Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23
April 30th - May 6th

Galatians 3:26-29
1 Peter 2:4-10

Ezekiel 44.15-31
Matthew 5:38-42

Realms of clean and unclean... What is unclean? Why are they unclean? How do we get clean? How do we stay clean?

What are the spiritual meanings behind the physical instructions? Can we be spiritually unclean? Can we be clean again?

The Book of Education (Sefer HaChinuch, circa 1300) elucidates the purpose of counting the omer. "The entire basis of the Jewish people's existence is only for Torah. And all of existence was created for Torah. This was the reason for the redemption and exodus from Egypt - so that we would receive the Torah at Sinai. Therefore we were commanded to count from Passover until Shavuot to display our excitement and anticipation towards the Day of the Giving of the Torah. We long for that day like a slave longs and counts the days until he will be free."

A Few Hebrew Definitions

• Defiled, H2931 טמא Tamei: To be made unclean; (See Ezek 44:23-24, You are to teach this! )

• Clean, H288ר ו ה ט Tahor: To be made clean. (See Ez. 44:23-24

• Dead, H5315 שׁ פ נ nephesh: This word is also used as ‘soul’ 416 times. This has a strong indication of the life in the world, as ‘unclean’ or ‘dead’. It also refers to the flesh nature of your heart.

• Feast/Feasts, H4150,ד ע מ Mo’ed Moedim: Gathering, rehearsals, appointed times, place or season, God’s appointed feasts.

• Convocation H4744, א ר ק מ mikra: a calling together, sacred assembly.

• Firstfruits, H1061, ר ּ◌ו ּ◌כ ּ◌ב bikkurim: 1) first-fruits 1a) first of the crops and fruit that ripened, the bread made of the new grain offered at Pentecost, Yeshua is the Firstfruits of the world, Col. 1:20, James 1:18, Heb. 8:23, I Cor. 15:46.

• Trumpets, H8643, ה ע וּ ר ּ◌ת teru‛ach: Shouts of Joy, warning, sounding shofars for repentance.

• Sabbath (7th Day), H7676, ת ּ◌ב ◌ׁש shabbath: a holy day, Set Apart. ONLY God’s people observe this day, for it is the day that we know “Yahweh Makes us Holy”.

• Sabbath (Special), H7677, ון ת ּ◌ב ◌ׁש shabbathon: This is a special observance, the moed of the feasts, a Sabbath of rest and anointing. The 7 Feasts of God, the 1st and 8th day of Pesach and Sukkot.