Elul: The King is in the Field
Getting prepared for a new Hebrew month and year
It is time to prepare our hearts for the end of another Hebrew year. On Wednesday, September 4th, we will enter the new Hebrew month of Elul. Elul is the last month on the Hebrew civil calendar before a new year begins. In October, we will cross over from 5784, The Year of the Door, to 5785, The Year of the Spirit and the Word! We are in the decade of the pe (80), meaning mouth and word. The new year is the year of the hey (5). Hey means reveal, breath, window, and can represent the Holy Spirit.
In 5785, we will see a convergence of the Word and the Spirit!
To prepare for this convergence, we must end 5784 in humility before our King, fellowshipping with Him in the field. This last month of Elul is known as the month where the “king is in the field.” What does this mean? In Jewish tradition, kings would come out of their palaces, step down from their thrones, and set up a tent in the field to meet with the people. It was a time when the people could meet with him face to face instead of going through all the formalities of going before the king in the throne room.
Spiritually, the month of Elul symbolizes the closeness of King Yeshua and how He left His throne in Heaven to come to Earth to meet with us. God became accessible and came to dwell among us. According to ancient rabbis, the letters of Elul mean Ani l’dodi v’dodi li. In English, this translates to I am my beloved’s, and my beloved’s is mine from Song of Songs 6:3.
Why is this Elul so important as we prepare for the year 5785? Elul is important because it is a set-apart time on the Hebrew calendar for self-reflection and repentance. The forty days from Elul 1 to Tisheri 10 are known as Teshuvah. During these forty days, we are to come to the Lord in repentance and humility. It is a time to get our spiritual house in order so we can be prepared for what is to come in the new year. This is especially important as we cross over into 5785 to be vessels that speak the Word with the power of the Spirit. We will not be able to carry a pure sound if we are unclean vessels.
What is repentance? Repentance is when we agree with God about our sins and choose to turn in the opposite direction. Repentance is not saying we are sorry for what we have done wrong. True repentance involves a turning from that way of life to follow in the way of righteousness. The Hebrew word for repentance means that we are returning; we are going to turn back. It is a picture of being restored and repaired. True repentance does not produce a mere change in behavior; it produces a change in the heart that results in new behavior. This is the picture of being restored. Why do we need to be restored? Because we all live in a fallen world that bombards us with lies and is ruled by the kingdom of darkness. The world and its ways influence our thinking patterns, emotions, and behavior. If we do not know what God says about us, Satan and his kingdom will shape our personality and who we think we are. The way back to who God made us to be is through repentance and coming to the King who has made Himself available to us in the field.
What are some things to consider, and what questions can you ask during these forty days of Teshuvah?
Consider doing some type of fast from September 4th to October 12th. Our minds and bodies are bombarded with unhealthy input from toxic media and toxic foods. Consider signing off social media, the news, and/or TV programs and instead spending more time reading the Bible, having face-to-face interactions with family and friends, and worshipping. Set aside toxic foods such as sugar, carbonated beverages, processed foods, pork, and caffeine.
Spend these forty days doing an honest evaluation of your soul. What is your soul? Your soul is the way you think, your emotions, and how those affect your decisions and behavior. Is your thinking in line with God’s truths or the world? How do you feel about yourself? Do you love yourself or have self-hatred? Can you healthily express emotions? If you have addicting behaviors or habits that are ungodly you need to break free from, ask Him to reveal the root of these addictions and behaviors.
Ask Jesus to give you a revelation of how much you are loved by Him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
Take an inventory of your spiritual growth from last year. Have you matured in your faith, or are you still stuck in the same patterns? If you do not see growth, ask the Lord what is holding you back. These reasons are usually grounded in an unwillingness to change, pride, rebellion, or deeply rooted mindsets we are unaware of driving our behavior. If you genuinely want to know the truth and express that to the Lord, He will be faithful to show you.
What is God’s assignment for my life in this season? What are my goals for this next year? Am I living a life that will enable me to fulfill my assignments and reach my goals? If not, what changes do I need to make? Do I have habits that are hindering my purpose and goals?
Some powerful passages of repentance include:
Psalm 51
Psalm 19:12-14
Psalm 139:23-24
Isaiah 30:15
The Father longs for us to meet the King in the field. To bring our hearts to Him. Talk to Him. Confess to Him. And be repaired and restored. He wants the foundation of our lives to be that I am my beloved’s, and my beloved’s is mine.
This is what He is saying to us:
Turn, turn to Me, My people. Repent and turn to Me. For I will do the miraculous among you. For these are the days of miracles and My power. Days of glory and fire. For My fire will fall upon those whose hearts are turned to Me and positioned in humility. I will burn up the flesh as in a refiner’s fire where you will be able to carry My glory and My fire. This Teshuvah is unlike any other. For nations hang in the balance. Families hang in the balance. People’s very lives hang in the balance. I AM looking for a people after My own heart that will follow Me no matter the cost. For one must hate father, mother, sister, brother, even his very own life to be My disciple (Luke 1:26). The glory and fire will not fall on churchgoers. It will not fall on those who are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). It will only fall on those who position themselves to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Then they will carry My fires of holiness that will shift their atmospheres. My people, your lives WILL change. Your families will change. Your ministries will change. Your churches will change. Your cities will change. Your states will change. Your nations will change. As you position yourself to walk through the DOOR of repentance (5784) as this year ends, you will enter into a new realm of My revelation and knowing My Spirit (5785). For in this new year, those that humble themselves before Me as one year closes and a new one begins will walk in a greater measure of My power and grace. This level of power is only for the truly humble in heart. It is not for the perfect but for those whose hearts and minds are set on Me, My ways, and My will. Seek Me when I can be found (Isaiah 55:6-7). Draw near to Me as I AM near. I will not leave you as orphans (John 14:18). I will nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). But you must desire this depth of relationship. For it comes with a cost that most are not willing to pay. But for those that do, they will see My glory. I will rise upon them with healing in My wings, and joy will be theirs (Malachi 4:2). I will empower them to do signs, miracles, and wonders. In a time of great darkness, they will be a bright light (Isaiah 60:2). In times of famine, they will feast. In a time of lack, they will have plenty. In a time of turmoil and upheaval, they will have peace. Peace I leave you, says the LORD. Not as the world gives, but peace that comes from Heaven by following Me (John 14:27). Righteousness is the way to peace. Seek righteousness. Pursue righteousness. For it is THE WAY of the Kingdom. I AM with you, MY people. Do not fear. For what you see must take place to turn men’s hearts back to Me. Those that position themselves before Me, sitting at My feet, will find rest while the world is in chaos. I AM with you, My people. I AM coming to set wrong things right and to restore what has been broken and put out of joint (Hebrews 12:13). Many adjustments will be made. Some will be painful, for many have gotten used to walking with their limp. I AM coming to align and heal. Trust My adjustments in your lives. Trust My adjustments in My church. Trust My adjustments in your nations. The enemy has roared, but his roar is a puny attempt to bring fear as I now will ROAR, and My sound will reverberate across the Earth. The TRUE LION KING is stepping back into the territory. And there is a great PRIDE following His sound. There has been a false PRIDE sounding in the Earth. But now MY PRIDE OF LIONS WILL ROAR. Their ROAR will bring powers and principalities to nothing, and men will bow their knees as darkness is removed from their eyes. Great repentance and GREAT turnarounds will be seen as I set wrong things right with My roar. Open wide your mouths, My people, and I will fill it (Psalm 81:10)! Says the LORD OF HOSTS. I AM COMING!
I encourage you to spend this next week asking the Lord for direction and instruction on how He would like you to approach Teshuvah. Instead of a new monthly Bible study for September, we will focus on this period in the Hebrew calendar. New posts will take us further into this time of repentance and turning to the Lord for restoration. This will include an announcement of a new Bible Study release that will guide you through a journey with the Holy Spirit to repair your mind and reclaim your thoughts from the enemy!
Blessings,
Brandee