Serving the King from the Field

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ecclesiastes 5:9: The profit of the land is for all; the King himself is served from the field.

The Hebrew month of Elul begins at sunset this evening, September 2. Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the religious year. It is a time of repentance in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

During the month of Elul, it is customary to blow the shofar every morning except of the Sabbath from the first day of Elul until the day before Rosh Hashanah. The blasts are meant to awaken our spirits and inspire us to begin the soul- searching which will prepare us for the High Holy Days. Elul is seen as a time to search one's heart and draw close to God in preparation for the coming Day of Judgement, Rosh Hashanah, and Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

To Christians, the Fall Holy Days picture the second coming of Christ. The month of Elul represents our journey to maturity in our Lord, to preparing ourselves to be the Bride of Christ in preparation for His return.

Revelation 19: 6-8. “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

The Hebrew word "Elul" can be understood to be an acronym for the phrase – "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 6:3).

The King is in the field where He is accessible to us. He is near us. We can serve Him in loving relationship from the field.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.