4.6.26 ~ The Count Up Begins – Day 1 of Counting the Omer

Passover is behind us. The first days of Unleavened Bread are in the books, and now it is preparation time to count the Omer (Lev. 23:15–16)—the 49 days between Firstfruits and Shavuot (Pentecost).

Counting the Omer is part of the seven-week character preparation to receive divine revelation at the time of Shavuot/Pentecost—49 days from Firstfruits. Hence, the 49 days Yeshua had His disciples wait for the renewing of the covenant in Acts 2 (Acts 2:1):

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
(Acts 2:1)

And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
(Lev. 23:15–16)

There are many levels of meaning to this commandment (mitzvah). The deeper intention and meaning is to examine ourselves and work on refining our middot (inner character). It is divinely designed to move us toward spiritual purity.

During these 49 days, we have special opportunities to rectify areas that hinder our spiritual growth. This counting of the Omer is not just about counting, but about writing the story in the book of our lives. The challenge is not just to count the days, but to make them count. It is an opportunity to mine out the deep treasures within our lives to shine like the sapphire at the base of God's throne (Ex. 24:10).

It is all about the commitment to love!

But... if you think love is enough to make a relationship work, you are already starting from the wrong place. Huh? With Passover in the rearview mirror and the seventh day of Unleavened Bread approaching quickly, there are some loving thoughts we need to consider. And here is what hardly anyone emphasizes, physically and spiritually: when it comes to covenant partners, strong couples are not born; they are built through constant communication and upgrades. On the flip side, weak couples stay stuck at the same level and call it normal. And let us be honest: marriage is not about "you" anymore. If you want it to be about "you," stay single—leave the covenant relationships for those who are serious lovers.

This is not a marriage study; it is an essential marriage study.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law (torah/instructions) in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
(Jer. 31:31–34)

In our covenant relationship with Yahweh, we love the love that He has shown to us through His Son, but do we behave in like kind as His covenant partner? Seriously. What is often ignored in covenant is that the real master skill is not avoiding conflict; it is getting scary good at repair. And repair means growth—constant maturity to become the ideal covenant partner. Couples who know how to repair after rupture are almost impossible to break! These seven weeks of Sabbaths—49 days—will give each of us an opportunity to refine our emotions, address spiritual blockages, repair uncorrected past mistakes, and renew our thinking and actions from negative personality traits and fearful thinking.

Traditionally, each day corresponds to a specific characteristic in our lives. It is the progressive preparation to fulfill the initial reason why we were saved out of Egypt (Mitzraim), the bondage of this world (Ex. 3:12).

The process does more than prove you finished elementary math (LOL). It is the opportunity to acknowledge and dismantle our personality flaws—to draw nearer and more intimate with our Creator and King! It is about the anticipation of the new level of divine revelation you will receive at Shavuot/Pentecost this year. Each year I focus on 49 new thoughts to tune up and realign our mindset. This year, I am going to tackle the biggest I have ever attempted: understanding Yeshua's death as the Passover. Prayer appreciated!

Love is the most powerful emotion in the world—the foundation of everything. It was the motivation that God had toward mankind when He created us. On this first day of counting the Omer, we are challenged to express love wholeheartedly to someone without expecting anything back. Sometimes we feel like we cannot do this because of the way we have been treated unfairly or because we feel we are on unequal footing with someone else—a one-sided relationship. The deepest challenge is just doing it; understanding will come along the way (Ex. 24:7).

The challenge for today is to examine your capacity to love with all your heart. How are you doing in this area? If we have trouble receiving love from others or sharing love with others, can we determine what is holding us back? Are you holding back? If you just do it, you will be on your way to a greater revelation 49 days from now.

Today is the traditional first day of the first week of counting the Omer!

Chag Sameach HaMatzah!

Shalom,
Alan

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