Oops, I Did it Again!

Right now, we are in the month of Elul (that is, if you go by the Hebrew calendar instead of the more mainstream Gregorian).  You may be asking yourself, what does this mean to me?  Well, maybe nothing, but there's so much it could (or maybe I should say should) mean.

The name for the month "Elul" originates from the Akkadian word that means "harvest," which is appropriate because this month (which is usually around late August-September on the Gregorian calendar) is usually around harvest time.  The word elul, though, is also similar to the root of the verb "search" in Aramaic.

This is interesting, and very appropriate because the month of Elul is known throughout Judaism and others who observe the Torah as a month of searching one's heart and draw near to God in preparation for the coming Judgement Day (Yom Teruah) and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), also known as the Fall Feasts.

To me, this means a lot more than it may mean to many other people.  Today in mainstream Christianity, we are always told to "repent" which, in case we don't know, is to admit that we are sinners and Jesus will forgive us and we can continue on our merry way.  Well, at least that's what I  get from most of what I'm hearing these days.  But in reality there is so much more to repentance that that.

Most dictionaries will define the act of repentance as "to regret or feel remorse for what you have done," and maybe that's one of our English language's many faults, because if what we have to do is just feel like we're sorry, then what's the point??  Honestly, that isn't helping anyone do anything.

Well, since the repentance and asking for forgiveness of our sins is a Biblical concept, and the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, let me show you this idea from a Hebrew perspective.  The word in Hebrew used to describe repentance is "teshuvah," which literally means "return."  Teshuvah is the fact that we can turn back to God and let Him heal us in our brokenness.  Teshuvah is admitting that we were wrong, apologizing and begging forgiveness that we do not deserve, and turning our backs completely on the sin so that we can return to God and walk in His ways instead of our own.

What is the use of confessing our sins if we're only going to do them again?  I once read that you can never make the same mistake twice, because once you have made it once, to do it again is no longer a mistake, but a choice.

Now, I ask you, is that the point of confessing our sins to God; so that we can just have a clean slate to scribble all over again, knowing that He will just wipe it again later if we ask Him to?  That's ridiculous.

Psalm 51 is often called the "Perek Teshuvah," or, The Great Chapter of Repentance.  In this chapter, we see what it means to repent, and what our followup should be; we see what we should really be doing, not only during the month of Elul, but all year round.


Psalm 51 ESV

"Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.
 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem;
 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar."