Day: 11 The LORD gives strength to His people

 BLESSING FOR COUNTING THE OMER:

Baruch ata Adonai, ELOHEYNU melech ha-olam, asher kiddeshanu bidvarecha v’tzi-va-noo al sifeerat ha-omer.

Blessed are you, O Adonai our GOD, King of the universe Who has sanctified us by your Word and commanded us concerning the Counting of the Omer.

Today is eleven days, which is one week and four days of the Omer.

Gevurah (vigor & discipline)

Today’s meditation on Gevurah (strength) comes from Haftarah II Kings 5. Naaman was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master and also a mighty man of valor because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. Leprosy makes Naaman’s daily life seemingly unbearable, leading him to travel to the Land of Israel seeking relief. Israel’s King offers nothing and states: “Am I God” Elisha the man of God told him to Go and wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored.

'"So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." 2 Kings 5:14

Yeshua recalls the healing of Naaman in Luke 4:27-28: " and many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” All those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath".

Yeshua inflamed their hearts, and everyone was filled with wrath. Both his examples of great faith were Gentiles. The process of ritual purification as described in Leviticus 14 had never once happened. Yeshua miraculously healed a leper in Matthew 8:2-4, and later healed 10 lepers in Luke 17:11-19

"The Lord gives strength (gevurah) to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace (shalom)" Psalm 29:11

Shalom, using Hebrew pictographs, means destroy the authority that binds to chaos. The term His people is used twice; this promise is for both Jew and Gentile. It adds, YHVH blesses us with shalom. Peace & contentment in today’s world is also for both Jew & Gentile

Naaman’s epiphany in 2 Kings 5:15-16, there is one God and the gift is free:

    "And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”  But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused."

On this, the eleventh day of the Omer, may our hearts rejoice as Naamans, knowing there is no God except the God of Israel, and your gifts are free, your plans of salvation, and shalom. Remind us daily of the words of Yeshua, Freely you have received, freely give.