Traveling Toward Mount Sinai
Iyyar is the second month of the biblical calendar year. The name "Iyyar" is the Babylonian name of the month. The older biblical (or Canaanite) name of the month is "Ziv," as in 1 Kings 6:1, "In the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD." In the land of Israel, Iyyar is the first month of the dry season, but it certainly is not spiritually dry. The month of Iyyar is full of spiritual nourishment for believers. In the year...
TOPICSAscension, counting of the Omer, Iyyar, journey, nourishment, Shavuot
The Splendor of Iyyar
On the biblical calendar, Iyyar can get overlooked. Couched between the festivals of Passover and Shavuot, Iyyar may seem like a period of waiting. However, to downgrade Iyyar to a second-class month would be a mistake. Iyyar is derived from an Akkadian word that means "splendor" or "blossoming." It corresponds to the Hebrew "Ziv," the name given to the second month in the days of Solomon (1Kgs 6:1). Ziv likewise means "splendor."
TOPICSglory, Iyyar, mishkan, shechinah, splendor, tabernacle, Temple
A Journey of Choices
It has been several weeks since we celebrated Passover and Unleavened Bread, the time commemorating our Exodus from slavery to Pharaoh and the redemption we have received from HaShem, both from Egypt and by Messiah. We are now well into the counting of the omer, which is the process to count 49 days or 7 weeks from the time of Unleavened Bread until the time of Shavuot or Pentecost (Lev. 23:15). The omer was a measured amount. In this case it was the amount of harvested barley that was brought to the Temple. So now we have turned our backs...
TOPICSchoices, counting, counting of the Omer, decisions, discernment, fruit of the Spirit, Iyyar, journey, omer, promised land, Sinai
