DAY 41 OF THE OMER

“Today is forty-one days which are five weeks and six days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Theme of the Day: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Overall Theme: The Intimate Intimacy of His Intimacy

·       Psalm 103

Have you seen the skeletons in your best friend’s closet? Do you know all the dirt on them? Have you seen behind the picket fence and seen their dirty laundry waving in the wind on the line? Don’t be too quick to say, “Yes.” Sure, you may know a lot that most people don’t know about your bosom buddy because we are all vulnerable and private and hang on to at least one dark or shameful thing. Yet the God of this Universe knows what you try to keep so quite and in the dark and He still loves you anyway! And since you know He knows and if you have given yourself wholly over to Him, you know what He has doesn’t come with regret.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  

That’s not in a complete circle like North to South is. It is an infinite line away from you.
The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 103:

Psalm 103

 ¹Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
 ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
 ³Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
 ⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
 ⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
 ⁶The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
 ⁷He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
 ⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
 ⁹He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
 ¹⁰He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
 ¹¹For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
 ¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
 ¹³Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
 ¹⁴For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
 ¹⁵As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
 ¹⁶For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
 ¹⁷But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
 ¹⁸To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
 ¹⁹The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
 ²⁰Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
 ²¹Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
 ²²Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

“Abba ADONAI God, despite the most darkest and concealed blight on my soul, You know and You still love me anyway! You have taken that which I tried so hard to hide and flicked it away like a piece of lint on my clothes. HalleluYah! Thank You Father! All in the Name of Yeshua You have done this and In His Name I pray, Ameyn.”

DAY 40 OF THE OMER

“Today is forty days which are five weeks and five days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Theme of the Day: Hod - Glory

·       Overall Theme: The Glory of His Intimacy

·       Psalm 99

Today is a busy day in the count of the Omer. During the Journey in the Wilderness, Yitro (Jethro), Moses’ Father-in-Law visits and gives Moses life changing advice that has left its mark on Judaism ever since and this was the establishment of Judges:

Exodus 18:17-24 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

It is also said to be the day of Moses’ 40 day fast and lastly this day also commemorates Yeshua’s ascension into Heaven after His resurrection.

Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Acts 1:1-11 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

All of which gives one a taste of the Glory of His Intimacy. When ADONAI speaks through others and you listen, know it’s from God and do it. When you fast in order to deny your flesh, clear your head to see, feel and know Him more. When you stick around to see some godly person depart and drink in their last words, all of which you experience His Intimacy in a Glorious, unforgettable way. That is forever life changing and we see that in all 3 Scriptural examples. Even the Traditional Psalm we read today lets us taste this theme:

Psalm 99

 ¹The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
 ²The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
 ³Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
 ⁴The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
 ⁵Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
 ⁶Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
 ⁷He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
 ⁸Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
 ⁹Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

“Abba ADONAI God, please move me and put me in such a place to where I am able to experience Your life changing Intimacy in a Glorious way, so I may better serve You and others. In Yeshua’s Name I pray, Ameyn.”

DAY 39 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-nine days which are five weeks and four days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Theme of the Day: Netzach - Victory

·       Overall Theme: The Victory of His Intimacy

·       Psalm 98

When you are madly in love and are intimate with the Creator, God not only rules the world but your heart as well and therefore we have victory over sin.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 98:

Psalm 98

 ¹O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
 ²The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
 ³He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
 ⁴Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
 ⁵Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
 ⁶With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
 ⁷Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
 ⁸Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
 ⁹Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

“Abba ADONAI God, I praise You and thank You for the victory I have in my life because of my Intimate relationship with You. In Messiah Yeshua’s Name I pray, Ameyn.”

DAY 38 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-eight days, which are five weeks and three days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Theme of the Day: Tefreit - Beauty

·       Overall Theme: The Beauty of His Intimacy

·       Psalm 96

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 96, but I would like to focus on verses 6-7:

Psalm 96

 ¹O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
 ²Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
 ³Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
 ⁴For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
 ⁵For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
 ⁶Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
 ⁷Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
 ⁸Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
 ⁹O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
 ¹⁰Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
 ¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
 ¹²Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
 ¹³Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Just as sex between a husband and a wife is a holy intimate and strengthening act, because it is holy it is NOT dirty or smutty, but beautiful; just like praise and worship is beautiful.

We often use the word beautiful as an esthetic term of an object or thing.  But here the word is used as an act, as an event.

Today also commemorates the beautiful victory Israel had against Amelek because of the strength gained from the intimate experience of ADONAI providing water from the rock.

Exodus 12:8-16 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

Another beautiful and Intimate act is when we love our fellow man by helping him carry a load.

Gal. 6:2-3 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

“Indeed ADONAI, We have a Beautifully Intimate thing going on here, help me to further submit to You and therefore deepen and strengthen that Beautiful and Intimate bond. In Yeshua’s Name, Ameyn.”

DAY 37 OF THE OMER

“Today is the thirty-seven days, which are five weeks and two days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Theme of the Day: Gevurah – Severity and Strength

·       Overall Theme: The Severity and Strength of His Intimacy

·       Psalm 95:1-7

Revelation 4

 ¹After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
 ²And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
 ³And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
 ⁴And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
 ⁵And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
 ⁶And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
 ⁷And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
 ⁸And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
 ⁹And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
 ¹⁰The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
 ¹¹Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 7

 ⁹After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
 ¹⁰And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
 ¹¹And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
 ¹²Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
 ¹³And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
 ¹⁴And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 ¹⁵Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
 ¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
 ¹⁷For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Two things fit this overall theme to a “T” and that is praise and worship. When we totally let go of our paranoid, “who’s watching me,” inhibitions and lose ourselves praising Him, we begin to receive Strength through the high of Intimacy we get when we worship.

We as believers are likened to a bride, right? And when a married couple has passionate sex, it’s called, “making love.” Feelings of Intimacy are there and afterwards you feel closer, the bonds of your relationship is strengthened and you feel an inner, personal strength like you can take on the world. This is similar to what happens when we are intimate with HaShem though our acts of praise and worship, and this is what our traditional text of the Psalms is all about:

Psalm 95

 ¹O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
 ²Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
 ³For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
 ⁴In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
 ⁵The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
 ⁶O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
 ⁷For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

“Oh Mighty and Majestic God, the Lover of my soul, I pray you would help and enable me to fall more madly, deeply and passionately in love with You. I want to know You and in the Hebrew the word to Know implies intimacy. I want to be like a giddy, love sick school girl who wants to be with you 24-7. I love you Adonai! In Yeshua’s Name I pray, Ameyn.”

DAY 36 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-six days which are five weeks and one day of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Theme of the Day: Chesed – Loving-kindness

·       Overall Theme: The Loving-kindness of His Intimacy

·       Psalm 94:12-23

John 4:5-10 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

In Yeshua’s Day and culture men and women who were not married or were not related to each other never just “shot the breeze” or “chewed the fat.” Dialogue was considered intimate and was only reserved for same sex, spouse or close relatives of the opposite sex, like a sister.

So here is the woman some would consider, damaged goods, trash, a floozy, a hussy. She was an outcast of sorts even among her own in so much that she had to get water from the well at an odd time of the day so she would be harassed by the locals because of her reputation. And here we see Yeshua, a Rabbi striking up a conversation with her. Not only was she a woman of ill-repute, but a half-breed Jew, a Samaritan and to speak to such a person with a complexity of labels was taboo. Yet by dialogue, as we already established was a form of intimacy; He spoke to her about spiritual matters, instead of degrading her and sending her away displayed Messiah’s loving-kindness in an intimate way.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 94:12-23:

¹²Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
 ¹³That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
 ¹⁴For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
 ¹⁵But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
 ¹⁶Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
 ¹⁷Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
 ¹⁸When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
 ¹⁹In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
 ²⁰Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
 ²¹They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
 ²²But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
 ²³And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

“Loving Abba God, help and enable me to be lovingly intimate as Yeshua was, through my words and actions. Especially toward those society and religion frown upon and help me make an everlasting difference in their lives. In the Name of Messiah Yeshua I pray, Ameyn.”

DAY 35 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-five days which are five weeks of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Malchut - Majesty

·       Overall Theme: The Majesty of His Glory

·       Psalm 93:1-5

Exodus 19:16-20 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

Have you ever witnessed a natural event from a far, like a tornado or volcano? The sheer size and power, the sights and sounds stagger the mind and instill a tinge of fear. No wonder pagans believed such events to manifestations of gods.
A king’s displays his glory with great pomp and circumstance with trumpets and a show in some way of his wealth. In modern day, a parade of his military prowess and might is on display, a show of what he commands, what power is at his fingertips is seen.

At Shavuot (Pentecost), like a king displaying all his awe inspiring majesty, ADONAI manifests Himself and His Power through a thick cloud, wind, earthquake, thunder, lighting and a blast of an unseen shofar. Such display invoked fear in the Israelites to get them to fully understand that their God is not like all the other gods. Indeed, it must have been a majestic sight of His Glory.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 93:1-5:

 ¹The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
 ²Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.
 ³The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
 ⁴The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
 ⁵Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

“Majestic Almighty King of the Universe, I stand in awe and reverential fear of Your Awesome Majestic Might. May that respectful fear enable me to agree to keep Your Torah as those at Sinai agreed to do. In Yeshua’s Name, Ameyn.”

DAY 34 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-four days which are four weeks and six days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Yesod - Intimacy

·       Overall Theme: The Intimacy of His Glory

·       Psalm 78:56-72

The counting of the Omer also recounts the journey in the wilderness to Mount Sinai where Israel received the Torah (Law) and every so often in the count a stop or an event in the journey is recounted. Today is just such a day as we recall the stop at Rephidim where Moses gets water from the Rock.

Exodus 17:1-16

We see Israel is camped in Rephidim which means, “spread them” a contraction of Raphot Yadim meaning “weakness of the hands. This is a Hebrew idiom for fear. Kind of like when we say, “Weak in the knees” The hand in Hebraic thought means ability, authority and power. So we can put it all together like this; “When your hands are weak, spread them.” When do we see people spreading their hands in Scripture, what are they usually doing? Praying and or Praising. And in our day and time what does spreading the hands mean? Surrender. So when we are weak we must surrender ourselves and our situation to God and spread our hands out in prayer and praise for the anticipated answer that is coming.

There are two stories about Rephidim, and each involves weak and spreading hands.

1. Exodus 17:3 “And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”

Israel was WEAK with fear for their lives, and Moshe SPREAD his HANDS and struck the rock and water flowed.

This most likely was a porous volcanic rock that allowed water to flow through it from an underground spring. Or it could have been sandstone or limestone rock which is light enough to allow water to pass through it, and the rock would act as a purifier and so the water would be supper clean.

“The striking of the Rock at Rephidim by Moses and the gushing forth of water sounds like a veritable miracle, but the writer [Major Jarvis] has seen it happen. Some of the Sinai Camel Corps had halted in a wadi and were digging in the loose gravel accumulated at one of the rocky sides to obtain water that was slowly trickling through limestone rock… One of the men began to dig with great vigor… One of his lusty blows hit the rock… out of the porous rock came a great gush of clear water.” – Yesterday and Today in Sinai – Major C.S. Jarvis

2. The battle with Amalek. The problem was that Moshe’s hands were physically WEAK and the solution was Aharon and Hur helped SPREAD his HANDS so they could win the war.

“Did then the hands of Moses wage war or break war? Not so; but so long as Israel looked upwards and subjected their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed; and when they did not, they fell.” -- Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 29a

 Exodus 16:1 “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.” (KJV)

Yesod means foundation and in going through the attributes we liken foundation to closeness and intimacy because when you superimpose the Seforitic chart onto the outline of a man, Yesod symbolizes the regenerative organ, and hence in a marital relationship this has to do with intimacy.  In a relationship one will go the extra wile or jump through hoops to please their partner and to prove their love. Sometimes a want or a need arises and one will go out of their way for their partner to meet such a want or need because of love. Water was just such a need and getting it from a rock was the extreme ADONAI was willing to go to meet that need and to prove His love for Israel. His Intimacy for Israel was manifested in a Glorious and unusual way.

Now spiritually who is the Rock? And who is the Water? Yeshua the Messiah (I Cor. 10:4, John 4:10)!

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 78:56-72:

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand. He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

“Abba ADONAI God, You indeed are my all in all and if I but trust, believe and submit, even my most intimate and essential needs would be met. Help and enable me to fully trust, believe and submit to You. In the Name of Messiah Yeshua I pray. Ameyn!”

DAY 33 OF THE OMER: Lag B’Omer

“Today is thirty-three days which are four weeks and five days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Hod - Glory

·       Overall Theme: The Glory of His Glory

·       Psalm 78:40-55

Today is Lag B’Omer:

What is Lag B’Omer

Lag B’Omer takes place during the 33^rd day of the counting of the Omer which counts up to the High Holy Day of Shavu’ot (Pentecost). The 33^rd day of the Omer takes place on Iyar 18^th on the Hebrew Calendar.

Lag B’Omer itself is not a High Holy Day, but a Traditional Jewish Holiday recounting the Talmud account of 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who die at the hand of ADONAI via a plague during the counting of the Omer because his students didn’t show proper respect towards one another. The 33^rd day is when the plague ended. So to commemorate this we traditionally have our haircut at this time so as to show that we have no more reason to mourn, but to rejoice, because in Judaism, when we are in mourning we leave our hair unkempt. Jewish children traditionally do not get their hair cut until the age of three when on this day it is cut for the first time.

Also commemorated on this day is the death of a great sage from the Mishnah era, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who ironically was one of the surviving students of Rabbi Akiva and is believed to have authored the Mystical Kabbalistic Jewish work called the Zohar.

It is also traditional to light bonfires, symbolizing the Light of Torah that shone through the Zohar which Rabbi Yochai had supposedly authored; also bonfires were set to signal war and thus remind us of the Jewish revolt against Rome by General Bar Kochba. Since we have bonfires we also naturally cook out on this day as well as play with bows and arrows because it was said that a rainbow was never seen during Rabbi Yochai’s lifetime, because of him, it was a righteous generation where the thought to destroy the world never crossed the mind of God during that time. So a rainbow was never seen to remind God not to destroy the world. Also it commemorates temporary victories by the weaponry and armies of General Bar Kochba who revolted against Rome, but because Rabbi Akiva foolishly endorsed Bar Kochba as the Messiah, the revolt ultimately failed.

There is also a legend that Rabbi Akiva and his surviving students would go out into the wilderness to study Torah at a time when it was illegal to do so under Roman occupation and the bow and arrows were taken so as not to raise suspicions of their true intentions.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 78:40-55:

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan. And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

“Abba ADONAI God, I live in a material world and depend upon so many material things. Help me to realize that You are all I’ll ever need, now and forever. In Yeshua’s Name Ameyn.”

DAY 32 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-two days, which are four weeks and four days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Netzach - Victory

·       Overall Theme: The Victory of His Glory

·       Psalm 78:32-39

Today is the day before Lag B’Omer which to some is a remembrance of minor military victories by the Jewish people in the midst of persecution. This teaches us that we can have victory even in the middle of challenges to our faith and that His Glory, in the guise of His Word, is with us!

Today we also have both Glory and Victory despite most of us are living outside of Israel in exile. The Rabbi’s and Sages of old said that when His people went into exile that His Presence in the form of the Shekinah (Glory) went with us. And didn’t Yeshua say in the Besorah (Gospel) that He’d never leave us of forsake us?

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 78:32-39:

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

“HalleluYah Abba ADONAI God that regardless where we are, even if what we perceive it as a “hell” that You’re with us. Thank You, In Yeshua’s Name, Ameyn.”

DAY 31 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty-one days which are four weeks and three days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Tefreit - Beauty

·       Overall Theme: The Beauty of His Glory

·       Psalm 78:17-31

Exd. 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Exd. 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, [from] before the people.

Deut. 1:33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents [in], in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

Neh. 9:19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

Isa. 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence.

To me, this is the Glory of ADONAI expressed in such a beautiful way. Imagine the thousands in the Exodus trudging through the desert under a blistering, unforgiving sun. But wait, Here comes a massive cloud that doesn’t move with the rest of the clouds in the sky. And look, it is coming to rest over the people to shade them from the sun. And as the sun sets in the desert we discover the cloud glows and radiates its own heat so as to light the way for night travel in the desert and to keep the freezing temperatures of the night time desert from tormenting His people. This is a perfect example of the Beauty of His Glory.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 78:17-31:

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

“Abba ADONAI God, Just as Your Glory can kill like a bolt of lightening, it can shade and warm His people gently. Help me to reveal Your Glory to people in such a beautiful way that they can see You in me. In Yeshua’s Name, Ameyn.”

DAY 30 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty days which are four weeks and two days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Gevurah – Severity and Strength

·       Overall Theme: The Severity and Strength of His Glory

·       Psalm 78:1-16

When we do not come before ADONAI in the prescribed manner we witness His Glory alright through His Severity and Strength:

Leviticus 10

 ¹And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
 ²And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Today also commemorates the events in Exodus 16, regarding the quail and manna.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 78:1-16:

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

“Abba ADONAI God, Please never let my intimacy with You be an unjust excuse to get sloppy and not obey Torah as Messiah Yeshua commanded us too. In His Name I pray Ameyn.”

DAY 29 OF THE OMER

“Today is thirty days which are four weeks and two days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Hod - Glory

·       Theme of the Day: Gevurah – Severity and Strength

·       Overall Theme: The Severity and Strength of His Glory

·       Psalm 78:1-16

When we do not come before ADONAI in the prescribed manner we witness His Glory alright through His Severity and Strength:

Leviticus 10

 ¹And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
 ²And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Today also commemorates the events in Exodus 16, regarding the quail and manna.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 78:1-16:

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

“Abba ADONAI God, Please never let my intimacy with You be an unjust excuse to get sloppy and not obey Torah as Messiah Yeshua commanded us too. In His Name I pray Ameyn.”

DAY 28 OF THE OMER

“Today is twenty-eight days which are four weeks of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Netzach – Victory

·       Theme of the Day: Malchut - Majesty

·       Overall Theme: The Majesty of His Victory

·       Psalm 63:1-8

I Thess. 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Rev. 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Rev. 4:8b, 11 And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Rev. 7:9-12 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

We see in these passages that ADONAI King of the Universe will have came, saw, and conquered and His Kingdom will be established forevermore and we should carry ourselves in the same majesty and victory befitting His sons and daughters.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 63:1-8:

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

“Abba ADONAI King of the Universe, may I walk confident in knowing that I am a royal child and a victor of the King of all creation and conduct myself in such a righteous way befitting such a personage. I pray this in humility and thanks in Yeshua’s Name, Ameyn.”