"And ye shall COUNT UNTO YOU from the
morrow after the sabbath [the Passover
holy
day] . . . seven weeks [correct translation] shall be complete: Even unto the
morrow
after
the seventh week shall ye NUMBER FIFTY DAYS" (Lev.23:15-16).
Sefirat Ha Omer --
The Key To Being
an OVERCOMER!
Why does God
command His people to "count the Omer"
each day
from Passover until Pentecost? What is
pictured
by this
"Omer countdown"? Here is a
vital truth about
SIN AND
OVERCOMING which the end-time churches
have
completely missed -- the VITAL KEY to becoming
a spiritual
OVERCOMER!
William
F. Dankenbring
In the book of Leviticus God
commands His people: "And ye shall count
unto you from the morrow after the sabbath [the Passover high holyday] ,
from the day that ye brought the sheaf [Hebrew, omer, consisting of 5.1
pints of barley grain] of the wave offering; seven sabbaths [weeks] shall be
complete" (Lev.23:15, KVJ).
What is this mysterious command all about? Is this something which applies to true
Christians and believers in Christ today?
Or is this just something that concerned ancient
What does this mean? Many people neglect this command of God. They may not be aware of it. Or they may consider it one of the
"least commandments" (Matt.5:19).
But God commands His people to COUNT THE OMER during the fifty days,
from Passover until Pentecost -- numbering off the days consecutively, as they
arrive -- until the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost, arrives! He commands us to DO IT -- for a great and
overriding purpose!
Why?
What does the "Omer" represent? And why are we commanded to "count"
it off for seven times seven or forty nine days, till Pentecost arrives, on the
fiftieth day?
Believe it or not, hidden in the
mystery behind the Omer count, is a vital KEY to spiritual OVERCOMING -- A
HIDDEN KEY OF POWER to enable us to achieve and enter into the
The
Meaning of the Omer Itself
In Leviticus 23 we read, "And
the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap
the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a SHEAF of the FIRSTFRUITS of your
harvest unto the priest: and he shall
WAVE THE SHEAF before the Lord, to be ACCEPTED FOR YOU: on the morrow after the
sabbath the priest shall wave it.
"And ye shall offer that day
when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt
offering unto the Lord" (Lev.23:l0-l2).
What is this "wave sheaf"
offering? What does it symbolize and
represent? Notice that it is a sheaf of
the "first fruits," and it is offered to God before the Israelites
can harvest the spring harvest. God
commands, "And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green
ears" -- that is, produce from the new harvest -- "until the selfsame
day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a STATUTE FOR EVER throughout
your generations in all your dwellings" (Lev.23:l4).
In the book of Romans, Paul writes
to Christians, saying, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE
SPIRIT, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to
wit, the redemption of our body" (Rom.8:23).
Christians, those called of God
during this lifetime to serve and obey Him, out of every nation, are likened to
"firstfruits" of God. We have
the "firstfruits of the Spirit" of God as a downpayment, or earnest
(Eph.l:4-l4) of our inheritance, as we are the ones who "should be to the
praise of his glory, who FIRST trusted in Christ" (v.12). In writing of Christians in the region of
Achaia, Paul says of them, "Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the
FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia unto Christ" (Rom.16:5). In the book of James we read: "Of his own will begat he us with the
word of truth, that we should be a KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS of his creation"
(James
In the book of Romans, Paul
addresses our calling -- which is special, and unique, in the sight of
God. Of all people on earth, we are the
few who have been given the Spirit of God as a begettal, indwelling within us
-- a priceless heritage and gift!
Therefore "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Spirit which is given unto us" (Rom.5:5).
Paul goes on, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. . .
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
DWELL in you. Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom.8:1-9).
How, then, does this relate to the
"wave sheaf" offering which was performed the day after the first
high holy day of Passover in the spring?
Let's understand! In the book The
Temple: Its Ministry and Services, by
Alfred Edersheim, we read of the reaping of the wave sheaf, and its
presentation. At the end of the 15th of
Nisan, says Edersheim, just as it was growing dark,
"a
noisy throng followed delegates of the Sanhedrin outside the city and across the
brook
Kidron. . . . [They] emerged amidst loud demonstrations, in a field across
Kidron,
which had been marked out for the purpose.
They were to be engaged in a
service
most important to them. . . . The law had it, 'Ye shall bring a SHEAF [literally
the
omer] of the FIRSTFRUITS of your HARVEST unto the priest [who typified, or
represented
CHRIST]; and he shall wave the omer
before Jehovah [God the Father],
to
be accepted for you: on the morrow after
the Sabbath shall ye wave it.' This
Passover-sheaf,
or rather omer, was to be accompanied by a burnt-offering, of a 'he
lamb,
without blemish, of the first year,' with its appropriate meat- and drink-
offering,
and
after it had been brought, but not till then, fresh barley might be used and
sold in
the
land. Now, this Passover sheaf was
reaped in public the evening before it was
offered,
and it was to witness this ceremony that the crowd gathered around 'the
elders,'
who
took care that all was done according to traditionary ordinance"
(p.256-57)
In the past, many have ASSUMED --
and many STILL assume -- that the "wave sheaf" offering referred to
Jesus Christ, who was the offering for our sins upon the stake (II
Cor.5:20). But does this make any sense,
when we stop to think about it? It was
accompanied by the offering of a male lamb without blemish -- which itself
typified Christ! It was waved by the
high priest before God, to be accepted of the Father -- and the high priest
typified Christ, our "high priest" in heaven (Heb.7:24-28; 9:24;
10:10). Furthermore, this "wave
sheaf" was offered AFTER the sacrifice of Christ our Passover Lamb (I
Cor.5:7-8). The Passover lambs were
slain in the afternoon of Nisan 14 -- the precise time when Yeshua the Messiah
was slain for us!
Clearly, then, the wave sheaf --
contrary to what many have assumed and believed -- does NOT refer to Christ at
all -- but rather is made possible BY the Sacrifice of Christ, which precedes
it in time sequence! We have the
following sequence of events: 1) the
sacrifice of Christ on Nisan 14, late afternoon;
2)
the holy day of Passover -- Nisan 15; 3) the next evening, as Nisan 16 began, a
sheaf (bundle) of grain is selected from the field across the Kidron valley,
east of Jerusalem, and cut and bundled; 4) the next morning, Nisan 16, it is
prepared and waved before the Lord and accepted of Him as "THE
FIRSTFRUITS" of the harvest.
Do you begin to comprehend? Do you see?
The wave sheaf offering is an offering which is a BUNDLE OF SEPARATE
BARLEY GRAINS, FROM A NUMBER OF PLANTS, AMOUNTING TO AN "OMER" --
about five pints, or two and one half quarts.
This offering followed the offering of Christ, as our Passover
lamb, who paid for our sins. It was accompanied
the burnt offering of a lamb -- Christ -- without blemish (Lev.23:12). The wave sheaf itself, then, is NOT CHRIST!
What then is it?
The Wave Sheaf Offering, composed
of MANY individual grains, offered together, made possible by the sacrifice of
Christ, represents US -- TRUE CHRISTIANS -- those called of God during this
age, as His "FIRSTFRUITS"!
It was offered to the Father AFTER the sacrifice of Christ,
because there is NO WAY the Father could accept us BEFORE our sins were
pardoned, and atoned for, and wiped away and washed away by the blood of
Christ! But since Christ became our
Saviour, and qualified by living a perfect life, and DIED for us on the stake,
this made possible OUR acceptance before the throne of God in Heaven! WE are that WAVE SHEAF OFFERING! We are the "FIRSTFRUITS"!
What could be plainer?
But why, then, are we commanded to
"COUNT THE OMER" or the wave sheaf for seven times seven days, from
Passover until Pentecost? Ah, herein
lies a mystery -- a fascinating new truth hidden from the gaze of virtually all
of God's people until NOW!
A Lesson from Judaism
A key to understanding this puzzle
is provided in the book The Jewish Way:
Living the Holidays. Rabbi
Greenburg writes:
"The holiday of Shavuot [Pentecost] .
. . celebrates and renews the covenant of the
Jewish
people. In accordance with the classical
rabbinical method, Shavuot is the
time
when Jews recreate the Revelation at Sinai and then reaccept the book of the
covenant.
"The
reenactment of Sinai starts forty-nine days before the event. . . [T]he
countdown
begins
on the first night after the Exodus. The
Omer is counted every night from one
to
forty-nine, by days and by weeks.
According to Maimonides' interpretation, as soon
as
the Israelites were out of
nides
views Sefirat Ha'Omer (Counting of the Omer) as the outcome of the
extraordinary
anticipation
that the Jews felt for
the moment of Revelation. The
Israelites COUNTED
EVERY
NIGHT much like a child who counts the days until his or her birthday.
"Earlier rabbinic midrash [teaching]
interprets the weeks between Passover and Shavuot
AS
A PASSAGE PERIOD FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM.
The Israelites came out
of
THE
IMPURITIES OF
"The
Omer count goes on for seven times seven days.
Seven is the number/symbol of
PERFECTION
in biblical language, as
evidenced in such facts as the Sabbath is the
seventh
day, the slave goes free in the seventh year, and so on. The number forty-nine
communicates
arrival at the pinnacle of PERFECTION.
DAY BY DAY the individual
WORKS
ON THE INNER SELF, STRIVING TO ATTAIN THE LEVEL OF PERFECTION
WORTHY
OF RECEIVING THE TORAH" (The Jewish Way, p.80-81).
Consider this: From Passover to Pentecost pictures the
Christian life. It is to be a lifetime
spent in overcoming. Each and
every day is vital, and important. Each
day brings us nearer to the coming of Christ, and the "wedding Feast"
of the Lamb, which Pentecost itself pictures!
God delivered "Israel" out of Egypt at Passover. He brought them through the Red Sea, and
through the wilderness to the foot of Mount Sinai. And then God "married" Israel on
Pentecost, at Mount Sinai, when He gave them His covenant and they accepted it
(Exodus 24:1-11; Jer.3:14).
What does this picture? Passover pictures our repentance and
acceptance of Christ as our Messiah and Saviour. Going through the Red Sea pictures our
baptism (I Cor.10:1-3). These things
that happened to Israel were examples for us! "For whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope" (Rom.15:4). "Now these things were OUR EXAMPLES, to
the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them
. . . Neither let us commit fornication [sexual immorality], as
some
of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them
also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of
the destroyer. Now all of these
things happened unto them for ENSAMPLES:
and they are written for OUR admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world [age] are come" (I Cor.10:6-11).
The Lesson of Remembering to
Count Daily the Omer
Fifty days after Passover, and the
death of the Egyptians' firstborn, Israel met God at Mount Sinai. These fifty days are a spiritual
TYPE! They typify the Christian escape
from the kingdom of Satan and the power of SIN [Egypt], and picture our
departing from "sin," and captivity to "sin," and being
baptized, and journeying out of sin, and following God's truth, and His
commandments, and a life of overcoming, and enduring to the end, till the great
"Wedding Day" when Christ comes for His church, the "bride"
(Rev.19:7).
The lesson of counting the
"Omer" every day, for seven times seven weeks, or 49 days, till
Pentecost, or Shavuot, "the Feast of Weeks," pictures our daily fight
to overcome -- our overcoming and putting sin out of our lives, till the very
end! As Paul says, we are to "Walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because
the days are evil" (Eph.5:16). As
David wrote, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
In essence, the 50 days between
Passover and Pentecost are a microcosmic "Jubilee" period, with Pentecost
being the "50th day" ("Pentecost" means "Fiftieth
Day"), or the anti-type of the "Jubilee Year" which is the 50th
year after seven times seven weeks of years (Leviticus 25). Thus this 50-day period from Passover -- a
type of our day of "conversion" -- to Pentecost -- picturing the
great Wedding Day at the coming of Christ -- pictures the Christian life during
which we must prepare, qualify, overcome sin, and root out every vestige of
"spiritual Egypt" out of our character and lives!
During these fifty days, we ought to
"count the Omer" -- each day -- and think about and meditate on
OVERCOMING and preparing to meet Christ, and get ourselves READY, SPIRITUALLY,
working on ourselves, striving for PERFECTION, so that we "may be accounted
WORTHY . . . to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
During this time period, we should
be focusing our attention on overcoming, and growing in grace and knowledge --
praying and studying God's Word, as never before, intently, with concentrated
effort and zealous endeavor. It is and
ought to be a focused, concentrated time of distilled essence of
Overcoming! As such, occurring at
the beginning of God's sacred year, it is and ought
to be
the pattern or template of our overcoming sin and evil throughout all the
rest or remainder of the year. It is
sort of like a "nucleus of overcoming." It sets the pattern for the entire
year!
If we then fulfill the command of
God to "count the Omer" daily, from Passover to Pentecost, this helps
us keep in our mind our primary duty and the primary meaning of these
"Days of Overcoming"! And it
helps us to be in a right frame of mind of overcoming, throughout the remainder
of the year!
Do you see? For years and even today, end-time churches
of God have been totally neglecting this command to count the Omer daily. They simply have not been aware of it, and
have not been doing it. No wonder, then,
they have had such a miserable and terrible time when it comes to overcoming
and putting sin out of their lives!
Many
have thought that the "Days of Unleavened Bread" pictured putting sin
out of our lives. However, this not
precisely the case. The Days of
Unleavened Bread picture coming out of Egypt -- or sin. That is, they begin with Passover (during
the evening on the 15th of Nisan) and finish with Israel coming through the Red
Sea (the final holy day of Unleavened Bread), which pictures Baptism
(Rom.6:1-6). But Baptism is merely the beginning
point of the Christian life! It
isn't all finished at your Baptism -- it has merely begun!
From that point forward, as the
Israelites journeyed through the DESERT, and suffered many trials and
afflictions, their journey through the WILDERNESS pictures the Christian
life of overcoming, and enduring, and preparing to meet God -- the Messiah --
at Mount Zion! The occasion of
ancient Israel meeting God at Sinai, where the "Old Covenant" -- a
marriage covenant -- was enacted, was an amazing type of our soon-coming
marriage to CHRIST, when the NEW COVENANT MARRIAGE with Him will be completed,
and the Church will become His spiritual BRIDE for all eternity!
The truth about the "counting
of the Omer," then, has been a sorely NEGLECTED, and ignored truth, and
provides a KEY -- A SECRET TO OVERCOMING!
Learning to "count the Omer" from Passover to Pentecost
teaches us and instills in us the habit of obedience; it inculcates in us the
self-discipline to REMEMBER to "count" every day and to keep IN MIND
where we are going; in instills in us and helps to set within our minds and
hearts our TRUE GOAL IN LIFE -- the Kingdom of GOD!
Many, by not realizing this truth,
and by neglecting to count the Omer faithfully, have tended to "let
down" in their own personal "overcoming," and have also
"lost sight of" the vision-Quest of the Kingdom. They have lost spiritual FOCUS. They have become entangled with the things of
this life, discouragement, despair, seeing the overwhelming trials of the
"wilderness"
around them, and have taken their eyes OFF the true "end of the
journey" -- the KINGDOM OF GOD!
The "counting of the
Omer," the countdown to the Kingdom, which it pictures, reminds us that
there is EFFORT required for salvation.
We cannot just "coast" into God's Kingdom! We must DO OUR PART! As Jesus Christ Himself declared: "Become ye therefore PERFECT [totally
mature, spiritually], even as your Father in heaven is perfect"
(Matt.5:48). As as He also stated: "But SEEK ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness: and all these things
shall be added unto you" (Matt.6:33).
During this time of the "Omer
countdown," each year, we must set ourselves daily to "count the
Omer." It becomes an exciting task
and makes us look forward with sheer delight and joyful anticipation to
Pentecost -- a type of the coming of Christ and the marriage supper. It makes the Kingdom of God and His purpose
come alive in our minds, as a scintillating, sparkling, palpable REALITY which
seems even closer at hand, and not so far off and misty and hazy.
As the apostle Paul wrote,
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press on toward the MARK for the PRIZE of our
HIGH CALLING of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil.3:13-14).
Counting the Omer helps to teach us
to number our days, and to learn wisdom, and to set priorities, and it helps us
to focus on "overcoming." If
we are willing to "get with God's program," we will begin to make
much better progress in overcoming trials, defeating sins and bad habits, and
conquering obstacles. You might be
amazed how God can help you make progress, and help you to grow in grace and
knowledge (II Pet.3:18), if you put into practice this much ignored and overlooked
commandment. Doing this also helps us to
put our Christian trials and tests into proper focus and true perspective.
How
To Be an OVERCOMER
Let us study the command to count
the Omer more closely. Notice how it
reveals to us the process of overcoming and conquering the lusts and pulls of
human nature, the world around us, and our own pride, vanity, and egotism.
The actual command states: "
"And ye shall COUNT unto you from the
morrow after the sabbath, from the day
that
ye brought the SHEAF [Omer] of the wave offering, SEVEN SABBATHS
SHALL
BE COMPLETE: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye
NUMBER
FIFTY DAYS . . ." (Lev.23:15-16).
"SEVEN
WEEKS shalt thou NUMBER unto thee:
begin to number the SEVEN
WEEKS
from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou
shalt
keep the FEAST OF WEEKS" (Deut.16:9-10).
In Leviticus 23:15 in the King James Version of the Bible in
the spurious wording "seven sabbaths shall be complete." Why did Moses use the word
"shabbatot" (usually translated "sabbaths") in this
passage, instead of "shavuot" (which means "weeks"), the
word used in Deuteronomy 16:9? Why the
difference? They are both obviously
discussing the same thing -- seven weeks, because the expression in
Deuteronomy 16:9 has to mean "weeks," and cannot be translated
"sabbaths." Why then
does God use a different word in Leviticus 23:15? There must be a hidden "lesson"
here for us to dig out and understand!
The truth is, this is a hidden reference to OVERCOMING! Each week pictures a process of
overcoming sin, and seven weeks (perfection) pictures COMPLETE
overcoming -- so that we are ready to meet God, and marry Christ, at His
coming!
Let's get this, and get it good!
Let's notice Leviticus 23:15 more
carefully: The Hebrew wording, sheva'
shabbatot t'miymot is mistranslated as "seven sabbaths shall be
complete" in the King James Version.
Notice -- the Hebrew does not read sheva' shabbatot tam or
sheva' shabbatot tamam, but rather it reads sheva' shabbatot
t'miymot. Both shabbatot ("sabbaths")
and t'miymot ("complete") are in the PLURAL forms, which makes
t'miymot ("complete") refer directly to shabbatot
("sabbaths"). If we believe
the "sabbaths" here to be literal weekly sabbaths, then the meaning
is totally unintelligible, because nothing exists in Scripture defined as
either a "complete sabbath" or an "incomplete
sabbath." All "sabbaths"
are a contained unit of time and cannot be specified as either complete or
incomplete. But, there is such a thing
as an incomplete "week."
Contrary to what some church groups
teach, "week" is a valid alternate meaning of the Hebrew word shabbat. Shabbat can mean "week" in
the sense that a kodesh ("New Moon") can also mean
"month" -- a period of 29 or 30 days.
In the idiomatic manner in which kodesh means both "new
moon" as well as "month," the Hebrew word shabbat means
both "sabbath" and "week."
For instance, a valid alternate reading of Isaiah 66:23 is, "from
one full month [kodesh -- "new moon"] to another, and from one
full week [shabbat -- "sabbath"] to another, shall all flesh
come to worship before Me, saith the LORD."
In Leviticus 23:15, then, one can
render sheva' shabbatot t'miymot as "seven weeks each one
complete," expressing nothing specific in regard to the weekly Sabbath. This is the proper rendering since the plural
form t'miymot ("complete") is used
instead
of the singular form tam ("complete") or tamam ("complete"). The "seven sabbaths" is not
described as a single unit of complete time as would have been the case if tam
or tamam were used. Rather, the
usage of the plural form t'miymot indicates that there are as many
"completes" as there are "shabbatot," which forces
"shabbatot" into the alternate meaning of "weeks" instead
of referring to weekly Sabbaths which are always complete units of time with no
further designation necessary.
However, the Hebrew word tam
also means "portion" or "cycle" in addition to
"complete." Therefore, its
plural form t'miymot can mean "portions," "cycles,"
or "levels." Now the passage begins to become more interesting. What is God telling us here? By using the word shabbatot for
"weeks" or "periods ending with a rest" WITH the word t'miymot
meaning "periods" or "cycles" or "levels," we
have a description of a PROCESS OF OVERCOMING, DELINEATED BY "SEVEN
STAGES," or "SEVEN LEVELS" of spiritual growth and development,
each stage "complete" in itself!
Thus we have God showing us that we must OVERCOME the SEVEN (complete)
aspects of HUMAN NATURE which will tend to drag us down, and keep us from
entering His Kingdom! These seven areas
of human nature we must overcome are the seven categories of human nature which
the apostle Paul refers to as the "works of the flesh" (Galatians
5:19-21).
In other words, by using the
expression shabbatot instead of shavuot, God is showing us that
these seven "weeks" picture more than just "weeks" of time
as we think of them -- they are SEVEN LEVELS OR STAGES OF OVERCOMING SIN!
By using this expression, God is
showing His people, Israel, WHAT TO DO with the seven weeks which lead up to
Pentecost, in addition to "counting the Omer" each day, and
harvesting the grain of the spring harvest every day. They are also to be working on overcoming
their human nature and getting rid of every vestige or remnant of Egyptian
impurities and animalistic selfish human nature still clinging to them!
There is therefore much more involved with
this time, in addition to simply counting the Omer and harvesting grain. The sheva' shabbatot t'miymot pictures
the "seven weeks of cycles" or "seven weeks of portions" or
"seven weeks of levels" which were to be used by the Israelites to prepare
to meet God on Mount Sinai when the Day of Pentecost (Shavuot, or Weeks)
finally arrived.
Each one of the seven weeks corresponded
to each one of the Seven Categories of Animal Nature, and the word shabbatot is used here
instead of shavuot because God was emphasizing the importance of
"resting" -- "desistance" -- from each of the Seven
Categories of Animal Nature during the seven weeks culminating in God's
Presence and the Giving of the Torah, in order for the Israelites to be in as
best a condition of purification as
possible,
since no one "unclean" could stand in God's Presence when He arrived
on Mount Sinai.
These Seven Weeks or "Seven
Stages" prior to Pentecost are also descriptive of the Seven Levels of
Spiritual Development each individual must go through in preparation to the
coming of the Messiah! Each one of the
seven weeks corresponded to new levels of overcoming SIN and conquering our
human nature!
The apostle Paul also wrote about our
human nature, which must be sacrificed, if we are to inherit the kingdom of
God. He declared: "Knowing this, that our old man [human animal
nature] is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin. . . . Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to
be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God" (Rom.6:9-13).
Seven Categories of SIN to be Overcome
Corresponding to the "seven
weeks" or cycles of overcoming, leading from Passover to Pentecost, the
apostle Paul lists the Seven Categories of Base Human Nature which we must
conquer and subjugate and expunge from our lives. The Galatians were exhibiting the same traits
of rebellion as had been exhibited many centuries earlier by the Israelites
upon leaving Egypt. Paul listed the seven
categories of human nature which fight against the Spirit of God. They are found in Galatians, chapter 5. Notice:
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these":
1.
"Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness" --
sexual sins which destructively affect one's spiritual relationship with God
and other people.
2.
"Idolatry" -- worshipping and obeying demonic gods and
wicked evil spirits, following demonic derived doctrines (I Tim.4:1-2).
3.
"Witchcraft" -- the use of black magic and other occult
perversions, including attempting to control the minds and thoughts of other
people and depriving them of the freedom of choice. Many churches which came out of the Worldwide
Church of God, like the Worldwide Church of God itself, attempt to practice
"mind control" over the members, and threaten any who think independent
thoughts, or ask questions indicating their independence of mind, with
immediate disfellowshipment -- a wicked scare tactic of the devil, if there
ever was one!
4.
"Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife" -- these are
related categories of emotional and mental attitudes of violence, and thoughts
that lead to violence -- resulting in strife, destruction, and even
murder. John wrote, "He that hateth
his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he
goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes" (I John 2:11). He added, "Whosoever hateth his brother
is a murderer: and ye know that no
murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (I John 3:15).
5.
"Seditions, heresies" -- sins against peace and unity among
true believers causing division, strife and spiritual chaos -- destroying the
flock, and inflicting damage upon the work of God. Sadly, we live in a time when although CHRIST
is NOT divided, the remnants of the end-time church of God are bitterly divided,
and seditions, heresies, and divisions are paramount! Paul asked the Corinthians, "Is Christ
divided?" (I Cor.1:13). The
answer? Of course not! But Paul also said to them, "For it hath
been declared unto me of you, my brethren . . . that there are contentions among
you" (I Cor.1:11). He added,
"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and
strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (I
Cor.3:3). He later plainly rebuked them,
saying, "I hear that there be DIVISIONS among you" (I
Cor.11:18). Seditions, treasons, false
doctrines, heresies -- these all spring from the fount of heresy, Satan the
devil and his evil work of deception and seduction. He is still very active, seeking to devour
God's people! (I Pet.5:8-9; James 4:7).
6.
"Envyings, murders" -- sins of interfering destructively
in the lives of other people; destructively interfering with another person's
relationship with God. James
warned: "But if ye have bitter
envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the
truth. This wisdom descendeth not from
above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil
work" (James 3:14-16).
7.
"Drunkenness, revellings" -- these are sins against a
person's own self and his own personal spiritual relationship with God. They are signs of the lack of self-control,
self-mastery, and commitment and devotion to serving God. No drunkard or drug addict will inherit the
kingdom of God (I Cor.6:9-10).
Notice, now. These seven categories of human nature must
be conquered and overcome. This is why
the word shabbatot is used in Leviticus 23:15 instead of shavuot
-- the usual word for "weeks." God was emphasizing the importance of
OVERCOMING -- and becoming free from sin and the evil of human nature -- our
becoming FREE from these pulls by overcoming them during the "seven
weeks" that lead up to Pentecost -- a type of our meeting God and entering
His KINGDOM!
We must "rest" -- come to the
point of having "overcome" each of the Seven Categories of Animal
Human Nature -- in preparing to meet Christ at His coming! Even as ancient Israel had to purify
themselves, and prepare to meet with God (Exodus 19:10-15), since no one "unclean" could stand
in God's Presence when He arrived on Mount Sinai, even so WE must PREPARE
OURSELVES to become the BRIDE of Christ, whom He will marry, at His Second
Coming!
Therefore, the Seven Weeks or
"Seven Stages" prior to Pentecost are also descriptive of the Seven
Levels of Spiritual Development each one of us as individuals must go through
in preparation to the coming of the Messiah!
Overcoming human nature, the world
around us, and the influence of Satan the devil, is not easy. It requires persistent, constant, energetic
effort and perseverance.
Called
to a Life of "OVERCOMING"
As Christians, we are called to a
life of "OVERCOMING." Contrary
to the ideas of Joseph W. Tkach of the Worldwide Church of God, we are not
already "saved" once we accept Christ. It was not all "finished" at the
cross. It all just began at the
cross -- that was just the start of God's Plan and program for us!
As we meet obstacles, and face them,
and overcome them, we should never feel we "have it made," or have
"qualified," and are "worthy," because our own
righteousness is as filthy rags in God's sight (Isa.64:6). Nor should we think or assume that Christ did
it all for us, on the stake, and that there is nothing we have to do but
"believe." God requires not a
"dead faith" but LIVING FAITH in Christ! As James wrote, "Even so faith, if it
hath not works, is DEAD, being alone (Jas.2:17). He adds, "For as the body without the
spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (v.26).
Our works will not "earn"
us salvation. But they are necessary as
works of overcoming, and God only promises salvation to those who
"overcome" (Rev.2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Our experiencing trials, and tests, and
overcoming temptation, and sin, is the true "sign" of a true
Christian life.
The KEY to Overcoming
The
apostle Paul also wrote, "Being confident of this very thing, that he
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ" (Phil.1:6). Once God begins
to work with a person, He intends to finish the job. However, we must believe in His promises, and
trust in His love and compassion. We
must realize that all our trials are for our good. When things get the blackest and darkest is
usually just before morning -- before the new dawn!
God
is our Shepherd (Yahveh Roi). God
is our Banner (Yahveh Nissi). God
is our Provider, the One who sees all our need and circumstance (Yahveh
Yireh). God is our Father (Yahveh
Avenu). God is our Peace (Yahveh
Shalom). God is the One who Anoints
us (Yahveh Mekadishkem). God is
our Righteousness (Yahveh Zidkenu).
Therefore, as David wrote so
powerfully: "The LORD is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The
LORD is the strength of my life:
of whom shall I be afraid?"
(Psalm 27:1). God promises to
help us in all our battles and fights and struggles to
"overcome."
Notice this wonderful promise God
makes to us, quoted by the apostle Paul in the book of Hebrews:
"Let your character
or moral disposition be free from love of money
. . . and be satisfied
with your present [circumstances and what you
have]; for He (God)
Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you
NOR give you up NOR
leave you without support. [I will] not,
[I will]
not, [I will] not in any
degree leave you helpless, NOR forsake NOR
let [you] down, [relax
My hold on you]. -- Assuredly not!
"So we take comfort
and are encouraged and confidently and boldly
say, The Lord is my
Helper, I will not be seized with alarm -- I will
not fear or dread or be
terrified. What can man do to me?" (Heb.13:
5-6, Amplified Bible).
Aren't those inspiring words? God says He will not, He will not, He
will not -- ever forsake us, leave us helpless, or let us down (or
fall), or relax His grip on us! -- "Assuredly NOT!"
Whatever our position in life, we
are human beings -- we are the sons of God -- we are His children. We are all in this boat together, sink or
swim. This is not the time to begin to
fluster, or flounder, or flunk the test!
This is not the time to "bail out," but to "bail
water" and start paddling! God is
still there to call on, no matter how helpless or hopeless our present
(temporary) situation appears.
The Christian life is to be a life
dedicated to OVERCOMING SIN and every obstacle and every roadblock that would
keep us out of God's Kingdom. It is a
FIGHT to the death, spiritually!
The apostle Paul wrote, "Know
ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So RUN, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery
is temperate in all things. . . I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so
FIGHT I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached
to others, I myself should be a castaway" (I Cor.9:24-27).
Paul wrote to Timothy, "FIGHT
the good fight of faith; lay HOLD on eternal life" (I Tim.6:12).
David wrote: "Blessed be the LORD my strength, which
teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight" (Psalm 144:1).
"Counting the Omer" teaches us to get a hold of ourselves, spiritually, and not allow ourselves to wallow in the slough of despair and the pit of de