DAY EIGHT OF THE OMER

“Today is eight days, which is one week and one day of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the week: Gevurah – Severity and Strength

·       Theme of the day: Chesed – Loving kindness

·       Overall Theme: “The Loving-kindness of His Severity and Strength.”

·       Psalm 119:57-64

Gen. 3:22-24 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Getting booted out of Paradise for breaking one measly rule! Ouch! That’s Harsh!
Well, if you read and meditate on the text carefully, you will witness the Love in God’s severity. Yes, expulsion from Eden and death upon all mankind was sever, no doubt; but EXTREMELY Loving. If ADONAI cared nothing for us, He would have allowed us to stay in the Garden, eat of the Tree of Life in our sinful state and forever be separated from Him, now that would truly be an eternal living hell, and eternal separation from God is currently what makes hell, hell.

The Traditional text to read is Psalm 119:57-64:

57     ¶ CHETH. Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words.

Land, Kingdom, Wealth, Women…. Heck, it’s nothing compared to God and His Torah. That is enough “portion” for David.

58     ¶ I entreated thy favor with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

Torah is not just a hap-hazard thing to David it’s all or nothing!

59     ¶ I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

“Turn my feet” implies teshuvah, repentance, a 180 after wrong doing is realized; a turning away from sin and a turning to the Source, a turning to God. David is turning to God and His Righteousness.

60     I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

David didn’t make an excuse NOT to keep the Commandments; HE wasted no time in keeping them!

61     ¶ The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.

Come hell or high water, come persecution or loss David will keep the Torah no matter what!

62     ¶ At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

God and His Torah is so awesome, sometimes David can’t even sleep he is so giddy about it and he can’t help but give praise to ADONAI. Or even if something is on his mind and keeping him up all night he will end up praising God because of His Torah. He knows if he follows it that God has his back and it all will be okay.

63     ¶ I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

David admits that there is a brotherhood, a family quality among those who keep His commandments, and indeed I can testify this for my self that it is so true.

64     ¶ The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

Though we cannot understand the Chukim with out finite minds this verse hints that God gave them to us and that is why the earth is full with His mercy.

“Abba ADONAI God, if it were not for Your Loving-kindness coupled with Your Severity, I would not be talking to You right now. HalleluYah! Praise, Glory and Honor be unto You in the Holy Name of Yeshua I pray, Ameyn!”