Hebrew Month of Iyar | Expect, Prepare & Connect
The Hebrew month of Iyar is unique because it falls during the “The Counting of the Omer.” This period is between Passover and Shavuot. During this time, people count the days in anticipation of the first new grain offering at Shavuot. Thus, Iyar is a month that offers a bridge and connection between the Hebrew months of Nisan and Sivan.
We were freed from Egypt in the month of Nisan (at Passover). In the month of Sivan, Moses received the Torah (Shavuot). The nation of Israel began to adopt a culture specific to the Chosen People at that time. They embraced their calling and unlocked their destiny.
Expecting to Receive & Preparing Your Heart
As we count the days between Passover and Shavuot, we have an expectant heart ready to receive an impartation of instruction. As Believers, we look forward to a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s fire. (The first Pentecost coincided with the Feast of Shavuot. Learn more about it here).
Defining and Aligning
The time spent preparing the heart and spirit outweighs the moment of carrying out the instruction. Although we spend only a few hours celebrating a feast, the days and weeks leading up to the moment are part of the process, too. These are what define and align us for the celebration and impartation.
In the Hebrew month of Iyar, we fully immerse ourselves in a season of preparation. We prepare to receive what the Lord has for us. This means we must make room in our hearts and lives for something better.
You might find yourself in a season of “spiritual house cleaning” where you have to let the Lord empty boxes and remove the clutter. He has something new for you. So, make room!
- “So then, prepare your hearts and minds for action! Stay alert and fix your hope firmly on the marvelous grace that is coming to you. For when Jesus Christ is unveiled, a greater measure of grace will be released to you”—1 Peter 1:13 (TPT)
Creating Connection: Physical Provision for a Spiritual Purpose
Manna was a physical provision that had a spiritual purpose. It fell for the Jews during the Hebrew month of Iyar, beginning on the 15th day. Manna represented a spiritual food that nourished and sustained the physical body. It represented a total dependence on God to meet every need throughout the desert journey of 40 years.
The Israelites ate manna in faith. It physically strengthened them for the spiritual work ahead–becoming a new nation. It also sustained them as God fulfilled the promise He made at the Exodus.
The *Mishnah offers wisdom when it says: “And let all your actions be for the sake of heaven.” In other words, the physical things we do create a spiritual connection when they enable us to fulfill our Kingdom purpose.
- We eat, sleep, and care for our bodies to fulfill our Kingdom destinies and serve God’s call in our lives.
- The manna was a spiritual tool from God that appeared in physical form to help fulfill His purpose. It created a connection to enable physical people to fulfill their spiritual destiny.
*The Mishnah is a foundational document of Rabbinic Judaism also known as the Oral Law. The Gemara contains commentaries on the Mishnah. Together, these pieces form what people know as the Talmud.
Battling the Amalek Spirit
Another significant event that took place during the Hebrew month of Iyar was Amalek’s attack after the Israelites left Egypt. This attack during the Hebrew month of Iyar was a spiritual assault aimed at defiling the nation of Israel.
Jewish rabbis teach the words “he happened to you along the way” (or, in the case of the translations below, “did to you on the way”) relate to the Hebrew words for pollution or spiritual impurity.
Amalek wanted to stop the new nation from fulfilling its role as repairers of the world (Tikkun HaGamur). He aimed to defile the nation so they could not receive the Torah in the coming days. All the forces from the “other side” sought to destroy this divine appointment that would shape humanity forever.
This event is recorded in Exodus 17:8-16:
“Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’
“So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
“But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’
“And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; or he said, ‘Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’” (emphasis added)
The story continues in Deuteronomy 25:17-19:
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.” (emphasis added)
Now jump to 1 Samuel 15:2-3:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (emphasis added)
In the end, Saul didn’t fully obey and spared Agag, King of the Amalekites. Scholars believe that Haman (Esther 3:1) was a direct descendant of this king.
Remember!
This biblical account, albeit a bit lengthy, is an important reminder to all of us during this season to:
- Keep our eyes on the big picture.
- Recognize the enemy who seeks to defile.
- See how he wants to steal divine appointments that will shape our destiny.
Like Moses, you might have to improvise and find a way to keep your arms raised until the end of the battle. Do not let the enemy steal the impartation God has for you at Shavuot. This battle is not about today; it is about your identity and your future.
Decree with us today: In the Hebrew month of Iyar, we will not give up! We will not forget! We will not yield to the Amalek spirit!
The Hebrew Month of Iyar & the Hebrew Letter Vav
The Hebrew month of Iyar is connected to the Hebrew letter vav. As a word, “vav” means “hook or link two objects together.” In the Hebrew alphabet, vav is a prefix connecting two words or clauses.
Thus, Iyar is a “hook,” or a month of connection. It connects what was seen in Nisan (at Passover–a glimpse and a prophetic foreshadowing) to what is received in Sivan (at Shavuot).
For Israel, the 50 days from Passover to Shavuot was a time of purification. This prepared the new to elevate their spiritual vision and embrace the law that set them apart. These days established covenant, culture, and spiritual identity.
The Hebrew Letter Vav:
- Links words or phrases to create sentences
- Helps form and create ideas from one point to the next
- Implies continuity
- Impacts timing of events
- Has the power to transform
The absence of the vav at the beginning of a new chapter in the Torah indicates a new subject or era. Adding the Hebrew letter vav at the beginning of a verb changes the time of the action. It can change the action from future to past or from past to future. The vav has the power to transform the meaning of that which was to that which will be.
It is a letter of truth that reflects mercy and contains the seeds for redemption. As a straight line, it does not deviate to the right or left and represents children of authenticity.
In the Hebrew month of Iyar, we would be wise to embrace the same standard of truth-bearers who:
- Do not deviate from the path of the King
- Seek to connect the spiritual with the material.
- Remain as active seekers of truth and revelation
- Prepare our hearts to embrace instruction.
The numerical value of the letter vav is the number 6, signifying balance or equilibrium.
Likewise, the Hebrew month of Iyar joins and separates in a reflected dual nature. It brings balance and truth as a connection between Passover and Shavuot, from birth to receiving covenant identity.
The Letter Vav and Thoughts
The letter vav also represents thoughts of our minds and hearts. Therefore, part of our assignment this month is to clear our thoughts to prepare to receive God’s thoughts toward us.
We want to eliminate a mindset that causes us to sway from the path of Truth. As we prepare to receive truth, we must align our actions and thoughts. When we enthrone God’s truth upon our minds, we ultimately protect our hearts. We wash our minds with the Word, which flows to our hearts and becomes evident in our actions.
- “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”—Philippians 2:5
- “For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.”—2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (emphasis added)
The Hebrew Month of Iyar Is a Month of Healing
The Hebrew month of Iyar is also believed to be a month of healing. It was after the Exodus God said:
- “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”—Exodus 15:26
I.Y.A.R. and Repentance
In Hebrew, the first letter of the words of this verse: “I am Hashem, your healer,” creates the acronym for Iyar. Iyar is when we bring our spiritual well-being into alignment and focus, thereby releasing blessings, including healing, in all other areas of our lives.
Through the process of repentance (teshuvah), we return to or reconnect to the spiritual purity that the Lord desires for us. As a result, we unlock doors of destiny and blessing that make way for spiritual and physical healing.
The Hebrew Month of Iyar and the Tribe of Issachar
- “… of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;”—1 Chronicles 12:32
Iyar is connected to the tribe of Issachar, whose name means “his reward will come.” This tribe was known for being mantled as scholars who studied the stars, mathematics, and Torah. It is said that they “understood the times and seasons.”
Discern, Decode, and Perceive
They had a unique ability to discern, decode, and perceive, so they knew what “Israel ought to do.” And Yeshua, Jesus, rebuked those who did not do the same:
- “Then He also said to the multitudes, ‘Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, “A shower is coming”; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, “There will be hot weather”; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?”—Luke 12:54-56 (emphasis added)
The blessing for the tribe of Issachar in Genesis 49:14,15 states:
“Issachar is a strong donkey,
Lying down between two burdens;
He saw that rest was good,
And that the land was pleasant;
He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden,
And became a band of slaves.”
Just as a donkey carried goods from place to place and offered a connection point, likewise, the tribe of Issachar served as a connection between understanding, discerning, and carrying the wisdom of the Torah, uniting the people with and through the Father’s instruction.
Their gift of wisdom blessed the whole nation and connected the people to spiritual blessings attached to obedience.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.”
—Hosea 4:6
In the choshen (the priestly breastplate), the tribe of Issachar’s stone is a sapphire, reflecting lights and dispelling darkness. This reminds us that despair is only temporary. The light will break through and reconnect us. When we are in alignment with God’s times and seasons, we reflect that light even in the darkest times and become a place of Kingdom connection to others seeking hope.
What Can You Expect in the Hebrew Month of Iyar?
- A period of waiting and expectation.
- A period of preparing our hearts and our lives to receive instruction.
- A war against the Amalek spirit that would seek to steal what the Lord has for you.
- A demonstration of God’s supernatural provision to sustain you.
- A need to discipline, align, and cleanse your thoughts and actions.
- A season of healing.
- A connection between the material world and spiritual realm.
- An awareness of times and seasons and discern what you ought to do.
This is what is offered to us during the month of Iyar, but what is offered also has to be received. Like the tribe of Issachar, we would be wise to look up and understand “what time it is” so that we can align our lives to arrive at the Feast of Shavuot with clean and focused hearts ready to receive instruction, a fresh infilling, and covenant identity.
Meditate on These Words. Receive What God Has for You!
- “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.”—Ezekiel 36:25-29