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Counting Omer and a Question of Circumcision
Reflections on the Creator’s Calendar and the Counting of the Omer
If you have any questions whatsoever: be it about the biblical calendar (i.e., Yahovah’s reckoning of time), or the counting of the omer or the Feasts of FirstFruits or Shavuot/Pentecost/Weeks/Harvest, don’t hesitate to communicate with us by using any of the aforementioned methods that I gave at this episode’s opening remarks. We’ll get you up to speed and once you understand the significance and placement of these Feasts of the LORD, your life will forever be changed. If you are old-hat this, let us rejoice and make the most out of the Spring Feasts of the LORD: this is our heritage and commonwealth. Our coming into this Faith was not something of petty happenstance or a religious fad that so many of our Churchianity cousins have said about and thrown at us—that we have fallen from grace and such. Indeed, our coming into the true Faith once delivered was actually—or should I say, was in direct accord with Shaul’s (aka the Apostle Paul’s) teaching that is recorded in Romans 11. Shaul wrote to the Roman Assembly of believers:
“For I speak to you other people (most translations deem other people as “gentiles,” but here the Cepher uses “other people” to denote those who are not “Jews”)—continuing—inasmuch as I am the apostle of the other people, I magnify my office. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy (Shaul here is speaking of the original Hebrews—true Hebrews)—For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off and you , being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them (that is, you as a Gentile coming into this Faith are grandfathered in as a Hebrew-a crossed over-one)—as a wild olive tree you were grafted in among them and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches, but if you boast, you bear not the root but the root you” and so on (Romans 11:13-18, Cepher)
Now the fullness of Shaul’s teachings is made more apparent when we attach his teaching that he wrote to the Assembly in Ephesus which goes:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Yahusha HaMashiach (don’t get hung up in the name of our Master being different from the name that I refer to Him here on this show—I’m using the Cepher bible rendering of this text)—created in Yahusha HaMashiach unto good works which Yahuah has before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember that ye being in time past the other people (remember “other people is rendered as Gentile in most other translations)—in time past ye being other people in the flesh who are called “Uncircumcision” by that which is called the “Circumcision” in the flesh made by hands that at that time ye were without Mashiach (that is, without Messiah); being aliens from the Devariym of Yisra’el (that is, you were aliens from the “commonwealth of Israel” and that is the crux of what we must keep in mind here—that we were once outside of the true Faith once delivered and all the benefits and accompanying expectations)—continuing—being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and—(get this folks)—without Yahuah in the world. But now in Yahusha HaMashiach ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of HaMashiach. For He is our peace who has made both one (that is, He—Messiah has made both Hebrew and Gentile one)—continuing—and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the regulation of commandments contained in dogma; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace. And that He might reconcile both unto Yahuah in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Ruach unto the Father. Now therefore you ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the qodeshiym (that is the “saints”)—but fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of Yahuah and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahusha HaMashiach Himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy Templein Yahuah in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of Yah through the Ruach. (Ephesians 2:10-22, Cepher)
So we have been afforded all the benefits of being a true Hebrew and in assuming this role in Yah’s creation, there are expectations that we must fulfill and those expectations are found in Father’s Torah and in the teachings and example of Yeshua HaMashiach. We have been released from the Law ONLY in the sense of the penalty that comes from violating the Torah. Instead of blindly obeying Torah, as new creatures (2 Colossians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15), we begin the evolution from that of being fleshly creatures to that of being spirit-based creatures. Thus Yahovah’s Spirit—His Ruach—slowly but surely replaces our fleshly self, beginning from the inside working out (ultimately to be physically translated into a full spirit being)—but beginning from the inside working out, we seek to please Father and establish a true and eternal relationship with Him that is unlike any relationship known to man. That relationship, like all relationships, has rules. The rules for that eternal relationship with Father is found in Torah. Thus, we observe and honor Torah, not because we are forced through fear to blindly obey Torah, but because we love and honor and want to please our Father. And that is the foundation of why we observe the Feasts of Yahovah and we adjust our lives to Father’s reckoning of time and His appointed times—His moedim.
“And Elohim said unto El-Avraham: ‘You shall guard my covenant therefore, you and your seed after you in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall guard, between me and you and your seed after you; every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a sign of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you; every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of your seed. He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must need to be circumcised and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.’” (Bere’shiyth-Genesis 17:9-14, Cepher)
“And Yahuah spoke unto Mosheh saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Yisra’el saying, if a woman have conceived seed and lorn a manchild, then she shall be unclean seven days according to the days of the separation for her infirmity (menstruation according to ERV and CJB translations) shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.’” (Viyiqra-Leviticus 12:1-3, Cepher)
Let’s take a quick look at this passage of the Prophet Ezekiel, chapter 44, but let’s begin at verse 4 and proceed up through verse 9. And the Cepher Bible rendering reads as thus:—
”Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house (speaking about the Temple): and I looked and behold the glory of Yahovah filled the house of Yahovah and I fell upon my face. And Yahovah said unto me, son of Adam (men in most translations), mark well, and behold with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say unto you concerning all the ordinances of the house of Yahovah and all the Torah thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house with every going forth of the sanctuary (the LXX adds “in all the holy things). And you shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Yisra’el, ‘Thus says Adonai Yahovah; O ye house of Yisra’el, let it suffice you of all your abominations (the NET says–“Enough of all your abominable practices, O house of Israel”). In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary; to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not guarded the watch of my holy things but ye have set guarders of my watch to my sanctuary for yourselves.’ (The LXX simply says “and ye appointed others to keep the charges in my sanctuary.”)Thus says Yahovah, ‘No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary of any stranger that is among the children of Yishra’el.” (Cepher)
And as it relates to the added Torah commandment of circumcising of one’s heart as well as one’s flesh–Deuteronomy 10:16.
“For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law or Torah (i.e., circumcision profits indeed if you fulfill or better, if you properly understand and manifest the understanding of Torah through accurate practice)…” Continuing—”but if you are a transgressor of the Law or Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision (i.e., but if you depart from Torah, one’s circumcision becomes uncircumcision).” Shaul continues: “And if uncircumcision should keep the precepts of Torah, would not that uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? And will not he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law (or Torah), will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law AND circumcision are a transgressor of the Law (i.e., of Torah)? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men but from Elohim.” (Romans 2:25-29, NAS and Roth’s Aramaic NT)
- Circumcision profits us only if one keeps Torah—Romans 2:25
- If those who are uncircumcised keep Torah, their uncircumcision will be counted as circumcision—Romans 2:26
- The uncircumcised who keep Torah will judge those who’ve violated Torah and are regardless, circumcised—Romans 2:27
- A Jew is defined as one who has a circumcised heart and is Spirit-born—Romans 2:29
- Both the circumcised and uncircumcised will be considered righteous through their faith—Romans 3:30
- Avraham’s faith was counted unto him as righteousness BEFORE he was circumcised. But circumcision became a seal of that righteousness of faith which Avraham had prior to his circumcision—Romans 4:9-11
- If we were called in an uncicrcumcised state, then we should not undergo the b’rit-milah (i.e., circumcision); for circumcision means nothing. What does mean something is keeping God’s commandments—I Corinthians 7:18,19
- Titus, a Greek follower of Shaul, was NOT moved to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3)
- If you undergo the b’rit-milah, Messiah will be of no profit to you. For in so doing—being circumcised that is—that person is obligated to observe the entire Torah without failure—Galatians 5:2,3
- Neither circumcision or uncircumcision matters, but faith working through love matters—Galatians 5:6; 6:15
- Circumcision becomes a show of righteousness as opposed to faith. This is a denial of the Faith. The focus then becomes that of circumcision and not obedience to Yeshua and Yahovah’s way of life or Torah—Galatians 6:13
“Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim ! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah- justice, mercy, trust. These are the things you should have attended to- without neglecting the others! (Mat 23:23 CJB)
“If only there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandments always so that it might go well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29,QBE)
Of unity and truth, it was, according to the Rood Chronology, on Wednesday, 4-28-28 CE or the 14th Day of the First Biblical Month—it was during the evening hours—that Yeshua prayed with and for His disciples in the Kidron Valley on their way to Gethsemane. Yeshua prayed: “I have given them your Word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through your truth—your word is truth. As You have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. I have sanctified myself for their sakes so that they also might be sanctified through the truth. I do not pray only for these alone, but for those also who shall believe in me through their word, that they all may be ONE—THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE!!! As you Father are in Me, and I in You, I pray that they also may be one in us and that the world may believe that you have sent me…I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in ONE—and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:14-23, CKJV)