Week Two of Counting the Omer

Counting the Omer: Week Two of our New Covenant Reading Journey

As we enter week two of counting the omer, I hope you are getting the big picture of the accounts of the life of Yeshua in the gospels. When you read large portions of Scripture, you can notice repetition of words and stories. As I wrote last week, it is like riding in the passenger seat in the car and watching the side of the road for long periods of time. We are used to reading only a few verses at time which is helpful to understand a particular story or truth but it does not show us how the story fits into the larger context.

One observation about the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is how many times you read that the people were amazed or astonished at the authority of Yeshua. In those days, Jewish leaders would often speak in the name of leaders from a previous generation and not speak in their own name. It is significant that Yeshua says but I say to you. He spoke by his own authority or the authority of his Father in heaven. Yeshua declares the forgiveness of sins which only God can do. In speaking this way, he was demonstrating the authority of God.

We also see that Yeshua not only spoke with authority, but acted with authority. He did this in healings, in casting out demons, and in his ability to control the weather, and a variety of other miracles.

Another unique observation about Yeshua in the gospels is that while he never broke the law of Torah, he was sometimes radical in his application of Torah. He emphasized the heart attitude and sometimes stepped outside of established traditions. I wonder what our reaction would be today if Yeshua came and challenged our customs and traditions!

All of these observations point to the larger truth that God broke into this world in the person of Yeshua and was inaugurating the New Covenant Era.

Enjoy the journey!

Rabbi Howard