Our word for this week is  REPENTANCE.  In case you don’t know, at sundown this past Monday night, the Biblical month of Elul began.  Elul is the month of repentance in preparation for God’s Fall Feasts.  It is especially in preparation for Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.  This year Yom Kippur will begin at sundown September 29 and end at sundown on September 30. 

Yom Kippur is the most solemn feast of the year.  It is the only day of the year when the High Priest in the Bible went into the Holy of Holies and poured out the blood on the sacrificial lamb on the Mercy Seat.  That blood was to atone for the sins of Israel.

Of course we, as Christians know that Jesus, who is our High Priest, poured out His own blood, once, for all at Calvary.  He took our sins and gave us His righteousness. Because of Calvary, we stand blameless before God.

Still, in 1 John 1:9 it says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Confession and repentance are still needed to remain in this place before God.

This is what the word REPENTANCE looks like.  It is Strong’s #8666 and it is pronounced teshuva.  When Jewish people talk about repentance and about this season, they often mention the need for teshuva.

Note that the word teshuva begins with a TAV. Tav is the last letter of the Hebrew Alephbet and here is what it means:  Tav 400 = the Outcome of Trial and Testing.  Means: Cross, Covenant, Seal, Mark, a Sign, Ownership, Finished or Complete.

The fact that Tav is in this word, means that covenant is involved.

Now let’s look at the primitive root for the word Repentance:

This is Strong’s #7725.  It is pronounced,   shüv.
The main meaning of this word is RETURN.  This is an action word, a verb.

shûwv, shoov; a primitive root; to turn back, to retreat (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, back away, withdraw.

Shin  300 = Victory of good over evil, Holy Spirit.  Means: Teeth, Fire, the Fire of God to consume all His enemies, Devour, Destroy, Something Sharp.

 Vav  6 =  Man.  Means: Nail or Hook, to Secure, Pin together, Connect -Yeshua

 Bet  2 =  Divide or Division  Picture: House.   Means: House/Family; God’s word, God’s dwelling place

To RETURN means, to burn down the house of sin where we were living  never to return.

Instead we remember who we are, securely connected to God and part of His family by the Nail, Yeshua took on the cross. Our RETURN is to God and His ways.  It’s a Return to Covenant Living.

God welcomes us with love when we repent and return to Him.  Do you remember the story of the Prodigal son?  When he returned home, full of guilt and willing to be a servant to his father, the father ran to greet him and welcomed him with love and celebration.

It is interesting to note that Elul is also the month when “the king is in the field.” Apparently there was one month of the year that the king left his palace pleasures and went into the villages and interacted with the common people.  What we can gain from this is that Elul is a time of increased intimacy with our King.

Isaiah 1:18 says, ““Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.”

And Isaiah 55:7 says,  “Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.”

In closing, may each of us spend some time this month and let Holy Spirit search our hearts.  May we confess our sin, burn down the practice of it never to return, and return to covenant living with our loving Father.

Here is the video link, if you’d like to watch it: