Week 6 of the Counting of the Omer - A Reflective Study
In the 6th week of the Omer Count things are beginning to shift. I am not sure about you but after almost 40 days of counting and reflection I am far more aware of the state of my heart than I have been in a while. It is something we should expect when we count with intention. Could this be why HaShem had us count to begin with? To take stock of each day and to consider the state of our garments before we entered into His presence? Like the preparation time for a Bride on her big day, our Heavenly Father gives us this time to prepare our hearts, to wash off all the grime and to stand before Him pure and spotless, without blemish and with a deep and ever increasing reverence for our Heavenly Groom.
Our reflection continues as we count 7 days for 7 weeks.
Day 6 – Man and Beast are created, woman is fashioned from the flesh of man.
On the 6th day HaShem created the beasts of the earth and of course He created man. Man and beast both have a nashama – a soul. This is what is physically born or created first for man – the soul. The beast too has a soul and so we ask what set them apart and made them so different? The difference is that HaShem breathed His Ruach (Spirit) into man and this is what sets him apart from the beasts of the field. Our spirit is likened to the second born in us. Time and time again we read in the Torah about the second born ruling over the first born. Jacob and Esau are the first two brothers where we see this taking place, then there is Ephrayim and Manasseh and most significantly, the first Adam and our Messiah, the second Adam. There are many more places in Scripture that are a little less obvious than this and as you study you will begin to see this prophetic picture emerging.
It is our spirit that was created to rule over our flesh. Yeshua is a perfect example of this as the second Adam. Adam, who embodies mankind’s first step into the realm of sin and death is redeemed through the blood of the second born Adam, Yeshua. Through Yeshua's blood and sacrifice before the foundations of the earth, we are redeemed and are able to overcome the flesh. Revelation 17:8; I Peter 1:20
We know this is a daily battle and HaShem knew it would be our reality, which is why He gave us The Bread of Heaven, His Son, to model out the life of an overcomer and a member of a royal priesthood.
- Are you walking out the example Yeshua gave to us on a daily basis?
- What do your garments of righteousness currently look like?
- Which key areas of your flesh are currently tripping you up?
- What are you doing about this to ensure that this part of your flesh surrenders to your spirit?
- Whose image do you most often reflect? The image of Elohim or of the beast?
- Do you reflect the royal priesthood to those around you?
Manifestation of the Spirit – Da’at – Knowledge
The Spirit of knowledge is so much more than knowing something. It is not knowledge in the sense of collecting and gathering facts and information about something, this is a more intimate and deeper knowing of something or someone. This is about a face to face intimacy and cultivating a relationship.
“The Spirit of Knowledge is a deep, mature love that exhibits an awareness of the needs and desires of another.
Relationship is the key to understanding the spirit of knowledge because it has a specific, intentional relationship it cultivates for the good of the other. Wisdom and understanding can be acquired with diligence, but not everyone acquires the ability to apply information to human relationships and make them sacrificially good. It is intuitive and comes with experience and selflessness.” Alwine, H (2017). The Creation Gospel Workbook 1, pg.85
The Spirit of Knowledge points us back to Yeshua, who stands at the door of each of our hearts and waits for us to open up and let Him in. Revelation 3:20 This Spirit of knowledge is about surrender. All relationships require that we surrender our own needs for the sake of the other person – we may not like how that sounds, but is this not what Yeshua did for us? This is about us loving sacrificially and nurturing those around us.
The Spirit of Knowledge is what will draw us into deeper relationship with HaShem and is part of us producing good fruit for His kingdom because we are growing in intimacy with Him. As with a relationship between husband and wife, life comes from this intimacy and so too, there will be life and fruit produced from a relationship of intimacy with Yeshua.
- How well do you believe you know Yeshua?
- What do you feel you need to do in order to have a deeper intimacy with HaShem?
- What would you give up for a deeper and more intimacy with Yeshua and the Father?
- Are you producing fruit that reflects the work of the Spirit in your life? What is your fruit?
Moedim – Yom Kippur/The Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur is actually Yom Hakippurim in the Hebrew and it means day of Atonements or Coverings. This is the most solemn and holy day on the calendar and of all the moedim is when there is no feasting but rather a full day of fasting. This action in itself speaks directly to the flesh and teaching the flesh to surrender to the spirit. There truly is a deep anointing on this day.
I have fasted on many occasions with absolutely no difficulty but I truly feel the flesh on this day and how it aches for comfort. When the Israelites were first attacked on their way into the desert, it was Amalek who attacked them from the rear and at their most vulnerable point, the elderly, the women and the children.
The tribe of Amalek is associated with our flesh and in this passage, we see the war that rages with Amalek when the Israelites doubt the presence of HaShem and His covering over them. At the end of chapter 17 of Exodus we read that Amalek will be fought generation after generation but also that the name of Amalek will be blotted out from under Heaven. This is the promise of Yeshua’s return to come and when he will put a final end to sin in the world, the day when we will be free of rule of the flesh and when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Yeshua, HaMeshiach is Lord. Philippians 2:10-11
Yom Kippur gives us the time to think about the state of our hearts and to seek atonement through the sacrifice of Yeshua on the cross. May we not just breathe a sigh of relief because of this grace but may we take action in walking this life out as Yeshua did, as an act of worship and thanksgiving for His sacrifice.
- Are there areas of your life where your nafesh (soul) is ruling instead of your spirit?
- How can you walk out your life as an act of worship and thanksgiving to HaShem?
7 Churches – Philadelphia
The k’hal of Philadelphia had no unclean works mentioned against them. This was a body of believers who had fully surrendered to the Ruach HaKodesh and who kept the Word and had not denied the name of Yeshua. While many of us have not been in a situation of life and death where we have had to deny Yeshua’s name, be punished or even killed, there are many ways in which we could deny Yeshua in our daily actions.
Philadelphia represents the spotless bride, prepared and ready for her Groom. She was ready because of her surrendered heart to Elohim and her choice to walk in obedience. This road was not an easy one, there must have been much sacrifice and perseverance in holding onto the Word. When we hold onto the Word of HaShem and choose obedience over the comfort of our flesh, we sow seeds of righteousness which will produce harvests rich with joy! With this heart of worship before the King our garments of righteousness will ineed be pure an acceptable in His sight.
The rewards are not always for this life. Yes, we experience blessings and hope on earth as a gift from our Father but the true reward is beyond this time, it is when we will rule and reign with our King, Yeshua. May we live this life in preparation of this hope and promise.
Abba Father,
Thank You for leading me through these paths of counting in preparation for Shavuot. I pray that You will give me the strength I need to face the truth of the state of my garments, not so that I will feel condemned but rather convicted to walk in obedience and truth. I know that You desire for me to enter into Your presence and the only way I can truly do this is to die to my flesh. Thank You that through the blood of Yeshua, this is possible.
I ask that You would be with me as I draw deeper into Your presence, that I would know You as my Heavenly Groom. I invite You to be my covering. Please lead me to walk in Your ways with wisdom and strength. I desire to be a sweet fragrance unto You all the days of my life so that one day when You return, I may enter into Your presence, clothed in garments of righteousness, redeemed by Your sacrificial love.
In the precious name of Your son, Yeshua, Amein.
Baruch Hashem!
Visit www.thecreationgospel.com for a detailed study of the Creation days, the Spirits of Adonai, the Appointed seasons and the 7 Churches.