he was taken up into heaven.

3 After his death he showed himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. During a period of forty days they saw him, and he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God.

4 At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. 5 For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!”

Luke 24:48-50

NLT

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

During the Period of SEPARATION, the Children of Israel and YAHUSHUA’S Apostles did not just sit around and wait for the TORAH AND RUACH HA KODESH. They tarried in prayer. They did a clean-up of themselves and their environment. YAH cannot be in a dirty environment so we need to be cleansed spiritually on a continual basis. We can only do this through scriptures and prayers.

The COUNTING OF THE OMER  is the period of counting down all the way to SHAVUOT.

SHAVUOT = is a two-day Jewish holiday that falls on the Hebrew calendar dates of Sivan 6–7 (the third month counting from Nisan).

Acts 2 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

2 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

Ephesians 4:30-32Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

30 Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped /sealed you as his property until the day of final redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.

 

Revelation 7 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

7 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the land, on the sea or on any tree. 2 I saw another angel coming up from the east with a seal from the living God, and he shouted to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea, 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!” 4 I heard how many were sealed — 144,000 from every tribe of the people of Isra’el:

 

Revelation 9:4Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

4 They were instructed not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant or any tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

We are SEALED by the RUACH HA KODESH and OBEDIENCE TO TORAH. That’s like our ENGAGEMENT RING to our Spiritual Bridegroom and Great High Priest – YAHUSHUA HA MASHAICH who came and sacrificed HIS life for us that we may be reconciled unto ABBA YAHUVEH / YAHWEH GOD thereby being accepted as YAHUSHUA’S Spiritual Bride & Guests (N/B: As men and women believers and faithful followers of YAHUSHUA, we are HIS Spiritual Bride and Guests as seen in Matthew 22 & 25 as pre-determined by ABBA – Romans 8:29-30). YAHUSHUA returned to the SHAMMAYIM to prepare places for us HIS Bride & Guests in HIS ABBA’S House.

John 14:2-3Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

2 In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.

This period of SEPARATION is a period of CHECKING OURSELVES. The Scriptures and Prayers I upload daily are a guide to get through the period. They are written by AMIGHTYWIND MINISTRY with whom we are affiliated. 

John 15:1-17 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

15 “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. 3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. 4 Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me.

5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6 Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.

 

Romans 11:19-20 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Gentiles Grafted In

19 So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified!

 

Galatians 5:22-23Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.

The TORAH itself dictates the counting of the seven weeks following PESACH: “You shall count from the eve of the second day of PESACH, when an OMER of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days, and you shall present a new meal offering to God (Leviticus 23:15-16).”In its biblical context, this counting appears only to connect the first grain offering to the offering made at the peak of the harvest. As the holiday of Shavuot became associated with the giving of the Torah, and not only with a celebration of agricultural bounty, the omer period began to symbolize the thematic link between Peach and Shavuot.While Pesach celebrates the initial liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, Shavuot marks the culmination of the process of liberation, when the Jews became an autonomous community with their own laws and standards. Counting up to Shavuot reminds us of this process of moving from a slave mentality to a more liberated one.The omer is counted each evening after sundown. The counting of the omer is generally appended to the end of Ma’ariv (the evening service), as well.

As Messianic Believers our thoughts should be on YAHUSHUA daily and the counting of the Omer is a time to reflect on our relationship with Him and prepare our hearts for The Feast Of Shavuot.

The Daily Devotional is meant for just that, a tool to search our hearts. It is not meant to cause arguments or debates. YAHUSHUA is the CENTER of all we do in this ministry and our only desire is to bring glory to Him.