Omer day 39.
Tonight at sundown, count 40 days. What happened on the 40’th day of the Omer?
Our Master Yeshua taught us:
Joh 16:5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
Joh 16:6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
Joh 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Joh 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Joh 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
Joh 16:10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
Joh 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Joh 16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
Every believer should mark tomorrow as a very special day!
This week’s reading, Bamidbar, begins the Book of Numbers, the fourth of the Five Books of Moses. This book of the Torah opens on the first of Iyar, one month after the inauguration of the Tabernacle, and several weeks before the Israelites will depart from Mount Sinai and begin their journey to the Holy Land. In this week’s portion the Israelites and the Tribe of Levi are counted separately. God instructs the Israelites on how to camp in the desert, surrounding the Tabernacle. The Levites are informed the procedure for dismantling the Tabernacle before traveling.
Let’s read a short passage together:
Num 1:18 and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,
Num 1:19 as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.
Num 1:20 The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:
Num 1:21 those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
Num 1:22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:
Num 1:23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
Based on a Q/A column by Menachem Posner
As we begin the Book of Numbers we read verse after verse of numbers: 46,500 for the tribe of Reuben, 59,300 for the tribe of Simeon, and so on. Why the detailed counts of the Israelites? Who cares? What value is there in knowing exactly how many Reubenites there were at a specific time in our history? How is this even remotely relevant to me?
Here is a thought: We probably all know, I will call her a nice elderly lady who maybe lost her husband a few years ago and lives far from her children. Whenever you meet her in the grocery or on the street, the first thing she does is take out her pictures of her grandkids. “You see that little boy?” she proudly says. “He in on his school’s honor role.” Pulling another picture out of her wallet, she continues with delight, “And this young lady is almost finished high school.” And on she goes.
You listen politely to her, smiling and nodding when it seems appropriate. To be honest, we’re probably not really paying attention well enough to know when to smile and when to nod. But, one thing I do know for sure, however, is that this woman truly adores her grandkids.
God loves us dearly—each and every one of us. So He counts us, like one who counts precious diamonds. The numbers may not be terribly relevant to you or me, but they are very important to Him. After all, each number accumulated represents one of His beloved children. When God hears us read these lists of numbers, He can recall by name each of the 46,500 Reubenites and the 59,200 Simeonites. So every year, as we read these numbers, the LORD listens again with delight.
So why is it relevant to us to read these lists of numbers year after year? First and foremost it is relevant to God so what other reason to we really need. But, when we realize how important it is to God, we realize that we are important too. Each one of us is numbered, He knows us by name, and He wants us to remember that He is keeping very close track of us.
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