{Disclaimer: these are my rough teaching notes I use in my Mishkan Katan weekly broadcasts. There will be "typos". Proceed at your own risk, lol.You can find all my Mishkan Katan video teachings on my YouTube channel: genahood2818 . Look on the playlist called Messianic LAMB TV Network.}
Elul and Psalm 46
Now then, to kick off our time together this morning, we’ll return to our psalms study, by looking at Psalm 46.
Psalm 46 is the 5th psalm attributed to the sons of Korach, as we see in the superscription. We also see a reference to the type of musical instrument this song was to have been played on, the allamot. In Sephardic Hebrew that would be the pronunciation. In Ashkenazi Hebrew, it would be pronounced “allamos”. The ending of each of these terms indicates a plural of these instruments. So, it was to have been sung and accompanied by several of these allamot. We find this musical instrument mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:20. However, other than the word contains the Hebrew verb “alla”, which means to ascend, or go up, and the latter part of the word “mot” is the word for death, we can deduce nothing more about these instruments. Maybe they were high-pitched instruments, like the flute. It’s impossible to conclusively say. Meiri, one of the sages, believed that this instrument had the power to arouse extraordinary joy found only among the young people.
Let’s look at the first three verses of this psalm. They are very well-known.
(1) God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
(2) Therefore we are unafraid,
even if the earth gives way,
even if the mountains tumble
into the depths of the sea,
(3) even if its waters rage and foam,
and mountains shake at its turbulence. (Selah)
On the day I was preparing this lesson, I was a guest on another LAMB show, where we were talking about the biblical “cities of refuge” versus the USA’s “sanctuary cities” in the current day, how they are different. It was an interesting discussion, related to the current parsha, Parsha Shoftim.
The biblical “cities of refuge” were established to protect the life of a person who accidentally killed another person. In those days, it was permissible for a family to make a “vengeance killing” of the perpetrator. But, if the perp fled to a “city of refuge” his life would be spared. However, he would have to live the rest of his life there, because if he stepped outside the city walls, he was “fair game” to the family avenger, no matter how many years had passed. This system did not apply for those who committed premeditated murder. Those criminals had no such protections provided them. Let’s read from Deuteronomy 19 what the Torah has to say about cities of refuge. It’s so interesting to me that this parsha coincided with Psalm 46 in the sequence of our psalm study!
2 you must designate for yourself three cities of refuge in the midst of your land, which God, your God, is giving you to possess. |
| בשָׁל֥וֹשׁ עָרִ֖ים תַּבְדִּ֣יל לָ֑ךְ בְּת֣וֹךְאַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ: |
3 Prepare for yourself the way to these cities. Divide the area withinthe border of your land, which God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, into three, so it will be convenient for any murderer to flee there. |
| גתָּכִ֣ין לְךָ֘ הַדֶּ֒רֶךְ֒ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ֙ אֶת־גְּב֣וּלאַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַנְחִֽילְךָ֖ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָוְהָיָ֕ה לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּה כָּל־רֹצֵֽחַ: |
4 The following is the case in which the inadvertent murderer may flee there, so that he may live: Whoever strikes his fellow inadvertently, whom he did not hate previously— |
| דוְזֶה֙ דְּבַ֣ר הָֽרֹצֵ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־יָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּהוָחָ֑י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַכֶּ֤ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ בִּבְלִי־דַ֔עַתוְה֛וּא לֹֽא־שׂנֵ֥א ל֖וֹ מִתְּמֹ֥ל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם: |
5 as when a person goes with his fellow into the forest to chop wood, and his hand swings the ax to fell the tree, and the iron flies off the handle, and it reaches his fellow and he dies—he must flee to one of these cities and live, |
| הוַֽאֲשֶׁר֩ יָבֹ֨א אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ בַיַּ֘עַר֘ לַחְטֹ֣בעֵצִים֒ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה יָד֤וֹ בַגַּרְזֶן֙ לִכְרֹ֣ת הָעֵ֔ץוְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ וּמָצָ֥אאֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת ה֗וּא יָנ֛וּס אֶל־אַחַ֥תהֶֽעָרִֽים־הָאֵ֖לֶּה וָחָֽי: |
6 lest the blood-avenger pursue the killer while his heart is hot, and overtake him because the way to the city is too long, and he strikes him to death—although he was not deserving of death, for he did not hate him previously. |
| ופֶּן־יִרְדֹּף֩ גֹּאֵ֨ל הַדָּ֜ם אַֽחֲרֵ֣י הָֽרֹצֵ֗חַ כִּ֣ייֵחַם֘ לְבָבוֹ֒ וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה הַדֶּ֖רֶךְוְהִכָּ֣הוּ נָ֑פֶשׁ וְלוֹ֙ אֵ֣ין מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֔וֶת כִּ֠ילֹ֣א שׂנֵ֥א ה֛וּא ל֖וֹ מִתְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם: |
7 Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You must designate for yourself three cities.’ |
| זעַל־כֵּ֛ן אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁל֥שׁעָרִ֖ים תַּבְדִּ֥יל לָֽךְ: |
8 When God, your God, will expand your boundary as He swore to your forefathers, and He gives you all the land that He said He would give to your forefathers |
| חוְאִם־יַרְחִ֞יב יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙אֶת־גְּבֻ֣לְךָ֔ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָוְנָ֤תַן לְךָ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖רלָתֵ֥ת לַֽאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ: |
9 (provided that you safeguard this commandment completely by studying how to perform it—the commandment that I am commanding you today: to love God, your God, and to walk in His ways for all time), you must add three more cities for yourself there, in addition to these three in Canaan, |
| טכִּֽי־תִשְׁמֹר֩ אֶת־כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֨ה הַזֹּ֜אתלַֽעֲשׂתָ֗הּ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֣י מְצַוְּךָ֘ הַיּוֹם֒לְאַֽהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ וְלָלֶ֥כֶתבִּדְרָכָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִ֑ים וְיָֽסַפְתָּ֙ לְךָ֥ עוֹד֙שָׁל֣שׁ עָרִ֔ים עַ֖ל הַשָּׁל֥שׁ הָאֵֽלֶּה: |
10 so that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land that God, your God, is giving you for an inheritance, which would make you guilty of having shed this blood. |
| יוְלֹ֤א יִשָּׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֣רֶב אַרְצְךָ֔אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַֽחֲלָ֑הוְהָיָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ דָּמִֽים: |
11 But if a man hates his fellow, and lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and strikes him mortally, and he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, |
| יאוְכִי־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה אִישׁ֙ שׂנֵ֣א לְרֵעֵ֔הוּ וְאָ֤רַבלוֹ֙ וְקָ֣ם עָלָ֔יו וְהִכָּ֥הוּ נֶ֖פֶשׁ וָמֵ֑ת וְנָ֕סאֶל־אַחַ֖ת הֶֽעָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽל: |
12 the elders of his city must send emissaries and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the blood-avenger, that he may die. |
| יבוְשָֽׁלְחוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֔וֹ וְלָֽקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹמִשָּׁ֑ם וְנָֽתְנ֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ בְּיַ֛ד גֹּאֵ֥ל הַדָּ֖ם וָמֵֽת: |
13 You must not pity him. You must eliminate the injustice of shedding the blood of the innocent victim from Israel, and it will go well for you. |
| יגלֹֽא־תָח֥וֹס עֵֽינְךָ֖ עָלָ֑יו וּבִֽעַרְ |
We also talked about on Monday’s “Come Let Us Reason Together” show how, in medieval times in Europe, the Catholic Churches were places of refuge for criminals who sought “sanctuary” there. Here’s how it went, in those days. If a criminal was on the run, he could run into a church building and cling to the altar. By so doing, he invoked the protection of the church. The civil authorities could not come into the church and arrest him. This is how, I imagine, the English language began to use the word “sanctuary”, the large worship gathering room of a church, to mean “a safe haven for those running from the law.”
Regardless of all that, there is no refuge greater than that of our incomparable Heavenly Father, Hashem. But, not only does He defend us against the onslaughts from our enemies, He also strengthens us during the battles we face. It is through Him and Him alone we are able to overcome, to achieve spiritual victories. He is never far, but is always “just a call away”, easily accessible. The actual Hebrew for “a very present help” is “much to be found” or “great to be found”. Since October of 2023, we have seen “miracle” after “miracle” as Hashem has protected and defended tiny Israel from literally an enemy over 95 times larger, in land mass. Israel is .1% of the Middle East! By all rational measures this country should not have “had a prayer” of winning this war, or any war, for that matter.
Verse 2 - - Therefore, SO … we shall not fear, no matter what, not even if the earth is completely transformed by major earthquakes.
I don’t know if you have ever experienced an earthquake. Not long ago, I vacationing was in north GA, very near the TN line, when an earthquake occurred with an epicenter about 70 miles from where I was. I was sitting at the breakfast table, having breakfast when it started. The entire house began to rattle and shake. I knew immediately what was happening, and it was very unnerving. My husband was not with me. So, the first thing I did was to text a neighbor to see if they had felt it at home. The magnitude was in the low 4s, on the Richter scale, which is not a major earthquake, but a significant one. My first, initial reactions to this earthquake were fear and wonder.
Can you imagine how the surviving sons of Korach felt when the earth began to shake so violently that it opened up and swallowed their father and almost all of their family? I can’t even imagine the terror. The sages say that, although 3 of these sons of Korach survived, they were forever changed by the experience, because they became prophets who saw far into Israel’s future, and that is why they wrote these psalms.
I will never read these verses again without thinking of these three sons. Hashem did become to them in those horrific moments of earthquake a very present help in time of trouble. I don’t know if they also witnessed mountains collapsing into the heart of the sea at that time or not. But, having lived through such awful physical manifestations of Hashem’s power, they must have thought that “nothing similar could ever scare me as much as that.”
Verse 3 speaks to me of tsunamis. Right at Christmas in 2004, on the 26th, actually, there was a huge, deadly tsunami on the coasts of Thailand. Many hundreds of thousands of people were killed almost instantly. If you have seen any videos of that, they are truly illustrative of “waters raging and foaming”, as it says here in verse 3.
These verses also depict what will occur, what was prophesied by Isaiah in chapter 51:6.
“Raise your eyes toward the skies,
look at the earth below.
The skies will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like clothing.
Those living on it will die like flies;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my justice will never end.”
Some theologians think this will be fulfilled in some of the earthquakes described by John in the book of Revelation, for example, foretells of three major earthquakes, with the most severe one occurring in Revelation 16:18-20, the 7th bowl earthquake. This earthquake will seriously alter the landscape of the entire world. This is described as the most devastating earthquake in human history, an unprecedented, mighty quake that levels cities, splits the great city of Jerusalem, causes mountains to disappear, and removes islands from their places completely.
The word Selah is appropriate here at the end of verse 3, because we should certainly ponder such majesty and such protection afforded us by the Lord our God. This does not mean that nothing horrible will ever happen to any of us who belong to Him. Reality certainly points that out. However, we can be absolutely certain that nothing will touch us that He has not personally approved and ordained for us to walk through. His love and His care for us are absolute. We have no reason to fear the future, no matter how menacing it seems.
A friend of ours who was visiting with us this weekend shared that his step-mother has just begun treatments for pancreatic cancer. I was thinking of her as I contemplated these words at the beginning of psalm 46. I don’t know her at all, but I am praying for her and her husband, as they walk through these deep waters together.
On to the next group of verses:
(4) There is a river whose streams
gladden the city of God,
the holy habitation of ‘Elyon —
(5) God is in the city.
It will not be moved —
when daybreak comes, God will help it.
(6) Nations were in turmoil,
kingdoms were moved;
his voice thundered forth,
and the earth melted away.
(7) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
What is this river in verse 4? There are differences of opinion here, but the city of God always refers to Jerusalem, in Scripture. It is the city where He has placed his Name, according to 2 Kings 21:7. One of the theories that makes the most sense to me is that in the wake of this unprecedented earthquake, which the psalmist was just prophesying about, the city of Jerusalem will be split into two halves, and that a river will one again flow from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. I say, “once again”, because in the days of the Temple, although there was NOT a natural river that flowed at the base of the mountain, right down through the Kidron Valley, to the sea, there WAS a large engineered drainage system, designed to carry the animal offal and other waste products from the Temple Mount into the Kidron Valley drain system. This engineering marvel was connected to the Kidron River, which flows to the Dead Sea.
Verse 6 mentions the earth melting away. Another version says the earth will dissolve. This reminds me of Zechariah 14:12 which likewise prophesies destruction by melting. It speaks of a plague the LORD will bring upon the nations that oppose Jerusalem, saying, “their flesh shall melt while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall melt away in their sockets and their tongues shall melt away in their mouth.” Sounds an awful lot there will be nuclear destruction in the future.
Verse 7 sums up this section with the assurance that Adonai Tzva’ot is with us. This particular name for Hashem is literally translated “My masters of legions or hosts”. The Message version translates this name as God of Angel Armies.
There are other parallels to Zechariah 14 in the remaining verses of this psalm. Let’s take a look. First, here are the remaining verses:
(8) Come and see the works of Adonai,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth.
(9) To the ends of the earth he makes wars cease —
he breaks the bow, snaps the spear,
burns the shields in the fire.
(10) “Desist, and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.”
(11) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
As far as verse 8 is concerned, we live in astounding times today, with the Lord doing amazing things on behalf of the nations of Israel. However, these will pale in comparison to the mighty acts He will work before men in the last 7 years before Mashiach establishes His earthly kingdom in Jerusalem.
Hashem through His Mashiach will make all wars to cease, through winning wars over Israel’s enemies.
Our current US president is making great strides in getting wars to cease, and likes to brag about it too. But, he will not achieve world peace. Only God can do that. For a brief period in the future, Hashem will allow the False Messiah, the Antichrist, to achieve a false world peace, but it will only last for no more than 3.5 years.
However, when Mashiach sets up His earthly kingdom, He WILL cause all wars to cease. He will return as the conquering King and will trample down his enemies.
Jeremiah 14:1-5 says this:
It is a depiction prophecy of the Battle of Armageddon, when Mashiach returns with all His holy ones, and his feet rest upon the Mount of Olives, causing the great Mount to split in half from East to West.
14
Look, a day is coming for Adonai
when your plunder, [Yerushalayim], will be divided
right there within you.
2
“For I will gather all the nations
against Yerushalayim for war.
The city will be taken,
the houses will be rifled,
the women will be raped,
and half the city will go into exile;
but the rest of the people
will not be cut off from the city.”
3
Then Adonai will go out
and fight against those nations,
fighting as on a day of battle.
4
On that day his feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives,
which lies to the east of Yerushalayim;
and the Mount of Olives will be split in half
from east to west, to make a huge valley.
Half of the mountain will move toward the north,
and half of it toward the south.
5
You will flee to the valley in the mountains,
for the valley in the mountains will reach to Atzel.
You will flee, just as you fled before the earthquake
in the days of ‘Uziyah king of Y’hudah.
Then Adonai my God will come
to you with all the holy ones.
The Jewish sages teach that Jerusalem will be largely unscathed from these wars, but the Brit Chadasha, the New Testament, specifically the book of Revelation tells a different story. Before Mashiach returns, 1/3 of Jerusalem’s population will be killed at one point, and as already mentioned, a worldwide earthquake will level the city, totally changing its topography.
Astounding deeds for sure.
Now, for the remainder of our time together this morning, I will share with you some thoughts about the last month in the biblical civil calendar.
Let’s begin by talking about where we are now, the current month we are in, on the
Biblical calendar, and that is this month of Elul. As the last month of the civil calendar
year, Elul is traditionally a time for introspection, of looking back over your life over the past year, to examine yourself, and in so-doing, to draw near to God. Self-examination and the resulting repentance are not popular themes in most of Christianity today. However, the Bible is full of exhortations to the follower of God, of Jesus, to have an ongoing attitude of repentance and confession before a perfectly holy God. (See Lamentations 3:40, Haggai 1:5, Psalm 119:59, Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 2 Corinthians 13:5, James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9 etc.)
As a redeemed member of the Bride of Messiah, are all our sins forgiven, past, present and future? The Scriptures teach us that this is so. Should this be a license for us to be inattentive to our daily offenses toward our God, the Divine, Majestic Mystery? No, it should not. I have found that it is a blessing on my life to apologize to Father Yahweh for my shortcomings, the times I have missed the mark, which are many, and to thank Him for His ultimate sacrifice for me, in the redeeming work of His Son on my behalf. It is a blessing to re-establish my fellowship with my Savior and King, by confessing where I’ve done wrong, left the path, walked away, been disobedient, overlooked opportunities to bless others, etc. Confession AND repentance - - confession means to speak it, to own it, and repentance means to turn and walk way from it, to leave it behind. To return to God.
The emphasis of the month of Elul is to draw near to Him and to repent of our sins, to re-establish that connection with our King. The rabbis have designated that Elul 1 through the 9th day of Tishri, those 40 days, are to be this designated period of introspection, self-examination and repentance. For those of us who know the Mashiach and have His spirit within us, it can be a meaningful time of “drawing near”, allowing the flame of His Spirit to fill us to an even greater degree. Voluntarily undergoing Teshuva, that is, to examine our lives and measure them by God's standard of holiness, to repent and to return to God, to renew our commitment to walk in His ways, when done in light of the truth of the gospel, can be a
healing practice for our spirit.
Repentance has been portrayed in modern-day Christianity as a one-time event that
occurs at the time of the acceptance of Yeshua as haMashiach. And, it IS true that
the beginning of the relationship with Him cannot occur without recognition of
one’s utter depravity and complete spiritual deadness, followed by true, heartfelt,
sincere repentance from our sins (turning away from our past sinful life and turning
TOWARD eternal life with Yeshua). But, the role of repentance in the believer’s life
was originally intended to be vital to the ongoing process of sanctification, a key
component to “working out your own salvation with fear and trembling”, as the
refining fire of the Holy Spirit brings our sinfulness “to the surface” where it can be
removed by Him through confession and repentance. It is this last element that we
find so lacking in Christianity today.
“Once saved, always saved” has become not just an affirmation of the believer’s sure
eternal salvation in Christ. It has gone beyond that truth to become a perversion, a
“cheap grace” which gives license to becoming comfortable in one’s sins and
complacent about them. As a result, the sacrifice of our Savior has been made a
laughingstock to an unbelieving world, as Christians have become ever-more
worldly in their actions, eventually in many cases coming to resemble the ungodly
more than the godliness of Yeshua.
While daily, ongoing submission to the Holy Spirit living in each true believer in
Yeshua is a key part of the relationship with Him, the calendar days known as
Teshuvah provide a period of more prolonged, more intense self-examination,
prayer and restitution. The first 30 of these days encompass the last month in the
biblical calendar, Elul, while the last 10 of the 40 days are the most intense of them
all, beginning with Tishri 1, Rosh HaShanah, the first day of the biblical civil new
year, culminating in Yom Kippur on Tishri 10.
Is it “legalistic”, then, for the follower, the disciple, of Yeshua, to “keep” these feast
days? Some would say, “yes”, that doing so is spitting in the face of grace. I
disagree. It really depends upon the attitude of the heart. As my fellow believer,
John Parsons, said in a recent Facebook post on his page, Hebrew for
Christians: “Fear (reverence, awe) without love leads to legalism and hypocrisy;
love without fear leads to presumption and profanity.”
In all things, I long to follow my Savior, to walk as He walked. I’m so eternally
grateful for what He has done for me.
A believer is surely a lover, yea, of all lovers, the most in love. Soren Kierkegaard
There is a verse from Song of Songs that is associated with Elul, and it is this one from 6:3. It’s actually the verse that is engraved into the ring I wear on my index finger almost every day. In Hebrew it says,
“Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” – and the literal translation is: “I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me”. A more Anglicized translation is: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
The Hebrew letters א–ל–ו–ל spell Elul, and these four letters are the first letters in each of the Hebrew words of this verse. Therefore, the sages took this as an indication, a hint, that the essence of Elul is embedded in this verse.
The month of Elul has been traditionally viewed in Judaism as a time of loving closeness, between the Bridegroom (The Divine Mysterious Majesty) and the Bride (His beloved followers). God is portrayed as a Beloved who is especially approachable, like a king who has left the palace and walks in the field among His people. It is for this reason that it is traditionally said during Elul: “HaMelekh ba’sadeh” - - The King is in the field. In the days of the Bible, it was inconceivable a king would “lower” himself to come to the fields to be with his subjects. This was unthinkable! Yet, this is exactly what our great Hashem did all through the Tanakh and revealed through our Mashiach Yeshua in the Brit Chadasha.
Psalm 27 is read in synagogues every morning and every night during the month of Elul. We recently studied this psalm, here in our psalms study.
Elul 1 – Tishri 10 Season of Teshuvah (Joe believes that Jesus was in the wilderness during these
40 days.) Moshe went up onto the Mt. Sinai on Elul 1 and came back down on Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur). This is significant because Jesus will return to Earth on a Yom Kippur (in Joe’s view).
The first day of Elul is one of the four Jewish New Years, the New Year for the tithe of animals. In other words, animals had to be of a certain age to be eligible as offerings to the Lord. There had to be a uniform, standard way to calculate the age of animals in this regard, and that clock starts on Elul 1. Of course, the sacrificial system is no longer in play, but that system of age calculation for animals is still used in agricultural Jewish people groups. Scriptures tell us that the system of Temple offerings WILL resume, during the days of the Tribulation Period Temple, and also during the Ezekiel Temple of the Messianic Age.
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