Your Daily Slice

ELUL 25

Near

“Adonai is near those with broken hearts …” (Ps 34:18 CJB)

We are now only days away from Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, having worked our way through the month of Elul, and continuing through the season of teshuvah, of repentance. Our time has been spent in turning our eyes inward, recognizing, and dealing with areas of our lives that do not line up with the ‘divine instructions in moral and righteous living,’ the Torah. Perhaps you, like me, also realize what a ‘mess’ we humans are, with all our faults and frailties, and how short we measure up. Brethren, our opening verse is for us …

The Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘near’ is the word qârôb (Strong’s H7138), and it is the same word used in Lev 10:3, describing the Levitical priests that drew ‘near’ to minister to Elohim. We also find this word used to illustrate family relationships, such as next of kin, in Numbers 27:11 and Ruth 2:22.  However, in this verse from Psalm 34, as well as in Psalm 75:1, qârôb speaks of an intimacy, something that is more than just ‘near’.

‘Broken’ has been translated from the Hebrew word shâbar (Strong’s H7665), and means to be shattered, broken, crushed, or even maimed and crippled. Lêb (Strong’s H3820) is the word that is translated as ‘heart’, and refers to the inner man, consisting of the mind, will, emotions and understanding. Combining the two words, we find an inner man that has been crushed and shattered.

Why, then are we so crushed?  It is because of “the sin which so easily entangles us” (Heb 12:1), that which we are attempting to break free from, looking always towards our Master, Messiah Yeshua, “the Author and Perfecter of our emunah, our faith” (Heb 12:2).  With those words, we understand that our Elohim is “continuously at work in us, completing what He began” (Phi 1:6). He will never leave us ‘half-baked’, still raw in the middle, “for we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them.” (Eph 2:10). And He is near, intimately close to us – as near as a whisper.

“Adonai, you are kind and forgiving, full of grace toward all who call on you.” (Ps 86:5 CJB)

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