Just two short months ago, we joyfully celebrated Passover (Leviticus 23:5), the annual commemoration of Israel’s freedom from slavery, during which we as disciples of Messiah also celebrate our own personal freedom from sin—through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Yeshua. Then we began the week-long Feast of Matzah (“unleavened bread”; Leviticus 23:6-8), which memorializes how our ancestors left their oppressors in Egypt behind forever. It is also a period for practicing our own “unleavenedness,” and walking without sin—walking in the reality of who we are reborn to be in Messiah. After that, we began the seven-week journey of counting from the offering of the Omer (“sheaf”; Leviticus 23:9-15)—the time of year in Israel following the barley harvest, during which the wheat grows and matures to its fullness. It is during this season that we have the opportunity to observe our own growth and maturity—watching, waiting and working with God, as he moves us closer to becoming the true disciple He wants us to be.

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