Consistency marks truth, while inconsistency exposes a lie. Truth fits into a coherent sequence from beginning to end, whereas lies are isolated anomalies that jump around. The Hebrew word for truth, emet, is made of the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, so truth runs from A to Z. The word for a lie, sheker, is made of the second-last, fourth-last, and third-last letters, jumbled near the end, so lies never run a straight course. The letters of emet stand on firm, broad bases, while those of sheker balance on points and are intrinsically unstable. The first three uses of emet in the Five Books of Moses all appear in one chapter about one issue, the marriage of Isaac, while the first three uses of sheker are scattered across unrelated matters. There is one way of telling the truth but countless ways of lying, which is why we ask "Are you telling me the truth?" but "Are you telling me a lie?" To detect a lie, test whether the story fits its context and makes sense from start to finish. Rock the story with probing questions, and if it wobbles, it is false. Learn a speaker's baseline truth-telling mannerisms and watch for departures from them.

God establishes patterns that remain consistent, and He does not flip-flop His commands. Human nature, however, is quick to justify itself by inventing exceptions to any rule it finds inconvenient, whether a speed limit, a diet, or the Sabbath. Nothing after Exodus 20 changed when the weekly Sabbath is observed, and nothing after Leviticus 23 changed the dates of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, or the Last Great Day. Some practices on the day may change, but not the dates. Pentecost is no different. The command to count in Leviticus 23:11-16 begins from the morrow after the Sabbath, and its purpose is to secure the same consistent method every year. Only the weekly Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread fits, because its date shifts each year and therefore requires counting. Counting from a fixed-date Holy Day would make counting unnecessary and strip the command of its anchor. Inconsistency produces diversity and ultimately confusion, while consistency unifies. Scripture cannot be broken or treated as nonexistent when it is inconvenient. Jewish groups also consistently used a Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread. Special occasions, such as Joshua 5 or Hezekiah's second-month Passover, do not alter original commands. Joshua could not offer the Wavesheaf because the grain was a stranger's, unsown by Israel, and the offerings had to be made at the Tabernacle. Vague or guessed-at texts like Luke 6:1 grant no authority to create an exception. The same method of counting should be followed every year, regardless of where Passover falls.