Dwelling with the King

​The sixth month of the Spiritual year on the Hebrew calendar is also the 12th month of the physical or civil year.  Six is represented by the Hebrew letter Vav which is a tent peg or nail used to connect or make something secure.  The Hebrew letters Yod or Bet are for 12 and represent leadership and government.  I find the conjunction of these two letters interesting, especially when we consider the times and seasons we are in.  We truly need our government and leadership to be secured or pegged to the King of kings.
 
We have just entered the month of Elul when it is said, "The King is in the field."  God is especially accessible to us during this time before the high holy days of the seventh month of Tishrei.  Elul is when He offers us special access so we can meet Him face to face.  How we need an encounter with the Lord!  Elul could be called "a haven in time."  It is when we should look back to assess what has happened and prepare for the holy days ahead.  During Elul, it is said that the holy visitation of God comes in the mist of our daily lives.
 
Picture yourself working in a field.  How would you feel if the King of your nation came into your field?  Wouldn't you feel a change in the atmosphere around you?  At the same time, we would be honored that the King came into our environment on our terms, so to speak.  Let this remind us that every effort we make should be directed toward bringing God's presence into what we do.  Every realm of our existence should have a goal of transforming each aspect of life, so it becomes a dwelling place for our king.  Ordinary life is meant to be intertwined with godliness so that it brings honor to the King.
 
Elul should remind us that our world is God's dwelling place.  As the King's kids, this is our season to refine our relationship with Him.  Daily repentance would accelerate this process.  The prophet Isaiah encourages us this way:  "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6)  The month of Elul is when one is to assess the year gone by and prepare for the high holy days of Tishrei. (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot) It is said that God relates to us in a more tangible way during Elul.  Therefore, we should evaluate our past, repent for our sins, and prepare for the future.  Take advantage of the fact that we can approach the King in our own fields, because He comes to encourage us.  It is said that here "the holy meets the mundane."  I believe it is meant to be a season when the King spurs us on to do good works and to get to know Him more intimately through prayer and Bible study.
 
The story of the King in the field should remind Christians of how Jesus left the comforts of heaven and came to earth to demonstrate His love and die for our sins.  The shepherd boy David was a prototype of this.  He went from his father's house into the field to tend the sheep.  He became a worshiper of God, playing his harp and singing songs to the Lord as he tended the sheep.  It would be from his line, the tribe of Judah, that our Messiah would come.  Jesus was indeed a King who left his throne to become the Passover Lamb and "The King of the Jews." (Matthew 27:37)
 
King Jesus, Yeshua, is our Messiah.  He came so that those who seek Him would find Him. (Matthew 7:8) He came into our field for 33 years, taught us the lessons of heaven, and gave us a picture of life in heaven with Him and Father God.  Before dying for our sins, He let us know that there is a table prepared for us in heaven, and that we can have life everlasting with the King of kings and Lord of lords.  This King invites us to come into His presence as He draws very close to us.  Jesus presents us with this haven in time as we get ready for the high holy days of Tishrei.  God wants to meet us in the everyday affairs of our lives.  He wants intimacy with us. The letters of Elul actually form an acronym for the words of Song of Solomon 6:3.  "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine."  Look for the King in your lives during this month, and rejoice that He delights in being with us.