Day 35: An Active Yielding to Divine Restoration

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 thirty-five days, which is five weeks of the Omer.

Leviticus 26:23-24 “²³ ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, ²⁴ then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.”

These verses are part of a section known as the תּוֹכָחָה (tochachah), meaning "admonitions." The admonitions are meant as a warning to the nation of Israel, to deter it from forsaking the covenant and walking in the ways of the nations. There are a total of 49 admonitions in this section, in contrast to the 11 blessings contained in the section of blessings.

Who would ever want the LORD to walk contrary to them? It seems like a question that has only one answer. I personally can’t think of anyone who would answer that question in the affirmative. Obviously, everyone would want closeness with and blessings from the LORD. The key to this passage lies in the Hebrew word תִוָּסְרוּ (tivasru), which is translated as "You shall be corrected," "you shall let yourselves be disciplined," or "you shall take warning." Grammatically, this word is in the Binyan known as Niphal, which renders the word in the Passive/Reflexive state. This means that the nation is responsible for allowing itself to be placed in a position to be corrected by HaShem; an active yielding on the part of the people.  The whole point of the correction is restoration. The English translation says, “reformed by Me,” however, the Hebrew construction literally states: לָשׁוּב אֵלַי — "So that you should return unto Me." Within the covenant, chastisement is never just arbitrary or simply punitive; it is redemptive and relational. To "be disciplined" means allowing the friction of the text and historical circumstances to reorient the nation back toward HaShem.

When we experience the admonition of the LORD today, are we paying attention? Do we really believe that the circumstances we face, due to our sin, are the loving admonition of our heavenly Father? Or do we attribute the circumstances to natural disaster, happenstance, or coincidence? If the discipline is dismissed as an accident, natural disaster, or random chance, the corrective purpose of תִוָּסְרוּ fails. The refusal to be disciplined is essentially a refusal of divine providence. The tragedy isn't just about the pain itself, but also about missing the opportunity to learn important lessons from it.

Father, help all of us, Your children, listen intently to the tochachah (admonition) and pay attention to the events that transpire in our lives. Help us to open our eyes and our ears to see the loving admonition that comes from You, so we can achieve the ultimate goal, returning to You. B’Shem Yeshua, Amen!