Days of Introspection

One of these days I will return to my exposition of Genesis.  However, I've concluded that this is not the time for me to continue with that project here in the blog.  God's biggest "clue" was that my frequency of posting began to slow down (as if you had not noticed).  I must be hard-headed, because it took me a while to get the message that Genesis is a message for me to share at another time.  I'm going to leave off the more linear (going through a book) approach to exposition and adhere to more of a topical approach for a while.  Some of you may resonate more with that anyway.

My recent absence in blogging does not indicate in actual fact an absence from the Scriptures.  I've been studying - - just not writing.

Recently, I have been studying in the Old Testament, particularly the book of Ezekiel.  Today's focus is Ezekiel 18:30-32 (TLV - - Tree of Life version).

30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “Return, and turn away from all your transgressions, so they would not be a stumbling block of iniquity for you. 31 Cast off from you all your transgressions that you have committed. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“so return, and live!”

Today is 7 Elul, 5779, on the Jewish calendar.  First a word about the Jewish lunar-driven calendars.  Yes, there are two main ones; they differ mainly in when the year begins.  The first is generally referred to as the religious calendar.  Its "new year" begins in the spring, with the months of Aviv or Nisan (March/April on the Roman solar calendar).  This is the calendar that God instituted in Leviticus 23.  You might call it "the younger" of the two.  Prior to Leviticus 23, Abraham and his people used what we today call the civil calendar.  Its new year begins in the fall, with Tishri (September/October - Roman calendar).  I mention this, because this information will be very important to future blog posts on related topics.

On the civil calendar, Elul is the last month of the calendar year.  In 2019, the first day of the month was August 31st.  The first day of the next month will be Tishri 1, Rosh HaShanah, New Year's Day, this year at sundown on September 29th.

I realize that, at this point, my fellow evangelical Christians are going "so what"?  What does this have to do with me or with introspection or with Ezekiel 18:30-32?!

As a child, we used to have "revivals" in the late summer/early fall every year, usually before school started up.  Remember those?  For the non-Christian, these meetings provided an opportunity to meet God and to get right with Him. If you were a Christian already, what was your attitude toward the annual revival at your church or in your community?  For me, it was a time of introspection, of self-examination, of re-dedication and of repentance.

Observant Jews (which means Jews who actively practice the Jewish faith) self-examine, repent and rededicate for an entire month - - the month of Elul, because it is the last month of the year.  This period is called the season of Teshuvah, which means "repentance".  They reflect back on their lives over the past year, over whether or not God is pleased with how they have lived.  Jews are still waiting on their Messiah, and so their hope of salvation lies in their own personal holiness.  They hope to attain to eternal life.

Ezekiel tells us that each one of is personally responsible for our own sins, and that is true.  Your mother can't go get eternal life for you, nor your father, nor anyone else.

As Baptists (and some other Protestant denominations), we know that Messiah has already come and, if we have accepted Him as Savior, we are forever right with Him.  "Once saved, always saved", as the expression goes.  However, the truth of that statement also leads to a good deal of laxity in the lives of the redeemed.  Most Protestants don't spend much time reflecting on how we are living our lives or on repentance.

Listen carefully.  Repentance is not merely an event.  Yes, once you have committed your life to the Savior, you are eternally secure.  However, God is not tolerant of sin in the lives of His own dear children.  Repentance is an ongoing process which, at least in my case, is needed often.

Adonai is the name for God which means King.  What can I do to more closely align my heart with the heart of my King?  What transgressions do I need to turn away from, and cast off?

The Jews have a saying for the month of Elul - - "The king is in the field".  It comes from Ecclesiastes 5:9, which references that the king has a vested interest in seeing that the fields produce because he profits from them as do the common people.  By saying, "the king is in the field" there is the element of inspection.  The king is inspecting his fields.  What will he find in my field?  Good crops?  Or, and abundance of weeds?  Have I been a good steward of my "land"?  Have I trusted in my own ways, or have I pursued the Lord's?

Hosea speaks to this when he admonishes us through the words he spoke so many centuries ago to the Israelites:

Sow for yourselves righteousness.
Reap in accord with covenant love.
Break up your unplowed ground.
For it is time to seek Adonai,
    until He comes
    and showers righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12 (TLV)

One final note about Elul.  The four letters in Hebrew are aleph, lamed, vav lamed.  It is a Hebrew acronym for Ani l'dodi v'dodi li.  Translation?  "I am to( or for) my beloved and my beloved in to(or for) me." (Song of Solomon 6:3)
Our King Jesus considers His own dear children as His Beloved!
How can I not return?!
I pray you will join me through the remainder of this Hebrew month in a time of spiritual reflection and, as the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) leads, repentance and correction.

https://youtu.be/VN4N7hOMvTk