Song of Solomon 6:3 (ASV) I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; He feedeth his flock among the lilies,
As we continue our study for Elul, a month set apart for repentance in preparation for the fall feasts, we find a message hidden in the four Hebrew letters spelling the name of this special month. Alef-Lamed-Vav-Lamed form an “acronym” for a well-known passage in the Song of Solomon: Ani l-dodi v-dodi li or in English, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
This season of reflection and repentance need not only be a time for self-correction, humbling, and turning from sin, but perhaps even more significantly, a season for returning to our first love, turning to our bridegroom with bridal affection, respect and admiration.
We may well be reminded of the wise virgins in Matthew 25. Their great enthusiasm for the soon coming bridegroom moved them to thoughtful preparation for his advent. Deep and expectant love was their motivation. Their foolish sisters were not ready when the night-call came and found themselves outside the wedding banquet with the door shut!
Yeshua said, “Behold I am coming soon!” [Rev.22:7;12] That was nearly 2000 years ago. Can you imagine just how much closer we are to that “soon”? Deal with your sins and clean up your life so you won’t quench the Spirit and find your lamp going out. But even more, remember your first love, rekindle your affection for your Heavenly Bridegroom. Make Elul your month for Divine romance.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Have you ever noticed that when we get upset about something, we begin hashing up all these things that have happened in the past? Things we thought were long forgiven and forgotten suddenly flood our minds and stir up feelings of anger and bitterness. Before we know it, our enemy has us ensnared in a web of frustration and unforgiveness!
Patience is one of those attributes that you cannot learn by reading about it. It's a quality that can only be acquired by persistent, enduring, practice– and for me it's a drill that I go over, and over, and over again!
In the mid 1850's a troubled teenager from Northfield, Massachusetts moved to Boston to try to find work. He hadn't gone to school beyond the fifth grade; he couldn't spell, his grammar was awful and his manners were brash and crude. Thankfully, an uncle took him on as a shoe salesman--on condition that he be obedient and that he attend church.
The prophet Elijah, through his dramatic demonstration of the LORD’s authority and power, inspired repentance in the people of Israel, calling them to exercise His judgment on idolaters by slaying 450 prophets of Ba’al and 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel. Yet this spiritual victory was followed by a severe demonic reprisal through the woman Jezebel.
The Hebrew calendar month of Elul began on Saturday night. Each day during the month of Elul, a shofar blast is sounded to announce the coming month of Tishrei – wherein the festival of Yom Teruah – the feast of trumpets– takes place, calling for all people to repent. Elul, therefore, is identified as a month during which a serious emphasis is placed on personal self-examination and repentance, an end-of-the-year opportunity to set our lives in order before Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashana), the Days of Awe, and finally, Yom Kippur.
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