S’firat HaOmer – “Counting The Omer”

Jesus and the Three Jewish Pilgrimage Festivals – Series Outline

My walk with Jesus has always guided me to the text of the Old Testament. In the books of the Old Testament I see Jesus as the great ‘I Am’. I see the work and person of Jesus in the feast, laws, wisdom, psalms, and stories. This series will look at the connection Jesus has to the three Pilgrimage Feast; Passover, Pentecost and Sukkot. Other days and feasts be woven into the series as they connect.

Counting Omer – a Week of Weeks

S’firat HaOmer

S’firat HaOmer, Counting the Omer links physical redemption provided in Pesach, Passover, with spiritual redemption provided in the giving of the Law on Shavuot. Counting the Omer is
a 49 day period for refinement in praise and reflection on God. This week of weeks is a time to be joyful in eager preparation for the giving of the Law.

Following is the Blessings over the Omer.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe,
who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha’Olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvahs v’tizivanu al sefirat

Ideas to Consider While the Counting Omer

We prepare to receive the Law and Shekhinah by counting the Omer. A week of weeks, 49 Days are counted from the passover to the reception of the Law. This is often viewed as a 7 by 7 table, cycling through the following 7 topics.

  1. (C)hesed (loving-kindness),
  2. (G)evurah (might),
  3. (T)ipheret (beauty),
  4. (N)etzach (victory),
  5. (H)od (acknowledgment),
  6. (Y)esod (foundation),
  7. (M)alchut (kingdom).

Examples:

God Initiated S’firat HaOmer

God spoke to Moses, initiating S’firat HaOmer and Pesach:

Leviticus 23:9 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11‘He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD …. 16‘You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; … 17 … first fruits to the LORD.”

What is it to Wait for the Law Shekinah

Moses Went to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Command. Tradition holds that Moses was taught all he needed to complete the Torah. He was also said to receive the ‘Oral Law’.

When Moses came down from meeting with God his face shown with light and glory, Shekhinah. Like the midday sun, it is hard to look at a God’s glory. The people begged Moses put on a veil that they could be near him. Moses wore a veil for the people.

Resting and Moving Based on the Lord’s Signal

Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the 10 Commandments. He grew angry and threw tablet God made with His own finger to the ground when he saw the people burning incense before the idol of a golden calf. God forgave Moses and provided replacements tablets on Yom Kippur in the fall. The tablets were placed in the Ark (box) of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place in the tent of the Lord.

Outside of the tent the Shekinah was not overwhelming. At night a pillar of fire stood over the Most Holy Place. During the day it was a cloud. When God wanted Israel to move the camp, the fire or smoke would rise up and the camp would follow.

The glory of God filled the Holy of Holies. To enter the Lord’s Holy Place unclean was death.

Shekinah Today

Shekinah is no longer on any earthly temple or the Ark, they are gone. Still the promise of God is to turn our hearts of stone to flesh. Shekinah comes from the presence of the Lord, from being soaked in the Spirit and God’s Word. This promise is for today and it was inaugurated on Pentecost, Shavuot, following the death of Jesus.

The New Testament tells the followers of Jesus that we already have the this law written on our heart. It is the earnest on the the eternal inheritance to come. When someone has been with the Lord, their countenance will reflect some degree of shekinah.

2 Corinthians 3:3 You are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

The Old Testament prophets foresaw God cleansing His people and writing His Law on the their hearts.

Ezekiel 36:25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Counting Omer – Anticipation of Spiritual Renewal

Counting Omer is not the reception of shekinah glory but the joyful anticipation. More than anticipation it is yearning to see God’s Glory shed into our hearts that we may know and love Him.

An Omer is a measure – about 2 and 2/3 pounds. Omer is also a sheaf of grain. The joyous nature of counting is seen in in the priest waving the fruit of the field. With no earthly temple the sheafs can not waved there. Since this and other mitzvot depend on the temple, the mitzot related to the temple are no longer required,

Counting Omer Reference Table

Counting Omer (C)hesed (G)evurah (T)ipheret N)etzach H)od (Y)esod (M)alchut
(C)hesed C sheb’ C G sheb’ C T sheb’ C N sheb’ C H sheb’ C Y sheb’ C M sheb’ C
(G)evurah C sheb’ G G sheb’ G T sheb’ G N sheb’ G H sheb’ G Y sheb’ G M sheb’ G
(T)ipheret C sheb’ T G sheb’ T T sheb’ T N sheb’ T H sheb’ T Y sheb’ T M sheb’ T
N)etzach C sheb’ N G sheb’ N T sheb’ N N sheb’ N H sheb’ N Y sheb’ N M sheb’ N
H)od C sheb’ H G sheb’ H T sheb’ H N sheb’ H H sheb’ H Y sheb’ H M sheb’ H
(Y)esod C sheb’ Y G sheb’ Y T sheb’ Y N sheb’ Y H sheb’ Y Y sheb’ V M sheb’ V
(M)alchut C sheb’ M G sheb’ M T sheb’ M N sheb’ M H sheb’ M Y sheb’ M M sheb’ M
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