The Mystery of the Omer
Counting Revealed!
The lessons taught by the "Counting of the Omer"
have been glossed
over
by the end-time Churches of God. No
wonder they possess no
spiritual
POWER at all! What is the secret way to
spiritual power
revealed
in the counting of the Omer? How can you
grow stronger
spiritually,
so that you will NEVER be deceived?
William
F. Dankenbring
"You shall then COUNT seven
complete weeks after the day following the Passover holiday when you brought
the Omer as a wave offering" (Lev.23:15).
"Sefirat
Ha'Omer" -- counting the Omer -- refers to the
forty-nine days from the second day of the Passover festival, and recounts the
journey of the Israelites from Egypt, through the desert wastes, to the
revelation of God at Mount Sinai, when the Commandments of God were set forth
from heaven, and God made a Covenant with His people Israel, and
"married" His bride.
This step-by-step journey through
the wilderness was a time of trial and testing.
God revealed to His people the Sabbath day (Exo.16), and satisfied their
hunger with manna from heaven. When they
complained of thirst, He caused water to spring forth. When the Amalekites
attacked, He intervened for them and helped them fight off the vicious hordes
(known as the Hyksos in Egyptian history).
Each day the Israelites are
commanded to count the Omer, as they experienced their journey from captivity (
This journey through the wilderness
is a TYPE of the Christian life of overcoming -- from baptism and leaving sin
behind (Egypt), marching and struggling through the spiritual wilderness (this
evil world, and our human nature), until we reach the Kingdom of God -- Mount Zion.
Jewish psychologist Joel Ziff, in Mirrors
in Time: A Psycho-Spiritual Journey through the Jewish
Year, writes:
"The initial joy of liberation is
fragile and impermanent, like the infatuation that marks
the beginning of a romantic relationship. An infatuation become strained as differences
and conflicts emerge. Pleasure that is complete and
trustworthy comes only after a working
through of those differences. . . ." (p.90-91).
Joel Ziff continues:
"This theme is also reflected in the
other archetypal symbols associated with this time
of year: the fetus
must emerge through the constriction of the birth canal, the seed is
covered by the dirt and the shell must rot before it can
sprout, and the metal is melted
in the fire of the furnace before it can be purified.
"Liberation
[spiritual growth in Christ] for each of us is a complex, lengthy process. We
might initially feel exhilarated, as our ancestors did when
they left
stage, life can be an emotional roller coaster. The liberation is not complete. New chal-
lenges and new difficulties are
encountered. We must work through these
problems. We
need to identify and change old habits of coping that no
longer serve us before we can
stabilize ourselves in the new environment. This is a painful process. We are forced to
give up what seems to be our very Essence [our human nature,
and old habits]. Only later
do we discover that we have surrendered the outer
shell" (ibid., p.91).
As we go through our Christian lives, we meet obstacles,
encounter problems, face trials and difficulties. All these are reflected in the "counting
of the Omer," a task which identifies with our progress in "overcoming"
our sins, faults, and human nature, from the moment of conversion and baptism,
until that final time when we are changed into spirit beings, the sons of the
Father, and inherit the promises of the New Covenant, at the coming of the
Messiah!
We encounter problems we need to
"work through." We come upon
"old habits" which must be rooted out and changed. We find out that life has its ups and downs,
like a roller coaster. As we fight and
struggle against our human nature, and the downward pulls of the flesh, we find
it is a "painful process."
Nevertheless, we endure to the end, we keep on keeping on, till that
final day when victory shall be ours, and our triumph shall be complete -- when
the "Omer" of our life's experiences has been "fully
counted" and we reach that final day of "Pentecost," at the end
of a "jubilee" period of overcoming -- the day when Revelation is
complete, and the Plan of God is finished, and there is "time no
more" -- and the Messiah appears from heaven to
inaugurate the
Messianic Age, taking us to Himself as His spiritual Bride (Rev.19:7).
Among the Jewish people, today, the
standard formula for "counting the Omer" goes like this: For example, on the eighth day, the people
would pray to God and say, "Today is the eighth day of the Omer, making
one week and one day of the Omer."
Or, "Today is the twenty-fifth day of the Omer, that is, making
three weeks and four days of the Omer."
In my own counting of the Omer, I add the following: "This means, there are forty-two more
days till Shavuot (Pentecost)," or "There are twenty five more days
till Shavuot" -- showing me, and reminding myself, how many days are left to count, till
Pentecost, and the countdown ends! Thus
we think back both where we have come from, and how much is left till we reach
our destination! This gives us a sense
of stability, and being, a sense of solidarity, knowing where we are -- where
we fit, as it were -- in God's plan, as He is dealing with us.
It is a remarkable fact that there
are "seven weeks" that we count the Omer. The word for "weeks" is shavua (see Deut.16:9). But in Leviticus 23:15, God inspired Moses to
use the word for "sabbaths" which is shabbatot.
Why the change -- the difference in wording? Evidently, God intends us to LEARN a LESSON
from this! The word shabbat in Hebrew literally means
"a cessation from labor," "a rest." It is also the name for the seventh day of
the week, and the name of each of the annual holy days -- all of which are
"days of REST," and therefore qualify as shabbatot. But as we are to "count the
Omer," then, seven times we come to a shabbat,
that is, a "cessation from labor," meaning we have FULFILLED THAT
"WEEK" of counting -- that week of "overcoming."
Why "seven" such periods
in the Omer count-down (or, count-up)?
What does the number "seven" refer to in this
relationship? "Seven," of
course, is the number of COMPLETION, of PERFECTION! It is God's number -- the number of complete
perfection and fulfillment. How do these
"seven" then, relate to the process of "counting the
Omer"? We count each week, and then
the number of days, remember. This is
significant! Joel Ziff, in Mirrors in
Time, points out that there is tremendous meaning behind this
observance. He declares:
"According to Shneur
Zalman [early 19th-century rabbi and leader of Chabad hasidism],
each day of the barley offering has a unique spiritual
quality paralleling the learning
of the Israelites day-by-day on their journey from
Essence
is unified, one can differentiate various types of
SPIRITUAL ENERGY, each
with unique and separate qualities. In the kabbalistic
system, God's Presence is exper-
ienced through archetypal energies
known as the Sefirot. There are ten Sefirot: Wisdom
(Chochma), Understanding (Binah),
Knowledge (Da'at), Loving-kindness (Chesed),
Containing
Strength (Gevurah), Mercifulness/Beauty (Tiferet), Power/Victory (Netzach),
Presence/Glory
(Hod), Energy/Foundation (Yesod),
and Manifestation/Kingdom
(Malchut). . . The first three Sefirot cannot be experienced" (p.94).
The last seven of these Sefirot,
or Aspects of God's Presence, or God's Essence -- that is, the Seven aspects of God's Holy Spirit, are action-oriented
manifestations of the Divine Nature of God.
We will discuss these later. The
first three, however, are internal aspects of the Divine Nature -- qualities
God has and we ought to seek, with all our being -- that is,
"Wisdom," "Understanding," and "Knowledge."
Notice how Solomon put this vital
key in the book of Proverbs. He wrote,
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools
despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov.1:7). He added, "Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest
up thy voice for understanding . . . Then shalt thou
understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth
wisdom: out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding" (Prov.2:3-6).
Again, Solomon exhorted us,
"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the
words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and
she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore
get wisdom: and with all thy getting,
get understanding" (Prov.4:5-7).
Knowledge represents the acquisition
of factual data, amassing facts and statistics and making observations. Understanding builds upon knowledge, for it
is the grasping of the facts, the essential understanding of the data and its
meaning and relevance, awareness of the interrelationships between the data, or
the bits of knowledge, seeing how they all fit together in the BIG
PICTURE. But wisdom is the crown of all
three of these attributes: Wisdom is the
process and ability of taking this knowledge and understanding, and PUTTING IT
TO USE -- the practical application of knowledge and understanding --
putting it to WORK in our lives!
With these three attributes as a
basis, therefore, we now examine the SEVEN SEFIROT of God -- also called
in Scripture "those seven: they are
the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth"
(Zech.4:10). These are the attributes of
the Messiah -- the Lamb of God. We read
in the book of Revelation: "And I beheld,
and, lo, in the mist of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of
the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having SEVEN HORNS [complete
power and authority] and SEVEN EYES, which are the SEVEN SPIRITS
OF
GOD sent forth into all the earth"
(Rev.4:6). These seven
"spirits" can refer to seven mighty angels, under the authority of
the Lamb of God, who serve Him throughout the earth. These could also be the
same as the "seven angels" responsible for the seven churches of God
(the seven branches of His true Church).
As we read: "The seven stars
are the ANGELS of the seven churches" (Rev.1:20).
However, since the "seven
eyes" are the "seven Spirits" of God, this phrase can also be a
reference to SEVEN (COMPLETE) FACETS of the Holy Spirit -- that is, SEVEN
ATTRIBUTES OF DIVINE SPIRITUAL CHARACTER -- the character of God Himself. These attributes identify Him as God;
they identify His Holy Spirit. These
"seven" or complete aspects of God, facets of His character, are like
the seven facets of an incredible spiritual Diamond, shining, sparkling,
dazzling in beauty. They comprise the
totality of God's Character -- the very character we as His children are to be
STRIVING to develop, and inculcate, into our very beings!
The SEVEN SEFIROT of God
Joel Ziff writes in his book Mirrors
in Time:
"Shneur Zalman connects the barley offering to the Sefirot by referring to Ezekiel's
vision, which is included in the reading from the Prophets
on Shavuot. In this vision,
the prophet experiences God's Presence with the appearance
of a human figure riding
on a chariot. On the
sides of the chariot are four faces: a
lion, an ox, an eagle, and a
human . . . .
Since
barley is the grain eaten traditionally by animals, the offering symbolizes
nourishment of the 'animals' of the chariot, the 'animal
soul' that is the material part
of the self. Each of the
figures symbolize one of the Sefirot.
The face of the lion
symbolizes Chesed; the
face of the ox represents Gevurah; the
eagle symbolizes
Tiferet.
"During the forty-nine days of
counting, we focus each week on one of the seven lower
Sefirot. Each day, we focus on a particular aspect
of that Sefira. Each of the seven
Sefirot incorporates within itself an aspect
of all the others. We can therefore medi-
tate on the quality of Chesed in Chesed,
Tiferet in Chesed,
and so forth. . . .
"In
the same way as a child comes to understand the abstract concept of number only
through repeated counting of actual objects, we make sense
of the abstract, archetypal
spiritual energies in terms of our daily experience. Theoretical concepts can be
understood
only when they are grounded in real life.
Step-by-step, we build
understanding. Spirit
that is, by definition, incomprehensible and infinite becomes
understandable by clarifying the various different
parts. Each day, by counting,
we consider ONE QUALITY OF SPIRIT, separating and
differentiating into
comprehensible pieces.
Each day, we focus on a different ASPECT OF GOD'S
ESSENCE
and clarify how to make a personal connection to that quality" (p.95).
You should carefully study and re-read the previous
paragraphs. They contain a mountain of
vital information on how we, as human beings, can develop step-by-step the very
qualities of the Spirit Essence of Almighty GOD!
Each day, as we count the Omer, we
should strive to integrate and internalize the qualities of God Himself in our
own nature and character. In this way we
become more and more like our Father and Jesus Christ in character. We become more and more "partakers of
the divine nature" (II Pet.1:4).
The apostle Paul wrote, "My little children, of whom I travail in
birth again until Christ be FORMED in you"
(Gal.4:19). Paul also writes, "That
ye put off concerning the former conduct the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts; and be RENEWED in the SPIRIT of your MIND;
and that ye put on the NEW MAN, which after God [in God's likeness of
character] is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph.4:22-24).
This is a process which takes
time. It requires change, suffering,
pain, and endurance. It is not easy,
like falling off a log into a stream. It
requires strenuous, rugged effort -- like climbing a mountain, hiking up steep
switch-backs, to the crest of a rugged peak.
It requires sheer exertion and constant expenditure of energy to make
forward progress.
Joel Ziff writes of this experience
of change and growth to true maturity, in comparison with the Israelites'
journey through the wilderness. He
asserts:
"The Israelites did not go directly
from
Mount
Sinai. They journey for forty-nine
days. They wonder how they will sustain
themselves. They need
to understand and make sense of the new realities of life in
different circumstances.
They require time to interact with the world to achieve this
understanding.
"The
process of cognitive development occurs not only in childhood. As we struggle
with new situations, we recapitulate the developmental
process. Encountering a changed
environment, we find ourselves disoriented and confused,
lost in the desert. We do not
know how to nourish ourselves. We do not quite know where we are going or
how to
get there. We may
long to return to our old environment, to a world that is familiar.
We
find mentors and guides for ourselves. We
learn through a process of TRIAL AND
ERROR, STEP-BY-STEP.
In time, we may experience moments of revelation, intuitive
leaps in which our goals and methods for achieving those
goals become clear" (p.98).
This process of spiritual growth and development is not one
of steady regular progress, like a car operating under "cruise
control." Not at
all. It is more like a jerky,
stop-and-go, rough ride, with fits and starts, progress for a while, then a
rough patch is hit, or a wash-out on the road, and a
"detour" must be navigated past the obstacle. Nevertheless, we continue onward, in faith,
believing God's promises and His Word.
Says Joel Ziff:
"The breath of life that emerges from
the mouth of God differentiates into the various
spiritual energies, the Sefirot
that are associated with the seven weeks of counting.
Breath
cannot be seen or heard; however, differentiated into vowels, it can be
perceived.
God's
Essence is beyond our perception, but the spiritual energies can be manifest
and
revealed. In the same
way, we begin to differentiate the confusing, chaotic world around
us into separate categories and objects" (p.99).
Differentiating
the Spirit of God
There is much wisdom in the words we
have read, and not a little understanding. Nevertheless, to really grasp the
essential Sefirot (Aspects) of the
Spirit of God, I have found it most helpful to allow the Word of God to
delineate and differentiate these qualities for us. The seven (or nine) aspects of the Spirit of
God are referred to as the "FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT," in the words of
the apostle Paul. What are these
qualities or characteristics?
Paul wrote to the brethren in
"But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
[or,
"passions," marginal reading] and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let
us
also WALK in the Spirit. Let us not be
desirous of vain glory,
provoking
one another, envying one another" (Galatians
There are actually nine fruits
of the Spirit listed here. But if we
combine gentleness and meekness, which go together, and faith and self-control
(temperance), then we have seven combinations of Divine Attributes --
the Seven Sefirot (Manifestations) of God!
Applying the Principles to Our
Lives
Now let us apply these lessons to our own lives, in
striving to build the character of God by working on building into our
character the very attributes ("fruits") of God's Holy Spirit! This is something we can DO -- and FOCUS
upon! It will not happen
"automatically." You cannot
set your life on "AUTO-PILOT" and expect to arrive at your spiritual
destination. It behooves us to take
control of our lives, and the throttle, and fly as if we were at any moment
going to be ambushed by agents of Satan the devil. We must avoid storms as best we can, avoid
the lightning, tornadoes which may come up in our flight path, avoid
anti-aircraft fire, and enemy rockets, missiles, and aircraft. Coasting on "auto-pilot" would be a
sure-fire short-cut to disaster and a crash-landing.
Joel Ziff writes again about the
Passover to Shavuot, Counting-the-Omer principle:
"The days from Pesach to Shavuot, Sefirat Ha'Omer, serve as a
bridge from the
experience of redemption to the experience of
revelation. We are pulled from slavery
by
miracles, by powers outside of ourselves.
Changes in our lives -- both positive
and
negative -- pull us out of our habits, out of our constrictions. It may be a change
in
work life, relationships, health, a new stage in the life cycle. Then we begin to
make
sense, to try to understand what this means and how to deal with it."
We may face changes in our church relationships, as
well. For many, perhaps their old church
affiliation which they had much confidence in, began to erode, and change, and
to embrace teachings and doctrines contrary to Scripture. These changes can become very upsetting, and
detrimental -- depressing and discouraging.
Some become angry, and throw the "book" away, and vow never to
have anything to do with "religion" ever again! Others gravitate to this group or that one,
depending on where they feel most "comfortable." Many slip back into a state of somnolent
lethargy and spiritual ennui -- boredom and listlessness. The "desert, wilderness wandering"
experience for such people becomes lethal.
They get off track, lose sight of the goal, and plunge over a cliff or
become separated from those who are continuing on toward their destination
across the desert!
What happens to such people? For many, maybe they never learned to
"count the Omer." Therefore,
they became "easy pickings" for Satan and his flock of vultures and
scavengers, waiting with eyes peeled to prey on the members of the flock that
stray into danger, and wander off, who become disoriented and confused. If they had learned the TRUTH about
"overcoming," and mastering the flesh, and developing the attributes
of God -- the lesson taught by "counting the Omer" -- then they might
have avoided the dangers, the pitfalls, and desert illusions and perils.
How, then, can we truly develop our
spiritual senses and the seven facets of God's perfect, righteous,
character? Joel Ziff goes on to explain:
"During the days of counting, we use
the archetypal images of the Sefirot as
guides.
Our
job is Tikkun -- repair -- of the
attributes. One of the qualities of an
archetype is
that
it is ambiguous, can be defined in many different ways. Through meditation,
contemplation,
and analysis, we clarify
the ways in which we might interpret each
of
the Sefirot negatively in ways which
are not helpful and positively in ways that
help
us with our struggles.
"Each
week is devoted to one of the seven Sefirot. For example, during the first
week,
the Sefira of Chesed
[loving-kindness] is the focus. One
might meditate on a
variety
of topics: What are my experiences of
unconditional love? What are my
definitions
and beliefs about love? How have my life
experiences affected my under-
standing
and beliefs? What can I learn from the
experiences of others about love? . . . .
"Not
only does each week have a unique focus; each day within the week also has a
particular
significance. Each of the Sefirot contain aspects of the others. For example,
the
first week is associated with the Sefira of
Chesed
The days of the week are linked
to
the various Sefirot subsumed in Chesed: Chesed in Chesed, Gevurah in Chesed,
Tiferet in Chesed, Netzach
in Chesed, Hod
in Chesed, Yesod
in Chesed, and Malchut
in
Chesed" (p.103-104).
In the next section of this article, I am combining the
Seven Sefirot of God, from the Old Testament
studies of the kabbalists, with the New Testament
revealed qualities of the Spirit of God.
Notice how they work together in a spiritually synergistically powerful
manner.
The Seven Sefirot
and Fruits of the Spirit
Chesed
-- loving-kindness. This is also known as Ahavah
(love). This quality is associated
with Abraham, the father of the faithful, who loved God so much he was willing
to sacrifice Isaac, his true son, if God so required it. Abraham was also noted for his
hospitality. This quality refers to
unconditional acceptance and love of others -- out-going concern and care.
Love is also the first of the
fruits of God's Holy Spirit! Love is the
bedrock of the Law of God -- the first great commandment is to love God, and
the second is to love our neighbor.
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and
his commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3). "Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the
law" (Rom.13:10).
Gevurah -- Strength. This quality is also known as Yirah -- awe or fear. This quality is connected with Isaac. It refers to strength that comes from
containment, the power to contain and hold the energy of love. It is the power of inhibition, the power of
discrimination and judgment that allows one to make wise, right choices. Isaac's name means "laughter."
Joy is the second fruit of
the Spirit of God -- unbounded laughter and happiness. God's Word says, "The joy of the LORD is
your strength" (Neh.8:10).
Thus true joy is a source of strength -- gevurah.
"Rejoice in the Lord alway," Paul wrote; "and again I say,
Rejoice. Let your moderation be known to
all men" (Phil.4:4-5).
Tiferet -- Beauty. This quality is also known as Rachamim -- mercifulness. "It is also a symbol of PEACE because it
represents the perfect BALANCING of the left and right sides, integrating love
and containment . . . Tiferet is
associated with Jacob" (Ziff, p.105).
Peace is the third attribute
of God's Spirit! Jesus Christ said,
"In me ye shall have peace" (John 16:33). "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give
unto you: not at the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John
14:27). Christ is not an
"Indian-giver." That is, He doesn't
give, and then take away again. Paul
also wrote: "And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"
(Phil.4:7). Jacob was a man of
peace. He was noted as a peace-maker. Peace involves and includes the quality of
"mercifulness," and it is "beautiful" in God's sight.
Netzach -- Victory,
Triumph. This begins the second triad
(or division of three qualities) of the Sefirot. This quality is associated with Moses,
who triumphantly led Israel out of Egypt "with a high hand." This quality translates chesed,
gevurah, and tefirat
into bold action and accomplishment with power, energy, planning, and
activity.
Gentleness and meekness are
two of the fruits of the Spirit of God which seem to fit together. These also are defining characteristics of
Moses. Why did Moses achieve such netzach -- such victory and success? Because he was a man God could use and work
with, a man to whom "success" would not "go to his head"
and cause him to swell up like a puffed balloon. We read of Moses: "Now the man Moses was very meek, above
all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Num.12:3). And David writes of the quality of
gentleness, speaking of God Himself, "Thy gentleness hath made me
great" (Psalm 18:35). He wrote,
"It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect" (Psa.18:32).
The apostle James tells us: "But the wisdom that is from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality [favoritism], and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace of them that make peace" (James 3:17-18).
Hod -- Glory. This is the quality that lights up a person's
face, the inner strength that causes the face to "GLOW" with
confidence, peacefulness, serenity, dignity, honor, and majesty. It is associated with Aaron, the brother of
Moses. Aaron was noted as a
"peace" maker, and a man of honor.
He was also noted for "unity."
Sometimes he went too far in seeking to be a "peace-maker," as
when he molded the golden calf for the rebellious Israelites. He sought to preserve the people in unity, so
he fell into a spiritual trap.
Nevertheless, he was a noteworthy man of God, and a man of wisdom and
inner strength. God's word says of such
a man, "Who is as the wise man? and
who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh
his face to shine, and the BOLDNESS [strength] of his face shall be
changed" (Eccl.8:1). God also
says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in UNITY! It is like the
precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's
beard: that went down to the skirts of
his garments" (Psa.133:1-2).
Goodness is the sixth fruit
of the Spirit of God. This also was a
strong quality in Aaron, and a quality we must strive to inculcate into our
innermost character. David writes,
"Good and upright is the LORD:
therefore will he teach sinners in the way" (Psa.25:8). Jesus Christ declared, "A good man out
of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things" (Matt.12:35). Paul wrote,
"For we are his workmanship, created unto GOOD WORKS, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph.3:10). The apostle Peter adds, "For he that
will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and
his lips that they speak no guile: Let
him eschew evil, and DO GOOD; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their prayers:
but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil" (I
Pet.3:10-12).
Yesod -- Foundation. This quality is the integration of both netzach and hod,
and is the balance between power and presence. Joseph, the son of Jacob, became the prime
minister of Egypt, and virtual ruler of the world, after suffering slavery as a
teenager, and imprisonment for a crime he never committed. Yet after these
harrowing trials he rose by God's miraculous deliverance to an exalted
governmental position. He is the
embodiment and epitome of this characteristic.
Joseph by his suffering and continual growth and strength through
contact with God, and His Spirit, became the foundation of the world,
delivering the whole earth from the ravages of the most terrible famine mankind
had seem up to that time. His wisdom and
planning and spiritual strength provided a way to save his own family, and
millions of others.
Longsuffering is the fourth
fruit of the Spirit of God. Certainly,
this characteristic was well-illustrated in the life of Joseph. Despite his trials and tests, tribulations
and suffering, Joseph remained faithful to God and worshipped Him through it
all. His long-suffering and patience and
endurance in well-doing finally led to his exaltation to high office where he
could serve in a much greater capacity.
The apostle Paul wrote:
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great
recompense of reward. For ye have
need of PATIENCE, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive
the promise. For yet a little while, and
he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Heb.10:35-37). James added, "My brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into divers temptations [trials, sufferings]; knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:2-4).
Connected with this trait is the
quality of "self control" -- self mastery -- which is also one of the
fruits of God's Holy Spirit.
Self-control and long-suffering go together like grits and eggs. They are two aspects of the same qulality -- endurance -- and constitute a
"foundation" for true achievement!
Malchut -- Kingdom. This quality represents manifestation, the
translation of energy into action and activity -- and means literally
"KINGDOM." Malchut
is associated with the Shekinah --
the "Presence" -- of God. King
David is connected to this Sefira as he
is the one whom God used to bring the Kingdom of God to fruition and
accomplishment as a type, in his day.
He was himself a type of the Messianic King, Yeshua
-- and the promised Messiah was to be born of his descendants, of his royal
lineage.
Faith is the remaining fruit
of God's Spirit, as explained in Galatians 5:22-23. David was a man of faith -- and
faithfulness. He learned to control
himself, his emotions and desires, and to trust God and depend on Him, rather
than do the "expedient" thing, and take action himself to bring about
the Kingdom of God. He waited patiently,
until God's anointed king, Saul, was killed in battle. David would not attack or slay Saul himself,
but rather allowed him to live on several occasions when he could have killed
him. But David was loyal to the office
of the king; and he would not take matters into his own hands, but trusted God
and waited for Him to act. And his faith
was rewarded greatly!
Faith is a key characteristic of the
character of God -- the Sefirot energy
of the Spirit of the Most High. How
important is faith in our lives? Paul
wrote, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him" (Heb.11:6).
Paul also wrote, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have
no pleasure in him. But we are not of
them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of
the soul" (Heb.10:38-39). The
apostle Peter wrote, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time [our day
TODAY!]: Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations [trials]: That the trial
of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love: in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end [purpose, goal] of
your faith, even the salvation of your souls" (I Pet.1:5-9).
These powerful Seven Sefirot of God -- these SEVEN manifestations
of the Holy Spirit -- are mighty vehicles to spiritual growth and becoming
Godlike. If we will meditate on these
attributes of God, and ponder them, and reflect upon them, and study them in
the Scriptures, and spend time thinking about them, and considering HOW we
might express them more fully and completely in our own daily lives -- these
divine spiritual energies will provide us a powerful tool to use to become the
true
SONS OF GOD in actual spiritual image and character likeness.
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?
Are we growing daily, constantly, in love -- joy -- peace --
longsuffering (patience) -- gentleness -- goodness -- faith -- meekness -- moderation
(self control)?
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 ours 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 palpable 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!
Are you busy "counting the
Omer" in your own life -- till Christ returns?