You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering.
Leviticus 23:15
The seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost are known as the Counting of the Omer. While we usually count down the number of days to an event, this counts up the number of days since Passover. This parallels the growth seen in the grain fields.
Reaping a Harvest
This is the time of year that the grains in Israel ripen and are harvested. Besides seeing small gardens, if you are like me, your life does not center around the agricultural cycle. This contrasts with most people throughout history. The Bible uses imagery the people knew so it should come as no surprise to see it filled with agricultural imagery.
Paul used sowing and reaping to describe our spiritual growth: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9). This comes a little after his list of the “fruit of the Spirit” (continuing the harvest imagery).
The prophet Hosea urges the people, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; / reap steadfast love” (Hosea 10:12). This stands in sharp contrast to what he observed: “You have plowed iniquity; / you have reaped injustice” (Hosea 10:13, see also Job 4:8, Proverbs 22:8).
This serves as a reminder that our choices today will have consequences tomorrow. We are responsible for the seeds we plant in our lives and in the lives of others. What habits are you cultivating in your life? These may involve how we treat our bodies: what we eat or exercise. Do we nurture our souls by spending time with the Lord in prayer, Scripture meditation, and other spiritual disciplines?
To Ponder…
What are you sowing in your life? What is growing within you? Does how you spend your time reflect your harvest goals? Is your lifestyle promoting good physical and spiritual health? If not, what needs to change?