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INTRODUCTION
Knowing God is truly a gift that never stops giving. We find the source of everything in Him - life, joy, happiness, and provision. Meditating on His word and following the Sabbath is no different. It is a gift from God. It is an opportunity to enter into a deveq, devekut with Him. The words deveq and devekut mean to cling to. They depict a loving embrace between two lovers.
IN A LOVING EMBRACE, IN A DEVEQ OR DEVEKUT
How utterly lopsided the relationship with God is when you think about it at the end of the day. What is ours is His, and what is His is now ours. So little though we bring to the table, and God is still willing to consider and to love and share. As my pastors would say. He is not after our money, relationships, jobs, gifts, talents … He is after our hearts.
He wishes for the eyes of our hearts to be completely and steadfastly focused on the Lord and His promises. He wishes for us to seek Him out and enter into a deveq, devekut with Him. Deveq, or rather devekut, is a Hebrew word that means to cling to. It expresses love and respect and depicts an embrace and hug between two lovers. (2)
More specifically it describes a deep stage of spiritual development in which a seeker attaches himself to God and exchanges individuality for a profound partnership with God.Â
Chaim Bentorah mentions in his study of the word deveq, that a certain rabbi entered into such a deveq - which he also calls a Divine Hug - that he collapsed and died during prayer. He received a Divine kiss. (3)
He goes further and mentions that a prayer of devekut is one of total humility where we lose all sense of self in the presence of God. (3)
A GIFT FROM GOD
I have noticed how divided the Church is regarding following the laws. It is true, that you can not go to Heaven following the law. You can only do that through the finished work of Yeshua.Â
But through following the law we get to know Yeshua - the law itself - more and more. We get to know Him in an even deeper way. Observing the Sabbath and the Moedim, following the law is a gift. It is an opportunity to enter into an embrace, a deveq with God. An opportunity to receive love in ways as never before, maybe even new revelations. (2)
It is not so much about following rules and regulations as it is about loving God and getting to know Him more and more and ultimately ourselves.
The more we get to know Abba, the more we grow in our love for Him and the more we desire a hug from Him. And also to hug Him.Â
CONCLUSION
Observing the Sabbath, the Moedim, and following the law is a gift. It is an opportunity to enter into a deveq, an embrace, and deep spiritual development with God. An opportunity to grow with Him and get to know Him more and more and ultimately ourselves.
Application
During this week, ask Abba to show you what entering into a deveq would mean and look like for you.
SOURCES
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Chaim Bentorah. Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God (Volume 1). Available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3OAn9YK
Chaim Bentorah. Hebrew Word Study – Divine Hug – Deveq. Jan 31, 2024. Available https://www.chaimbentorah.com/2024/01/hebrew-word-study-divine-hug-deveq/
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