APPLES AND HONEY

“No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”
Deuteronomy 30:14

It is around this time that many Jewish believers will partake in the eating of apples and honey. This custom is one of the most meaningful during the time of Rosh Hashanah as it is a representation of a sweetness we desire in the year to come. It is by dipping the apple into the honey that we make a sweet fruit taste even sweeter. But the use of these two items is deeper.
The apple is a representation of the Torah received on Mount Sinai. It is said that as the apple tree ripens its fruit on the Jewish calendar in the month of Sivan, so also the Torah was given to Moses during the same month. This illustration then can be wrapped up in stating that all spiritual wisdom and insight, which is the sweetness of Adonai’s Word, can be tasted in our relationship with Him. We can take this idea one step further when reading the words of Solomon in his love letter where he writes, “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men” (SOS 2:3). Yes, the lover is talking about her man, but this reflects also our hopeful view of Adonai. It is He who is our God among all the other gods that desire our affections.
Honey, in contrast, is a symbol of the search for the material, the security, and the prosperity that is needed in the year to come. Psalm 81:16 reads, “But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” It is this honey from the rock that will satisfy us. Maybe better said, it is He who is the honey, for it is His provision in each area we are involved in that is needed. And from Him who is the Rock, we will be secure and satisfied.
So then, we dip the apple into the honey just as we also dip his Word into the assurance that He will fulfill all that He has promised. It is in His love for us, in His sweetness, that we find a true satisfaction. As Deuteronomy 30:14 states, the Word is very near to us, so near that it is even in our mouths and hearts. When it is this close that literally we can taste it, we should have our heart set to obedience.
As the date of September 16 approaches and a new year according to Adonai’s calendar begins, I find myself wanting all that He has for me. I want His security and provision in these last few days, but I want His security and provision in the year to come as well. I want to continually taste and see that Adonai is good. So as a physical reminder to myself of who He is, what His Word promises, and what I desire for the next year, I then partake in the dipping of apples into honey. I long with all that is in me to deeper my relationship with Him and taste more intimately the Adonai I serve and have chosen from all the other gods who desire my affection. Come, join me at the table, and eat with me. Let us taste and see the goodness of Adonai.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14