Two days after Passover, the 2nd day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Rabbinic tradition teaches to begin Counting the Omer.
We count for 50 days beginning on Nisan 16, April 20, 2011, because God's word tells us to count forty-nine days beginning from the day on which the Omer, (a sacrifice containing an omer-measure of barley) was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, until the day before an offering of wheat was brought to the Temple on Shavuot. The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, the fiftieth day. The idea of counting each day represents spiritual preparation and anticipation for the giving of the Torah, which was given by God on Mount Sinai at the beginning of the month of Sivan, around the same time as the holiday of Shavuot.
Count Up to Shavuot
Count the days of the Omer by saying the following daily prayer, then add in the count of the current day.Baruch atah Adonai, O Lord Our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by thy commandments and commanded us to be a light unto the nations and has given us Yeshua our Messiah, the Light of the World. It is the ___day of the Omer. During this time, acknowledge each and every day as unique!
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Following Yeshua...Celebrating the Feasts of Adonai
Subtitle: A Dinner Table Guide for the Festivals by Pari Johnson.
Updated December 2010, the 3rd edition contains a new section: nightly readings for the Feast
of Unleavened Bread.
Available at Amazon.com where you can peak inside the book.
If possible, I suggest ordering enough
copies so everyone around your table can have their own book from which to read.
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