The time between Unleavened Bread and Shavuot is a time of counting. It is written in Wayyikra (Leviticus) 23:15 that seven completed Sabbaths should be counted from the morrow after the Shabbat on which the first fruit offering was brought during the week of Unleavened Bread. The morrow after the seventh Sabbath is the Day of Shavuot – day number 50 after the count began on the Day of the first fruit wave offering. The word used to indicate the act of counting, is the word "saphar" which has the following meaning: "to count, to recount, to enumerate, to declare, to write down". The word "saphar" is often used to refer to the act of writing down certain things that had happened. "Sephar" means a book or a book roll, "siphrah" is a scroll or a letter and "sopher" is a scribe (like Ezrah and Baruch) who had the responsibility of writing down (or recounting) the important events of their day.

The time between Unleavened Bread and Shavuot is often called the time of counting the omer. Strictly speaking, this is a bit confusing. The omer is the measure that was used to determine the amount of barley sheaves to be waved on the day of the first fruit offering. It was not the omer that had to be counted towards the day of Shavuot, it was the days that followed after the waving of the omer barley sheaves of the day of the First Fruits, that had to be counted. We have a Scriptural command to count the days and to make sure the count comes to exactly 50 days. Why is this? Why should we count the days? Why is this so important? Because counting ("sapharing") is a way of remembering, it is a means of declaration and proclamation, an instrument of witnessing.

Looking at this word "saphar" in Scriptures, shows over and over again why it is so important for us to keep on counting, especially when it comes to those things that we have received from the hands of Yahweh, our heavenly Father. Of course, there are certain things that should rather not be counted, or certain circumstances in which it is not a good idea to count or to try to work out the number. In this regard we should remember Dawid who counted the people of Yisrael against Yahweh’s instructions, falsely and proudly believing that his own power and ability would be shown by the number of his people. There are also certain things that cannot be counted – simply because they are more than one can ever imagine or determine. Yahweh said to Avraham that no-one would be able to count the multitude of his seed, just as it is impossible to count the stars in heaven. In YermeYahu (Jeremiah) 33:22 it is said that the descendants of Dawid will be as innumerable as the sand of the sea.

Scriptures indicate that there are things about ourselves that we should count or number. We should number our days and thereby bring our hearts to wisdom, declares Tehillim (Psalm) 90:12. Numbering our days means remembering that our time here on earth is both limited and precious – it is not to be wasted or spent in a way that may bring regrets. Something else about ourselves that we should also count, and even recount again and again, according to Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 12:16, is the total number of our abominations, as we live and walk among the gentiles surrounding us. Numbering our abominations will remind us that, as a remnant, we are called to reflect the splendour of Yahweh our Father and that it is an insult to Him when our lives display certain things that do not bring honour and esteem to his Name.

Most importantly, Scriptures indicate that there are things about Yahweh that we should count or number. The time of the year in which this counting is most appropriate, is the time between Unleavened Bread and Shavuot. This time has been set apart especially as a time of counting and the kind of counting that is needed in this time, more than anything else, is the counting of those things that we have received from above, out of the hand of Yahweh, our Elohim and our Saviour. These are the things that we should count and recount. These are the things that we should number and make mention of. We should even write them down, so that we, ourselves, should never forget, and even others should learn about the greatness and the qualities of the One that we’ve come to know. Let us take a look at some of the things concerning Yahweh, our Father, that Scriptures say we should count or number or declare.

Yahushua 2:23; Shophetim (Judges) 6:13; Iyov (Job) 12:8; 15:17; 28:27; Tehillim 9:1; 9:14; 22:30; 26:7; 40:5; 48:13; 50:16; 71:15; 73:28; 78:3; 78:4; 78:6; 79:13; 96:3; 102:21; 107:22; 118:17; 119:26; 139:18; YeshaYahu (Isaiah) 43:21; 43:26; 52:15; Yermeyahu (Jeremiah) 23:28; Yoel 1:3; Chavakuk (Habakkuk) 1:5

Acts 5:41 Then indeed they went rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.

Phil 3:8 What is more, I even count all to be loss because of the excellence of the knowledge of Messiah Y'shua my Master, for whom I have suffered the loss of all, and count them as refuse, in order to gain Messiah.

2 Thes 1:11 To this end we always pray for you that our Elohim would count you worthy of this calling, and complete all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of belief with power.

2 Kefa (2 Peter) 3:9 Yahweh is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Rev 7:9 After this I looked and saw a great crowd which no one was able to count, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and palm branches in their hands.