An update on following YHVH's biblical calendar according to it's simplicity rather than according to man's traditions and complex interpretations.
“For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, to say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it. See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, in that I am commanding you today to love יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to guard His commands, and His laws, and His right-rulings. And you shall live and increase, and יהוה your Elohim shall bless you in the land which you go to possess."
I am writing this special note as an update specifically regarding my previously published blog posts about the first
harvest/first fruits at the time of Unleavened Bread, and even more specifically regarding the
counting of the days of omer.
When I first wrote those 2 posts ("Counting the Days", and "Shavuot - YHVH's Biblical Pentecost"), I was not clear on the scriptures surrounding the first harvest and the count of the days to Shavuot which happens during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I was new in my journey of reading YHVH's Word to take it at face value (literally instead of spiritualizing everything), and putting it into practice in obedience.
I was searching His Word and changing my lifestyle and habits according to His Word on many things, but there were (and still are) parts of His Word that I was not familiar with or did not know about. (It is hard to admit that after a lifetime of claiming to follow YHVH and reading His Word, I know so little about what His Word actually says but know so much of what people say that His Word says!)
I was instead following the practices and traditions of many modern Messianic Jewish and Christian groups and many groups
of Rabbinic Judaism regarding specific topics such as counting the days to Shavuot. I was trusting that they were following the Bible’s teaching.
After studying many scriptures regarding this and other topics, I have
come to realize that the Bible is more simply clear and plain in this teaching
than what many groups will admit it to be.
Psalm 118:8,9
It is better to take refuge in יהוה than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in יהוה than to trust in princes.
The more time I spend reading YHVH's Word, tuning out any preconceived interpretations that come from my many years being taught by different people in many denominations of Christianity (as much as I can), the more amazed I am at how much He has created this life of humanity on earth to be dependent on Him for everything! All parts of life on earth are part of the picture He has created that mirrors or sheds light on His Kingdom and His plan for dwelling with humanity for eternity!
Two quick examples: He has put in place a way for mankind to know when each new month begins...the sighting of the new moon (new moon and new month are the same word - chodesh).
Genesis 1:14,15
And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times [moedim], and for days and years, and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to be so.
(take note of the word moedim - it will be important a little further along)
He has also put in place the way to know when each new year begins (which new month begins the new year)...the sighting of ripening barley (aviv actually means a green ear of barley) in the land of Israel. Once the barley is in aviv stage, then the next new moon is the first month of the year.
In both of these examples, He is in control of when the new moon is sighted and when the barley reaches the aviv stage. If we are to follow His instructions to keep the commanded festivals on the dates He commanded, then we must DEPEND on Him to show us the proper counting of these dates, rather than trusting on man's calendar based on scientific calcution.
I don't know about you, but for me, this type of dependence on YHVH for even knowing when a new month begins and when a new year begins brings such a sense of safety and complete trust!
I could go into more detail...the command to keep the Shabbat on the seventh day (which is even named Shabbat). Six days of work, and then one shabbat of rest in Him. Six years of growing crops, and then one shabbat year of rest for the land. Seven cycles of these seven years and then the year of Jubilee follows (seven times seven plus one is 50 years...just as seven days times seven weeks plus one day is 50 days, counted from waving the aviv barely until Shavuot/Pentecost).
(What does all this counting do? It keeps our minds and hearts focused on YHVH daily and weekly and yearly!)
The weekly six days plus Shabbat is also mirrored in the time of mankind on earth (like the six days of creation and then Shabbat) - 6000 years of mankind on earth (2000 years of world desolation, turning away from God; the flood; Tower of Babel, etc + 2000 years of instruction from God - Torah; nation of Israel + 2000 years of the days of Messiah encompassing the world) and then 1000 years of Messiah's reign on earth (millennium) equals 7000 years.
Hosea 6:1-3 (spoken to the Israelites)
Come, and let us turn back to יהוה. For He has torn but He does heal us, He has stricken but He binds us up. After two days He shall revive us, on the third day He shall raise us up, so that we live before Him. So let us know, let us pursue to know יהוה. His going forth is as certain as the morning. And He comes to us like the rain, like the latter rain watering the earth.
What a promise, considering one day is like one thousand years!
This promise in Hosea could have several meanings or layers of fulfillment (as biblical prophecy many times does). One of these very likely could be that YHVH, through Hosea, is pointing to the end of the 2000 years of Messiah (2 days), the time of the beginning His reign on earth as KING during the Millennium (3rd day). At this time His chosen people will be drawn to Him. They will know Him! And they will live with Him.
2 Peter 3:5-9
For [mockers] choose to have this hidden from them: that the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by the Word of Elohim, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. And the present heavens and the earth are treasured up by the same Word, being kept for fire, to a day of judgment and destruction of wicked men. But, beloved ones, let not this be hidden from you: that with יהוה one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. יהוה is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
(and the rest of the chapter continues the discussion of the end of days)
I don't know if I am making sense in trying to put some pieces together. Do you see my excitement of how the Word of YHVH and plan of YHVH is so rich and meaningful and how every piece, large and small, fits in perfectly with all the others? Every part of our lives with YHVH through His Messiah Yahshua is meant to turn us in dependence and obedience toward HIM...everything points to HIM!
I did not "see" these things before I began to be obedient to His Word. When I was not keeping the Sabbath on the actual seventh day, I never thought about these things. When I was not watching the moon to determine the times to keep God's commandments, I was not thinking about these things. Now I see more and more every day how much I am and want to be totally dependent on God! He is much more in my daily thoughts and actions than ever before!
These are just meant to be quick examples. I don't intend to go into great detail regarding them. I just wanted to give a glimpse of the intricacy of how everything in YHVH's Word is related and how dependent we are on HIM to guide us daily, weekly, yearly - throughout our lifetimes, throughout the time of mankind on earth!
Now, back to the specific topic of counting the days to Shavuot:
Since this blog is a telling of my journey in simple obedience to YHVH through Yahshua the Messiah, the Living Word, and since I am constantly learning more and discovering more as I journey with YHVH in His Word, I want to continue to post updates on these things that I discover.
This spring, at the beginning of the new year according to YHVH's instruction, I was reading through the biblical instructions for keeping Pesach (the evening meal), the week of Unleavened Bread, and the day of waving the first harvest of barley (which also begins the counting of days until Shavuot).
I wanted to be sure that I was clear on what Scripture says about observing and keeping these commanded appointed times. And I was looking for how these things showed up in other parts of Scripture and in YHVH's overall plan.
I discovered that I was not clear. I was assuming that I would keep the Pesach meal just as many others do - at the end of the 14th day ("between the evenings" is the Hebrew wording used to instruct the timing of the slaughter of Pesach lambs).
Leviticus 23:2-5
"Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed times [moedim] of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these:
Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה in all your dwellings.
These are the appointed times [moedim] of יהוה, set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times.
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings [bein ha arbayim], is the Passover to יהוה."
Numbers 9:2-3
“Now, let the children of Israel perform the Passover at its appointed time [moed]. On the fourteenth day of this month, between the evenings [bein ha arbayim], perform it at its appointed time [moed]."
Exodus 12:5,6
"Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the evenings [bein ha arbayim].
As I began to read some articles written by various people who keep YHVH's commanded feasts, I began to find some disagreements between people and groups (imagine that!). Some said the evening of the 14th of the first month would be at the beginning of the 14th (since the day begins in the evening at sundown). Others said that the Bible says to slaughter the lambs "between the evenings" (bein ha arbayim, as opposed to erev, which simply means evening), which would be late afternoon on the 14th....almost at the end of the 14th. Then the time taken for preparation of the Pesach meal would mean that the meal would be eaten at night, on the beginning of the 15th.
Both groups had very convincing arguments. And some groups had some not-so-nice things to say about the groups who did not interpret Scripture the same way they did (again, imagine that!).
Can you see why I began to get frustrated?
Psalm 118:8,9
It is better to take refuge in יהוה than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in יהוה than to trust in princes.
The more time I spend reading YHVH's Word, tuning out any preconceived interpretations that come from my many years being taught by different people in many denominations of Christianity (as much as I can), the more amazed I am at how much He has created this life of humanity on earth to be dependent on Him for everything! All parts of life on earth are part of the picture He has created that mirrors or sheds light on His Kingdom and His plan for dwelling with humanity for eternity!
Two quick examples: He has put in place a way for mankind to know when each new month begins...the sighting of the new moon (new moon and new month are the same word - chodesh).
Genesis 1:14,15
And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times [moedim], and for days and years, and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to be so.
(take note of the word moedim - it will be important a little further along)
He has also put in place the way to know when each new year begins (which new month begins the new year)...the sighting of ripening barley (aviv actually means a green ear of barley) in the land of Israel. Once the barley is in aviv stage, then the next new moon is the first month of the year.
In both of these examples, He is in control of when the new moon is sighted and when the barley reaches the aviv stage. If we are to follow His instructions to keep the commanded festivals on the dates He commanded, then we must DEPEND on Him to show us the proper counting of these dates, rather than trusting on man's calendar based on scientific calcution.
I don't know about you, but for me, this type of dependence on YHVH for even knowing when a new month begins and when a new year begins brings such a sense of safety and complete trust!
I could go into more detail...the command to keep the Shabbat on the seventh day (which is even named Shabbat). Six days of work, and then one shabbat of rest in Him. Six years of growing crops, and then one shabbat year of rest for the land. Seven cycles of these seven years and then the year of Jubilee follows (seven times seven plus one is 50 years...just as seven days times seven weeks plus one day is 50 days, counted from waving the aviv barely until Shavuot/Pentecost).
(What does all this counting do? It keeps our minds and hearts focused on YHVH daily and weekly and yearly!)
The weekly six days plus Shabbat is also mirrored in the time of mankind on earth (like the six days of creation and then Shabbat) - 6000 years of mankind on earth (2000 years of world desolation, turning away from God; the flood; Tower of Babel, etc + 2000 years of instruction from God - Torah; nation of Israel + 2000 years of the days of Messiah encompassing the world) and then 1000 years of Messiah's reign on earth (millennium) equals 7000 years.
Hosea 6:1-3 (spoken to the Israelites)
Come, and let us turn back to יהוה. For He has torn but He does heal us, He has stricken but He binds us up. After two days He shall revive us, on the third day He shall raise us up, so that we live before Him. So let us know, let us pursue to know יהוה. His going forth is as certain as the morning. And He comes to us like the rain, like the latter rain watering the earth.
What a promise, considering one day is like one thousand years!
This promise in Hosea could have several meanings or layers of fulfillment (as biblical prophecy many times does). One of these very likely could be that YHVH, through Hosea, is pointing to the end of the 2000 years of Messiah (2 days), the time of the beginning His reign on earth as KING during the Millennium (3rd day). At this time His chosen people will be drawn to Him. They will know Him! And they will live with Him.
2 Peter 3:5-9
For [mockers] choose to have this hidden from them: that the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by the Word of Elohim, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. And the present heavens and the earth are treasured up by the same Word, being kept for fire, to a day of judgment and destruction of wicked men. But, beloved ones, let not this be hidden from you: that with יהוה one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. יהוה is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
(and the rest of the chapter continues the discussion of the end of days)
I don't know if I am making sense in trying to put some pieces together. Do you see my excitement of how the Word of YHVH and plan of YHVH is so rich and meaningful and how every piece, large and small, fits in perfectly with all the others? Every part of our lives with YHVH through His Messiah Yahshua is meant to turn us in dependence and obedience toward HIM...everything points to HIM!
I did not "see" these things before I began to be obedient to His Word. When I was not keeping the Sabbath on the actual seventh day, I never thought about these things. When I was not watching the moon to determine the times to keep God's commandments, I was not thinking about these things. Now I see more and more every day how much I am and want to be totally dependent on God! He is much more in my daily thoughts and actions than ever before!
These are just meant to be quick examples. I don't intend to go into great detail regarding them. I just wanted to give a glimpse of the intricacy of how everything in YHVH's Word is related and how dependent we are on HIM to guide us daily, weekly, yearly - throughout our lifetimes, throughout the time of mankind on earth!
Now, back to the specific topic of counting the days to Shavuot:
Since this blog is a telling of my journey in simple obedience to YHVH through Yahshua the Messiah, the Living Word, and since I am constantly learning more and discovering more as I journey with YHVH in His Word, I want to continue to post updates on these things that I discover.
This spring, at the beginning of the new year according to YHVH's instruction, I was reading through the biblical instructions for keeping Pesach (the evening meal), the week of Unleavened Bread, and the day of waving the first harvest of barley (which also begins the counting of days until Shavuot).
I wanted to be sure that I was clear on what Scripture says about observing and keeping these commanded appointed times. And I was looking for how these things showed up in other parts of Scripture and in YHVH's overall plan.
I discovered that I was not clear. I was assuming that I would keep the Pesach meal just as many others do - at the end of the 14th day ("between the evenings" is the Hebrew wording used to instruct the timing of the slaughter of Pesach lambs).
Leviticus 23:2-5
"Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed times [moedim] of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these:
Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה in all your dwellings.
These are the appointed times [moedim] of יהוה, set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times.
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings [bein ha arbayim], is the Passover to יהוה."
Numbers 9:2-3
“Now, let the children of Israel perform the Passover at its appointed time [moed]. On the fourteenth day of this month, between the evenings [bein ha arbayim], perform it at its appointed time [moed]."
Exodus 12:5,6
"Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the evenings [bein ha arbayim].
As I began to read some articles written by various people who keep YHVH's commanded feasts, I began to find some disagreements between people and groups (imagine that!). Some said the evening of the 14th of the first month would be at the beginning of the 14th (since the day begins in the evening at sundown). Others said that the Bible says to slaughter the lambs "between the evenings" (bein ha arbayim, as opposed to erev, which simply means evening), which would be late afternoon on the 14th....almost at the end of the 14th. Then the time taken for preparation of the Pesach meal would mean that the meal would be eaten at night, on the beginning of the 15th.
Both groups had very convincing arguments. And some groups had some not-so-nice things to say about the groups who did not interpret Scripture the same way they did (again, imagine that!).
Can you see why I began to get frustrated?
I have spent many frustrating hours in the past few months reading the
teachings and thoughts of various groups who claim to follow the Bible in its
instructions regarding….
1. When to have the Pesach
meal - at the beginning of the 14th in the evening or the end of the 14th in the evening?
NOTE: Just so you know, I ended this particular frustration by turning away from all the written interpretations of man and just reading the Scripture. I compared all the places in the Word that use the phrase "between the evenings" and concluded that it was pointing to the end of the 14th to sacrifice the lamb, and then the meal would follow a few hours thereafter at the beginning of the 15th at night. Then I looked at the story of the LAMB of YHVH, the ultimate Pesach Lamb, and the time of HIS sacrificial death...in late afternoon on the 14th. And that is when I had my simple Pesach seder meal. I began preparing it in the late afternoon on the 14th and ate it after dark on the 15. It was wonderful! And it was so meaningful to read the story of Yahshua's sacrifice and the connection to the original Pesach in Egypt!
NOTE: Just so you know, I ended this particular frustration by turning away from all the written interpretations of man and just reading the Scripture. I compared all the places in the Word that use the phrase "between the evenings" and concluded that it was pointing to the end of the 14th to sacrifice the lamb, and then the meal would follow a few hours thereafter at the beginning of the 15th at night. Then I looked at the story of the LAMB of YHVH, the ultimate Pesach Lamb, and the time of HIS sacrificial death...in late afternoon on the 14th. And that is when I had my simple Pesach seder meal. I began preparing it in the late afternoon on the 14th and ate it after dark on the 15. It was wonderful! And it was so meaningful to read the story of Yahshua's sacrifice and the connection to the original Pesach in Egypt!
2. When to observe the first harvest, which included the waving of the sheaf of first fruits barley by the priest. AND
3. When to begin the count of 50 days to Shavuot, which was commanded to begin the same time as the waving of the first barley harvest
Because of my realization that I should be relying much more on YHVH's Word and not on man's calendars to tell me when to obey YHVH's Word, I want to be as obedient as I can be in my simple understanding of YHVH's Word. This is why I was reading articles written by people and groups who claim to follow God's Word (not always such a good idea!).
I had the same frustration when I took a closer look at the observance of the day of waving the first barley harvest and beginning the count of days to Shavuot. In the past, this part of the feast of Unleavened Bread had been a bit unclear to me, and I had not really taken time to read and understand the Word regarding this command...until now.
What the Scripture says about the waving of the first harvest of barley may seem to be vague at first...
Deuteronomy 16:6-10
...but at the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell, there you slaughter the Passover in the evening, at the going down of the sun, at the appointed time [moed] you came out of Egypt. And you shall roast and eat it in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, and in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. Six days you eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is a closing festival to יהוה your Elohim – you do no work. Count seven weeks for yourself. Begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. And you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to יהוה [Shavuot/Pentecost] your Elohim, according to the voluntary offering from your hand, which you give as יהוה your Elohim blesses you.
Leviticus 23:8-11, 15-16
..."And you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה for seven days. On the seventh day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work."
And יהוה spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it.....
And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to יהוה."
Many of the Messianic Jewish congregations and groups (and some Christian groups who actually keep God's moedim) follow the "traditional" calendar of Rabbinic Judaism, which interprets these Scriptures to mean that the waving of grain and beginning of the count of 50 days should begin on the day after the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which is on the 15th)...so that would mean that the count always starts on the 16th.
I was looking at several calendars and noticed they all said that the waving of grain and the counting were on the 16th, and I was confused because I had just read that the count should begin on the day after the Sabbath.
So I went looking online. I read many online articles. Again, I read many conflicting "proofs" and interpretations of Scripture. Every time I read a new article or a new interpretation, my frustration level continued to grow and grow.
At the height of my frustration, when I really just wanted to be obedient to my YHVH and His Word and yet all I was reading was bickering arguments and complex analogies of Scripture, I came to a point of saying “if the Bible is so vague and unclear about such important commanded and appointed times, then what is the use of trying to obey?”
Immediately after this thought, I would remind myself that
it is man’s traditions and analysis of Scripture that is deficient, not
Scripture itself! So I would stop reading
the (at times vitriolic) teachings of various groups, each attacking the
others’ interpretations and claiming to have the right way of following God’s
commands, and I would go back to the Word itself, in the original Hebrew
language, and read it again and again.
After reading these Scriptures several times, and after comparing the original Hebrew with other Scriptures (using tools like Strongs and E-Sword), I saw suddenly how simple, direct, and clear the Word is on this point!
After reading these Scriptures several times, and after comparing the original Hebrew with other Scriptures (using tools like Strongs and E-Sword), I saw suddenly how simple, direct, and clear the Word is on this point!
There are 3 words in use in solving this question: shabbat (singular),
shabbatot (plural of shabbat), and shabbaton (a related word to shabbat
but not the same usage and meaning). I won't
go into great detail here, because this is something you can also
search for yourself! I will just give an overview of what I saw as I searched the Word.
The issue of conflict between groups is that the first day of Unleavened Bread (the 15th day of the first month) and the seventh day of Unleavened Bread (the 21st day of the first month) are both days of rest and no work according to Scripture. (See Leviticus 23)
Some groups call these two days of no work, shabbats.
But they are not called shabbats in the Scripture. They are called holy rehearsals or holy assemblies (miqra kodesh). In fact, the only days that the Scripture refers to as shabbats are the actual Shabbats (seventh day of the week). The only other time the word shabbat is used to describe any other day is in Leviticus 16:31 about Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonement)...and here it is called a shabbat shabbaton (a shabbat of rest). The word shabbat, when used alone, refers strictly to the seventh day of the week throughout Scripture.
How wonderful to come to a point of such peace after being in a state of such frustration!
The issue of conflict between groups is that the first day of Unleavened Bread (the 15th day of the first month) and the seventh day of Unleavened Bread (the 21st day of the first month) are both days of rest and no work according to Scripture. (See Leviticus 23)
Some groups call these two days of no work, shabbats.
But they are not called shabbats in the Scripture. They are called holy rehearsals or holy assemblies (miqra kodesh). In fact, the only days that the Scripture refers to as shabbats are the actual Shabbats (seventh day of the week). The only other time the word shabbat is used to describe any other day is in Leviticus 16:31 about Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonement)...and here it is called a shabbat shabbaton (a shabbat of rest). The word shabbat, when used alone, refers strictly to the seventh day of the week throughout Scripture.
How wonderful to come to a point of such peace after being in a state of such frustration!
It was so simple to see that the Shabbat (weekly seventh day) that occurs during the week of Unleavened Bread is the Shabbat that Scripture refers to when commanding us to begin counting the 50 days to Shavuot/Pentecost.
And that is when I started my counting!
Let me ask again....what is the purpose of all this counting?
Well, I don't know all the answers. And I am sure that at some point some deeper meanings and connections will be made plain to us who keep YHVH's commands.
But for now, I can tell you that YHVH's command to count 50 days until Shavuot keeps my mind and heart focused on Him daily! It is a constant reminder, like the moon, and like the weekly Shabbat, and like many other other reminders He provides in daily life....a reminder that HE is the center of my life, of all life!
Thanks for hanging in there with me during this long explanation of a seemingly small realization!
As we count the days, may we continue to be focused on HIM, on our Passover Lamb, our KING in love and obedience!
Gina
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