THE DAYS OF AWE
Monday evening (August 9th, 2021) , at sunset, marks the beginning of the Hebrew month of “Elul”.
It is a special month since it is a month of “retrospect”, of “meditation” of “contemplation” of “reflection” or whatever word you might use to describe “Where Am I in my relationship with the LORD?”
Many might think, “Isn’t this a Jewish time of reflection?” But actually, it is a time for ALL BELIEVERS, all over the world, in whatever church, synagogue, denomination, they might be associated with. August 9th (this year) starts a 40-day time of soul-searching culminating on Yom Kippur (Sept 17). The Day of Atonement, when we think of what our Messiah, LORD, and Savior did for us all on the Cross of Calvary.
In the Old Testament, it was when the High Priest came into the HOLY of holies, to commune with God, only once per year. But to us, it is when we think of Yeshua/Jesus when he died for our sins and placed his own blood on the HOLY of Holies in the New Jerusalem, making it possible for all believers to come into fellowship 24-7.
The month of Elul expresses how God feels towards His people, that includes ALL of us, not only the 12 tribes of Israel. We are included in “His People” since we have been grafted into the Olive Tree, making us all “Am Echad” (One People). In the Song of Solomon 6:3, Solomon writes through the Holy Spirit; “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”. This is directed towards God’s Family and how God feels towards us all. All of us who have been “born again” are part of God’s family.
In the Hebrew, it reads: “Ani L’Dodi, V Dodi Li” the acronyms for these words spell out “Elul”
So we must ask ourselves these questions: Where Am I in my relationship with the LORD? Am I following in His footsteps, or Am I off the path. Am I doing my own thing or His thing? Am I following his commandments? How about my thought life, what’s going on in my mind? Now that is an “ouch!” or “Oi Vey!” for many of us.
Even Yeshua stated in the case of adultery; “It is written; Thou shalt not commit adultery, However, I say unto you that whosoever even looks upon a woman with lust, has already committed adultery in his mind” So He is not changing the commandment, he is strengthening it, bringing it to its full meaning. I think we are ALL guilty of that! Even women desiring men.
Are we bringing our thought life under control? He knows what is in our minds. All sin starts in the mind and if it is not dealt with mentally, it may culminate carnally. The meaning of the word; “Tzadik” is “One who has his or her sin nature under control” (Tzad) = to control, bring under control, underfoot, hunt, (Qof) = Monkey Do you have your monkey under control? (the monkey being our sin nature (Yetzer Hara)
It is not a salvation issue, it is a relationship issue. So, as we go through these 40 days of awe, we need to be aware of our personal relationship with our heavenly Father. He brought us into His family through Yeshua/Jesus, now, how are we behaving as His children. We are his beloved, do we love him in the same way? Something to think about.
Monday evening (August 9th, 2021) , at sunset, marks the beginning of the Hebrew month of “Elul”.
It is a special month since it is a month of “retrospect”, of “meditation” of “contemplation” of “reflection” or whatever word you might use to describe “Where Am I in my relationship with the LORD?”
Many might think, “Isn’t this a Jewish time of reflection?” But actually, it is a time for ALL BELIEVERS, all over the world, in whatever church, synagogue, denomination, they might be associated with. August 9th (this year) starts a 40-day time of soul-searching culminating on Yom Kippur (Sept 17). The Day of Atonement, when we think of what our Messiah, LORD, and Savior did for us all on the Cross of Calvary.
In the Old Testament, it was when the High Priest came into the HOLY of holies, to commune with God, only once per year. But to us, it is when we think of Yeshua/Jesus when he died for our sins and placed his own blood on the HOLY of Holies in the New Jerusalem, making it possible for all believers to come into fellowship 24-7.
The month of Elul expresses how God feels towards His people, that includes ALL of us, not only the 12 tribes of Israel. We are included in “His People” since we have been grafted into the Olive Tree, making us all “Am Echad” (One People). In the Song of Solomon 6:3, Solomon writes through the Holy Spirit; “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”. This is directed towards God’s Family and how God feels towards us all. All of us who have been “born again” are part of God’s family.
In the Hebrew, it reads: “Ani L’Dodi, V Dodi Li” the acronyms for these words spell out “Elul”
So we must ask ourselves these questions: Where Am I in my relationship with the LORD? Am I following in His footsteps, or Am I off the path. Am I doing my own thing or His thing? Am I following his commandments? How about my thought life, what’s going on in my mind? Now that is an “ouch!” or “Oi Vey!” for many of us.
Even Yeshua stated in the case of adultery; “It is written; Thou shalt not commit adultery, However, I say unto you that whosoever even looks upon a woman with lust, has already committed adultery in his mind” So He is not changing the commandment, he is strengthening it, bringing it to its full meaning. I think we are ALL guilty of that! Even women desiring men.
Are we bringing our thought life under control? He knows what is in our minds. All sin starts in the mind and if it is not dealt with mentally, it may culminate carnally. The meaning of the word; “Tzadik” is “One who has his or her sin nature under control” (Tzad) = to control, bring under control, underfoot, hunt, (Qof) = Monkey Do you have your monkey under control? (the monkey being our sin nature (Yetzer Hara)
It is not a salvation issue, it is a relationship issue. So, as we go through these 40 days of awe, we need to be aware of our personal relationship with our heavenly Father. He brought us into His family through Yeshua/Jesus, now, how are we behaving as His children. We are his beloved, do we love him in the same way? Something to think about.
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