D’vekut

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. – Genesis 1:26-27 (NASB)

God’s original intent was for humanity to bear His image and to be in communion with the Godhead. We see what made that essential difference in humanity’s creation. In Genesis[1], we read, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

All the other creatures were created with souls, but only in humankind was the “nephesh,” the breath of God, breathed. The original golem named Adam received a spirit to complement his soul and passed it on to all other humans ever since. Unfortunately, that wonderful gift is a double-edged sword because it was passed on infected with sin[2].

But it is in our spirit that true worship takes place. After all, doesn’t it say “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth”?[3]

That communion, that mystical union between the spirit of man and of God called “d’vekut”, was exemplified when the Son of God came walking in the Garden in the cool of the day[4]. We lost the right to a full enjoyment of that communion when Adam and Eve willfully and unrepentantly chose to disobey their Creator.

But God is always prevenient, which means He always initiates the relationship. Adam and Eve sinned and sought to withdraw and hide. God came looking for them. He sought Abraham’s friendship[5]. He referred to David as a man after His own heart[6], let John lean against His chest[7], and restored traitorous Peter to fellowship[8]. He even used mass-murdering[9] Paul who “ravaged the church”[10] to write two-thirds of the New Testament and bring the Good News to the Gentiles[11].

It was never God’s intent that any should perish, but that all should come to everlasting life[12]. If we end up in hell, it is literally over His dead body[13]. But if we are willing to submit our will to His and trust His Son’s sacrifice on the cross to be sufficient for our salvation, we can go to heaven.

Yet, He’s not satisfied with that. He wants to give us more. According to the Master, He is inviting us into d’vekut – a deep, intimate, passionate communion, a mystical union with the Godhead[14].

[1] Genesis 2:7
[2] Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10
[3] John 4:24
[4] Genesis 3:8
[5] 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8
[6] Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:13-14
[7] John 21:20-24
[8] John 21:17
[9] Acts 9:1-2
[10] Acts 8:3
[11] Acts 9:15-16
[12] 2 Peter 3:9
[13] Romans 5:8
[14] John 17:20-21