Counting the Omer
What does this mean? Many people neglect this command of God. They may not be aware of it. Or they may consider it one of the "least commandments" (Matt.5:19). But God commands His people to COUNT THE OMER during the fifty days, from Passover until Pentecost -- numbering off the days consecutively, as they arrive -- until the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost, arrives! He commands us to DO IT -- for a great and overriding purpose!
Why? What does the "Omer" represent? And why are we commanded to "count" it off for seven times seven or forty nine days, till Pentecost arrives, on the fiftieth day?
Believe it or not, hidden in the mystery behind the Omer count, is a vital KEY to spiritual OVERCOMING -- A HIDDEN KEY OF POWER to enable us to achieve and enter into the Kingdom of GOD!
Let's understand this vital truth!
The Meaning of the Omer Itself
In Leviticus 23 we read, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them. When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a SHEAF of the FIRSTFRUITS of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall WAVE THE SHEAF before the Lord, to be ACCEPTED FOR YOU: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
"And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord"(Lev.23:10-12).
What is this "wave sheaf" offering? What does it symbolize and represent? Notice that it is a sheaf of the "first fruits," and it is offered to God before the Israelites can harvest the spring harvest. God commands, "And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears" that is,produce from the new harvest -- "until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a STATUTE FOR EVER throughout your generations in all your dwellings" (Lev.23:14).
In the book of Romans, Paul writes to Christians, saying, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body"(Rom.8:23).
Christians, those called of God during this lifetime to serve and obey Him, out of every nation, are likened to "firstfruits" of God. We have the "firstfruits of the Spirit" of God as a downpayment, or earnest (eph. 1:4-14) of our inheritance, as we are the ones who "should be to the praise of his glory, who FIRST trusted in Christ" (v.12). In writing of Christians in the region of Achaia, Paul says of them, "Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia unto Christ" (Rom. 16:5). In the book of James we read: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS of his creation" (James 1:18). Also, in Revelation God speaks of the members of the true Church of God as those who "were redeemed from among men, being FIRSTFRUITS to God and to the Lamb" (Rev.14:1-4).
In the book of Romans, Paul addresses our calling -- which is special, and unique, in the sight of God. Of all people on earth, we are the few who have been given the Spirit of God as a begettal, indwelling within us -- a priceless heritage and gift! Therefore "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Rom.5:5). Paul goes on, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit... But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God DWELL in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom.8:1-9).
How, then, does this relate of thse "wave sheaf" offering which was performed the day after the first high holy day of Passover in the spring? Let's understand! In the book The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, by Alfred Edersheim, we read of the reaping of the wave sheaf, and its presentation. At the end of the 15th of Nisan, says Edersheim, just as it was growing dark,
"a noisy throng followed delegates of the Sanhedrin outside the city and across the brook Kidron....[They] emerged amidst loud demonstrations, in a field across Kidron, which had been marked out for the purpose. They were to be engaged in a service most important to them....The law had it, "Ye shall bring a SHEAF [literally the omer] of the FIRSTFRUITS of your HARVEST unto the priest [who typified, or represented CHRIST]; and he shall wave the omer before Jehovah [God the Father], to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath shall ye wave it.' This Passover-sheaf, or rather omer, was to be accompanied by a burnt-offering, of a "he lamb, without blemish, of the first year,' with its appropriate meat-and drink-offering, and after it had been brought, but not till then, fresh barley might be used and sold in the land"(p.256-257)
In the past, many have ASSUMED -- and many STILL assume -- that the "wave sheaf" offering referred to Jesus Christ, who was the offering for our sins upon the stake (II Cor.5:20). But does this make any sense, when we stop to think about it? It was accompanied by the offering of a male lamb without blemish -- which itself typified Christ! It was waved by the high priest before God, to be accepted of the Father -- and the high priest typified Christ, our "high priest" in heaven (Heb.7:24-28; 9:24; 10:10). Furthermore, this "wave sheaf" was offered AFTER the sacrifice of Christ our Passover Lamb (I Cor.5:7-8). The Passover lambs were slain in the afternoon of Nisan 14 -- the precise time when Yeshua the Messiah was slain for us!
Clearly, then, the wave sheaf -- contrary to what many have assumed and believed -- does NOT refer to Christ at all -- but rather is made possible BY the Sacrifice of Christ, which precedes it in time sequence! We have the following sequence of events: 1) the sacrifice of Christ on Nisan 14, late afternoon; 2) the holy day of Passover -- Nisan 15;3) the next evening, as Nisan 16 began, a sheaf (bundle) of grain is selected from the field across the Kidron valley, east of Jerusalem, and cut and bundled; 4) the next morning, Nisan 16, it is prepared and waved before the Lord and accepted of Him as "THE FIRSTFRUITS" of the harvest.
Do you begin to comprehend? Do you see? The wave sheaf offering is an offering which is a BUNDLE OF SEPARATE BARLEY GRAINS, FROM A NUMBER OF PLANTS, AMOUNTING TO AN "OMER" -- about five pints, or two and one half quarts. This offering followed the offering of Christ, as our Passover lamb, who paid for our sins. It was accompanied by the burnt offering of a lamb -- Christ -- without blemish (Lev.23:12). The wave sheaf itself, then, is NOT CHRIST!
The Wave Sheaf offering, composed of MANY individual grains, offered together, made possible by the sacrifice of Christ, represents US -- TRUE CHRISTIANS -- those called of God during this age, as His "FIRSTFRUITS"!
It was offered to the Father AFTER the sacrifice of Christ, because there is NO WAY the Father could accept us BEFORE our sins were pardoned, and atoned for, and wiped and washed away by the blood of Christ! But since Christ became our Saviour, and qualified by living a perfect life, and DIED for us on the stake, this made possible OUR acceptance before the throne of God in Heaven! WE are that WAVE SHEAF OFFERING! We are the "FIRSTFRUITS"!
What could be plainer?
But why, then, are we commanded to "COUNT THE OMER" or the wave sheaf for seven times seven days, from Passover until Pentecost? Ah, herein lies a mystery -- a fascinating new truth hidden from the gaze of virtually all of God's people until NOW!
How to COUNT THE OMER
Let us study the command to count the Omer more closely. Says lesli Koppelman Ross in Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holidays Handbook:
"Toward the end of the second seder [i.e., beginning portion of Nisan 16] we begin anticipatin Shavuot, the next holiday and in essence the conclusion of Pesakh [Passover], by counting the days until its arrival. It is customary to stand (based on the 'standing sheaves' of the Omer sacrifice [Deut.16:9]),recite the blessing, and say the count for the day:
Barukh Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh Haolam, Asher kindshanu b'mitzvotav, vitzivanu al sefirat haomer.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe Who has sanctified us by thy commandments, and commanded us, concerning counting the Omer.
Hayom om ekhad l'omer.
Today is the first day of the Omer.
"On each subsequent night of the sefirah (counting period), and always at night, when the Jewish day begins, we increase the count and state it in days and weeks. ('Today is the X day of the Omer, which equals X weeks and X days of the Omer.') ..."(p.30).
Remember, the command is to count BOTH the days and the weeks!
"And ye shall COUNT unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the SHEAF [Omer] of the wave offering, SEVEN SABBATHS [that is, WEEKS] SHALL BE COMPLETE: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath [WEEK] shall ye NUMBER FIFTY DAYS ..."(Lev. 23:15-16).
"SEVEN WEEKS shalt thou NUMBER unto thee: begin to number the SEVEN WEEKS from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt keep the FEAST OF WEEKS" (Deut. 16:9-10).
In Leviticus 23:15 in the King James Version of the Bible is the incorrect wording "seven sabbaths shall be complete." Why did Moses use the word "shabbatot" (usually translated "sabbaths") in this passage, instead of "shavuot" (which means "weeks"), the word used in Deuteronomy 16:9? Why the difference? They are both obviously discussing the same thing -- seven weeks, because the expression in Deuteronomy 16:9 has to mean "weeks," and cannot be translated "sabbaths." Why then does God use a different word in Leviticus 23:15? There must be a hidden "lesson" here for us to dig out and understand! The truth is, this is a hidden reference to OVERCOMING! Each week pictures a process of overcoming sin, and seven weeks (perfection) pictures COMPLETE overcoming -- so that we are ready to meet God, and marry Christ, at His coming!
Let's get this, and get it good!
7 X 7 -- The 49 Steps to Salvation
The "counting of the Omer" from Pesach (Passover) to Shavuot (Pentecost) is a process -- a daily task -- that reflects like a mirror our spiritual lives. If we are not counting the Omer as God tells us to do, it is reflective of the fact that we are not overcoming sin and temptations and distractions in our lives. If we fail to count one day, but repent, and begin counting from that time, then God forgives us, and we go onward and forward. But it is better if we are faithful from beginning to end.
The Omer count is a reflection of our spirituality. Are we developing the attributes of God and His Spirit in our lives? We should strive to grow daily, constantly, in these attributes:
Chesed.....loving kindess.....love
gevurah.....contained strength...joy
tefirat.....beauty............peace
netzach.....victory, eternity....longsuffering (patience)
hod.......splendor, glory...gentleness and goodness
yesod.......foundation.....faith
malkut.....kingship......meekness and moderation
Each day of the forty-nine day Omer count is like a building block to salvation. It is a tool to develop and grow in spiritual maturity, so that we are ready when Christ comes, so that we will be a pure and perfect "Bride" for the KING of the Universe!
Think about such a high calling! Are you faithfully "counting the Omer"?
Even more, the Omer count is a pattern -- a template -- to TEACH us what we should be doing EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES -- "COUNTING THE OMER " AND DEVELOPING THE TRAITS OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES -- EVERY DAY -- DAY-BY-DAY -- TILL THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, RETURNS FOR HIS BRIDE!
Each and every day should be an "Omer count" day in our journey to spiritual perfection. Each day we should "number the days," and "count the days," as we journey onward and upward to that thrilling time when Jesus Christ will come again, bringing the Kingdom of God with Him!
The "Omer count" then is a physical "type" or typology of a spiritual reality -- the Christian life process. It represents the spiritual journey -- the Odyssey -- of our lives, as we go through the wilderness, overcome obstacles, and root out the negative attributes of the flesh, and develop and strengthen the positive manifestations of God's Spirit in our lives.
We are on a great spiritual Quest. Each day counts. Each week is significant. Every month is a unit of time which ought to be devoted to overcoming, growing, and strengthening the Spirit of God within us.
Every year brings us that much closer to MESSIAH!<P>
Email Address: wprestonjr@hotmail.com
