Counting the Omer

What is “Counting the Omer”?
God’s people have been counting the omer or days from Passover to Pentecost (a.k.a. Shavuot, Feast of Weeks) for a long time. Why do God’s people count the days to Pentecost?
I looked up the phrase “counting the days” and one definition said …
Counting the Days: to wait for something that you want very much to happen.
I also looked up quotes about “counting the days” and several said something like this …
“Roses are read. Violets are blue. I’m counting the days, until I can finally see you.”
People who are engaged to be married count the days until their wedding. When I was a child, several of my teachers counted the days until summer vacation. All throughout history people have counted the days when they have been excited about something that was coming soon. So why have God’s people counted the days from Passover to Pentecost for thousands of years?
(Leviticus 23:15-16, 22) ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. … When you reap the harvest of your land.
God’s people counted the days from Passover to Pentecost because Pentecost was the time when they reaped the Spring harvest. This was something people were excited about and wanted very much to happen. While they were counting the days, they were counting on God to give them a harvest that would supply all their needs.
After delivering His people from Egypt, God brought them to Mt. Sinai. When you count the days from Passover (or the time Israel left Egypt) you discover that Moses was meeting with God at Mt. Sinai on the day of Pentecost. This is certainly something to get excited about. As we count the days to Pentecost and think about Israel’s time with God at Mt. Sinai, we pray and hope that God will grant us a special revelation of Himself and His Word.
About 2,000 years ago while God’s people were in the Upper Room and counting the days to Pentecost, God again met with them in a very special way by giving them His Spirit. Just like God’s people in the first century, we need a fresh impartation of God’s Spirit.
God gave us His Word and Spirit on the same day because they work together to accomplish God’s purposes in our life. Receiving God’s Word and Spirit are not simply one-time events. When we first receive a revelation of God’s Word and Spirit, we are not complete or perfect. Every day we need more revelation of God’s Word, and a fresh impartation of His Spirit, and since He gave both on the same day, we should expect that this is a special day to pursue more of both.
Receiving more revelation of God’s Word, and a fresh touch of His Spirit is something that should excite us, and we should want to happen so we should be counting the days until Pentecost. We should be confident that God loves us so much that He wants to give us a fresh revelation of His Word, and impartation of His Spirit.
I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it. I’m about to meet with God and I think I like it.

Ronald Goldberg

Ron Goldberg is a Jew who belongs to Jesus. He regularly speaks to all denominations and faiths about his spiritual journey. Ron was raised as a traditional Jew and was sent to deprogramming by his parents and rabbi in hopes of getting him to reject Yeshua (Jesus). He shares how he met the Jewish Jesus and helps other people meet the Jewish Jesus. Have you met the Jewish Jesus?