The King is in the Field: How the month of Elul anticipates the fall feasts
The month of Elul is the 11th month on the Hebrew calendar. It’s a special 30 days that escorts us into the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashanah) while also intimately connecting us to the 10 High holy days leading up Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
There's beautiful Jewish idea connected to this season that I love: The king is in the field.
An image of a king robed in white walking through a golden field (AI Image: The Ancient Way)
The idea is that the king is usually distant, sequestered in the royal palace ruling the land, and fully involved in the formalities and demands of protecting His people and kingdom, yet far away and inaccessible to the people he loves.
But during the month of Elul, the King leaves the capital city and ventures into the fields, making himself accessible to everyone, including the common people.
Those outside the city know he's coming, wondering if he might take a detour through their field. So they're getting things ready and in order, perhaps preparing a gift for their beloved King. They hope with anticipation to catch a glimpse of his smiling face—that he would turn his countenance toward them and show them favor.
We recall the Haftarah portion in the week preceding Elul from the words of the prophet Isaiah:
Seek Adonai while He is available, call on him while He is still nearby.
—Isaiah 55:6
And so the month of Elul is also a season of introspection and repentance.
It’s a time to check our hearts. To practice Teshuvah (תשובה, to return/repent) . Teshuvah carries with it a great picture you may be familiar with: imagine you’re walking one direction away from the King, doing your own thing, pursuing your own way. To practice Teshuvah means that you literally turn around and begin to return in the other direction.
To turn away from sin and to return to a God who loves us with an everlasting love. To repent so that our God can deliver us and vindicate us in the day of judgement.
We’re given a season to intentionally ask our Father to show us areas of our lives where we haven’t gotten it quite right. A moment to turn back to a Father that wants the best for us. To resolve in our hearts to follow Him. To ask him to show mercy to us yet again and remember His faithfulness toward us.
As the month of Elul begins and we look forward to the upcoming fall feasts, may we remember that our King is in the field.
May our Father soften your heart as you turn back to him anew. May you have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that would turn as he reveals what you should repent from.
And may you return with hopeful expectation and an intimate love for the Father.
Shalom 🙏
Keep Exploring the Fall Feasts
What is the ceremony of Tashlich, often celebrated during Rosh Hashanah? Tashlich is a form of baptism, where individuals cast away their sins into a body of water. It is a deeply personal and intimate experience that symbolizes repentance and letting go of old ways and the importance of having a loving relationship with God. They also briefly discuss the four different New Years in the Hebrew calendar and their significance.