Friday, April 14 | Omer Day Nine
In Leviticus 23:15-16, the Lord commanded the Israelites to count fifty days from the Passover to the festival of Shavu’ot. Seven full weeks transpired – forty-nine days with the fiftieth day being Shavu’ot. The Greek word for fifty is πεντηκοστῆς (pentekonta) so the festival became known as Pentecost, and the beginning of the church. Today is the Omer Day Nine.
During the days of the Temple, on the first day of the Omer the priests would wave a sheaf or omer in the air. The sheaf was a tied bundle of harvested cereal including both the stalks and the heads of grain. Do you remember the old hymn? “Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves!” This festival gives new meaning to the hymn, doesn’t it?
We will not keep the entire Jewish tradition when we count the Omer, but we will keep a similar pattern.
- Jews proclaim the blessing, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by his commandments.” Let’s continue the tradition by proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who has sanctified us through the sacrifice of His Son.”
- Declare the count: “Today is nine days, which is one week and two days of the Omer.”
- Jews pray for the Temple to be rebuilt. Pray instead for the building of God’s kingdom in the church. Pray that the church has the faith and fortitude to change the world.
- Read the Scripture passage of the day.
- Pray for personal holiness in preparation for Pentecost.
Here is the Scriptural passage for the day:
Keep me from deceitful ways;
Psalm 119:29-31
be gracious to me and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I have set my heart on your laws.
31 I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
do not let me be put to shame.
Focus your attention on the last phrase of the passage. “Do not let me be put to shame.” I hold fast to your statutes. How and why would I be put to shame? Today’s culture certainly provides a possible answer. Those who maintain a conservative, systematic approach to God’s Scripture as authoritative and authentic are ridiculed in almost every circle – even within some Christian circles. Those who hold to God’s truth are never in the majority. God protect us – so that the attacks of the enemy do not negate our faith.
