Daily Omer Counting - Day 4, evening of Wednesday, April 23rd

"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.

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 the fourth day of the omer."

Week 1 April 20 – 26 (alternate 4/26–5/2 ): Honoring the Past: Deliverance from Egypt

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