THE PROCESS OF NUMBERING OUR DAYS
Counting the omer is how we learn to “number” our days.
The word for “number” in Hebrew is “mispar.” Its root is closely related to our English word for “story” ― “sipur.” Can you see the relationship between the two?
Have you ever noticed that on God’s calendar we always begin the process of numbering our days right after we tell “the story” each year. Of course, I’m speaking of the counting of the omer after Passover.
TELLING OUR STORIES
A collection of events (or days) becomes a story ― as opposed to a random anthology of events.
Each day builds on the day before as we go along creating God’s story for each of us.
In the making of each story you will have a beginning in which the characters are introduced, a middle in which conflict takes place, and an end in which there is resolution.
There is a full story eventually, but it happens, unfolds and builds in increments of time.
THE RUSH OF TIME IN DAILY LIVING
Unfortunately today our lives flow by so quickly that we frequently lose awareness of the awesome power of our own stories. The metamorphosis of today into tomorrow is subtle enough for us to lose consciousness of time; how it began, what lay in the middle and how it all ends.
USING INTENTION IN THE COUNTING OF OUR DAYS
The commandment to count each day after we have experienced a “passing over” teaches us God’s definition of mindfulness. This type of mindfulness is very different from the “mindfulness” of yoga or other religions, or the usual definitions of our culture.
Somehow this “counting of days” re-opens our hearts to hearing all of God’s stories.
The stories of God help us to count out the days of our lives, showing us ways to live in each moment.
STORIES WOVEN BY THE MASTER WEAVER
From Passover to Pentecost there are two stories which are intertwined. One is the story of a transformation of a people who at Passover become physically free into a people who at Shavuot (Pentecost) become spiritually free.
The Passover story tells us of the day the People of God left Egypt. This was a day in which they rejected the Egyptian definition of what their lives would hold. They learned through the power of God they were free to be exactly who they truly were created to be.
But they did not yet know their own stories.
It was only when they received the Torah that they found the channels that could give their souls expression.
It is through the constant reading of the scriptures that we put more of God into our own modern-day lives.
THE LEARNING PROCESS THAT COMES WITH FREEDOM
Always with the onslaught of total freedom comes a process of learning.
We are saved, we are free; and there is so much to learn about the new way of life!
It is unexpected, but the learning time always shows up.
It was through the learning process that the people of God grasped the mechanics of meeting those real challenges they faced in the wilderness; challenges that were genuine and enduring.
In today’s world, we too have challenges in our own earthly wilderness journey. All of us are living inside God’s learning process called “time.”
We each face our own wilderness circumstances, and we each have our own challenges of this earthly life.
Through this continuous process of living out time from day-to-day the stories of the people of God in the wilderness began to evolve. Without this process of time and learning they would have simply remained slaves forever. There would have been no stories to tell.
It is the same with us today!
We are all writing our own stories into God’s books.
THE DIFFERENCES WE WILL EXPERIENCE
Salvation brings us life and freedom.
Sanctification gives our life stories.
By living through the time of transition (in the wilderness; the Israelites evolved from unfruitful slaves into a people that would be used by God.
By counting our days and examining our lives we too evolve from meaningless lifestyles into people with lifestyles that can be used of God.
GOOD TRANSITIONS MARKED BY MEANINGFUL RITUAL
All good evolution and progress involve change.
God gave the people the ritual of the Early First Fruits sacrifice to follow so they would recognize this fact.
Even this ritual which defines the time of the year for them reflected continuous change.
The sacrifice that was offered on Passover was made out of barley. In ancient times, barley was used as fodder for animals. The sacrifice that was offered on Pentecost was made of wheat. Wheat is often used as an allegory for the human capacity of intelligence.
While an animal can eat a fruit or a leaf (the early sacrifice), it requires human intelligence and creativity to make bread (the later sacrifice.)
This continuous upward spiritual progression pictures the growing process from the sacrifice of early first fruits to the sacrifice of latter first fruits.
A LOT CAN HAPPEN BETWEEN PASSOVER AND PENTECOST
Here in this continuous process of time from the Passover and leaving Egypt until arriving in the promised land and eventually experiencing Pentecost, we begin to see the amazing transformation of God’s people from a people who are defined by the strife and yearnings of the sort of freedom shared by animals; to the freedom of becoming truly evolved human beings.
The time between Passover and Pentecost and the counting of the omer is all about transformation and progression to a higher form of life. God desires that we have this gift!
TRANSFORMATION IS A GIFT FROM GOD
Only God can bring about our transformation.
Left to ourselves we would remain living like depraved animals, but God has a way of transforming us if we let Him.
Upon leaving Egypt, those who were transformed had to be obedient in putting the blood of the lamb over their door posts. This was the first step to total freedom, yet they hardly noticed what they were doing; they were simply acting in faith and obedience. Faith, obedience and trust are key elements at work in the spiritual concept of transformation.
Sometimes the transformation from slavery to freedom is gradual and unnoticed as time marches on and on, but still it happens when we are obedient enough to trust God and let it happen. Progress arrives quietly and unannounced.
When we count the days from the giving of the omer we show our faith in God to bring us this type of spiritual transformation. We are counting blindly, not really knowing what the changes will be. The process is to believe and keep counting. The goal is to trust God to do the work. He is ever faithful.
He is always busy bringing the rest of the story.
OUR HUMAN TIME IS FINITE; BUT GOD MAKES THEM INFINITE
Have you ever wondered what makes us truly human?
Some think it is the bond that we share with God that makes us human beings. These bonds are called “sefirot,” a name which also has the same root word as “number” and “story.”
This common root conveys the fact that our beginnings, middles and ends are ultimately measured and finite, but nonetheless our time is touched by the infinite spark of godliness within us.
The earliest mention of this concept is presented in the Kabbalistic work called Sefer Yetzirah, literally; the “Book of Formation.” This book has been attributed to Abraham by the sages of old.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION FOR ADULTS
We often speak of how important it is for young children to learn spiritual formation. This “counting time” between The Holy Days could be called the spiritual formation for becoming adults.
Did you know or understand that some Kabbalistic work evolved from Abraham? It took me a long time to discover this fact. I’m Christian, not Jewish. The very word Kabbala sounded very spooky and strange to me. I avoided it. Most of the time it is still strange and spooky!
This is one of those times to discern what is scriptural from what has been added to scripture.
Be careful where you go, especially with mystic Kabbalistic teachings.
Because of this fact that I firmly believe, it took me some time to come around to the truth of the counting of the omer. Much of my thinking was very hesitant. I had to weed certain human elements out of the garden to reach the true, healthy vegetables growing beneath the rich soil.
I thought about the fact that God attributed righteousness to Abraham.
It occurred to me that perhaps he (Abraham) knew something that I had not yet thought of, and I began to study the parts of the puzzle in Kabbalistic thinking that were attributed specifically to Abraham and only those parts.
Hmmmm….. Be careful though not to be mislead.
Do not to mix the interest in biblical Hebrew roots and the life and times of Abraham with the wrong kind of Kabbala that practices magic and sorcery.
Magic and sorcery are an abomination to God!
Abraham did not participate in such things.
Steer clear of any knowledge that leads you in that direction.
Over the years what Abraham knew has been perverted by greedy and ungodly men using and twisting the knowledge for their own selfish reasons. Abraham would not have been mixed up with or participated in any type of sorcery, magic or idol worship. He was strongly opposed to the occult and idol worship; which is where all of the wrong types of Kabbala perversions lead. That is why I probably will not even call what I am referring to here Kabbala; because it is not a part of such things, but biblical in nature and what I am speaking of here actually follows the pathway of the holy scriptures.
RECOGNIZING AND INTERNALIZING THE HOLY ATTRIBUTES OF GOD’S NATURE
I am simply referring to the study of the nature of God and how it works in our lives as we recognize and count the days between Passover and Pentecost.
God was the One who commanded that we do this. We hear of this commandment in Leviticus 23:16-18; “From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.”
When the scriptures talk of the day after the Sabbath here; it is speaking of the day after the first day of Unleavened Bread (holy days are considered to also be Sabbath days and the first and last days of unleavened Bread are considered a Sabbath Holy Day even though they may occur on any day of the week (not just a Saturday) depending on when the moon is positioned in the sky and when the time of Passover occurred.
It would mean the same to say “on the next day after the first day of Passover” because Passover is a high Sabbath, no matter the day that it falls on the calendar. (It isn’t always on a Saturday.)
Unleavened Bread always follows Passover. It last for 7 days. The first and the last days are considered Sabbaths; and the Day of Early First Fruits occurs on the third day after Passover. This is just another way of saying – start counting on the day after the second day of Unleavened Bread – or start counting on the Day of Early First Fruits (Early First Fruits is Resurrection day. I occurs on the third day of Unleavened Bread.)
I think this counting of our days was a command aimed at adults with spiritual discernment. Thus, you will often hear me use the term “adult spiritual formation.” This is the same spiritual formation that can be obtained by a child; but mature discernment is added into the mix.
All of the words of caution are simply to prepare you for the fact that in most religious groups there are those lurking around who take this practice to an extreme. They usually do not even believe in God. That is not at all what I am talking about. So; reader beware. Use mature discernment.
GOD WOULD NOT HAVE STEERED ABRAHAM, MOSES AND THE DISCIPLES IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
My reasons for considering the practice of counting the omer are simply because of God’s commandment to Abraham, Moses and others in the bible.
The scriptures clearly spell out that we should count the days up to 50 days, beginning after Passover on the Day of Early First Fruits (the day after the Sabbath; or the day after the first day of the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread;) in order to know when Pentecost will arrive.
Almost anyone carefully reading the old and/or new testaments will discern this; yet; this practice is mostly overlooked in our religious practices of the day.
AS YOU COUNT THE DAYS; YOU STUDY THE NATURE OF GOD
There are over a thousand commentaries on Sefer Yetzirah. It remains one of the most fascinating Jewish works on the nature of God. The thing I love about it is that it helps me to know more of God The Father. The whole point of Jesus offering His life on the cross for our sins was to draw us closer to God The Father.
In the 1500s, Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, a mystic from Egypt, settled in Safed. He was known widely by the acrostic of his name as the Ari (literally “the Lion”). He taught the most enigmatic sections of Kabbalah to a select group of disciples.
Subsequently, the mystic teachings of Judaism became far more accessible than they had ever been in the past. Those who knew the commandment to “count the days” could now begin to understand “why” they were counting the days. I firmly believe it is things like this that will open the door for Christians and Jews to communicate with the truth of Messiah.
DISCERNMENT, HUMILITY, PERSEVERANCE AND DILIGENCE
Understanding is the birth of wisdom.
Always remember to chew up the meat and spit out the bones, or in other words weigh the wisdom written down by men against the scriptures as you go along in order to stay pure to God’s will.
The most central theme of this Rabbi’s teachings is the significance of gaining an awareness of the bond that we share with God. He calls this the “sefirot” of our spiritual souls.
It has been determined that these aspects of godliness can be displayed by human beings who truly desire to follow Christ. The essence of each aspect does not come from the individual; but resides in the fact that Christ has atoned them and God’s Holy Spirit resides within them.
It is God alone who makes this process possible.
One must have a clear definition of Who God is in order to follow the pursuit of the attributes of God.
If we make up our own attributes; we are simply creating our own false idols.
We must be very careful to stay true to the nature of God and try to imitate that nature as much as humanly possible.
These attributes of the nature of God that can be formed within the nature of man are:
1) Chochma – which means wisdom
2) Binah – which means understanding
3) Da’at – which means knowledge
4) Chesed – which means loving kindness
5) Gevarah which means containing strength
6)Tiferet – which means mercifulness combined with beauty
7) Natzrah – which means power combined with victory
8) Hod – which means Presence combined with glory
9) Yesod – which means Energy combined with foundation
10) Malchut – which means manifestation combined with kingdom.
THESE THINGS MAKE UP THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
All ten characteristics are called Sefirot. Sefirot could be defined as the aspects of the Spirit of God. Paul calls these aspects “the fruit of the Spirit.”
Every day of the counting of the omer explores one or a combination of some of these aspects of God’s character and the devotions give practical ways and practices to implement them into our days.
In the counting of each day past the giving of the omer, we should have a goal of integrating and internalizing these qualities of God into our own nature and character. We were originally made in His image; and to imitate His character is a high form of worship. This could be compared to reaching for ripe fruit from a tree in order to nourish our souls. The tree would be The Tree of Life.
This counting and practicing the knowledge of the aspects of God’s Character is one way we can learn how to become more and more like our Father and Jesus Christ in character.
Nothing happens instantly or overnight. We must desire to overcome and we must learn how to overcome. Almost every requirement involves prayer, repentance and turning. That part of this 50 day process reminds me of the days of Elul. Both are pathways to spiritual enlightenment that draw us closer to God over time.
The ultimate goal is to strive to put away our humanity and be diligent to clothe ourselves with the aspects of the nature of God.
PUT OFF THE OLD AND PUT ON THE NEW
To help us understand this process; the Apostle Paul writes that we should “put off” concerning the former conduct of our old man, which is corrupt, and that we should be renewed in the spirit of our minds and “put on” the new man in the likeness and character of God; being righteous, true and holy. (Eph. 4:22-24).
This process takes time.
It requires change, suffering, pain, and endurance.
This is not easy.
Great effort is required on our part because men have fallen and no longer have a pure nature like God’s.
Such an experience might be comparable to the process of climbing a mountain or hiking up to a crest of a tall rugged peak. It requires sheer exertion and constant expenditure of energy to make the needed forward progress.
You will be constantly exposed to the raw elements of the wilderness (the world) and you will need to overcome each obstacle. How many times in the Book of Revelation are we reminded to overcome? This is training for overcoming the world.
Learning these things in due season, year-after-year and step-by-step of each passing season; we can build our characters into the people that God desires us to be. That is because of God working within our souls as we go through each of these 50 days. It has nothing to do with our own power. It is all about what God will show to the obedient of His people during this period of time and space.
People who have observed the counting of the Omer for many years and have come to appreciate the growth process they found in each time, are often led to look for simple, every-day ways to remember to count. The counting does not always have to be a check mark on a piece of paper after a daily prayer. This process can get very creative if you wish to make it so.
Some people I know plant a seed each day and watch how the seeds grow. God teaches them through this simple ritual act. (It is fruitful in a physical way when your garden produces; and it is fruitful in a spiritual way because you are nurturing your soul as you plant the seeds in your garden.
Some people may choose to eat a special dessert each day, maybe one small piece of candy for each day to remember the sweetness of growing in God’s will for your life.
Others serve a different fruit for dinner each night and they try to notice the flavor differences and the unique qualities of each fruit that God has created for the nourishment of his people. This teaches diversity and love for your neighbor as you appreciate and celebrate how each culture has come to add a special flavor and new and exciting taste to the menu of mankind.
One of my favorite ways of counting is to drop a small scribbled note to yourself into a jar or box each day. The note would be a written reminder of one thing that God taught you during that day that you just counted. Then save the jars in a safe place. Years later; you can use the same jar to pull out notes in times of troubles and sadness that will remind you of God’s amazing goodness in your days. You will be creating hope and good will for the future. It will lift you up just as if God had addressed a letter directly from heaven and sent it personally to you.
There are a million different ways to count each of these fifty days; but however you decide to do the physical act of carrying out the spiritual ritual; God will keep His promise to come closer and teach you more of his perfect heart.
Simply your obedience sparks the flame of strengthening the spiritual bond that always exist between God and his faithful obedient servants.
This act of counting days isn’t us changing ourselves; it is God’s Spirit working in our days and hours and living in our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits that brings the transformation over time.
GOD WANTS US TO OVERCOME
We must keep remembering the words of Our LORD; Jesus Christ in Revelation 2:17; “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. “
Those who overcome and follow Christ will receive their rewards at the end of time as we know it.
In that glorious instant we will fully understand the need for all of this in-between and waiting time of transformation.
STEP BY STEP; PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT
As you count the omer and progress through the study of each of the aspects of God’s nature annually in each year; you will come to love some aspects of these attributes better than others.
God will work with you in different places and show you different characteristics in different years. He alone knows when we are ready for what.
Most of us come to love the aspect of God’s personality called Chesed first. Chesed is the perfect love of God. One little verse; the first verse I ever learned as a child, sums up that aspect of God’s character; “God is love.”
Another favorite of mine is the aspect which represents gratitude and humility. It seems as if the past ten years of my own life have been full of the recognition that gratitude and humility are two of the truest forms of worship. God has patiently taught me these characteristics during the counting of the omer over the years in the times between Passover and Pentecost.
The writing of this article isn’t to say I have perfected any of these things!
It is simply to note and share that God has made an impression in my heart of their importance in my life.
God knows what matters in our lives so much better than we do.
THE UNIQUENESS OF HOW GOD HAS MADE US
Different people will see different things during these days of growing and learning.
God made each of us unique and He gave us all unique purposes for His Kingdom.
The things God will show each person individually will be critical in the fulfilling of each person’s destiny for God’s Kingdom. The things God shows to you will probably be different from the things God will show to me. Different people have different needs and at the end; different purposes and destinies. In the end it all works together to The Glory of God.
DOING IS BELIEVING
The process of the counting of the omer is one of those amazing things you have to “DO” in order to understand.
Like faith and obedience; you will not come to this aspect of the journey in the Christian life until you actually go through the process with a willing and teachable heart.
This is the key to many good things in God’s economy.
DO NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY OF GOD TO DISTORT GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
It is also noted in these teachings leading through the counting of the days till Pentecost that at the root of all forms of enslavement (thinking of the Israelites in Egypt as well as our own enslavement to sin), is a distortion of these attributes of God’s nature.
If we are not careful with our humanness, we will distort these things of God and defeat the learning.
We must be very aware and stay pure to the original meanings. As a man named Josh McDowell once told me; “fidelity to the original!”
Everything we do and say should be based on God’s holy scriptures.
FIFTY DAYS TO A PERSONAL JUBILEE
Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost) is dedicated to examining and refining at least one of these aspects of godliness and/or different combinations of each of them together.
It is in the bond that we share with God, through The indwelling of The Holy Spirit and the blood of The Lamb from Our Savior Jesus Christ, that we are transformed and begin to grow spiritually. Taking the journey from Passover to Pentecost by counting the Omer as God commanded will do much to strengthen this bond.
So, dear friends, I pray that God will lead and teach each of us as we go through this season of numbering our days after we have reached the time of the annual offering of Early First Fruits (the discovery of the miracle of Resurrection of the Messiah) in the season of Passover. I tell you all of this now; so that you can begin making your own preparations for the season.
What will you do this year that will stretch your growth?
How do you suppose this daily reminder and the obedient “counting” will help you to grow in the solid foundation that God desires for each of his children?
There is something in our nature that can reach higher and learn more and be transformed each day; if we stay faithful to counting the omer.
The counting happens in it’s set time every year between Early First Fruits and The Day of Pentecost.
Each season is compounded upon another until, hopefully, like Abraham; we will grow old and we will come before God with the fullness of our own days.
Let us learn to make each one count for God’s Kingdom.
ALLOWING GOD TO WRITE OUR STORIES
As we dwell on these qualities of a godly person during the seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost, our own stories and purposes begin to unfold a little further each day.
We begin to find our truest identities.
If we let God work in this time He will enlighten us with more of the stories of our own destiny and the purposes for which He has created us.
It is through knowing the bond that we share with God, through the indwelling of The Holy Spirit and the blood of The Lamb from Our Savior Jesus Christ; that we are slowly, season by season, transformed and begin to grow spiritually.
So, dear friends, I pray that God will lead and teach each of us in finding our own stories as we go through this season of numbering our days. Decide the method you will use now; before the day arrives so that you will be ready to do the counting when the appointed time begins.