Sukkot - Drawing Living Water ...

                       ... from the wells of y'shu'ah (salvation)!

And on the last day, the great day of the festival, Yahshua stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink.  As the Scripture said, out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water."  John 7:37, 38

“See, El is my salvation, I trust and am not afraid. 

For Yah, יהוה, is my strength and my song; and He has become my salvation.”

And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of [y’shu'ah] salvation.  
 Isaiah 12:2, 3

Chag Sukkot Sameach (joyful Sukkot celebration) and Shalom from within my sukkah!

Because this moed (appointed time/”festival”) of YHVH  is such a joyful time and is my very favorite time of year, I would like to share my joy and scripture reading contemplations with you.

It would be great if we could all be sitting in one big sukkah together in Jerusalem reflecting on the Word of Yah together.    
Perhaps not today….but God says that in the end all nations will come together in Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot.  Under the Messiah’s reign, we will live together with Him in eternal Sukkot, and then even small things like the pots and the bells on the horses will be labeled as set-apart to YHVH.  (Read Zechariah 14)

For those of you who have never celebrated this appointed time of Sukkot, there is no way to describe the joy or the richness or the rest or the liberty and freedom that this week brings. 
You have to experience it for yourselves!
Really!
I know many don't believe that it could be so wonderful!
I have heard many comments from believers who do not observe YHVH's commands regarding His appointed times...comments such as doing so is just legalism and that as believers we have been set free from the law.

To that, I simply say "try it...you might like it!"

It is far from legalism.  It is out of love for my Elohim, my Redeemer, my Living Water, my Salvation (Yahshua, my y'shu'ah) that I obey YHVH's Word.
And the result is much joy, great richness, and tremendous freedom...especially during Sukkot!

How will you know unless you experience it?  :o)

(Sidenote:  When I "simply say try it..." I realize that in our western culture's time schedule, it is not so simple to stick to God's appointed time schedule of Shabbat and the "no work" days during His moedim.  Yes, that is very true.  It is difficult to adjust ourselves and those around us to a different schedule.  But as difficult as it may be, it IS possible...and so enriching and restful and satisfying, and worth whatever was given up to do so.)

For now, as I sit in my sukkah on this autumn day, enjoying resting and reading and snacking in my sukkah, I want to share with you some of the things I am reading.

Let's start with the scripture that opened this post - John 7:37-38.
In John 7, Yahshua traveled to Jerusalem during Sukkot (obeying the command of Yah His Father, by the way...see Deut. 16:16).  It is on the last day of Sukkot, the Hoshanah Rabah or Great Salvation, that this scripture takes place.
Hoshanah comes from two the words hoshi'ah na (save now) in Psalm118:25.  It is a plea to Yah for Him to save His people.
Save now, I beseech You YHVH...

The tradition on this day was for the priest to fetch water (Living Water, Mayim Chaim) from the Siloam Pool, bring it to the Temple, and pour it on the altar.  This would be accompanied by sounds of great jubilation and singing (Isaiah 12:2) from the assembled people. He would then pray for YHVH to send His Messiah to save them (Psalm 118:25, 26)

... Yah, יהוה, is my strength and my song; and He has become my salvation...
Save now, I beseech You YHVH... Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of יהוה!   We shall bless you from the House of יהוה. 

So here is Yahshua, having traveled to Jerusalem for the appointed time of Sukkot, now standing in the midst of the assembly on the last day of the week-long festival, and during the high point of the festival, the water ceremony and the cry for salvation, He proclaims: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink.  As the Scripture said, out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water."

Wow! Would that get my attention!  
Would it get yours too?  
It for sure got the attention of the scribes and Pharisees, and it divided the people who heard it (see the rest of the chapter).

What a claim!  Drinking from the wells of salvation, the Mayim Chaim (Living Water) through Yahshua!  
The next verse says that He was referring to the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) when He spoke these words.

Which exact Scripture was Yahshua quoting when He said "as the Scripture said, out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water"?

Well, in that answer lies the rest of this blog post. 
Yahshua was not quoting one exact specific verse.  He was speaking generally of many places in the Scriptures that deal with this topic of the Spirit, salvation, and the flow of Living Water.

That topic - the Living Water and Salvation, and how they tie into Sukkot - is what I want to focus on in this particular blog post.

Can you think of scriptures that speak of life-giving waters flowing and of salvation?
(Of course, Yahshua would have been quoting from and pointing to the Tanakh, the Old Testament, since the New Testament had not yet been written or even lived yet for the most part.)

Let's start with another instance in the book of John - the Samaritan woman at the well.  Yahshua said almost the exact thing to her personally during their meeting at the well.

John 4:13, 14
Yahshua answered and said to her, “Everyone drinking of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him shall certainly never thirst. 
And the water that I give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”


Now let's turn to the Tanakh and read what YHVH had to say through the prophets about Living Water (Yahshua) and Salvation (Yahshua).

Isaiah 55:1 
Here YHVH is speaking directly to Israel in a continuation of Isaiah 54 where He had said to them "For your Maker is your husband, יהוה of hosts is His Name, and the Set-apart One of Israel is your Redeemer....  For a little while I have forsaken you, but with great compassion I shall gather you.... For though the mountains be removed and the hills be shaken, My kindness is not removed from you, nor is My covenant of peace shaken,” said יהוה, who has compassion on you.... No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall prove wrong. This is the inheritance of the servants of יהוה, and their righteousness from Me,” declares יהוה.

And immediately after that comes invitation in Isaiah 55:1...

“Oh everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no silver, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without price."  

Reading Jeremiah 2 gives us a better picture of how vital it is for Israel to choose to accept the invitation for YHVH's Living Waters instead of going after their own dried up and broken water sources.

Jeremiah 2:12-13 

Be amazed, O heavens, at this, and be frightened, be utterly dried up,” declares יהוה. "For My people have done two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns, which do not hold water. 

2:17-19
 “Have you not done this to yourself, by forsaking יהוה your Elohim when He led you in the way?  And now why take the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or why take the way to Ashshur, to drink the waters of the River?  Your own evil instructs you, and your back-slidings reprove you.


Now look at the situation in Jeremiah 17:12-14:

An esteemed throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our set-apart place.   O יהוה, the expectation of Israel, all who forsake You are put to shame. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken יהוה, the fountain of living waters.” 
Heal me, O יהוה, so that I am healed. Save me, so that I am saved, for You are my praise.

This is why Israel cries out "Save now! Hoshiah na!"

 Look at another place in Isaiah where YHVH speaks directly to Israel...

Isaiah 44:2-6

Thus said יהוה who made you and formed you from the womb, who helps you, "Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, and Yeshurun, whom I have chosen.  For I pour water on the thirsty, and floods on the dry ground. I pour My Spirit on your seed, and My blessing on your offspring, and they shall spring up among the grass like willows by streams of water." 
One says, "I belong to יהוה"; another calls himself by the name of Jacob; another writes with his hand, "Unto יהוה," and names himself by the name of Israel.  
Thus said יהוה, Sovereign of Israel, and his Redeemer, יהוה of hosts, "I am the First and I am the Last, besides Me there is no Elohim."


And in Isaiah 58:11-14

“Then יהוה would guide you continually, and satisfy your being in drought, and strengthen your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.   
And those from among you shall build the old waste places. You shall raise up the foundations of many generations. And you would be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.  If you do turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My set-apart day, and shall call the Sabbath ‘a delight,’ the set-apart day of יהוה ‘esteemed,’ and shall esteem it, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in יהוה. And I shall cause you to ride on the heights of the earth, and feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father. For the mouth of יהוה has spoken!” 


And in Psalm 36:7-10

How precious is Your kindness, O Elohim! And the sons of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 
They are filled from the fatness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 
For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. 
Draw out Your kindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
 


Do you see so far how much YHVH wants Israel to know of His refreshing, His provision, His redemption...His Living Waters? 
And do you also see how Israel will reap the benefits in very practical and tangible ways?
Isn't it exciting to read so much of Yah's guidance, through His Spirit, of His people!
And isn't it exciting to know that YHVH had planned all along to provide salvation for His people Himself with His own Strong Right Hand - Yahshua, the Living Water!


Now let's continue to look at what is still to unfold in the seemingly not-so-distant future.  Let's see how these waters, the physical ones and the spiritual ones, are tied together for eternal Salvation...eternal Sukkot with our Redeemer.
(Yes, I am reading YHVH's Word literally.)

Joel chapter 3 begins with "at that time when I turn back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem"... and when YHVH will bring all the gentiles to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgement there for His people Israel and His land of inheritance Israel.

Look at Joel 3:17-21

"Then you shall know that I am יהוה your Elohim, dwelling in Zion, My set-apart mountain. And Jerusalem shall be set-apart, and foreigners shall not pass through her again.  
And it shall be in that day that the mountains drip with new wine, and the hills flow with milk. And all the streams of Judah shall be flooded with water, and a fountain flow from the House of יהוה and water the valley Shittim. 
Egypt shall become a ruin, and Edom a ruin, a wilderness, because of violence done to the people of Judah, whose innocent blood they shed in their land.  
But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. 
And I shall avenge their blood, which I have not avenged. 
And יהוה shall be dwelling in Zion!”

Zechariah 14 speaks of these physical living waters flowing from Jerusalem, and it also speaks of eternal Sukkot.  (And it also speaks of the destruction of those who fought against Jerusalem.)

Zechariah 14:8, 9, 16

And in that day it shall be that living waters flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea, in summer as well as in winter.   And יהוה shall be Sovereign over all the earth. In that day there shall be one יהוה, and His Name one.

And it shall be that all who are left from all the gentiles which came up against Jerusalem, shall go up from year to year to bow themselves to the Sovereign, יהוה of hosts, and to observe Sukkot [Festival of Booths]. 


Again this picture of future living, healing water flowing from Jerusalem is found in Ezekiel 47...the whole chapter.  Let's look at several verses...

Ezekiel 47
[1] And he turned me back to the door of the House. And look, water was flowing from under the threshold of the House [Temple] toward the east, for the House faced east, and the water was flowing from under the right side of the House, from the south of the altar. 
[9] “And it shall be that every swarming creature, wherever the stream goes, shall live. And there shall be very many fish, for these waters shall go there, and they are healed. And wherever the stream flows all shall live.

[12] “And by the bank of the stream, on both sides, grow all kinds of trees used for food, whose leaves do not wither and fruit do not fail. They bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the set-apart place. And their fruit shall be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

(Interesting point - right after this YHVH declares on oath the borders of this land that He gave to Israel as an inheritance.)


After looking through so much Scripture filled with the theme of YHVH's Living Water of Salvation given to His people Israel (and remember, we believing gentiles are grafted into His people Israel), it is so much easier to see the importance of the words Yahshua cried out to the crowd on that final day of Sukkot.
 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink.  As the Scripture said, out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water."

The importance of His words, His claim, would not have been lost on the crowd and for sure was not lost on the religious leaders.

He was claiming to be the fulfillment of all the Scripture regarding YHVH's plan of Salvation, His plan to provide Living Water...to save His people.

That was a huge claim...and according to John 7 many of the people were ready to believe that Yahshua really is what He claims...the Living Water, the Salvation (y'shu'ah), the promised Messiah!

But again, many were not.  

Even with the picture laid out so perfectly and completely before them - all of this taking place during the ceremony of the living water, after having praised Yah for providing and being Salvation and after having cried out "Hoshiah na! Save us now!", the religious leaders refused to admit that Yah answered their cries with the Messiah right there in the midst of Sukkot!

We can look back at it and say, "why were they so blind?"

But we can also say the same thing about some believers today. 
Yes, they see the truth that Yahshua is YHVH's provision of Salvation, the Messiah, the Living Water.  But they cannot accept the truth of the Tanakh for His people today...the truth of Yah's Word - beginning to end - for everyday living.  Why live by the Word of Yah?  Out of love for Him!  Obedience - I obey because I love Him and trust His ways.

Well, I'm getting a little sidetracked now.

Let's go back to the Word...back to the very end.
We've been given a preview of what's to come, and you were probably reminded of it while reading some of the Scriptures from the prophets just now.

Let's look at the Final Eternal Sukkot with the Eternal Living Water!

Revelation 7:15-17
...they are before the throne of Elohim, and serve Him day and night in His Dwelling Place. And He who sits on the throne shall spread His Tent over them.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat, because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them and lead them to fountains of waters of life. And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.


Revelation 21:3-6

  And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the sukkah [booth] of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim.  
And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying. And there shall be no more pain, for the former matters have passed away.” 
And He who was sitting on the throne said, “See, I make all matters new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and trustworthy.” 
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Tav’, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I shall give of the fountain of the water of life without payment. 
 
Revelation 22:1, 2  

And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
 

And Yahshua Himself says in Revelation 22:12-13

And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.  I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Tav’, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.  Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.


Finally, in verse 17... 
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires it, take the water of life without paying!


May you draw water from the fountains of Yahshua our Salvation...with JOY and gratitude!

Gina

YHVH's Word - Simply Truth

 A moment of frustration becomes a long blog post of explanation!

An update on following YHVH's biblical calendar according to it's simplicity rather than according to man's traditions and complex interpretations.

Deuteronomy 30:11-16 
“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?

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!

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!

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!

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