This is the Sabbath before the great Feast of Trumpets. That Feast of the LORD contains the multiple blasts of the shofar ram's horn trumpet that sound out to all the earth, but particularly to God's people. The blasts signal the urgent call to repentance and return of hearts to the LORD.
The title of this week's Sabbath reading is a double title. The first title is Nitzavim, meaning "Are standing," found in Deuteronomy 29:10-15, which are the words of Moses to the Israelites: "All of you stand (nasab - stand, appointed, establish, upright position, fixed, stationary) today before the LORD your God...that you may enter into covenant (berit - covenant, alliance, league, agreement, pledge, alliance of marriage or friendship) with the LORD your God, and into His oath ('ala - oath, a covenant confirmed by an oath, an oath joined with an imprecation or curse, to swear, to curse, to put under a curse bound by an oath), which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I make this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-covenant and this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-oath, not with you alone, but with him (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-who stands ('amad - raise up, stand up, withstand, waited, remain, continue, establish, abide, endure, be steadfast, be upright, be appointed) here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today."
There are two different Hebrew words used in the above verses that are translated as "stand." The first, nasab, from which the Sabbath title comes, refers mostly to a physical position of standing. The second word, 'amad, seems to mean more of a spiritual standing: an abiding, enduring, remaining and steadfastness. Jesus also spoke of the blessings and the curses attached to abiding and remaining (see 'amad "standing" above) in Him and in His words, or the failure to do so. The blessings of abiding in Christ are fruitfulness, answered prayer, His love, and His joy. The curse includes being fruitless, cast out, withered and thrown into the fire. (see Jn. 15:4-11). Jesus was dealing here with issues of life and death.
The LORD's oath mentioned in the above verses from Deuteronomy which accompanies the covenant includes the idea of an attending curse according to the Hebrew meaning above. Moses told the people of Israel that both blessings and curses attend the covenant of the law: blessings if the people follow the LORD and His Word, and curses if a man turns away from the LORD to follow other gods or to follow the ideas of his own heart instead of the LORD. Moses warned that the consequence of doing this would be that every curse of the law would fall upon the land until it is brimstone, salt and burning like Sodom and Gomorrah. (see Deut. 29:18-23).
As Jesus dealt with issues of life and death as mentioned above, Moses also connected the spiritual "standing" of God's people with life and death: "And the LORD your God will circumcise (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-your-heart and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live...The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good....if you obey the voice of the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn (sub - return, turn back to God, come back, repent) to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. For this commandment which I command you today...the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-life and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-good, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-death and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-evil, in that I command you today to love (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess." (Deut. 30:6-16, excerpt). This is not about "standing" legalistically or religiously, this is about the heart, and Who our hearts worship in love. It is not just about what or how much you know, but WHO you know and LOVE with an (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-heart that only He can circumcise. Sometimes we lose track of that "WHO and the LOVE for Him." (see Rev. 2:4-5). It is a matter of life and death, and good and evil. We also see above that the LORD makes room for His people who have turned away from Him to turn back to Him. We all need to return to the LORD so that we may live and dwell in His blessing.
The oath of the curse that came with the covenant was never meant for God's people, but for their enemies: "Also the LORD your God will put (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-all-these-curses on your enemies ('oyeb/'ayab - enemy, adversary, foe, to persecute, to hate/to be hostile to, to hate, to treat as an enemy) and on those who hate you, who persecuted you." (Deut. 30:7). His people were not to fall into the same ways as these enemies, forgetting to love God with all of their hearts. Moses was warning them not to choose this way that leads away from the LORD. Paul wrote the same principle, saying, "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint (tithemi - to set, fix, establish, place, ordain, set forth) us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thess. 5:8-11). Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law so that we would receive the blessings of Abraham. (Gal. 3:13-14). Paul, the highly trained Pharisee, knew his Torah, and he knew the fulfilment of the Torah through the salvation of Jesus Messiah/Christ.
The LORD God was warning His people through Moses to stand before Him, to remain and abide in Him in love because He is the life and the blessing, and not to fall into the same curse as their enemies. Paul also wrote that we should not be conformed to the world (and its ways) but to be transformed in our minds (see Rom. 12:1-2). Jesus said that while we were physically in the world, we were not of this world (see Jn. 17:14-19). God's people are separated, consecrated, sanctified unto Him. (see Deut. 7:6, Jn. 17:17-19).
As we look at the corresponding reading portion to Nitzavim, "Are standing", the blessings of the LORD are unlimited through the Person filled with the anointing (masah - root of the Messiah/Christ) of the Holy Spirit. They are earth-changing. Where once the curse that brought mourning, darkness, being stricken, forsaken and hated covered the people, now the light of the glory of the LORD has risen upon them for all to see. The Person in whom the anointing of the Spirit of the LORD resides preaches and proclaims healing, liberty, comfort, beauty, joy, righteousness, rebuilding and restoration, double honor, everlasting joy, truth, an everlasting covenant, garments of salvation, robes of righteousness, a crown of glory, a new name, delight, and being married. "So the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations...Indeed the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world: 'Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him...And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed (see Gal. 3, above) of the LORD..." (Isa. 61 through Isa. 62, excerpt). Isaiah refers to salvation as a Person, as the prophet uses "His" and "Him" to describe salvation above. Jesus referred in part to this above blessing as being fulfilled on the day that He read it from the scriptures in the synagogue on the Sabbath. (see Lk. 4:16-19). He had come to announce to the ends of the world the redemption from the curse and the coming of the blessing through Himself, who is the Messiah/Christ, the Salvation anointed with the Spirit of the LORD. Jesus' name in Hebrew means "Salvation of the LORD."
Moses' time was running out. The second title of this double-titled Sabbath is Va-yelech, meaning "Then he went out." This title comes from Deuteronomy 31:1: "Then Moses went and spoke these (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-words to all Israel." Moses, now one hundred and twenty years old, had little time left before he would die, and Joshua would then lead the people over the Jordan River and into the land. In part, Moses tells Israel regarding the tribes that were currently inhabiting the land: "The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deut. 31:5-6). These were some of Moses' last words to Israel telling them to stand in the LORD in courage and trust in Him. The LORD was sending His people into the land with His presence and authority going with them.
Jesus also sent His disciples, which includes us, into the "land" or world in the same manner: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (aion/aei - forever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity, the worlds, the universe/perpetually, incessantly, at any and every time, always).' Amen." (Mt. 28:18-20).
If you would like to learn more about standing and abiding in the Lord with all of your heart and soul, you can join my prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, circumcise my heart so that I will stand before You and in You always, and that I will love You with all my heart and soul. LORD - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - You are with me always because of the abundant and eternal blessings of Your new covenant with me, written in the broken Body and the poured-out Blood of Your Son, Jesus. You have redeemed me from the curse! Let my heart, mind and will be staid upon You, loving and trusting You in worship and thanksgiving. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."
*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.
