"The King Is In The Field"

We are at the end of the Jewish month of Elul....it is the month of harvest.  As I have studied some about the Jewish customs and feasts and how God has set them as appointments to be kept, I have been intrigued by the deep meaning He has given them through these appointments.

For the Jews, the month of Elul is a key to the heart of our connection with our Creator...it even speaks to the actual shape of our hearts.  The Hebrew letters that make up the word, "Elul" are aleph, lamed, vav, and lamed....these form the acronym for them that represents the beautiful vow in the Song of Songs, "ani l'dodi v'dodi li", which means "I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me."

This may be difficult to explain, but I will try...the month of Elul is a month of growing or drawing closer to God....more specifically, turning toward God.  Jewish teaching says, "the King is in the field"....but it's not like, He's out far away in a field somewhere....actually, the King came to the field in search of you because you are what is in the field....so He came from His Kingdom to where you are....so, "the King is in the field" really means, God wants to make Himself as accessible to you as He possibly can.  Elul is a time to realize that He is for you....to cast off the doubts that He has somehow turned His back on you and is somewhere distant and to realize that He is standing facing you and if you are not face to face with Him there is NO other reason than you are the one who has turned away.

In our human relationships, it is often our own stubbornness that makes us refuse to make amends with others....we sometimes will stand back to back hoping the other will make the first move of reconciliation.  Haven't you ever watched a movie where the two leads turn to look at each other as they are walking away, but not at the same time....UHG! and you ache for them, right?....Elul teaches Jews that God has already made the first move....that He never turns His back....and then, Elul gives a great challenge....one that all the true prophets have brought to all nations....repent and turn to the one who is always turned toward you....The Lord Your God. 

This month is a gradual recognition of this....starting with recognizing our doubts or the distance between us due to sin and then turning....until we turn all the way to being face to face...hand to hand, heart to heart...and soul to soul.  Part of the beauty in this is that we not only get to experience it first hand....as the learners, but we also get to be a part of helping others realize this for themselves...as the teachers....thus we are the harvest and the harvesters with the King.