DAY 23 OF THE OMER

“Today is twenty-three days which are three weeks and two days of the Omer.”

·       Theme of the Week: Netzach - Victory

·       Theme of the Day: Gevurah – Severity and Strength

·       Overall Theme: The Severity and Strength of His Victory

·       Psalm 1

In a victory the opposite is naturally the looser. Yes, like we see on TV and the Movies it is a noble thing to spare and enemy’s life if that enemy has a code of honor he goes by. But some enemies, to be spared is a fate worse than death and it’s kill or be killed, and this is like our enemy, satan, who has no scruples about taking our honor for weakness and as we turn to raise our arms in victory we feel a cold shank of steel in our back.

Though like row upon row of sharp teeth; we defeat one enemy and another is right behind to replace it. But one day…

Rev. 20:14, 21:8 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The Traditional Psalm to read is Psalm 1:

PSALM 1

1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

The word blessing is “Esher,” meaning blessed in the plural. David Ha Melek (The King) is addressing mankind because the word man is “Ish” the generic term from man as in mankind. It is not the usual word bless which is “Baruch,” meaning to show kindness, benevolence of favor. This word “Sher,” means Happy or Worthy of Praise is the one that has not taken after the way of and lived like the Torah-less (Lawless), wicked, evil and ungodly. You see it’s ironic, the lawless, even though they do not obey Torah or even laws of mankind they have their own set of laws or codes if you will. This verse shows they do, for they give “counsel.” There is a hierarchy a chain of command, a “counsel” and they give advice or “counsel.” Haven’t you ever heard of a “fellowship of thieves” or “organized crime”? Which is a perfect example to show that there are those who live without the Law (Torah) and above the law (civil, man made laws) with a law (counsel) all their own.

One is Blessed, Happy, Praiseworthy if he doesn’t stand idly along the paths where sinners, criminals, and habitual offenders are known to travel so as to be influenced by them. Fooled and sucked in by them, victimized by them or become guilty by association because you are with them in their path.

Blessed, Happy, Worthy of Praise is the one who doesn’t rest or take up the abode of the “Lutz,” of the mockers, sarcastic, critical, pessimistic scorners. Blessed is the one who doesn’t become a scorner.

The ungodly, the sinner, the scorner are all the opposite of Blessed, the opposite of Happy because they are restless and they make God and man their enemy and their definition of “Blessed” or  “Happiness” is a successful heist or watching the down fall of others or the thrill of the chase or kill. It is all temporal and fleeting and dependent upon circumstances. Not so with the Godly, Blessed or Happiness is a way of life, an attitude, a frame of heart and mine.

 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Such a man who by body and name removes himself far from wicked people and mockers absolutely loves the Torah of HaShem (His Name).

The word “delight,” is “chaphets,” meaning the “pleasurable pursuit that consumes” him is the Torah. The five books of Moses, the 613 Commandments of ADONAI it’s all he thinks about day and night.

I can relate because I have a hard time staying focused at work because my heart isn’t there. All I am thinking about is how when I get home I need to pray and study Torah. It’s all I want to do. Because of this I can honestly say I “get” this verse. Rashi said, “At first it’s called ‘The Torah of HaShem,’ but after one has toiled to understand it, he has acquired it as his own, and it is called, ‘his own Torah.’”

 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

A person who is dedicated to Torah shall be strong and un-moveable like a hearty deep rooted, fruitful tree; successful in all his endeavors.

You see, the river in which the tree is by is likened unto the Torah and the closer one is to the Torah the livelier and deeply rooted and un-moveable one becomes. So when in times of drought the tree (person) is un-phased and still sports lush green leaves and bears hearty, juicy fruit. It is so healthy and stout it is not budged by the onslaught of storms.
But the tree far inland away from the life giving waters of Torah does not fair so well it is stunted and withered in drought and easily uprooted when the storms come.

 4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

The righteous are described as strong and erect trees, a thing of substance and the wicked are likened to shallow, external husks that is easily blown away, forgotten and never seen again.

 5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

If storms are judgments, then they will be blown away while the righteous trees will stand and be proven by the storms of judgment.

You’ve heard the saying, “He doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”? Well, the righteous are as a three legged stool in the godly attributes this is referred to as the three pillars and the acronym CHaBaD is used to stand for the Hebrew words for Wisdom Chokmah), Understanding (Binah) and Knowledge (Da’at). CHaBaD is the essence of the Torah and so the righteous are firmly stable and stand strong. And sinners are like a two legged stool in the midst of three legged ones and cannot stand. The wicked does not go by Torah so they do not have CHaBaD and therefore lack stability and fall.

 6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

ADONAI is intimate with the righteous and so they live. Just as Moses said to Israel that the Torah is life (Deut. 32:47), and Yeshua being the Living Manifestation of the Written Torah, He said He is the Way the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) and that He came to give life to the full (John 10:10).

The wicked is not intimate with the Author of Life and nor walks in His way, instead they foolishly forge their own path and like an explorer without a map or an inexperienced climber, they blaze a path to their own doom, like one walked into quick sand or breaking an ice bridge and falling forever into a crevasse and perishing.

“Abba ADONAI God, in the spirit realm its kill or be killed. May I show mercy and pity for the human pawns the enemy uses, but help me to show NO MERCY to the spiritual enemy behind it all by allowing Your Strength to flow through me, to gain the victory. For this I pray and give thanks in Yeshua’s Name, Ameyn.”