It is no coincidence that two of Israel’s great works of restoration — the rebuilding of the Temple in Haggai’s day and the repairing of the walls in Nehemiah’s day — are both marked in the month of Elul.
Read on – your spirit will be uplifted.
The month of Elul has always carried the whisper of covenant love. Even the letters of its name, Aleph-Lamed-Vav-Lamed (אלול), form the acronym for “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” — “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3). At its heart, Elul is not only about repentance, but about intimacy — the Bride turning her heart back toward her Bridegroom.
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When Israel fell at Sinai with the golden calf, it could have marked the end of their story. But instead, God called Moses back up the mountain for another forty days. According to Jewish tradition, this second ascent began on the first day of Elul. For forty days and nights, Moses interceded for a rebellious people, pleading for mercy and the renewal of the covenant.
Keep going – the Lord may have more to show you.
The month of Elul carries the fragrance of mercy because it was born out of failure. Two great collapses mark Israel’s journey in the wilderness. The first instance occurred at Sinai, when impatience led to idolatry and the golden calf was raised. Moses descended with the tablets of the covenant, only to see the people dancing around an idol. In grief and holy anger, he shattered the Ten Commandments at the base of the mountain (Exodus 32:15-19).
Read on – your spirit will be uplifted.
Elul is unlike any other month. As we mentioned yesterday, it is the 12th month on the civil calendar and the 6th on the prophetic calendar. This dual position gives Elul a unique character — it both closes a cycle and prepares for a new one. That is why the shofar sounds each day during Elul: it is a wake-up call, reminding us to reflect, repent, and return to the Lord before the great and awesome days of the Fall Feasts.
Read on – your spirit will be uplifted.
Jeremiah uttered these words when everything around him looked hopeless. Babylon’s armies surrounded Jerusalem, the city was on the brink of destruction, and yet God told Jeremiah to buy a field as a prophetic sign that restoration would come. The prophet responded in awe: the God who created the heavens and the earth by His outstretched arm (bizroa netuyah) is not bound by human circumstances. The same God who set galaxies in place and boundaries for the seas is the God who still moves to redeem His people. Truly, nothing is too hard for Him.
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Psalm 98 is a victory psalm — a call to lift up a “new song” because the Z’roah, the holy arm of the LORD, has brought decisive triumph. In Hebrew thought, the arm is the active extension of the will, the power that brings intention into reality. To call it “holy” is to declare that it is set apart, dedicated fully to God’s purpose, incapable of corruption. The psalmist celebrates that salvation is not a hidden act, but an open demonstration — God’s righteousness revealed before the eyes of the nations.
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