2008 Prayer Campaign
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"And from the day on which you bring [the omer], the sheaf of the elevation offering—the day after the Sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete: you must count until the day after the seventh week-fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the Lord." Leviticus 23:15-16, NJPS
This 7-week prayer journey will take you from thanksgiving for the past, to intercession for the future, to a final expression of worship as we contemplate the fulfillment of God’s purposes in Messiah.
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Remember to set aside some money each day of the Omer. You can make your Shavuot offering right here—and your donation helps Messianic Jews in Israel!
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The 49 days from Passover until the eve of Pentecost or Shavuot are the traditional counting of the omer, or sheaf of firstfruits, based on Leviticus 23. In the UMJC family, we join in prayer through this period on the theme Honoring the Past; Embracing the Future. The first three weeks honor God for his past deeds on behalf of Israel and all nations. The second three weeks embrace the future laid out in Scripture for Israel and the nations. The final week brings everything together with prayers welcoming Yeshua to return and fulfill the words of the prophets that we have repeated in our prayers.
Here's how to count the omer:
1. Recite the blessing,
Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al sefirat ha-Omer.
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us concerning the count of the Omer.
2. Recite the count of the omer, saying:
"Today is six weeks and 6 days of the omer." (day 48)
"Today is seven weeks of the omer." (day 49)
Week 7 June 1-7 (alternate 6/7-6/13): Embracing the Future: Return of Messiah
Daily Omer Counting - Day 48, evening of Friday, June 6th
Scripture for Day 48:
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him
was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (Rev. 19:11-16)
Commentary:
Heaven opened! We can hardly
imagine what this would look like or signify, but it reminds us of another
scene. Here in Revelation, Yochanan sees heaven opened, toward the end
of the Yeshua story recorded in Scripture. At the beginning of the Yeshua
story we read something similar: "Immediately upon coming up out of
the water, Yeshua saw heaven torn open and the Spirit descending upon
him like a dove . . ." (Mark 1:10 cjb).
Again, we can hardly imagine
what heaven torn open could look like or mean, but perhaps it is more
important to consider what heaven opened reveals. In Mark's account,
Yeshua sees the Spirit descending like a dove, the bird of peace. In
Yochanan's account he sees a white horse and one seated upon it called
"faithful and true," and "King of kings and Lord of lords,"
prepared to wage war. What unites these diverse visions is that both
focus on Yeshua. The one who came in gentleness and humility will return
as the exalted and triumphant king-and it will be the same Yeshua.
As we conclude our days of
prayer together with an embrace of the future, we remember that Yeshua
is the focal point of that future. Whether through the quiet working
of the Spirit, or through the cataclysmic events of the end of the age,
He will be with us to accomplish what He has promised. May His faithful
presence inspire us to be faithful in pursuing God's purposes in our
own lives as well!
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 49, evening of Saturday, June 7th
Scripture for Day 49:
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Yeshua! (Rev. 22:20-21)
Commentary:
Let us conclude our seven weeks
together on this simple and compelling note. What can we add to this
final prayer? Only this, on behalf of all those who have contributed
commentaries and helped to design and organize this prayer campaign:
"The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with all you who have
read, prayed, and contributed through these days. Amen." (Rev. 22:20)
Daily Omer Counting - Day 47, evening of Thursday, June 5th
Scripture for Day 47:
For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God. (1 Thes. 4:16-18)
Commentary:
These words in Thessalonians
are the foundation for the well-known belief in a rapture, or catching-up
of believers at Messiah's return, and the equally well-known debates
about how it fits in with everything else set to happen at the end of
the age. Does this rapture come before a final period of judgment upon
the earth, or does it come after? Do those who are raptured return with
Messiah to heaven, or do they join Him immediately upon the earth?
Whatever the answer to these
questions, the imagery in Thessalonians seems to reflect some familiar
customs of the ancient world. Crowds would go out to meet a victorious
general or king on his way home, and escort him back into his city,
just as the multitudes met Yeshua outside the walls of Jerusalem before
his final Passover and escorted him into the city. A crowd would go
out to meet the bridegroom and escort him to the wedding, just as in
Yeshua's story of the ten virgins who prepared to meet the bridegroom.
"And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming;
go out to meet him!'" (Matt. 25:6).
Regardless of different theories
about the end of the age, then, the rapture teaches that humankind will
be divided into two parts at Messiah's return: those who rush forth
to greet him at the gate (even if they have to be raised from the dead
to do so!), and those who don't even look up, because they are too
busy with their own preoccupations.
As for us, may "embracing
the future" be not just a theme of prayer, but also a description
of our eagerness for Messiah's coming, so that we are ready to go
out to greet Him whenever the shofar may sound.
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 46, evening of Wednesday, June 4th
Scripture for Day 46:
Then they will see the Son of
Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things
begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption draws near. (Luke 21:25-28)
Commentary:
Throughout the centuries, people
have repeatedly panicked over the "end of the world." Yeshua, however,
repeatedly tells us to be anxious for nothing--even over his return,
for it will not be as though we will have no clue. According to our
passage from Luke 21, Yeshua gives us the "signs of the times,"
a glimpse into knowing the truth of his second coming.
The return of our beloved Messiah
will not be a mystery. We don't have to worry about the stories and
rumors because when Yeshua returns, we will all know it. According to
a number of Biblical passages, including Luke 21:26, the heavens will
be shaken. Everyone on earth will know the return of Messiah.
We long to see Yeshua return,
and for the final consummation at the end of the age. However, the question
is, are we ready for his return? Are we doing what we should be doing,
and what we were placed on this earth to do? There is a Chasidic story
which emphasizes this idea:
Reb Zushe once
told his students that when he died and stood before HaShem, he was
not worried about whether God would ask him why he wasn't more like
our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. He said, what I am deathly afraid
of is that God will ask me, "Zushe, why weren't you more like Zushe?"
Everyone has a unique purpose
in life. Each one of us is b'tzelem Elohim
- made in the image of God. We are partners with God in bringing redemption
into this world. So the question is, are you worried about the same
question as Reb Zushe? Should you be? If our redeeming Messiah were
to return this very day, would you be ready, and would you be able to
account for the purpose he has put you here on this earth to do?
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 45, evening of Tuesday, June 3rd
Scripture for Day 45:
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. (Matt.
25:31-32)
Commentary:
Judgment day, it would seem has in store for us a very ironic twist.
We all expect Yeshua to come back and ask us questions like "did you
believe in me enough?", "did you pray enough?", "did you love me enough
through following my commandments?" Though all of these aspects of
life within him are paramount to our faith, Yeshua as the kingly judge
has a different question for us, and specifically for the nations of
the earth. His question is, "did you take care of my people, all
people of this earth?"
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matt 25:40)
We must all understand that with all of our spiritual endeavors, if
we have forgotten to care for those in need we are missing the most
important point of all. When Messiah Yeshua came the first time, he
spent time and comforted those who were forgotten and disadvantaged.
He chose to lift up the broken and set them up on their own feet. This
is the kind of King we serve.
As these last days of the Omer are counted, consider how you can help
lift up those in need. Please consider a generous offering for
Shavuot. The UMJC will put this offering toward helping Messianic
Jewish believers in Israel. For more information about how you can
help, click here to read more about the Shavuot offering and donate
online .
Rabbi Jason Forbes
Daily Omer Counting - Day 44, evening of Monday, June 2nd
Scripture for Day 44:
And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! (Dan. 7:13-14)
Commentary:
The Son of Man, coming in the
clouds of heaven. What a majestic sight! One pictures great joy and
awe as He approaches the Ancient of Days. How glorious that the culmination
of God's plan is finally happening. His majesty fills all the earth! All
peoples, nations, and men of every language bow their knees to worship
God. They are overcome by the presence of the ONE TRUE GOD! We know
in our deepest being that His Kingdom, all that is holy and good, will
never pass away. O Lord, we long for that day!
Linda Lieber
Daily Omer Counting - Day 43, evening of Sunday, June 1st
Scripture for Day 43:
Behold, I will send you Elijah
the prophet. Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And
the hearts of the children to their fathers… (Mal. 3:23-24 [4:5-6])
Commentary:
Elijah the prophet is a familiar
figure in Jewish tradition, as well as in the Bible itself. We even
include him at our Passover tables every year, with a cup set out especially
for him, just in case this year is the one in which he appears to announce
the great and dreadful day of the Lord. In this way, we keep alive the
promise that Elijah will come to prepare the way for Messiah's return,
but we may not think as much about the second part of the promise: He
will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts
of the children to their fathers. The great day of cosmic renewal will
include reconciliation of the most intimate sort. The glorious return
of Messiah Yeshua will be signaled not only by earth-shaking changes,
but also by the touch of a father's hand upon his son's shoulder.
This week, as we embrace the
future by looking forward to Messiah's return, we can also prepare
the way for Him by opening our hearts to those nearest to us.
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Week 6 May 25-31 (alternate 5/31-6/6): Embracing the Future: Followers of Messiah
Daily Omer Counting - Day 42, evening of Saturday, May 31st
Scripture for Day 42:
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13)
Commentary:
I once heard a quote that said,
Death is our opportunity to be with God
and life is our opportunity to serve God. What a thought! This really
is our time to be living for God, our time to give Him glory through
the trials and calamities described in these verses.
The last part of verse 13 tells
of a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness, and in verse
11 we are told to live holy and godly lives. In the new heaven and earth,
all will be holy; we will not have to strive to do right, but now is
the only time that we will have the opportunity to be witnesses, to
testify to God's goodness. It is so hard to stay pure and holy in the
society in which we are living right now; we constantly have to rely
upon God for the strength and grace to press on and continue to live
holy lives.
These verses are incredible
because they give us a promise that there will be a new heaven and a
new earth, a home of righteousness. One day we will not have to strive
for this holiness, but for now, it is a privilege
to serve Him. It is our opportunity to be light in a dark place.
Simcha Moore
Daily Omer Counting - Day 41, evening of Friday, May 30th
Scripture for Day 41:
…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Messiah… (Eph. 4:11-13)
Daily Omer Counting - Day 40, evening of Thursday, May 29th
Scripture for Day 40:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Messiah Yeshua our
Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
Commentary:
Walking alone on the streets
of Chicago late at night can get unnerving. The shadows seem longer
and the noises sound more threatening without someone else to watch
your back. With a large group you feel the confidence to walk just about
anywhere, because you know you have the collective support to face any
odd character or trouble maker you might bump into.
As followers of Messiah Yeshua
we need to keep in mind that, no matter how alone we may feel and how
threatening our circumstances, we need not fear. Yes, today's verses
specifically have to do with our spiritual reality, but don't we often
lose spiritual heart in a physical world? Even through the dark alleys
of our everyday lives God is for us. He is never unwilling to walk with
us as long as we are walking where He wants us to go. Certainly the
most important and difficult thing God has done is to provide atonement
for our sin through the death of our Messiah. Compared to that action
everything else is just a walk through the park on a beautiful summer
day; it's a simple and easy task for the God of the universe to watch
our backs.
Kirk Gliebe
Daily Omer Counting - Day 39, evening of Wednesday, May 28th
Scripture for Day 39:
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:7-8)
Commentary:
The Lord's charge in Acts
1:7-8 is clear. He is saying "Do not worry about the things I have
planned for you in my own time, but this is something you should
concern yourself with: When I give you this gift (the Holy Spirit) use
it in this manner.
That seems difficult, no? The
Lord is saying, here is something absolutely fantastic that I am going
to give to you, but do not think about it until it happens! That is
like putting a toy in front of a child and saying, "don't play with
this until I tell you." But we know that the Lord has a greater plan
for us, and even if it hard to wait for Him to reveal that plan, it
is worth the wait.
So, using this passage as a
guideline, we should pray for these things:
- For patience and
trust in the Lord, Who knows the timing of all things and will deliver
His spirit to us to use in the manner that He has asked us to.
- For the ability
to proclaim with confidence the word of the Lord to all the nations,
but particularly within the Jewish people, so that those among us who
do not believe would hear the voice of the Lord and come to accept Yeshua
as the one true King.
- For strength, even
in the face of persecution and rejection, to keep on setting an example
of Yeshua's love in our own lives, so that through our words and actions
others would come to know Him in an intimate way.
- Against those who
would do us harm because we are Messianic believers, and we pray for
them as well, that they would seek out the Lord for forgiveness and
repentance.
Jamie Eaton
Daily Omer Counting - Day 38, evening of Tuesday, May 27th
Scripture for Day 38:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:18-20)
Commentary:
Yeshua clearly instructs us to prepare the world for
the coming of Mashiach. He gives us the opportunity to partner with God
in bringing redemption into the world. This is quite a remarkable task!
And how do we do it?
We are instructed by the early leaders of the Great Assembly to do three things, "Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and build a fence around the Torah
(Avot 1:1-2)." In our devotional verse for today, Yeshua echoes the
command of the Great Assembly to "raise up many disciples." In fact,
one of the primary ways we are to prepare the world for the coming of
Mashiach, according to Yeshua in Matthew 28:19, is not just to spread
the message of Messiah, but to "make people from all nations into talmidim."
The cost of discipleship is high and requires investing in individuals,
but this was the method of Yeshua. Yeshua found the jewels hidden among
those whom others had thrown away. Yeshua understood that the least
would become the greatest in the kingdom he was seeking to establish.
May we also follow Yeshua's example of putting our attention on raising
up disciples, and reaching out to those who are hurting and the most in
need. For by reaching out to those on the margins, we end up empowering
the least to become the greatest, and bring closer the return of
Messiah.
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 37, evening of Monday, May 26th
Scripture for Day 37:
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matt. 19:28-30)
Daily Omer Counting - Day 36, evening of Sunday, May 25th
Scripture for Day 36:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:3-12)
Commentary:
Who is a rich person? Our sages say, "One who is happy with what he has." As followers of Messiah, we are not required to be poor. What Yeshua is trying to show us that to be his followers we must be humble in spirit. We must prefer one another and build our community through love and compassion. One of the biggest human faults, the cause of much distress in the world, is pride. Pride leads to a desire for power and to bring others down.
One of the lessons of Passover was to replace the arrogance of chametz with the humility of matzah. This is the path we are on as we count the days toward Shavuot and our encounter at Sinai. The pride of Pharoah is gone, now we follow the leadership of Moses, our humble leader. A humble nation in submission to Hashem is the key to our unity as a holy nation. Yeshua, our exalted King Messiah took on the role as a humble servant. A true leader is a servant of their people. This is the key that unlocks Hashem's Kingdom, where those of a poor spirit find the riches of life eternal.
Rabbi Jason Forbes
Week 5 May 18-24 (alternate 5/24-5/30): Embracing the Future: The World
Daily Omer Counting - Day 35, evening of Saturday, May 24th
Scripture for Day 35:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! (Rev. 15:3-4)
Commentary:
In the end, all the peoples of the earth shall serve the one true God. "For all nations shall come and worship before You" (Rev. 15:4). It will be a long journey, however, from the injustice, violence, and unbelief of the nations of today to the throne room of the Almighty. The journey must take the nations through God's judgment, so that many will learn to fear Him.
When we focus on embracing the future, however, we may become fearful in a different way. We are surrounded by multiple threats; a nuclear Iran stretching out its claw against Israel, a repressive Chinese regime growing in economic and military power, a shaky world economy, a threatened global environment. But the promise is that we will come through this threatening sea to sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb on the other side . . . and that many will join us there. For, "Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?" (Rev. 15:4).
As we count the final stretch of days, just over two weeks, until Shavuot, we are reassured that our prayers together have a destination. It is even more amazing to think that all of human history has a destination, and that many from all nations will acknowledge the greatness of God through Messiah Yeshua.
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 34, evening of Friday, May 23rd
Scripture for Day 34:
Behold, a great multitude which no one could number… standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9-10)
Commentary:
It's not about me! This phrase may be overused these days, but it is often appropriate, especially as we embrace the future portrayed in Scripture.
In a world that considers religion just to be a personal thing, God has a plan that goes far beyond the personal. He will gather a representative multitude from every portion of the human race before his throne to worship him. Even Israel, the chosen people, will be able to say "It's not about us," and will serve as a nation of priests on behalf of every nation, tribe, people, and tongue.
Our personal trials and labors will all be swept into this vast and irreversible purpose of God. So, be of good cheer; it's not about us, but "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Rev. 7:10).
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 33, evening of Thursday, May 22nd (Lag B'Omer)
Scripture for Day 33:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:14)
Commentary:
When I first became a follower of Yeshua, I had a serious case of end-times fever. So did just about all the other Yeshua-believers that I knew. We not only believed in the glorious hope of Messiah's return, but we believed it would happen within five years for sure. We saw the signs all around us, especially in the Jewish return to the Land of Israel. Today, I still believe in the return of Messiah, but I'm not so sure about the timetable. Counting the Omer, however, reminds us that God's plan will come together on schedule. We depart from Egyptian bondage at Passover and will arrive at Mount Sinai after seven weeks-so keep counting!
Today is Lag b'Omer, Day 33 of the Omer, a minor Jewish festival with a good number of traditional customs and explanations. What stands out to me is that it is exactly 2/3 of the way through counting the Omer. Its message is: Don't quit now! We will make it to the goal! Keep on counting! This is the message as we await Messiah's return; God's plan will come together on schedule so do not lose heart. But Yeshua adds a vital point. First the plan must be announced worldwide, "and then the end will come."
Our assignment is not only to keep counting, but to help spread the message, the good news of the kingdom, whether the countdown ahead is long or short.
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 32, evening of Wednesday, May 21st
Scripture for Day 32:
And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—“The Lord is one,” And His name one. (Zech. 14:9)
Commentary:
Within the Aleinu, a prayer echoed at least three times a day within Jewish prayer services, we declare our obligation to extol the greatness of our Creator. We conclude the prayer with these words of Zechariah 14:9, " V'ne'emar vehaya Adonai, l'melech al kol ha'aretz, b'yom ha'hu yihiye Adonai echad, u'shemo echad - And the Lord shall be King over all the earth, and on that day the Lord shall be one, and His Name shall be one."
We look forward to the day in Olam HaBa, in the World to Come, when Adonai will reign supreme and the whole world recognizes King Messiah. We yearn for that time when Yeshua will be revealed to all of Israel and the nations as our glorious Redeemer. And yet we have a part to play in this. We are partners with God in bringing redemption into the world. We are taught that God needs us to bring about His purposes. God needs you and God needs me. You are a valuable part of ushering in the days of the Messianic Age. Each of us is expected to be actively involved in the world around us - reaching out to those in need, standing up for those downtrodden, and bringing light to those in darkness. Through each of these acts we bring holiness into the world. And with each act of redemption, we partner with God in hastening the coming of our Messiah Yeshua.
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 31, evening of Tuesday, May 20th
Scripture for Day 31:
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (Isa. 65:17-18)
Commentary:
During this season of counting the omer, which is packed with prophetic meaning, we should take time to consider the ultimate purpose of Israel in God's plan. We (the Messianic Jewish community in all its diversity) are working not only for the salvation of Israel and the nations, and the return of Yeshua the Messiah to reign on David's throne, but we are working for tikkun olam (world restoration). The ultimate purpose of Israel is to be a priestly nation that ushers in the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 66:18-23). God is not interested in translating everyone to heaven and then pressing the delete button to dispose of the earth. Rather, he seeks to transform creation into a paradise that fully reflects his glory. Yochanan writes in Revelation 21, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." He goes on to describe "the Holy City, the new Jerusalem" in all its beauty and Jewishness and Messianic radiance!
I find that it is so easy to become myopic and discouraged by "the former things." Do you sometimes feel that way? Let us remember that the Lord calls us as Messianic Jews and Gentiles to see beyond the imperfections of the present creation and to gain vision for his grand plan. Fixing our eyes on the acharit (the end) is highly motivating! As we count the omer today, let us be mindful that the Lord is counting too. He is counting the days until we hear his bat kol (heavenly voice) say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4 CJB).
David Rudolph
Daily Omer Counting - Day 30, evening of Monday, May 19th
Scripture for Day 30:
Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Isa. 45:22-23)
Commentary:
It seems unavoidable, life is filled with problems. In between our favorite TV shows, advertisers give us all kinds of solutions to these problems. How many of us chase after these solutions only to find that the problems still exist, or we now have new ones to worry about. Often there are simple solutions to our problems which we ignore because they seem too hard to implement. Do you get heartburn after you eat? Someone out there has a pill that will help! That's the easy solution to a problem that never goes away. How about you change what you eat and find something that your body internals are happy with? That's impossible!
Hashem has given us many simple solutions to the problems in life. They are contained in His Word. Unfortunately, all through our history we have sought our own solutions to life's problems. In the scriptures this is exemplified through our nation gravitating toward idolatry. Today we don't see the idols of ancient days, but we are just unaware of God's solutions to our problems and we run off trying to master our own remedies.
The simple answer to all of this is "I am God, there is no other." Only Hashem can provide the permanent solutions to our varied problems. Seek Him first, bring yourself to the foot of Sinai and heed His voice. The answer may not always be what we want or what feels good, but His answers always bring restoration when we humble ourselves before Him. Let Yeshua bring you to the mountain in this season to show you the answers you need.
Rabbi Jason Forbes
Scripture for Day 29:
Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Isa. 42:1-4)
Commentary:
This passage of Isaiah could not be more poignant. It truly makes me long for the day of His return. To think of true justice being meted out brings such longing, no wonder one delights in the Servant. We see that the Servant, the one that we are to look upon, brings justice to the Gentiles. Further, we see that he will not fail until justice is in the earth. How wonderful that even the remote parts of the earth wait for this time. So we say, even so, come Lord Yeshua; we need and long for your justice.
Linda Lieber
Week 4 May 11-17 (alternate 5/17-5/23): Embracing the Future: Israel
Daily Omer Counting - Day 28, evening of Saturday, May 17th
Scripture for Day 28:
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. (Rev. 7:4; 14:1-5)
Commentary:
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. (Revelation 14:1-5 NIV)
I find it ironic that every time I have looked at this verse before now, I have always been so intrigued by who these 144,000 were and whether I could be one of them. What are they like? How did each one get to be part of this group? Why does there even need to be a seemingly elitist 144,000? You may ask why this is ironic. The answer is, while my focus is on the 144,000, the focus of the 144,000 is on "God on His throne" and "the Lamb."
The better question for me to ask would be, who is this Lamb that 144,000 people are so devoted to him that they follow him wherever he goes and even have His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads! Many of us have heard that the Lamb in this passage refers to a man that the Passover lamb foreshadowed. This Lamb gave our deliverance story new depth as the ultimate sacrifice that causes judgment to pass over-Yeshua. We also know that Yeshua came both to save mankind from sin and to initiate the Kingdom of God on earth. The now 2000-year-old down-payment on the Kingdom of God will eventually be fulfilled in the return of Yeshua as King of the Jews and ruler over all the earth.
In this passage we have the privilege of glimpsing this future. I myself have stood on the Mount of Olives just as it says that Yeshua will stand there. I stood there imagining the day, hearing the streets of Jerusalem resound with joy because the Knesset finally voted to pass the greatest declaration of all time-"Yeshua is the Messiah. Baruch Haba B'shem Adonai."
In that day there will be 144,000 people dedicated as first fruits to Him. I would love to be one of those 144,000, but that won't happen until I can get my eyes onto Him and off of me.
Jonathan Moore
Daily Omer Counting - Day 27, evening of Friday, May 16th
Scripture for Day 27:
Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom. 11:26-29)
Commentary:
The cover of the May 2008 Atlantic Magazine poses the question, "Is Israel Finished?" Inside the magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg questions whether Israel can "overcome its paralysis to make the hard choice necessary for its survival as a Jewish democracy." The article is somewhat discouraging and leaves the reader with little hope. Many theologians also hold out little hope for the future of the Jewish people. I am thankful that the hope of Israel is not in the hands of politicians, writers, theologians, or anyone else for that matter. The passage for today reminds us that the hope of Israel lies in the faithfulness of God. Just as God remembered his covenant with the Patriarchs when we were slaves in Egypt, he will remember His covenant when Yeshua returns. In that day our people will finally embrace Yeshua and be able to appropriate the promises of the New Covenant. As we continue the journey from Pesach to Shavuot, may the Compassionate One cause us to be prepared for the days of the Messiah and the World to Come!
Howard Silverman
Daily Omer Counting - Day 26, evening of Thursday, May 15th
Scripture for Day 26:
For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. (Isa. 62:1-3)
Commentary:
In this well-known passage, we see wonderful imagery of how the Lord wants us to be certain in our beliefs and actions, and shining like a crown for all the world to see the glory of the Lord reflected in us. Using this passage as a guideline, we should pray for boldness in our faith, that the Lord would bless us in our abilities to share His love with the world around us. As ever, we should continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as well as for her people, that they will cleave to the Lord's righteousness and turn from the ways of the world, so that the nations will see her as an example and cry out to the Lord, accepting Yeshua as their King and Redeemer. Pray for the Messianic believers pioneering the way in the Land, that they would continue to be strong and do the work, preparing Israel for the return of the Lord. Indeed, for Zion's sake may they not keep quiet, but keep proclaiming the Word of the Lord as the truth, so that the non-believers would see His light and come to know Him.
Jamie Eaton
Daily Omer Counting - Day 25, evening of Wednesday, May 14th
Scripture for Day 25:
Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit. (Isa. 27:6)
Commentary:
God has promised that Israel's greatest role in the world is yet to unfold. We are told in today's devotional verse, and elsewhere in Scripture, that Israel will once again bloom and bear fruit in a way previously unknown. The greatness of Israel is yet to be seen. The final portion of Isaiah 27:6 reads, "Israel will bud and flower, and fill the whole world with a harvest." What imagery! As Or L'Goyim, a Light to the Nations, we have a task to plant seeds of redemption throughout the world. We are to be actively engaged in Kiddush HaShem, in sanctifying God's name in the world around us. In order for this great world harvest to happen it is going to require getting out there.
World renowned rabbi, Shlomo Carlebach, personally did more than any other Jew in modern times in regard to keruv (outreach), and embracing those on the margins. Reb Shlomo is personally credited with bringing tens of thousands of Jews back to Judaism and spirituality. What was his secret? Getting involved! Reb Shlomo placed himself on the margins in order to reach out and empower those around him. He went to the marginalized places where Jews were. If that meant going to prisons ... Shlomo packed his guitar. If it meant to Buddhist ashrams and temples ... Reb Shlomo went singing the most Jewish of songs. And it worked! Reb Shlomo truly understood the mitzvah of "leaving the world more Jewish than you found it."
As Messianic Jews, we should be the specialists in planting seeds of redemption. We must begin reaching out to those on the margins, for we follow a Messiah who knows how to embrace and empower those on the fringes of society. Yeshua reached out to those who were hurting, lost, and unable to find spiritual fulfillment. Let us be inspired by our Righteous Messiah to get involved in the world around us. Let us inspire the world toward holiness, and plant seeds of redemption within those around us. May each of us understand the task at hand, and may we be blessed to know our role in this coming world harvest, and our task in bringing closer the return of Mashiach Yeshua.
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 24, evening of Tuesday, May 13th
Scripture for Day 24:
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Ps. 147:1-3)
Commentary:
We are in a season of unprecedented building in and around the modern city of Jerusalem! Who would have thought even 30 years ago that Jerusalem would be Israel's largest city, with modern neighborhoods and world class educational institutions? What has developed is simply amazing, yet this development has not come, nor will it continue, without a struggle: a struggle between the Jewish Community and the Arabs and the Christians; a struggle between the secular and the religious within the Jewish community; and of course the struggle between those who are financially well off and those who are definitely not. Jerusalem, the City of Peace, is really a city at war in our time. It is with this sober assessment in mind that we consider our Messiah Yeshua's imminent return, knowing that Scripture promises that when he does return, there will be a rebuilding of Jerusalem as never before. But in his time the most important construction will be done in the hearts of people, as our Messiah will heal the spiritual hearts and minds of Israel. For this hope we wait in anticipation and we say, Hallelujah!"
Kirk Gliebe
Daily Omer Counting - Day 23, evening of Monday, May 12th
Scripture for Day 23:
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! (Num. 24:5-9)
Commentary:
The dwelling places of Israel are lovely because this is where the Lord resides-in Israel, in the midst of her people. An interesting dilemma, depending how one wants to look at it. How does one "taste and see that the Lord is good"? (Psalm 34:8). This is a question worth pondering, I would think. Mi kamocha b'eylim Adonai, "who is like you O Lord" is best experienced within the tent of God's people and not alone.
Rav Shaul concludes, "share what you have with God's people" (Rom. 12:13), the key being "people." Elsewhere we are told, "And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good needs, not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other. And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25, Complete Jewish Bible).
Looking for God and the rightness of life with Him? If so, you will find Him in the midst of His people. Yet for those who may not put a stress on gathering together and being in the dwelling place of the Lord, then if it is in your power and you do not seek such a place, you may never fully know just how lovely those dwelling places are.
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
Scripture for Day 22:
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Gen. 12:1-3)
Commentary:
Our father Avraham heard God's words, "Lech l'Cha!"--"Go Forth, yourself!" How many of us would have jumped when hearing God's Voice in a clear and audible way? Have you ever wished God would just talk to you and tell you something? Or on second thought would you have found yourself cringing, "Leave my home, my kin, my security and my house?" And ... go WHERE, Lord God, go WHERE?? But the Voice kept speaking, "Go to a land that I will show you."
It becomes clear that God is in charge of this faith journey, and this walk leads to a land that you will discover ... later. You can imagine the nightmare scenario now--maybe you will be a foreigner and a sojourner for a lifetime, maybe you will never know what it is to be a citizen or live in a godly neighborhood for your entire life. Maybe you will never even see your great-grandchildren or learn the name of the nation God is promising your descendants. In fact, maybe the biggest struggles will be to father the nation's first child to a barren wife or to offer the child up as a fire offering in a place three days' journey into the wilderness or to purchase a burial ground for your wife and son and [hoped for] grandson.
Is this the faith walk of a fellow believer on the road to an everlasting inheritance?
Dr. Jeffrey Feinberg
Week 3 May 4-10 (alternate 5/10-5/16): Honoring the Past: God our Provider
Daily Omer Counting - Day 21, evening of Saturday, May 10th
Scripture for Day 21:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah. (Eph.1:3-8)
Commentary:
Several things immediately strike the observant reader of this amazing passage. Some of these become even clearer when examining the original Greek text which Rav Shaul wrote.
In many of the Greek texts, the entire section from verse 3 through verse 14 forms but one-very long-sentence. That may not be good English (or for that matter good Greek or Hebrew!), but it's as if the ancient Rabbi started out by reflecting on the wonder of God's provision and then simply got carried away by the grandeur of it all. When viewed as one twelve-verse sentence, the passage can be broken down into seven waves of praise punctuated by three refrains of "to the praise of His (gracious) glory!" Furthermore, the extended section describes the work of each of the three members of the awesome, unique unity that is our God.
Except for its unusual length, this one-sentence, multiple-verse structure closely resembles the multiple b'rachot (blessings) of our traditions ("Baruch atah Adonai..."). These various blessings-which can be found in most editions of the daily siddur (prayer book)-enable us to appreciate and experience the reality of God through the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives. They help us to see, interact with, and respond to God as life unfolds around us. (This outlook has been called "normal mysticism," to distinguish it from the more metaphysical, super-spiritual, super-mystical forms found in some other religious expressions.) So God becomes real in and through the very reality we normally live.
The praise just explodes like a geyser from the quill of the great rabbi. Because of Yeshua our Messiah, every kind of blessing vital for our relationship with the God of the universe becomes available to us. This is because the Father has intended us to be His children-and therefore enabled to function as truly complete ("blameless") people-from the very beginning of time. He freely gives us all this and more; there is nothing lacking that we need for full, meaningful lives because "He has lavished on us" the amazing magnitude of His provision.
Rabbi Dr. John Fischer
Daily Omer Counting - Day 20, evening of Friday, May 9th
Scripture for Day 20:
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Messiah Yeshua. (Phil. 4:19)
Commentary:
"The LORD Will Provide!"
The Biblical text promises us numerous times that when we are faithful to God, He will be faithful to us. This is found in the Torah, and echoed by our Messiah Yeshua. In fact, we are taught not to be anxious about anything - not about what we will eat, what we will drink, or other daily needs. We are promised that our Heavenly Father is already aware of our needs and intends to provide for us (Matt. 6:25-34).
It is easy to know this rationally; however, it is another thing to have faith when everything seems hopeless. When times get desperate it is easy to forget about the ninety-nine other times God has always come through for us at the last minute. We are always so quick to forget about God's constant provision and protection.
It is easy to ask, "Why me?" Why not! We are encouraged by Ya'akov, the brother of Yeshua, to count it all joy when we face these various trials, for the testing of our faith produces perseverance (James 1:3). We are facing desperate times. It often seems like everything is caving in around us - falling mortgages, increased gas prices, high unemployment rates. However, we are not to worry. For as our devotional verse states, "My God shall supply all your needs..." (Phil. 4:19).
Let us be empowered in knowing that God understands our trials, and knows of our needs. God will not abandon us, and will not forsake us. It may be the 11th hour, but He will supply according to His riches and glory...and not ours.
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 19, evening of Thursday, May 8th
Scripture for Day 19:
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)
Commentary:
If God is for us who can be against us? Of course, we have adversaries. Nevertheless, God prevails. And it is because of who He is that we prevail. We know the He has given us everything we need to be faithful to Him and His ways. Lord, help us to show our gratitude to You for what You have done in giving up Your Son. Thank You that we have a sure future because of all that You did, are doing, and will do for us!
Linda Lieber
Daily Omer Counting - Day 18, evening of Wednesday, May 7th
Scripture for Day 18:
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits. (Ps. 103:1-2)
Commentary:
These verses, from a Psalm of David, show us how our body and soul must be bound up together in full devotion to our Creator. The process of counting the omer from Passover to Shavuot serves the purpose of refining the relationship between our body and soul, for the purpose of presenting ourselves ready at our own personal Sinai. The omer that we count each night represents a measure of barley that is symbolic of G-d's sustaining hand. It is worthy to note that this barley that we count was largely used as animal feed in ancient times. Why all the fuss over fodder?
The verse says "and all that is within me, bless His Holy name!" These words "within me" may also be translated as "innards." When we bless G-d, we should bless him with our Soul (which he breathed into us), and with our Innards (which represent the very animal nature within us). A human being in balance lets his soul rule over his body (his selfish nature). This puts the Divine spark within us in charge and helps us elevate every intention of our life with Divine purpose.
At the end of our 49 day count, the Torah tells us to bring two loaves made from wheat. Wheat, unlike barley, is a refined human food. These days of counting then serve to transform and purify our intentions, symbolized by our transformation from barley to wheat, from body to soul. Our goal is not to transcend our bodies, but to harness them to do good in the world. But let us not forget, "all His benefits." This is the natural result of presenting every ounce of ourselves, soul and flesh to devotion of our Creator. May we see these benefits multiplied as we model our Mashiach Yeshua who perfectly knit his own body and soul for our benefit.
Rabbi Jason Forbes
Daily Omer Counting - Day 17, evening of Tuesday, May 6th
Scripture for Day 17:
Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah (Ps. 68:20 [19])
Commentary:
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up" (Psalm 68:20 [19]). The Hebrew of this passage ("Baruch Adonai yom yom ya‘amas-lanu...") emphasizes that God daily (literally: "day after day") carries our burdens. As an extraordinary example of this, consider the 14,400 days that our people wandered in the desert (360 lunar days x 40 years). The Torah tells us that the Lord provided manna daily for us to eat and water from a hard rock to drink. "Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years . . . He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions" (Deuteronomy 8:4, 15). For 14,400 days, the Lord provided everything we needed. Even good shoe support! We lacked no essential provisions. I must admit that I often forget this Torah teaching and take for granted the Lord's provisions in my life. How about you? Do you forget that everything you have is "from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3)? Today, let's break this habit of ungratefulness. Let's remember the Exodus and the lesson we learned as a people from our 14,400 days in the desert. Perhaps at our dinner tables this evening, we can say the blessing over bread and then add a special blessing to thank the Lord for the totality of his provision in our lives-Baruch Adonai yom yom ya‘amas-lanu, Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up.
David Rudolph
Daily Omer Counting - Day 16, evening of Monday, May 5th
Scripture for Day 16:
I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. (Ps. 37:23-25)
Commentary:
We might call this passage a success scripture, not a social gospel, but a statement of how to succeed in this thing we call faith. The whole purpose of counting the omer is to anticipate receiving from God, in the days of Moses the Torah and in the times of Yeshua the Holy Spirit. But while we go out and make what we can, the same is not so with God. In other words, the Psalm can remind the reader of Paul's words in Ephesians 2:8-9 that say that our connection to God, our salvation or restoration, is not of our own abilities but are of the Lord's grace alone. At this time of year we remember that it was God's hand of might in the plagues upon Egypt that won the release of the Jews from bondage. It was an act that began and ended with God's might alone.
"I have been young," but now I have been through things and know the faithfulness of God. We celebrate deliverance every year and then we wait in expectation for something new. We find our triumphant success in the ways of God, ways that can only show themselves if we wait for them, as the good Lord will not let us fall. Take the time to see what happens when we depend on the God of our expectation.
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
Daily Omer Counting - Day 15, evening of Sunday, May 4th
Scripture for Day 15:
And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deut. 8:10-18)
Commentary:
Cotton Mather, the early American Puritan leader, once described the history of his community in words like these: "Piety begat prosperity, and the offspring devoured its mother." The Puritan values of hard work and self discipline created wealth in colonial America that soon became an end in itself, overshadowing the biblical values that created it.
Our theology might tell us that material increase is a gift from God, but something within us likes to take personal credit for the gift. Moses warns us that after we've eaten our fill, which we seem to do regularly in America even with today's declining economy and run-away gas prices, we are liable to say in our hearts that we gained all our good things "through our power and the might of our hand" (Deut. 8:17).
Along with the warning, however, Moses also institutes a remedy to this pride. After we have eaten our fill, we are to bless the Lord. This custom, called Birkat ha-mazon, or Grace after the Meal, in traditional Judaism, is largely neglected today and hard to fit into our busy lifestyle. But it would be a good antidote to the excesses of that lifestyle, which often leads us to forget who brought us here, providing for us even when we were wandering in the wilderness. Instead of forgetting the Lord our God, let us remember when we had little and He provided for us everything we needed. Gratitude in the present honors the past. Gratitude also prepares our hearts for greater blessings to come as we count the days toward Shavuot.
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 14, evening of Saturday, May 3rd
Scripture for Day 14:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:13-14)
Commentary:
Not many of us as Americans can relate to a need for physical rescue. We live in a free land with a well established history of law and order. Yet even so, occasionally we hear in the news about individuals caught up in a hostage standoff with police, or of Americans kidnapped while traveling oversees. At those times our thoughts easily turn to the condition of the victims, with short prayers for their safety and release. As followers of Messiah, we do understand most easily our need for spiritual rescue. Before coming to accept Yeshua's sacrificial death on our behalf, we were held captive by our sin and lived in spiritual despair. Yet, as our passage for today states, through our faith in the person and work of Messiah Yeshua we have been spiritually changed and so has our relational position with G-d. Because we have received forgiveness for our sins on the basis of Yeshua's death, we now have full and free access to G-d as citizens of Messiah's Kingdom.
Kirk Gliebe
Daily Omer Counting - Day 13, evening of Friday, May 2nd
Scripture for Day 13:
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! (Luke 24:5-7)
Commentary:
Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'" (Luke 24:5-7 NKJV)
Yesterday we meditated on the atonement for our sins in Yeshua's blood, and tomorrow we will meditate on the fact that atonement delivers us from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God. Between these two foundational concepts, we find another element that should be foundational to all our faith. Yeshua not only died ... he also rose. In remembering Yeshua's resurrection I often think of His rebuke of the Sadducees questioning the resurrection (Luke 20:37-38, Matt 22:31-33, Mark 12:26-27). Yeshua answers by referencing a statement God makes in the Torah, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Yeshua adds, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
In Mark's account, Yeshua goes on to say, "You are therefore greatly mistaken." Their mistake was in failing to see that there is indeed a resurrection after death. In meditating on Yeshua's atonement for our sin let us not also be "greatly mistaken" by thinking that He remains in a grave. Remember the atonement provided in the death of our Messiah. Remember that we are in the Kingdom of God. But also remember that "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." We have covenant and relationship, not with a god that is dead, but with a God that is living!
Jonathan Moore
Daily Omer Counting - Day 12, evening of Thursday, May 1st
Scripture for Day 12:
For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matt. 26:26-28)
Commentary:
Once, when I was visiting Gethsemane, I believe that the Lord gave me insight into how he was thinking or feeling as he gave the bracha over the bread and wine before He was sacrificed for our sins.
Since Pesach is the festival of freedom, when Yeshua says "Take eat, this is my body," he is not only thinking about himself and what will be happening to Him on the tree, but it is with unbelievable joy and gladness that he says this. I think that he was experiencing one of those moments when the heavens open. The revelation of what this act of sacrifice would accomplish--the long awaited redemption of the world, the purchase of our freedom from the bondage of sin--is more than one can fathom. What joy and gladness!
As Yeshua took the cup and said the blessing, again He is experiencing the joy of knowing that he is blessing all those who believe and follow Him. When he says, blessed art Thou, Lord, who creates the fruit of the vine, he is talking about us, you and me. We are included in that blessing--it is not just a cup of wine. When he looks at the wine and savors it, he see us and savors us with deep love and joy. This is not just a cup of wine but the culmination of His reason for being Yeshua. What Joy he senses as he drinks that wine knowing that He has accomplished his purpose on earth. When we drink our cups of wine we can take joy in all that He has accomplished for us, those He cherishes.
Linda Lieber
Daily Omer Counting - Day 11, evening of Wednesday, April 30th
Scripture for Day 11:
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
Commentary:
"To Serve and Bring Redemption..."
Yeshua boldly states in our passage that he did not come to be served, but to serve. That is often a far cry from many of us within our congregations. Often we feel that we are so busy and do so much during the week, that when we come to shulon Shabbat, it is our turn to be served. We figure everything can be done by someone else.
However, that is not the instruction of Yeshua. Yeshua went out of his way to serve others, and help whenever and wherever he possibly could. He understood what it meant to be a servant. Yeshua understood that servanthood is deeply connected to holiness and to one's spirituality. This idea is deeply imbedded in the Torah. This week's Torah portion is Kedoshim, which is all about holiness. It is the instructions of how to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto God. We must weigh fairly, pursue justice, observe the mitzvot, and protect those who are downtrodden. It is a concept radically different from many of our own understandings of what is holy. In this week's Torah portion we find the commandment echoed by Yeshua, "V'ahavta l'Raeicha Kamocha - To love your neighbor as you love yourself (Lev. 19:18)." For Judaism clearly teaches that the way we treat one another is a direct reflection upon our relationship to God.
Yeshua came to serve, and to ransom his life for ours. He understood that holiness is establishing God's Kingdom and Presence here on this earth. To partner with God in bringing redemption into the world. For Yeshua, holiness is not some mystical state we all somehow hope to attain. Rather, it is a way of conducting our lives. For Yeshua being a servant is to be holy, and serving is how we bring about redemption and the messianic age.
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 10, evening of Tuesday, April 29th
Scripture for Day 10:
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isa. 53:4-6)
Commentary:
It should come as no surprise that most people misunderstand the mission and person of Yeshua. In the classic messianic passage of Isaiah 53, we read that the Messiah would be misunderstood.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Hundreds of years before Yeshua came, Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be misunderstood and rejected. Indeed, our people thought that His suffering was for His own sins; for His own misfortune.
This misunderstanding of the mission of Yeshua continues to this day. From a historical perspective, Yeshua's death was a tragic case of injustice. From a spiritual perspective, however, it was filled with meaning - the death of Yeshua was the atonement for our sins, the sins of our people and the world.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
How wondrous is the love of God, that Yeshua would not only forgive all of our sins but bear the guilt of our sins as well! How incredible that even while we were rejecting him, he suffered for our transgressions! The sufferings and death of Yeshua inaugurated the promises of the New Covenant. By the grace of God when we encounter Yeshua and repent of our sins and follow him we experience the forgiveness of sins, spiritual empowerment and the assurance of life forever with God.
As the visible messianic community, are we willing to bear the reproach of the Messiah for the sake of our people? Are we willing to endure the consequences of identification with the Man from Nazareth? Are we willing to be misunderstood and maligned for being Messiah-followers and remain faithful to God and to our people? Regardless of the struggles and misunderstandings of today, we may rest assured that our destiny is resurrection and life. The day will come when the New Covenant will be fully experienced and the whole world will experience the benefits of the death of Yeshua. Our people will return to the land in total; all of Israel will become followers of Yeshua, there will be peace and tranquility and a host of other blessings. In that day all of Israel will sing the confessional words of Isaiah 53.
As we move from Passover to Shavuot, may we be challenged to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, testifying to our people of the truth of Messiah in both word and deed and looking forward to the day of redemption for all Israel.
Howard Silverman
Daily Omer Counting - Day 9, evening of Monday, April 28th
Scripture for Day 9:
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. (Isa. 9:6-7 [9:5-6])
Commentary:
"Unto us a child is born; unto us a child is given." These words-and their context-ring out their familiar story, but they should also resonate with their radical message: God himself has chosen to intersect human history once again. Only this time, as the passage goes on to point out, he decided to inject himself personally into history in order to fulfill the ancient covenant promises he made to David and to Israel. The announcing angel (Lk. 1:32-33) called him the ultimate Son of David; the angelic hosts in the shepherds' fields (Luke 2:10-12) described him as the Messiah of Israel and the Lord of the Universe! The infant in the manger is in reality the Creator of the world, radical!
And this is the message communicated by the four pairs of titles (as the Hebrew structure indicates) found in Isaiah 9:6. The child can accurately be described as Counselor of Wonders, God of Might, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace! These are all descriptions used of God elsewhere in Isaiah. Midrash Mishle (the rabbinic "commentary" on Proverbs) likewise applies these titles to the Messiah, listing them among the "eight names of the Messiah." His supernatural nature enables him to carry out the promises of verse 7 and thereby guarantees a grand future for Israel and great blessing for the cosmos.
God literally stepped into history to bring us to himself, amazing! It's a deliverance we all get to share, and it's one we needto share! And, it's a Jewish message we should pray we can share more effectively with both Jews and Gentiles.
Rabbi Dr. John Fischer
Daily Omer Counting - Day 8, evening of Sunday, April 27th
Scripture for Day 8:
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David… (Luke 1:68-73)
Commentary:
Zechariah, father of John the immerser, looks ahead to the coming of Messiah, the "horn of salvation," and he also looks back to the words of all the prophets "since the world began." The coming of Messiah will bring a whole new day to Israel and the nations, but it is a new day rooted in all God's dealings with Israel in the past.
Zechariah displays a spiritual balance that is a model for us as we pray together, eager for the new things that God may do among us, and at the same time rooted in what God has already done. This balance overcomes the opposition we often see between biblical tradition and spiritual renewal. We need both, especially in a Messianic Jewish community that honors the Jewish story at the same time as it recognizes that the story can only reach its true destination through Messiah Yeshua.
Honoring the past and embracing the future are inextricably linked. As we thank God for His past deliverance through sending Messiah, we prepare the way for greater deliverance to come through Messiah's return.
Week 1 April 20 – 26 (alternate 4/26–5/2 ): Honoring the Past: Deliverance from Egypt
Daily Omer Counting - Day 7, evening of Saturday, April 26th
Scripture for Day 7:
And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints—Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Ps. 148:13-14)
Commentary:
The Psalmist describes the children of Israel as "a people near to Him." In Egypt, the Israelites were already God's people, included in His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they were far from God, living in bondage to Pharaoh. But then, the Torah tells us, God heard their groaning, remembered His covenant, and told Israel: "I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God" (Ex. 6:6-7a).
God promises not only deliverance from bondage, but a renewed covenant. When God says, "I will take you as My people," it reminds us of a wedding ceremony, when two individuals take each other as husband and wife and become one. The wedding that God promises to Israel is scheduled for Mount Sinai, where the glory-cloud will serve as a chuppah (wedding canopy) and the Ten Commandments as the ketubah(wedding contract). At Mount Sinai, on Shavuot, God makes Israel a people near to Him.
This covenant renewal ceremony is a foretaste of the new covenant in Messiah Yeshua. As we count the days between our departure from Egypt and our arrival at Sinai-from Passover to Shavuot-may we have the anticipation of a bride counting the days until her wedding!
Daily Omer Counting - Day 6, evening of Friday, April 25th
Scripture for Day 6:
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all his servants. (Ps. 135:1-9)
Commentary:
"Z'man Cheruteinu...The Time of our Redemption..."
Psalm 135 speaks of the wonders of God, the chosenness of Israel, and of Yetziat Mitzrayim- our redemption from Egypt. Verse 9 further tells of "signs and wonders" amongst us. Everyday signs and wonders happen around us, but we don't often think of them as such. We often overlook small blessings that happen daily as just common happenstance. Not miracles, not works of God, and definitely not as signs and wonders. Yet they are!
God, in the fullness of wisdom, knew that we need all of these constant reminders of redemption. Yet sometimes we need extra reminders, something with a little more chutzpah. So HaShem has also given us the mo'edim- the appointed Festivals to relive the events of God's greatest wonders and miracles. This is especially true of Passover. In Hebrew, Passover is often called Z'man Cheruteinu...The Time of our Redemption. For the same God who delivered us from Egypt 3,300 years ago is the same God at work to bring deliverance to our lives today. During Passover, we don't just tell a historic tale - we relive redemption! We celebrate Passover in the here and now. For you this year, maybe deliverance is not from Egypt, or from physical bondage. But maybe bondage for you is something else? For there are always things we each need deliverance from. As such, maybe this will be the year for you. May signs and wonders happen for you during this Passover season, and may you experience God's fullest deliverance from exile.
Joshua Brumbach
Daily Omer Counting - Day 5, evening of Thursday, April 24th
Scripture for Day 5:
When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion. (Ps. 114:1-8)
Commentary:
One of my favorite Passover traditions is reading the Hallel, Psalms 113-118, around the table during the festive meal. This ancient tradition recalls the days when the holy temple still stood in Jerusalem and pilgrims would recite the same words as they went up to worship at the three festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
Every year at the same festivals, we relive this experience of worship and absorb its message anew. Psalm 114 reminds us that this worship is rooted in our deliverance from Egypt:
When Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion.
When God delivered us from Egypt, we became His sanctuary, His holy place. We were not delivered just to enjoy a taste of freedom, but to become a people of worship among whom God might dwell. The psalmist looks into the prophetic future when God will dwell within Judah in the person of Yeshua the Messiah. He also reminds us to honor deliverance past by worshiping God as His holy people today, at Passover and throughout the year.
Rabbi Russ Resnik
Daily Omer Counting - Day 4, evening of Wednesday, April 23rd
Scripture for Day 4:
But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock... (Ps. 78:52-54)
Commentary:
The strength to move forward often comes out of our memories of the past. Life can seem at times quite an uncharted journey with many potential pitfalls. It is with this in mind that we remember that the Israelites left Egypt with no clear understanding of where exactly they would be going. Only Moses had a general idea of what lay ahead, but even he was unsure of the details. All the people knew on the fourth day of their Exodus to freedom was that God would be with them as He had demonstrated already in Egypt. As He had powerfully freed them, so He would now lead, protect, and provide for them; He would guide them as a shepherd who watches over His sheep. As we count toward Shavuot, we can be sure that God is watching over us and helping us through our uncharted journey of life. He knows the way to go and He is powerfully able to get us where He wants us to be.
Kirk Gliebe
Daily Omer Counting - Day 3, evening of Tuesday, April 22nd
Scripture for Day 3:
I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. (Isa. 44:6)
Commentary:
Our scripture today from Isaiah shows G-d's reassurance for those who feel lost and forgotten. As we contemplate this week about our deliverance from Egypt, we know that part of our history is rooted in our suffering. As slaves we knew what it meant to hunger and yearn for justice. Though it is a painful part of our history, we learn from it each year. The story we recite from the Passover Haggadah reminds us of our humble beginnings, and the G-d of justice who brought us out with His strong arm and affirmed us as a nation.
Remembering this past is important, but we also must remember to break free from the things that shackle us to the past and prevent us from growing. G-d says, "As I will pour water on the thirsty and running water on dry land, I will pour My spirit on your seed and My blessing on your offspring." (Isa. 44:3) This is what He did for us during the Exodus. Our seeds lay in the soil, dormant for hundreds of years under the oppression of Egypt, but G-d released our sprouts so that we could grow into His nation. Each day we must break free of the constraints of Mitzrayim and know that G-d is First and Last. It is the power of the one G-d during this season who sprouted the seed of salvation through the resurrection of our Messiah Yeshua. Through that may we all be renewed and may our offspring be blessed.
Rabbi Jason Forbes
Daily Omer Counting - Day 2, evening of Monday, April 21st
Scripture for Day 2:
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Ex. 20:2-3)
Commentary:
If I had to pick one thing that I truly love about the Lord, it most likely would be how he opens a scripture up and sings to you. That is what happened when I went to Exodus 20:2-3. When I first looked at these verses, I thought, "Oy, what can I possibly say about, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.'"
I have always sensed a noise of severity when I read these verses, and I thought there was not much to say about them. Then, "Voila!" the light started shining and instead of severity, I heard a voice of love and joy. I saw that these verses were the Lord exclaiming His love for us. I saw the Lord exclaiming how He keeps His covenant with us, with our forefathers and our descendants. There is much in the proclamation "I am the Lord your God."
The Lord is telling us that because He is our God, we have a unique and special relationship with Him. He is showing us that He is jealous for us to be His, that we are set aside for Him. He does not want us to be defiled-common-by having other gods. Why have Hershey's when you can have Godiva?! Why have emptiness when you can have fullness of joy?! Look, where He has brought us from, bondage to freedom-that in itself is enough to rejoice over. It is like the song Dayenu, it would have been enough. But it wasn't enough; He brought us to Himself, which is more than we can even comprehend.
Let us rejoice this day and forever that He is our God, and has redeemed us, bringing us to Himself!
Linda Lieber
Daily Omer Counting - Day 1, evening of Sunday, April 20th
Scripture for Day 1:
The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. (Ex. 15:1-2)
Commentary:
"But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians" (Exodus 14:29-30). The first day of the traditional counting of the omer is a fitting time to remember that the Lord saved kol Yisrael (all Israel) from Pharaoh's army. Yeshuatenu (our Savior) parted the waters and made a way for our people to cross in freedom to the other side. How did we express our appreciation for this great deliverance? How did we thank the Lord? The Torah reminds us that we sang of the amazing acts of the God of Israel: "Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea...The Lord is my strength and my song'" (Exodus 15:1-2). Not all of us are good singers; I am very poor. But in memory of the Exodus from Egypt, and the crossing of the Yam Suf, let us take a few minutes today to sing to the Lord and thank Him for saving our nation.
David Rudolph
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