At this point in the calendar, we are just a little over
40 days
since Passover/Pesach.
Luke 24:50 51 tells us
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Jesus/Yeshua appeared to them on many occasions in
different forms following His resurrection;
Revealing His Deity to them and
testing their faith in Who He was.
After these 40 days He ascended.
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a]from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
Luke 24:13-16
After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking along the way to the country. Mark 16:12 Amp.
After the Transfiguration happened to Yeshua/Jesus, we have no personal life experiences that are equal or similar to the events that Messiah went through from that time forward.
For 30 years He had appeared to be a normal man but He was living a perfect life as a Torah observant Hebrew/Jew/Israelite. The record of His life as written in the four Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describes only approximately the last three years of His public ministry apart from His conception, birth, notable events in His early years to age 12.
Luke 2:40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
We must remember all we read in these 4 accounts, did not occur in just a single 12 month period. Going forward from the time of His transfiguration everything is unfamiliar to us from what we already know of HIs life and ministry.
His transfiguration on the mountain was a marker in time.
Matt. 17:2 Mark 9:2
1Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, [a]let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” Matt 17
Moses and Elijah were seen with Him and the glory He had laid aside was upon Him brighter than Moses whose face had shone with the Shekinah glory centuries before on another mountain.
and it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. Ex 34:29-35
The Voice of the Father spoke again
at the transfiguration
Matt 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
just as He had done at Messiahs immersion;
when His Spirit of Holiness was imparted.
Luke 3:21/22
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
Moses and Elijah strengthened and encouraged Him prior to His fulfilling all He had come to do according to the Fathers will.
Matt.17:3
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
He was to set His face toward Jerusalem, Gethsemane, the beating and the cross; the cruel stake of crucifixion, physical death, followed by the resurrection… and we have no experience of such an ordeal.
His execution stake/ tree/ cross is the dalet /door by which every person can enter into the life/chaim of God.
John 10:9
By His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone
By His ascension Messiah entered heaven/shamayim keeping that dalet/ door open for humanity, for whosoever will. Mark 8:34; Matt. 16:25; Matt. 20:27.
The Transfiguration was completed on the
mount of the Ascension
see the map below.
Luke 24:50-53 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
If Messiah had gone directly to heaven from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone. He would have been nothing more to us than an unusual historical figure, but He turned His back on the glory once again and came down from the mountain to identify Himself with fallen humanity and become the sin bearer of the world.
Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ, God’s One and Only Son, laid aside His majesty to serve humanity. His death on the cross is the ultimate expression of servant leadership, when He obediently fulfilled the will of God.
Amplified Bible Phil.2:6-8 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.…
His ascension from the Mount of Olives was the complete fulfillment of the Transfiguration.
Messiah returned to His original glory but not simply as the Son of God. He returned to His Father as the Son of Man as well.
John 17:5 Amplified Bible Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty that I had with You before the world existed.
Now there is freedom of access for anyone, straight to the very throne of God because of the ascension of the Son of Man.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16.
We can come boldly because Messiah’s Blood satisfied the fullness of the Fathers covenant as payment for sin. As the Son of Man, Jesus/Yeshua deliberately limited His omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience. But now and forevermore they are His in absolute full power and authority. As the Son of Man, Jesus/Yeshua now has all the power at the throne of the Father. From His ascension forward He became and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Many will not understand the value of that until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
Mark 13:26; Matt. 16:28. assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not
taste death
till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
Many people fear and seek to avoid death at any cost, yet when we give our lives for the sake of Messiah Jesus, we see it as a sacrifice. This is because we don’t understand the value of death. Death is the doorway to something so much better and far, far greater.
He understood this…
For the joy set before him he endured the cross … fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith … at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb. 12:2.
In the verse above about tasting death…how do we explain what something tastes like to someone who has never tried or eaten it? For example to describe the taste of a pineapple or a jalapeno pepper is almost impossible, a person would actually have to taste it themselves.
He tasted death for all of us so we don’t have to.
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.
Hebrews 2:9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
There’s no way for us to see the value of death until we actually pass through the death of this physical body into the realm/world beyond time, leaving behind this natural one and see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom. His Kingdom which is not of this world/realm.
John 18:36. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
Only then will we have a full understanding and we will no doubt wonder why we feared death at all.
In Matthew 16:28
shall not TASTE death
until they see the son of man coming in his glory.
The word taste in Hebrew/Aramaic is taim – טָעִים
טָעַם verbtaste, perceive –
pronounced: taw-am’
The first century understanding of this word was that it was used: to express the VALUE of what is eaten
and also
perception as the ability to distinguish between thoughts.
Strong’s Definitions. ta`am, taw-am’; a primitive root; to taste; figuratively, to perceive:
Ps.34:8 taste and see that the Lord is good.
Here in this Psalm the word for taste is taamu
also meaning:
to taste, to perceive
encouraging us to:
put the matter to the test of experience ( 1 Peter 2:3).
There is no other way of really knowing how good our Heavenly Father is.
He gives us a little taste here and now, of what lies ahead, what is to come for those who will take up their cross daily and follow Him for the joy that is also, set before us.
The revealing of the 40 days came by way of Messiah who was recorded as appearing 12 times to His disciples in His resurrected body. John 21:14; Mark 16:14; 1Cor 15:7.
It came also by way of the testing of their faith in that, Who He was revealed in all His Glory. A risen, resurrected savior, their Messiah, Lord and King.
In scripture, specifically the Ten Commandments/sayings, there is very clear instruction that no Hebrew/Israelite or child of God is to worship and bow down to any idol, person or thing, other than our Heavenly Father.
Luke 24:52 And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, Acts 1:9;
Matt. 28:9 and as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
And some of them were unsure because of this commandment and so they hesitated..
Matt 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
And Emmaus Luke 24:52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
So when the disciples knelt down and said what they did, it was a very serious decision and confession as they were declaring that they believed He was none other than YHVH /Yaweh/ God Almighty. This is a point to remember when thinking of Jewish people who do not accept Jesus/Yeshua as Messiah; they see Christianity and Christians as bowing down and worshipping Jesus as equal to worshipping a forbidden idol putting Him before God and therefore violating the first of the commandments.
Only when the Father opens their eyes, as He did for Saul/Paul, will they see Him whom they pierced. John 19:37
One day our ascension will occur and only the Father knows when that day will be.
Ps 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written. The days that were appointed for me, When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].
Meanwhile we are to work out our salvation soberly and faithfully, looking unto Jesus/Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith and paying close attention to how we walk for the days are evil. Eph. 5:15 16.
Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people],
making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.
Violence is filling the earth once again, just as it was in Noahs’ day before the flood; and Lots’ day when the cities were destroyed by fire from heaven in the form of sulfurous meteorites.
and God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Gen. 6:13
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. Gen. 19:24.
We are to walk humbly and circumspectly before the Lord working the works of Him Who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light of (40) revealed knowledge.
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 Amplified Bible He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]
Having remembered His Ascension soon Shavuot/Pentecost will be here. A time to rejoice in the day in which prophecy was fulfilled; and Fathers’ Spirit of Holiness was released into the whole world, enabling Him to never leave nor forsake us and to empower those obedient disciples to fulfill His directive of Mark 16:15-18
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” And verse 19. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
There’s just a few days left of counting from the Omer. (Day 44 this shabbat). It is a good time for us to prepare and test our hearts, if we haven’t already, so that we can be effective vessels, ready to serve our King..
now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28
Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
Mark 16:15
Keep looking up family, for our redemption draweth nigh!
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
when all Israelites who were able, would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, as commanded by the Torah.
This season is a very important time in personal preparation, because it is one of introspection, of self searching and examining our lives, and the motives of our hearts.
The disciples were told by Messiah to wait in Jerusalem during this period of time.Acts 1:12-26
They would have been counting from the Omer according to the instructions given in scripture.
During that time leading up to Shavuot/Pentecost, the disciples would have been praying reading Torah/ Old Testament and preparing themselves spiritually for the promise Messiah Jesus/Yeshua had given them.
Right on time, perfectly fulfilling the promise from the Father and Jesus/Yeshua, His Spirit of Holiness descended on these obedient, patient, faithful disciples.
These prepared vessels were not disappointed. Old Testament prophecies, (Joel), were fulfilled and the disciples who were ready, were totally submitted and committed to Him and they received the fullness of the equipping they would need, to do the will of the Father; and with it came the promise that He would be with them always. The spiritual seed they had planted and the obedient preparation time they had set aside was fully rewarded.
Messiah often used agricultural and farming references when teaching spiritual principles and in Hosea 10:12, 13, there is a similar agricultural reference.
Hosea 10:12 says, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” KJV
Amplified Bible
Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up youruncultivated ground, For it is time to seek and search diligently for the LORD [and to long for His blessing] Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you.
In the days before sowing any seed, there is a very critical work to be done. When Messiah spoke of the types of ground in Mark 4, He said some of the seedfell on rocks, well worn paths and hard ground.
So what kind of Farmer plants in hard, untilled ground? or asHoseasays fallow ground. Is this farmer evil and wicked, is he sinful and corrupt in his ways? It is this why he sows in untilled soil, in fallow ground? Is he just lazy or not a very well educated farmer?
Or maybe a combination of the above?
Hoseatells us that a farmer who has failed to break up the fallow ground has in fact lost His way.
Fallow is not a word often used today, however it’s familiar to a farmer. It is land that is not doing what God designed land to do. Fallow land is just sitting there, doing nothing but produce weeds. Although it may have potential, until the farmer does something with the land, it is simply fallow; hard, dry, unused ground, useless and not helping anyone.
At this time of year many folks are out in the garden, imagining the beautiful harvest from the tender seedlings they are planting. We should remember that untilled/ fallow ground can be soft and moist at the surface and look like it is ready to receive the plants. Even though it may look good and seeds may be sown at a healthy depth from the surface; not too shallow, and not too deep, for a while it may look that the planting is successful. However the future of the crop becomes clear and proves devastating when, in the hard and unbroken ground below, the seedlings do not have anywhere to let their roots grow down.
The tender crop is then also in danger of being overrun by weeds that have been lying in wait to take advantage of them.
To make a parallel with our spiritual walk, when we leave our fields fallow and untilled, they quickly become overtaken by unwanted weeds that proliferate in the shallow soil. These weeds soon silently slither like serpents across the surface and choke the life out of our crops.
Without good healthy roots, these seedlings will burn up and be destroyed as they have no means to take in the cool life-giving moisture hidden deep in the soil. Hosea says in such ground we can only plow wickedness and will reap only perversity.
Why?
Because we did not break up the fallow ground,
till the soil
and remove the weeds.
Instead we trusted in our own way, in the abundance of our might and understanding, trusting in self.
Self-sufficiency, self righteousness and our own opinions; it is the carnal natural thinking of the life lived in the flesh. We think we are right and know how to do everything in our own strength and abilities; and doing everything without God, walking as if we don’t need him, this is pride.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man… Matthew 15:18-20.
In Matthew 13:3-8,the Word of God is referred to as seeds for sowing, and our hearts are as the soil in various conditions.
Some hearts are stony, hard to breach and have no root, others are thorny, with many barbs entwined with the lusts desires of this world. However some hearts are soft and good, having fertile soil, they have been cleansed of weeds, refuse and trash and are prepared to receive the Word of God.
InMatthew 13:24-30,Messiahteaches that it’s not only our Heavenly Father who sows His Word into our hearts – the adversary is always trying to sow evil seeds into our hearts when we’re not paying attention. These seeds can be in the form of doubt and un-forgiveness in relationships, they can be seeds of coveting, lustful, unclean thoughts, or seeds of hate, cruelty and spite.
In Matthew 12:34-35; 15:18-20. Messiah said that everything we do and say is rooted in our hearts.
Our hearts are vulnerable too if we do not guard them.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence with the utmost care; for out of it are the issues of life. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
We tend to pray, or even go into fasting, with a deep desire for our Heavenly Father’s intervention in our lives and situations, yet we often overlook this important aspect of our lives, and it is one that can either help or hinder our answered prayers, it can enhance or diminish our good works before our Father, and this is always before Him.
We do well in the areas of offering our praise, worship, time, tithes, and our sacrifices, however it’s time that we make certain we offer up our whole heart to the Lord. It doesn’t matter if we are newly born again, or are mature discipled believers, we cannot play with our salvation, nor can we afford to be near to God with our lips yet having our hearts far from Him.
We are in the end times and now more than ever, we cannot afford to lose our place in eternity because of hard, stony hearts. AsHosea 10:12 says, “break up your fallow ground, for it’s time to seek the Lord…”
Sometimes we can mistake our relationship with our Heavenly Father and the work we do for His kingdom as the same thing, when really, they are separate.
Taking our relationships with people as an example, we may be doing things for them without actually knowing, or wanting to know them on a deeper level. Sometimes we may not be doing these things from our hearts, but only as a means to get something in return or to further our own interests. On the other hand, when we have a close friendship/relationship with an individual, it goes beyond what you do for each other; a level of intimacy is established with that person, and we find we want to spend quality time with them. This is the same with our Heavenly Father, He wants us to know Him beyond us doing works and seeking/receiving the blessings, through Messiah. The key for us in developing a stronger relationship with our Heavenly Father is only gained through a heart that has been regenerated by His Spirit and by the Truth of His Word.John 4:24.
This is why the scripture says to obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22!
It’s about our hearts.
Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26. tells us that the regeneration of the heart is a precise moment when the Holy Spirit of the Living God touches us, takes away our stony heart, and gives us a heart of flesh.This heart He gives us is tender, willing to hear and obey His voice, and is a productive ground for His Word to grow. Only when we have a heart of flesh can we truly forgive and forget.
Ezekiel 11:19shows that the heart is the seat of our relationship with our Father and it links the body, soul, and spirit together and it’s only through a regenerated heart that we can worship Him in spirit and in truth, and fulfill His commandmentsRomans 2:28-29. This clearly shows us why God is so interested in our hearts.
Again, this is why Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”
It takes a heart that is mature, to not forget Him along the way, as we handle the abundant blessings that our Father has prepared for us. Deuteronomy 8:16-18.
Concerning the area of spiritual warfare in prayer, the need for our hearts to be right before the Lord, cannot be stressed enough. We need to ask for His mercy every day, and for Him to cleanse our hearts from every emotional burden before we begin to intercede. This is because according to2 Timothy 2:3-4,we are not to intercede in prayer based on our emotions, anger, hatred, anxiety or fear. All negative emotions are based in the natural carnal part of us, but the fight we are fighting is not a natural carnal one, it is spiritual in nature.2Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:12. In the same way that soldiers fighting in the natural become exhausted mentally and emotionally and are prone to make mistakes, when we fight based on our emotions, it can leave us exposed to demonic attacks.
When we are not breaking up the fallow, hard areas of our hearts by spending time with God, reading His Word and in prayer, it becomes dry, cold, hard, and unproductive. When we are aware of these dry, cold, hard, unproductive places, we are to make some changes. If we don’t, and we leave those fallow parts of our lives untouched, they become hard to our Heavenly Father, His Word and hard towards other people.
It would be easier if God said,
“Let me break up the fallow ground of your life”
but he didn’t. He told us to do it.
So if we care at all about personal growth, being of value to His Kingdom, and making a difference both in the world and in eternity it means we have to start digging!
We have to get out the plow by applying His Word to our lives, we must look for and identify those hard, dry places in our lives and then break up that soil with His Word and by spending time with our Heavenly Father in prayer. We have to break up that dry ground, and by seeding His Word in those places we find then digging out the spiritual weeds that have no doubt grown up while we were ignoring those areas.
If we ask Him to reveal the state and content of our hearts searching deep within ourselves, we will maybe have a shock when we see what is in there. Our Heavenly Father desires that we “rend our hearts, and not our garments, and turn unto the Lord our God” Joel 2:12-13.
This is the time more now than ever, for us to be sincere, open and honest with our Father. It doesn’t matter if we are mature or babes in the Lord, we still need to ask Him for an ongoing heart transformation.
Matthew 5:8, assures us that with a pure heart will we eventually see God and with a heart that is clean we may according to
1 John 3:20-21; 4:17.
have confidence before the judgment seat of Christ.
We always have a choice because our Heavenly Father has given us free will to choose. He sayschoose this day and choose life.
Deuteronomy 30:11 – 20 19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!We can make this choice by loving the Lord our God, obeying Him, and committing ourselves firmly to Him.
Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3 For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [[b]subdued, overcame, [c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],
4 So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].
5 For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and [d]pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and [e]seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
6 Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that [f]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
7 [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.
8 So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
9 But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God].
10 But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you].
11 And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh.
A farmer takes a plow to that ground, turns it over, breaks it up and plants his seed. Then a month or so later he returns to see what has grown.
If we choose to not allow our hearts to remain cold, hard, dry and fallow then even hard hearts and fallow ground can become places of great blessing.
Two passages of Scripture challenge us to grow, mature and change and both are from prophets in the Old Testament warning the people of Israel, because in their service of the Lord they had become lazy and disobedient.
“Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem..
Jeremiah 4:3-4a
Jeremiah 4:3 HEB: יְהוּדָה֙ וְלִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר NAS: and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, KJV: and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground,
“Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12)
Hosea 10:12 HEB: נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ NAS: Break up your fallow ground, For it is time KJV: break up your fallow ground: for [it is] time INT: kindness Break your fallow is time to seek
Just what does it mean for me and you to do that?
The phrase unplowed ground or fallow ground
is the Hebrew noun:
nîr,
the tillable, untilled, or fallow ground.
Strongs 5213b nir: to break up, freshly till
Original Word: נִיר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nir
Phonetic Spelling: (neer)
Definition: to break up, freshly till
Strong’s Concordance 5215
niyr: ground
Original Word: נִיר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: niyr
Phonetic Spelling: (neer)
Definition: a lamp
נִיר noun [masculine] the tillable, untilled or fallow ground;
Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3 till you the untilled ground (figurative of unaccustomed moral action)
It’s land that could be productive, but has not been broken up, tilled, plowed, and prepared for planting. The prophets speaking from the Lord are commanding the people to break up that land and (spiritually) to plow the land that they have.
The two things the prophets spoke about fallow ground were:
one, the Fallow ground is unusable, and two, Fallow ground is unused.
A crop cannot grow in unplowed ground because it’s rock hard, and it prevents seeds from pushing into the earth, germinating, putting down roots and growing to maturity. Every gardener knows that when it’s time to put in the plants the soil must be broken up to enable the seeds to grow into it and let their roots go down deep where moisture can be found.
They were sowing seed, but because they didn’t bother to prepare the soil and pull out the thorns and weeds, the seeds planted did not produce.
By applying this farming comparison to spiritual things, the question is: What must be done so the soil is ready to receive the seed of God’s word?
For us, as we stand before the planting fields of our lives, there is a choice we have to make. Are we going to plant in the hard, unbroken, unyielding, fallow soil with a pointless and ineffective future without any promise of a harvest? Or are we now prepared and ready to break up that fallow ground in our hearts and lives? Are we ready to dig it, to lift it up, turn it over and do it again, and do it deep, really deep?
We need to ask ourselves,
What type of heart do I really have?
What has been growing in my heart up to today?
Hatred, bitterness, lust, greed, worldliness? These must be removed by their roots so a new crop can be planted. Grain crops do not flourish under the shade of trees. They must be removed so the new crop can grow in the light.
Hardness must be broken up. A plow does the hard work of opening up the ground. It is true we can dig it one shovelful at a time, but that is too slow a process. Farmers can harness some cattle or horses or use other equipment, however there are farmers without animals who have harnessed themselves and pulled their own plow while his wife or son guided the plow. It takes energy to pull the plow and guide the plow, keeping the furrows straight so the field can be plowed to it best advantage.
Is there hardness in our hearts?
Is there unbelief that is hiding in our souls?
Those who have been hurt in relationships or by a parent or guardian, they may have sealed off an area of their lives because it’s just too painful to return to it. We need to let our loving Heavenly Father break up those old simmering resentments and heal all those past hurts. He will take the strain and pull the plow, but we must point it toward those hard places in our hearts that we know we must deal with.
Sometimes our hearts have been hardened by unbelief which must be faced head on and broken up, then our Father can plant something new and fruitful in there. One way of plowing deep is by confession and heartfelt repentance.
How many of us remember the last time we were broken and humbly knelt before the Lord?
Larger rocks must be dislodged and completely removed and sometimes during the plowing process we find large, immovable rocks. If we are serious about making this field produce a harvest, it will require extensive digging along with power to lift them and move them from the field.
These can be rocks of un-forgiveness, stones of stubbornness, deep twisted roots of bitterness and jealousy that need to be severed and pulled out. Rotting remnants and dormant seeds of rejection, pride and rebellion from previous years that wait, patiently, for the perfect climate and the environment to sprout and rear their ugly heads when favorable conditions, circumstances and situations present themselves. The list is endless, yet these are the hidden things that prevent our spiritual growth into maturity and stunt the harvest that would otherwise be seen in a fruitful life.
If we have been plowing our heart, have we found some big rocks that need to be removed, but we are not able to move them by ourselves? Maybe it’s time to talk with our pastors about the rocks and stones? They will have had some experience moving rocks out of their own life because every field has rocks and stones in them.
When a field goes unplanted for several years it often become covered with thorns or other weeds the thorns must be gathered up and burned; let the purifying fire of His Holy Spirit cleanse away all that is not of the Father.
As this is also a season when we are planting for a future harvest, we are reminded again of Messiah Jesus’s parables of the sower and his seed.
In the parable of the sower, Messiah uses thorns in a field to describe obstacles in the human heart; but what kinds of thorns make the fields of our hearts unproductive?
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22
“The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” Mark 4:19
“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” Luke 8:14
Depending on the type of land, the thorns may represent temptations and lust toward other people, self-indulgence, pride, anger, selfishness, a love of entertainment and recreation, addictions, greed, and many other thorns. It is important to know that any and each of these thorns can choke the Word of God; and each one has a devastating effect on the crop and subsequent harvest that God wants to produce in His children, so we must show them no mercy just get them out!
Fallow ground, unplowed, unprepared soil is unusable for any serious crop, we must “break up” our fallow ground so that it is usable.
We may have much of our lives surrendered to the Lord and they may be being nurtured and refined to produce a crop of righteousness and the fruit of His Spirit, which is great! But just maybe there’s a piece of ground, an area of our life that we’ve never quite got around to dealing with, no digging, no planting, and no harvesting, there, but it is going to waste. Just maybe we’ve put off plowing this area of ground because it’s too painful or difficult to deal with.
If we’ll break up the additional fallow ground in our lives, He will extend and enlarge our fruitfulness.
For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17
The axe is laid to the root of the trees
Luke 3:9 and
Matt 3:10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Deliverance, freedom from oppressing evil spirits is not as popular a message as prosperity teaching. Yet true biblical prosperity is of the spiritual life and it cannot be lived in fullness without being set free from the bondage of sin, death and the consequences of a life lived without God.
Prov. 5:22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
These cords are the same as the rocks and stones and if we have been at the same place in our walk with the Lord for some years and are not moving forward, or desiring to go higher and dig deeper with Him, there maybe some rocks,roots and cords holding us back. These prevent our growth to maturity and it’s time to allow His spirit to not only identify them but remove them once and for all and do it deep. Only then will we become a field ready to receive the implantation of His righteousness and yield an abundance of the fruits of His grace through/by delivering freedom and healing.
While there is still time today, which is the day of salvation, let us break up the fallow ground for ourselves by yielding to Him and seeking His face. Don’t hold back any longer but let’s submit our lives completely to His Will, plan and purpose for us.
As a true disciple, willing and obedient, we must lay down our lives becauseit’s time to seek the Lord until he comes and rains righteousness upon you.
and He promises that
Is 1:19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
NOW
is the time
to break up
these unplowed fields in our lives
and
yield them to Him and allow His growth in us.
Let our Heavenly Father expose every evil seed that the enemy may have planted in our hearts, then He can touch, cleanse, and regenerate them.
Why?
So that we may truly know Him and the power of His resurrection, obey Him and worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Clean, stable, properly prepared vessels, are those which the Father can fill with His power.
Thank you Father for your loving kindness and goodness today; show me the fallow ground in my life. Teach me by your spirit how to break up the fallow ground of my stubborn and prideful ways and to continually seek you until you come on rain your righteousness on me. Take the seed of your words of truth and plant Your ways deep inside me so that the fruit I bear is worthy of your Name.
Break up the dry lumps in my life Father, lift me up, turn me over and then do it again and do it deep, pulling out all those hidden roots by Your Spirit of Holy Fire and cleanse me from the inside out; burn away all that is not of You. I know Your Word says that judgment begins in the house of the Lord, therefore let the shaking and sifting begin with me so that the Bride you are returning for is without spot and wrinkle; and we will be accounted and found worthy to stand before you, cleansed by your blood, separated from everything that would keep us from your presence.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Isaiah 45:8 Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Proverbs 11:18 The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
Proverbs 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
Galatians 6:7,8 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
CALEB. ka’-leb (kalebh; in the light of the Syriac and Arabic words, the meaning is not “dog,” which is kelebh, in Hebrew, but “raging with canine madness”; Chaleb):
Hebrew, the name is pronounced [kaˈlev]
Strong’s Hebrew: 3612. כָּלֵב (Kaleb) — a son of Jephunneh .
Strong’s Hebrew: 3091. יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ (Yehoshua) — “the LORD …
Word Origin. from Yhvh and yasha.
Definition. the LORD is salvation.
The Hebrew name יהושע ( yehoshu’a, Strong’s #3091)
is the combination of יהו ( yeho ),
a short form of the name יהוה (YHWH, Strong’s #3068),
and the verb ישע
( Y.Sh.Ah, Strong’s #3467),
The Hebrew word, יְשׁוּעָה Yeshuah, means
Salvation, or Deliverance.
Its Primitive, 3-letter Verb Root is יָשַׁע Yasha,
meaning to Save, or Deliver.
There are many places in scripture that the number 40 is used; some say 146, others 149 times, in both the Old and New Testaments.
What does 40 mean?
What is its’ symbolism in scripture?
And what can it mean prophetically?
Our Heavenly Father is a God of order. This means He is precise in every detail and has calculated every aspect of the universe since before the beginning of time. Without a way to measure, order is hard to explain.
Order is often expressed numerically, and the Scriptures are filled with numbers. We find the first measure in Genesis 1:5, where the end of the first day is indicated.
Seasons, days, weeks, months, and years are measures used many times.
Distances are also measured, and patterns can be seen as the meaning of all these numbers are examined. These numerical patterns provide insight as to the meaning of these numbers and reveal another layer of understanding to be found in the Scriptures. We are told:
it is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search them out. Prov. 25:2.
It’s up to the reader to pay attention to these numbers and look for their deeper meanings. Interestingly in
Daniel 8:13, Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking,
the then future Messiah is referred to as the Palmonee, sometimes translated as Palmoni, or the Wonderful Numberer.
The name is ” PALMONI ” and it means. ” the numberer of secrets, or the wonderful numberer “.
Hebrew: פלמוני, romanized : Palmōnî
In the Hebrew concordance, Strong’s 6422, it states that ” Palmoni means ” certain “. It derives from ” Peloni “, Strong’s 6423, meaning ” a certain one “. ” Peloni ” derives from ” Palah “, Strong’s 6395 { A primitive root }, meaning ” apart .
Palmoni is Pala which is spelled Pey Lamed Aleph.
Palmoni, a numberer or revealer of secrets, … or Palmoni, which some render “thewonderfulnumberer“; or, “thenumberer of secrets”, or “that has all secrets numbered” (g); and apply it to Christ, whose name is “Pele”, wonderful; the eternal Word of God, that is in the bosom of the Father, and knows all secrets, and the number of times and seasons.
The Hebrew meaning, “thenumberer of secrets, or, the wonderfulnumberer“. “Pali” means “secret” while “pala” means “wonderful” or marvelous; and, “mena/mone” means “to count or number” The mysterious Palmoni of Daniel 8:13 is none other than the Messianic figure of the Old Covenant period–now known as the Son of God, the child born for our salvation–Yeshua, our Messiah.
Unto that certain saint which spake – Margin, Palmoni, or, the numberer of secrets, or, the wondeful numberer. The Hebrew word, פלמוניpalemônı̂y, occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. The similar form, פלניpelonı̂y, occurs inRuth 4:1, “Ho, such a one, turn aside;” in 1 Samuel 21:2, “appointed my servants to such and such a place;” and 2 Kings 6:8, “In such and such a place.” The Italic words denote the corresponding Hebrew word.
The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:47
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things [unknown and unattainable] that have been hidden [from mankind] since the foundation of the world.” Matthew 13:35
If we are to understand that repeating a thing indicates its’ significance, then considering the number of times 40 appears, it must be very important!
God flooded the earth for 40 days and nights.
Moses fasted for 40 days, and
Messiah was in the wilderness for 40 days.
40 generally symbolizes:
a period oftesting, trial, proving,probation and revealing;
and the
hardships one must endure to become more spiritually aware.
Another way to understand the meaning of 40 is to look at the Hebrew alphabet, which has its roots in pictograms/pictures. Recall from previous posts that each letter has a symbol and a numeric value. Click link below for more details:
The 13th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, (Alef bet), is the letter Mem;
has a numerical value of
40
and is the picture symbol of
water.
The original pictogram for Mem
was a zig-zag pattern that depicts water or chaos.
Although the picture symbol has changed,
today the meaning is the same.
There are many references to the sea in Scripture and used many times, in situations that cause fear or are chaotic. Two examples are the storm that ended with Jonah swallowed by the fish; and when the disciples were caught in the midst of a storm in a boat. Such events with water help us understand the picture of the letter Mem.
While chaos and turmoil are connected with the testing in the two examples, we also see Gods’ Grace as He restored calm.
Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is the Living Water, 40 and Mem mean water and chaos, however He is also the Prince of Peace.
Below are a few examples of where the number 40 is clearly seen in the Scripture and what it may mean.
Moses, Elijah and Jesus each fasted in the desert for 40 days.
It is significant that three of the most important individuals each endured 40 days without food or water as the ultimate test of faith, these fasts were used to reach specific goals.
Moses proved his loyalty to God and received the Ten Commandments/Sayings.
Elijah’s faith was shaken after threats from Jezebel. He went on the run, fleeing to mount Horeb, or the mountain of Elohim, to hear from God. He was fed by an angel and walked 40 days and 40 nights without further sustenance. After 40 days, he heard from God and returned to challenge the priests of Baal which brought an immediate change to the situation in the land.
Elijah gained instruction on how to lead the children of Israel; Messiah Jesus overcame Satan’s temptations, they both passed their tests and in the process gained new insights into the Father’s ultimate plan.
After His baptism, Messiah Jesus was filled with the Fathers’ Holy Spirit and was immediately separated into the wilderness. His compliance showed His instant obedience and reminds us of the need for fasting and prayer in our lives. Messiah Jesus/Yeshua fasted from both food and water for 40 days and nights and He overcame the devil when He was tempted afterward.
Likewise, today we will face temptations and difficulties. Father’s Holy Spirit may call us to prepare for 40 days before a challenging time. We may even be tested and tempted for 40 days or go through a trial for 40 days as our Savior did.Luke 4:2Messiah told us He was leaving so He could give the Gift of His Holy Spirit to us as a helper through such times. Messiah set us an example so that we could know how to overcome our challenges.
The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years:
After being freed from Egypt, Moses and the Israelites needed direction. Our Heavenly Father planned for them to go to the Promised Land, this was only possible after the whole generation of those who’d doubted His plan had died. The Hebrews had to travel through the wilderness, living on God’s daily provision of manna, for 40 years, due to the unbelief in their hearts. Only when the last of that generation had died did He allow His people to enter the promised land. This clearly shows that sometimes to fully reveal God’s divine will, patience is necessary. Despite this testing, He provided for them faithfully. They always had food, protection, and their provisions had a supernatural lifespan.
The prophet Ezekiel was instructed by God to lay on his left side for 390 days and his right side for 40 days to “bear the iniquities” of Israel and Judea (respectively). Ezekiel 4:4-8. The days corresponded to the number of years each kingdom insulted the name of God through wickedness and rebellion. Ezekiel suffered greatly, but his insights helped prepare the Israelites for the coming of Messiah Jesus.
The three great Hebrew kings, Saul, David and Solomon, were each recorded to have ruled for 40 years. This is significant because 40 years is considered by many as a biblical generation; meaning: a new group of Israelites rises up, sustains itself, then dies out. For the 3 kings, this measure of time also serves as a warning as 20 years of their rule was marked by prosperity and 20 years by ruin. It highlights the Prophet Samuel’s misgivings over inducting kings in the first place: as eventually, they’ll take from the people more than they give.
The above examples and context of the number 40, gives us clues regarding the meaning. As 40 is a mark of a generation, it doesn’t refer to how long a person lives but indicates changes are made after this time period. This principle is seen when many kings ruled for 40 years those above and also Rehoboam.
Goliath was a giant Philistine soldier who took pleasure in taunting and humiliating the Israelites. The Philistine and Israelite armies stood on opposite sides for 40 days. A new Hebrew champion would come out each day to meet Goliath face-to-face, only to be destroyed. After 40 days, a young shepherd from Bethlehem, named David, was sent by God to defeat the Philistines, this began a new chapter for the children of Israel bringing solidarity to the kingdom.
40 is connected to change.
The change can occur quickly, sometimes it is very unpleasant and at other times, the change is a process which takes years.Perhaps how quickly the change happens for us to come in line with God’s plan depends on our obedience. In Davids case, he believed God would give him victory over the giant; so the change came immediately when David chose to believe God’s promise.
Another well known 40 is in the story of Noah. Because the sins of humanity had become too great, God called Noah to build an ark that could hold two of every living creature on earth, as well as his own family. God flooded His earth for 40 days and nights. When Noah and his family found dry land once again, our Heavenly Father made a covenant with Noah promising that He would never completely flood the Earth again. By doing this a level of trust was restored that had been lost since Eden.
Some more references to 40:
The bible was written by 40 different people.
The Holy Place of the Temple Sanctuary was 40 cubits long.
The rains fell in Noah’s day for 40 days and nights. Genesis 7:4
Israel ate manna and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.Exodus 16:35
Moses was with God on the mountain, 40 days and nights, without eating bread or water. Exodus 24:18, 34:28
The spies searched the land of Canaan for 40 days. Numbers 13:25
40 lashes (stripes) was the maximum whipping penalty. Deuteronomy 25:3
God allowed the land to rest for 40 years.Judges 3:11, 5:31, 8:28
Abdon, a judge in Israel, had 40 sons. Judges 12:14
Israel did evil; God gave them to an enemy for 40 years.Judges 13:1
Eli judged Israel for 40 years. 1 Samuel 4:18
The holy place of the temple was 40 cubits long. 1Kings 6:17
Elijah had one meal that gave him strength for 40 days. 1 Kings 19:8
Joash reigned 40 years in Jerusalem.2 Kings 12:1
Egypt to be laid desolate for 40 years. Ezekiel 29:11-12
God gave Ninevah 40 days to repent. Jonah 3:4
Goliath presented himself to Israel for 40 days. 1 Samuel 17:16
Saul reigned for 40 years. Acts 13:21
Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) was 40 years old when he began to reign. 2 Samuel 2:10
David reigned over Israel for 40 years.2 Samuel 5:4, 1 Kings 2:11
Solomon reigned the same length as his father, 40 years. 1 Kings 11:42.
Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. Acts 13:21
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years. 2 Samuel 5:4
Ezekiel bore the iniquity of the house of Judah for 40 days. (Ezekiel 4:6)
Jesus fasted 40 days and nights. Matthew 4:2
Jesus was tempted 40 days.Luke 4:2, Mark 1:13
Jesus remained on earth 40 days after the resurrection. Acts 1:3
Our Heavenly Father gives us types and shadows, or symbols, as warnings and precursors of the real event for that day and time and for later generations. The example of the Hebrew children wandering in the desert for 40 years after Moses was being given the Torah/Law/Teaching/10 Commandments for them, by God.
Moses was raised and educated for 40 years in pharaoh’s household. After murdering the Egyptian, Moses himself was exiled for 40 years. He was forced to learn a completely different lifestyle in Median to prepare him for the next 40 years until the encounter with the burning bush.
The last 40 years of his life required the preparation from the previous two 40 year seasons.
1500 years later, Messiah spent 40 days in the wilderness prior to the start of His ministry and eventualatoning death at Calvary. He spent 40 days on earth after the resurrection. The new believers and disciples received His Holy Spirit at Pentecost/Shavuot and all were given 40 years to accept the Fathers gift of grace, then,in AD 70 the Roman destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, judgment came upon the those who would not believe.
Now to connect the number 40 with Joshua and Caleb who were 2 out of 603,550 that left Egypt! This surely is a remnant!
(Numbers 26 is a similar numbering to Numbers 1)
Numbers 13 begins an insight into the life of Caleb
when he is aged 40!
Josh 14:7 records:
“40 years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart”.
The last time we hear of Caleb is at age 85 in Joshua 14. This is a kudos to Calebs integrity and the example of his consistent faithfulness throughout those 45 years. There is no reference to any word of complaint from him, which is commendable considering the fact that he waited for his inheritance wandering with the faithless generation for 38 years in the wilderness. Both Joshua and Caleb were sustained by the Lord through the consequences of the peoples unbelief.
Caleb was a living testimony to the absolute certainty of the promises made by God, as well as a consistent example of faith. Our Heavenly Father kept Caleb as a continual witness to the children of Israel, preserving him as a testimony to the faithfulness of His Word. He is mentioned throughout the record as a witness:
Numbers 26:65 “For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun”.
Numbers 32:11-12 “Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land…Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord”.
Deuteronomy 1:35-36 “Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord”.
Caleb had another spirit!
The spying mission had not altered Caleb’s outlook, because his reaction was, to go up and possess.
He was embracing the command of God to possess the land! Later in his life, Caleb made the statement: “Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart” Josh 14:7.
Again, the different spirit of Caleb is clearly demonstrated in what he says here. He does not report according to the sight of his eyes, but according to his faith in God’s power. It is not based upon sight, nor perception, nor according to the thinking of others, but according to his own understanding of God’s promises. It was a report based on faith, not fear. He wanted to go ahead immediately in full assurance of God’s good deliverance.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb. 11:1
Sometime we find that in our own lives we can be reluctant to do anything at once/immediately, preferring to procrastinate to wait and see instead. This putting off and delaying, could take place within our own lives, where we have identified an issue, sin, but are reluctant to take action to correct it.
Within the Word of God, Caleb is portrayed as an example of one who is consistent because he had a different spirit and it is surely an example for us.
Caleb, his different spirit, and the very important fact that
he wholly followed the Lord his God.
If something needs correcting in our lives and there needs to be a change for the better; then there is sometimes a need for an immediate/at once kind of action. It is in these times we can show this spirit of immediate obedience, and as in the case of Caleb we will without hesitation... wholly follow the Lord our God.
Caleb was also an example to the nation of Israel, particularly to the tribe of Judah into which he had been absorbed. This spirit in Caleb not only motivated him, but it also had a positive effect on all of Judah, it affected Othniel, and Caleb’s daughter Achsah, to take hold of their inheritance.
Concerning the report given by the spies, the issue was not the accuracy of the report and the facts were certainly very clear and real.The issue was whether the spies were seeing with their eyes of the flesh or with their eyes of faith and although the report was a true one, it was not a faith-filled one. The conclusions made by the 10 spies were completely different from those of Joshua and Caleb.
They all had knowledge, but the knowledge they had gained did not automatically lead to faith and the same could be said for us. Just because we read the Scriptures, it does not mean we automatically become faithful servants; in the same way attending weekly meetings doesn’t prove our will is in line with the Father’s will. The Scriptures must both be read and acted on so that our hearts and minds are affected by its inerrant power and only then our own personal desire will line up to godly principles. Transformation can only occur as we begin to line up our thoughts and desires to our Heavenly Father’s way of thinking, doing and being.
Calebs different spirit is seen in a number of ways.
He was:
A gentile willing to join the children of Israel no doubt when the nation was still in Egypt.
Well-known and respected among the people.
A wise man who did not fear man, he feared God.
More faithful than many of the natural children of Israel.
Able to give a report not out of fear but according to faith.
He employed his eye of faith and not just the eyes of his flesh.
and he was convinced of the promises made to Israel and to the patriarchs.
Compared to the world around us, we should all like Caleb, have another spirit.
Even though we might be thought of as weird, peculiar, and different in the worlds eyes, being different in this way is a good thing. We need to express a lifestyle that has godly principles, by working hard, being honest and upright in all we do. Sometimes our very stance on certain issues and politics can make us stand apart, especially when we are asked to explain our scriptural view and it can feel that we are quite alone, and that the majority is against us.
This is an opportunity to show that we stand with those like Caleb.
If Calebs example is to teach us anything, it seems that having a different spirit is something our Heavenly father encourages! He looks for those who would stand apart from worldly ways, He seeks those who do not see only with eyes of flesh.
Instead, we should be like Caleb, confident in that which we cannot see, for us it may be the promises which have not yet happened. Instead of us trying and wishing to fit in with the norm, by way of topics of conversation, local social events etc., etc. we need to be like Caleb…different…
We should keep our language clean, the topics of our conversation should remain wholesome and the things of the Lord should be preferred over work events. By choosing to set ourselves apart from the world we will have the opportunity to stand with our Lord and with the multitude of His bride/ecclesia/set-apart saints in the Day of Judgment. Those who have followed a different spirit during the times of their testings and trials.
Numbers 14:24 Caleb had a different spirit in him and has followed me fully. And his descendants shall inherit the land.
When we pray and expect answers are we fully ready for what will follow because answered prayers always bring new challenges.
Imagine if all the prayers prayed were answered all at the same time? Yes there would be rejoicing however, there would also be new added responsibility.
With any crisis, there are always changes.
Solomon prayed and asked for wisdom and we too should not only ask for things according to our Fathers will, but also that our hearts will be strengthened to receive, plus that we be given added wisdom for all that follows. It is possible we have seen some people succeed only to end in failure. This happens when individuals seek outer blessings and their inner spiritual strength is neglected, revealing the difference between the carnal and spiritual life. The Hebrew children saw God’s glory, signs and miracles and yet they tested Him 10 times and did not listen to His voice. Because of disobedience and rebellion, not all those who treat our Heavenly Father with contempt will see the promised land/eternity.Verse 26 calls them evil, they grumbled and complained and they died in the wilderness bearing the consequences of their idolatry.
Caleb was not the only faithful spy. When we read Joshua 11:21-22 and the summary of the conquest of the land, we see Joshua as well as Caleb. Both of these men drove out the Anakims, defeating them. What they had believed over 38 years earlier was coming to pass!
It was in Hebron that the spies in Numbers 13:22 saw the Anakims, and it is Hebron Caleb longs to take in victory. Moses swore to Caleb that he would receive the land “whereon thy feet have trodden”Josh 14:9. Caleb trod all over the hill country of Hebron and he was now going to be given the very places he so longingly desired.
Caleb would lead them in the battle; his confidence is the same as it was 45 years earlier. He believed that God could still use him.
In all of this there is a lesson for us:
We should look to the consistent example of those elders in the body of Christ, the ecclesia and our local assembly of believers, we should value their faith, listen to their wise teachings, respect their experience and follow their example. Look how the faith of one person can inspire a generation as it did with Caleb. Let’s not be restricted by our generational age categories but instead, take the time to speak to those who are older, those who have weathered the storms of life and understood the deep things of God because they will not always be around. There is a lesson here also for the older ones amongst us, to continue the work of the Truth while there is strength in our bodies, and that retirement from a paying job or career doesn’t necessarily mean retirement from the work of the gospel of His Kingdom of Truth.
So there is a connection between the number 40, Caleb and Joshua but what about a candle?
Joshua 14:8: “Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God.”
the heart of the people melt
hearts melted In Hebrew: himesin ‘eth lev
את לב המסיו
Hei Mem Samek Yod Vav Aleph Taw Lamed Bet
In Hebrew the meaning is:
melting hearts…as in a candle melting –
candle hearted…. lev mashak.
The 12 spies were sent out to scout out the Promised Land.
10 returned with a bad report and a recommendation that they not enter the land due to an overwhelming display of power.
Only 2 spies, Joshua and Caleb said:
“God gave us the land, let’s go get it.”
The report of the 10 spies made
the heart of the people melt.
But not so with Joshua and Caleb
The word melt is masah
which is used in a Hiphal form
himesin (hi me sin)
and literally means
to cause to flow down.
Some modern translators will insert the word fear in here
to indicate that the people were
overcome with such fear, that their hearts melted.
That is a part of it, but not all of it. Another use of the word
masah is melt
which is a picture of
a candle with a bright flame being fueled by the wax.
Once the wax has melted the flame has gone out.
It wasn’t just fear;
it was the final melting of the wax that held the flame of their expectations alive.
This candle had been melting since the beginning of their journey.
The wax of this candle was made of:
self-sufficiency,
pride,
and an expectation of comfort and security.
Their journey was anything but easy. They faced fear of starvation, thirst, poisonous snakes, invading armies, disease, etc. God delivered them, but they were getting tired of it all.
Their wax was melting.
Now when they were about to reach their final destination, to finally receive their reward for all the struggles in the wilderness, what did they find out? Indeed it was a land of milk and honey, but it was also a land full of giants.
There is a limit to every one’s endurance, everyone has a breaking point.
For the children of Israel this was that breaking point. Although this final challenge wasn’t much different than previous challenges where they had faced certain death due to starvation, thirst or even attacks from enemies armies. They’d seen water come from a rock and manna/food from heaven, and a sea divided to deliver them from pharoahs armies. Now they are told there are giants in the land, but the only difference is that now they had a choice whether to go forward or not.
Their candle wax was made of selfish desires and was not filled with the desire for God, for His will and plan and purposes. In the past they had had no other choice but to depend upon Him when they needed water, food or deliverance. Now they had a choice, would they could once again face an impossible situation and trust in God?
Yet, when Joshua relates this story he says:
“I wholly followed the Lord my God.”
The word follow/followed is NOT in the Hebrew text,
all there is, is the word:
mala’ti
which literally means:
to be completely filled.
Joshua was saying: I was completely filled with God.
Unlike the people who let their flame of faith and hope go out, Joshua’s flame only got stronger. His wax was not in the arm of the flesh but in a heart completely filled with God.
Such wax will never melt and the flame will only grow brighter.
To Joshua, this last test, the final trial was not another obstacle to the Promised Land; it was another opportunity to see the power of God, this time by his own choice.
While the Israelites had all the skills required to run a nation which they had gained from their time in Egypt, they really had no faith and trust in the covenant God had made with them. Instead they trusted their inability to conquer the land! They forgot just Who the great “I AM” really was/is… Isn’t this also true today for some believers, who have little to no understanding of the covenant they have been given with Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and how, if we are obedient to His covenant, He will provide, protect and be with us all of the time?
Our hearts should bear witness with this because if we give our Heavenly Father the glory, it’s impossible to lose. The fact that our Heavenly Father made a covenant with Himself is because only He is able to keep one perfectly. When our faith is in His Covenant, we please Him and then we can rest, knowing we are always protected and provided for.
The number 40 was also used prophetically in God’s Word, and because of that, we must believe that it holds significance today for us. The inhabitants of Nineveh were given a warning with a testing time frame of 40-days and the punishment on the city was held back because of the Grace of God giving them time to repent.
In Luke 11:30, Yeshua/Jesus points out that as Jonah was a warning to Nineveh, for 40 days, so will He Himself be the warning to His generation. As He stated it in the present tense, the word generation is again a reminder of the number 40.
Surely this is a warning to every generation, including ours, to turn/teshuvah, from all evil and wickedness and live a life of repentance, in harmony with the will of our Heavenly Father.
Sin in our life may or may not be evident to other people. It may be a sin of fear, doubt and unbelief; however, if we will turn to Him with a humble, repentant heart, He is faithful to forgive us and care for us in every way.
Messiah came to warn us and also to show us He is the One Who can calm the chaos of the waters, the MEM, and all our lifes’ stormy circumstances. Sometimes the duration of our situation depends on us and how long it takes us to totally trust that He is faithful to His Word.
Continuing today, our Heavenly Father tests His children and many times, as in the account of Job, this testing is not always for correction or punishment; it is to see if His children will remain obedient to His Word, if they will seek Him and still praise Him even in the chaos and storms of life.
And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. Deut. 8:2.
7 so that the [a]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and [b]full of glory,9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of [c]your souls. 1Pet.1:7-9
Faith is not faith until it is tested!
A faith that is not tested cannot be trusted.
If we are in the middle of a fiery trial or a time of testing, don’t grow weary or faint and don’t give up; because our Heavenly Father may not be chastising or disciplining us. He may instead be testing us to see just how strong our faith and trust in Him really is, both for Him and for ourselves to know! This is a great opportunity to pray for our brothers and sisters in Messiah, that we can all pass the tests presented before us; and stay obedient to our Father, keeping our trust in Him unshaken by whatever we may experience in the natural realm.
The scriptures tell us clearly that we’ll have times of trials, tests, sufferings, and we may be wandering in a spiritual wilderness for awhile; and we are to:
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2 Cor.13:5.
Rest, peace/shalom is coming; the true rest, peace/shalom, that is found when we put our trust/faith in Messiah Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.
For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1:2-3
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
Our Heavenly Father is always in the midst of the test and there is always an end to it and He promises…
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Cor. 10:13.
There does seem to be a connection between the number 40, Caleb, Joshua and a candle: 40 being the years of testing the faith of both Joshua and Caleb, who were the only 2 who passed the test because their hearts were not like candles, they did not masah/melt in the face of seemingly overwhelming obstacles. Their faith /trust was also a living testimony to the surety of the promises made by God.
Let’s not have Melting Hearts – Lev Mashah – לב מה but rather..
Let that same spirit be in you Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Phil. 2:5-11 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, or self-control, discipline, and sound judgment 2.Tim. 1:7.
Let’s be like Caleb …of a different spirit…
faithful, whole-hearted, bold and brave.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
There are 50 days between the Appointed Times/Feasts, and they are set apart as a time of introspection, repentance and preparation; making ourselves ready for His coming, in the outpouring of His Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh at Shavuot (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek meaning 50).
The Cyclical Hebrew Calendar below shows the Hebrew months and the Appointed Times of The Lord.
The infilling of His power for us to become His witnesses. The Appointed Times/Feasts of the Lord, were part of the annual cycle of Adonai’s Plan of redemption and kept by the Israelites as part of their normal lifestyle.
The Days of Omer
are a time of
reflection and growth
in preparation for
Shavuot.
For those new to
Our Fathers Appointed Times in His Annual Calendar
here is a brief explanation of
what it is
when it is
and
what it is for.
For those more familiar with the Fathers’ seasons, the last part of this post looks at:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
The season of Passover/Pesach
includes the week of Unleavened Bread
and the start of the Counting FROM the Omer
50 days towards Pentecost/Shavuot.
Some scholars say The Omer is counted every evening after nightfall, from the second night of Passover/Pesach, until the night before Shavuot/Pentecost.
There are disputes as to which day is the first day, and this has been going on since before Jesus/Yeshuas’ time; and can be studied further if the reader so desires.
Here is given a basic understanding of
thepattern
a reason to follow the main outlines for personal growth;
and
to remember and realize what Messiah has accomplished for us.
The 2 links given above have more details concerning the Omer.
The Book of Leviticus, ספר ויקרא
Vayik’ra 23:9 – 16
From the day after the Shabbat for 49 days.
In chp. 23 after the 7 day feast of
unleavened bread/Matzah
which western Christianity totally misses…
we come to a moed/appointed time
that does not have a name.
However the scripture says that at this moed or appointed time the children of Israel are commanded, notice it is not a suggestion! They are commanded to bring
an omer to the priests.
An omer is simply a sheaf;
specifically a bundle of grain
from the beginning of the first crop or harvest.
Which was most likely barley see Exodus/sh’mot 9:31…
Shemot, Shemoth, or Shemos
שְׁמוֹת Hebrew for: Names,
Book of Exodus.
…referring to the names of the Israelites who come to Egypt with Jacob.
The priest is then to
wave the omer
before Adonai/Lord God, as a
wave offering,
so that the omer
and the entire harvest will be accepted.
Note on Leviticus 8:27:
He then put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD.
Moses took the sacred portions of the peace offering along with the breads of the grain offering and placed them into the hands of Aaron and his sons. (See previous post for more detail). As they held the sacred elements, Moses presented them as a grain offering, implying that Moses must have joined hands with the priests in holding these elements. Hand in hand with Moses, still clutching the sacred portions of the sacrifices in their hands, the new priests offered the elements before God in a wave offering.
Facing the Sanctuary/Mishkan where the shekinah presence of the Father rested, they lifted the portions before the Almighty.
Then Moses took the elements back from the new priests and offered them up on the altar.
This has a Messianic implication for believers!
People may often feel unworthy to pray/talk with the Father, and sometimes people find it difficult to lift his or her heart to heaven.
We ask ourselves, how can we even dare to approach the Father when we are bowed down with the shame of sin and guilt?
Lets think on this as we approach our Heavenly Father in worship and in prayer, offering before Him the service of our hearts, the scarred hands of our High Priest/Messiah Jesus/Yeshua join with ours to lift the offering/presentation before the Father.
He lifts our hands together with His
in a wave offering
before the Almighty! Wow!
We are to understand the pattern
that our Heavenly Father set in place by WAY
of His Appointed Times/Feasts/Moedim,
which were given to us as
an annual rehearsal
for the future fulfillment by Messiah.
This was what Yeshua/Jesus completed
He was the
first fruit
the omer of the harvest of souls
presented to His Father
so that the entire harvest
all those who in the then future and still continuing today
would be acceptable to the Father. Wow!
Then from the day of your
bringing in the omer of the wave offering
count 50 days
and you will bring near a new offering to Adonai.
Vayikra 23; 15,16
The Book of Leviticus, ספר ויקרא
‘Va•ik•ra,’ means ‘And [the Lord] called,
Hebrew: ויקרא, Wayiqra,
This was the precursor to
Shavuot/Pentecost
and the outpouring of
His Ruach HaKodesh
upon all flesh
fulfilling Joels prophecy of
the last days/end times/ end of the age.
This Shavuot was preceded by
the day of the wave offering and
49 days were to be counted forward to
bringing the new offering from the wheat harvest.
shmot 34:2
and on that day 3000 souls were added…
There is an inference to the time of counting, that the wheat crops are continuing to grow and ripen but will be ready for harvest when the counting is complete!
It also ensures the correct time (agriculturally), for the farmers to harvest the crops.
A further prophetic picture emerges if we recall that Egypt/מצרים (mitsrayim / meets-rah-yeem), is the type of the world system. This was where both the children of Israel/Yisrael, and ourselves have been freed from its’ slavery; and the one who had prepared the way for them to sojourn and be safe during the plagues so long before was Joseph. Joseph, a type of Jesus/Yeshua who had the dream of the 12 sheafs bowing /waving to his sheaf. The 12 tribes did bow down to Joseph, the type of Messiah; and One day every knee shall bow to the One who was the fulfillment of the Omer, the Wave offering before the Lord/Adonai.
Some call this day
Yom haBikurim/bikuriym Day of the First Fruits.
The scripture 23:9 does not mention bikuriym
which is the word often translated as
first fruits
in verse 10 is actually
reshiyt which means beginning
(familiar from bereshiyt/Genesis) .
The day following the first day of
Unleavened Bread
is called
Yom HaBikkurim י ום הביכורים
the Day of Firstfruits,
or
Reshit Ha’Katzir ראשית הקציר
the first of the harvest.
Reishit Qatzir ראשׁית קציר
The spring-time feast of Reishit Qatzir
Beginning of the Harvest
Numbers/B’midbar 28:26 clearly says that
Shavuot/Pentecost the moed/appointed time,
occurring 50 days later
is yom habikuriym ..
Shmot 23:16 and vayikra 23:17
also agree that
bikuriym
in this context is associated with
Shavuot/Pentecost.
Walking through the spring feasts moedim /mo’ediym we see a picture of our own walk with Messiah.
At Pesach/Passover, we are reminded of how we are set free from the bondage of sin;
then during the feast of matzah/unleavened bread, we have the chance to practice walking in our unleavened state/without sin.
As we continue towards Shavuot/Pentecost, we can count from the Omer. We are like the crops of wheat growing towards maturity, ultimately to become an abundant harvest for the Lord/Adonai.
Some important themes or subject matter for this season would be: sowing
growing
increase
being fed and nourished by His word
and
being mindful and focused
of how we are growing towards maturity in Him.
This time is often referred to as:
s’fiyrat haomer – counting the omer;
this is not exactly correct as it is
not the omers being counted but the days, that is:
the days from the day of the first offering of the Omer.
We should therefore say
counting FROM the omer
s’fiyrat meomer /sefirat ha-omer
מרעמ ספירת
The counting is to begin
according to scripture the 16th day of the first month.
Which is the first day after the first day of matzah/unleavened bread.
Yom haBikkurim /Day of the First Fruits
is at the same time.
Counting of the Omer
סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר,
Sefirat HaOmer,
sometimes abbreviated as
Sefira or the Omer;
is always on 16th of Nisan /Aviv.
From sunset to sunset and is counted AFTER sunset.
This מִצְוָה – mits-vah – command, decree; derives from the Torah commandment to count forty-nine days beginning from the day on which the עֹמֶר oh-mer – omer is offered.
The week of matzah unleavened bread
together with the
counting from the omer
is part of the
spiritual preparation
prior to the outpouring of His Spirit of Holiness 50 days after His Resurrection at Pentecost/Shavuot.
They had to wait in Jerusalem/Yerushalayim which would have been very dangerous for the Talmidim/Disciples of Messiah. However they were obedient and received the fullness of His Spirit/Ruach, to empower them to go out into all the world with the good news and make disciples/talmidim of all nations…….
Each year this is a great opportunity for every believer who wants to walk as His disciple/talmid
to do a spiritual check up.
We willingly get physical/medical check ups and its often required by employers/insurers. We get our vehicles/cars/transport checked regularly change the oil and tires yet we often neglect the most important area of our life and that is where we are spiritually.
This is an important if not a critical point of assessment and we tend to keep going along, without checking ourselves to see if we are still in the right condition to continue the journey as well as the right direction. We could even check our own oil level and pressure! For a car it’s important that the oil lubricates the engine parts, stopping friction from overheating and blowing up; and that there is the right amount so the engine does not dry out and seize up. So an annual spiritual checkup is just as critical for us and we should not leave it just for one time a year; however, this is a good time to do a personal one. Spiritual maintenance helps to prevent burnout when we will become unable to function effectively in our own lives and of little to no use in aiding and serving others.
In our personal assessment of our spiritual condition, we are reminded that it is the very first question our Heavenly Father asked Adam all the way back in Genesis/B’resheet:
Where are you?
Genesis 3:9
It was not that He didn’t know where Adam was physically because Our Heavenly Father knows and sees everything and nothing takes Him unawares.
Adams new spiritual condition was not a surprise to the Father but He wanted Adam to own up as to what had happened to him spiritually after he was disobedient and fell in sin.
We could and should put our own name in that very searching question….
Where are we?
Right now today ….where are we?
Our Heavenly Father is asking us
about our spiritual condition
and
about our position in covenant relationship with Him.
Where are we spiritually?
Are we still on the narrow Way?
We may be doing great in the natural sense, everything may be going along fine. Or we may be filled with our own ways, our own goals and dreams; and not pressing in to the things of Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua, as we know to do if we are to call ourselves His talmidim/disciple.
So there is somewhat of a connection with Adam and Omer in that, Adam needed to check his spiritual condition and do what he was required to do on his part to fix that broken fellowship caused by his sin.
In the same way we are to take the time to assess our spiritual position before the Father and refresh our relationship in covenant with Him by the power of His Ruach haKodesh/Spirit of Holiness. This is a time of turning towards the Father, a time of introspective teshuvah /repentance.
As we count from the Omer it’s a time of
reflection and growth
in preparation for
Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks.
When we also remember Moses/the Giving of Torah and the celebration of covenant/marriage with the children of Israel who had just come out of bondage and needed guidelines for life/chaim.
According to the Torah (first 5 books of the old covenant), it took seven weeks for the Israelites to travel from Egypt to Mount Sinai.
The name Shavuot/Pentecost, meaning “weeks,”
refers to this seven-week period.
Each day is counted, which is known as the Counting of the Omer, or Sefirat HaOmer.
In the days of the Temple, the counting marked the seven weeks from the wheat harvest on the spring festival of Passover, to the harvesting of barley on Shavuot.
Festival of Reaping – חגהקציר (Exodus 23:16)
The Three Pilgrimage Festivals,
in Hebrew Shalosh Regalim (שלוש רגלים),
are three major festivals in Judaism
Pesach (Passover),
Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost),
and Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents or Booths)
when all ancient Israelites who were able would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, as commanded by the Torah.
Each of the three pilgrimage festivals marks a new period in the agricultural season:
Passover is also known as Chag ha-Aviv, the Spring Festival, which marks the beginning of the new planting season. The basic meaning of the word aviv, is the stage of growth in grain when the seeds have reached full size but have not yet dried.
Chag ha-Katzir, or the Jewish Harvest Festival of Reaping, is when the first crop of the season is ready. This happens at the time of Shavuot.
The next agricultural step is for all of the crops to be gathered. This happens with the third pilgrimage festival, Sukkot, which is also referred to as the Festival of Gathering, Chag Ha-Asif.
Day of the First Fruits – יוםהבכורים (Numbers 28:26)
Yom Habikurim (Day of the First Fruits) comes from ancient times, when people would bring Bikkurim, their first and best fruits, as an offering to the Holy Temple. Bikkurim were brought from the Seven Species for which the land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8).
Shavuot and Pentecost
The Greek name for the Shavuot holiday, Pentecost, means “Fiftieth day.” This name refers to the fifty days between Passover and Shavuot.
See other posts for more detail.
The scripture
teach us to number our days
takes on a new meaning in light of
counting from the omer.
Counting 49 or 7 weeks 7×7 is like counting a complete cycle counting 7x shabbats/Sabbaths. Weekly Shabbat is a cycle straight from Genesis and 7×7 is also like a cycle. The Moedim/Appointed Times of The Lord, and His set apart people, is an annual cycle following a planned specific pattern repeated, so we will remember His instructions,His Patterns that we are to follow –
fulfilled in Jesus/Messiah
that we may continue to remember and
follow the pattern, the WAY. Come Follow Me!
One final thought is that it was during these days of
counting from the omer
that the risen/resurrected Messiah Yeshua
was seen by His talmidim /disciples. John 20:19-25.
It is recorded that Messiah stayed forty days after His resurrection on this earth. He met with His talmidim/disciples again on the mount of Olives and ordered them to wait until they received His Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit.
This has to be significant because nothing is happenstance with our Heavenly Father. There indeed is something about this period of time between His Resurrection and the giving/outpouring of His Spirit that is so prophetic and powerfilled that it should give us great pause for thought!
He also appeared to so many other people.
Mary of Magdala Mark 16:9
Joanna Mary mother of James Matthew 28:9
the 2 on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:13-32
References include: the gospels. Matt 28:8-10. Mark
Peter had also met the risen Christ. Luke 24:34.
Eight days later again Messiah manifested Himself before His disciples/talmidim, and this time Thomas was there and he touched Yeshua/Jesus and believed Him from that moment. John 20:26-31
The third time Messiah came to meet His talmidim/disciples where they were on the seashore and He had breakfast with them.
He also showed another miracle by telling them to cast the net and the net was full of around 153 fish. John 21
There are references both in John and in Acts.
Jesus/Yeshua ascended to heaven after this meeting with His disciples. Acts 1:3-12.
Messiah appeared five times on the first day of the week. He continued to meet His disciples and teach them during the forty days between Passover/Pesach and His Ascension.
Saint Augustine in his book
De Consensu Evangelistarum
(Harmony of the Gospels from about AD 400)
catalogues ten appearances of Christ.
1st to the women at the sepulchre;
2nd to the same on the way from the sepulchre;
3rd to Peter;
4th to the two disciples going to the town of Emmaus
5th to several of them in Jerusalem when Thomas was not present
He came again a 6th time when Thomas saw Him
7th time was by the sea of Tiberias at the capture of the fishes;
the 8th was on the mountain of Galilee, according to Matthew;
the 9th occasion is expressed by Mark, ‘at length when they were at table,’ because no more were they going to eat with Him upon earth;
the 10th was on the very day, when no longer upon the earth, but uplifted into the cloud, He was ascending into heaven.
However, Saint Thomas Aquinas notes, “But, as John admits, not all things were written down. And He visited them frequently before He went up to heaven,” in order to comfort them. Hence it is written (1 Corinthians 15:6-7) that “He was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once . . . after that He was seen by James”; of which apparitions no mention is made in the Gospels.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11, it is recorded that Messiah was seen by over 500 people at one time after His resurrection. Over a period of 40 days up to the day Yeshua/Jesus went back Home He was seen by, and talked to a number of individuals. He said He would come back the same way He went to Heaven.
From the very B’resheet/Genesis – beginning we were created to walk before the Father in obedience to His statutes, ordinances and ways.
The first Adam failed – the last Adam succeeded
and showed us the WAY back to the Father, the truth/emet of our condition and the life/chaim that we can live and have because of His sacrifice.
He was also
The Unleavened Bread from heaven
The Omer that was waved and
The Firstfruits from the dead.
And furthermore counting from the
Omer to Shavuot
He is the outpouring ON the harvest
through His Spirit of Holiness/Ruach HaKodesh.
This was so He could be with us always even to the end of the age; empowering all believers who unlike the first Adam, will choose to be obedient and follow Him.
50 days for us to reflect and repent and be ready for the outpouring that we will remember at Pentecost/Shavuot; refreshing and reviving us again to be witnesses to Him as He has commanded us.
Time to consider our ways
and choose life.
The question that Adam and Eve were asked still applies, because the very same question that He asked mankind in the Beginning, (B’reshyt/Genesis), is the same question He is asking mankind today!
Where are you?
So it would seem there is a connection between
Adam and Omer…
Let us allow the re-newed spirit imparted to us by the last Adam direct our steps these next days as we count them from Omer; not as a religious observance, but as one
desiring the fullness
of all Messiah won for us at Calvary
so we can be effective and bring glory
to the Name above every name.
Father teach us to count our days!
and let’s…
Make each and every day count!
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim/friends and mishpachah/family!
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,
you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.
Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation.
Let the deep inner knowing that you are sealed to the day of redemption by the Blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua bring you His shalom right now!
Not sure ..you can be…
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and soon returning King
and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
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