This Sabbath reading portion, Nitzavim, meaning "are standing," is the Sabbath before the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah, which occurs next week. It is the last Sabbath of the sixth month (according to the religious calendar) of Elul, the month of repentance. Many people associate the number six with man. The number six is also associated with the Hebrew letter vaw, which has a deeper meaning. The letter vaw has the meaning of "a nail, a tent peg, a hook, joining together, making secure, becoming bound or nailed to." Jesus was nailed to the cross. The cross is also represented by the Hebrew letter tav, which means "a mark, a sign, 'x' or cross, ownership, to seal, covenant, join two things together, the last."
Our Nitzavim Sabbath reading portion to me has more to do with man being joined to God, as this sixth month of repentance comes to an end before the first fall Feast, the Feast of Trumpets. The Sabbath title comes from this verse containing the words of Moses: "All of you stand (nawtsab(v)- stand upright, appointed, deputy, take one's stand, stand firm, to establish, to be fixed, to be set over, to be ready, to be planted) today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives - also the stranger (gar/gur - stranger, alien, guest, foreigner, sojourner, foreign shepherds/gather together, assemble, stand in awe, remain, stranger, to remain in the temple, to receive under protection) who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water - that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His 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 oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today..." (Deut. 29-10-15).
As we can see, no one is left out of this occasion of taking a stand and being joined together with the LORD. Wives, children, even foreigners (see gar/gur, above) and those who are not physically present are included. This covenant is described in written Hebrew with the modifier of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega. This identifies the covenant as being associated with Messiah/Christ Jesus (see *note below).
The use of the Hebrew word nawtsab(v) in connection with the idea of standing is used powerfully in other verses in scripture as well. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock (sur - includes the meaning of the identity of God, and 'to bind together')." (Ex. 33:21). David wrote of his relationship with the LORD: "By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set/stand me before Your face forever." (Ps. 41:11-12). In a section describing the excellence of Wisdom, Prov. 8:2 says: "She (referring to Wisdom) takes her stand on the top of the high hill (root word: rum - exalt, extol, lift up, lofty, to rise, to rise up), beside the way, where the paths meet."
The purpose of standing before the LORD and being joined to Him in covenant is also stated in Deut. 29: "...so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root (seres - deep permanent root, cause to take root) bearing bitterness (ro's/ro's - gall [see Mt. 27:33-35], venom, poison, poison from the poppy, hemlock, bitter) or wormwood (la'ana - hemlock, to curse, be accursed, poisonous, bitter herb)..." (v. 18). Those who become separated from the LORD would be separated from the tribes of Israel and the curses of the Book of the Law would come upon them, and their names would be blotted out from under heaven. (see v. 19-22). It was the desire of the LORD through this occasion to impress upon His people a warning they would remember not to worship other gods or commit the vile abominations of the Canaanite tribes before them. It was to be a joining of hearts. He did not want them to suffer the curses of the Law, and, as we will see below, the LORD made a personal provision to remove the curse.
The Law of Moses carried both blessings if perfectly followed, and curses if broken. Paul, a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin, explained Messiah/Christ's role in covering the curse of the Law: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:13-14). Earlier, the apostle Paul quoted the prophet Habakkuk, who wrote: "...the just (sadiq/sadaq - righteous, just, lawful, as justified and vindicated by God/cleansed, put or made right, justify, save, to absolve, to acquit, purge oneself, cause to prevail) shall live (haya - live, revive from sickness or death, quicken, preserve alive, restore to life) by faith (emuna - faith, truth, truly, stability, faithfulness)." (Gal. 3:10-11, Hab. 2:4).
Whether we are Jewish or Gentile, the LORD told His prophet Jeremiah that it was never His original intention that His people should live under a religious system (see Jer. 7:22-26, Jer. 11:6-10). The LORD said that previously His only commandment to His people had been to hear His voice and obey it, however, His people had refused to hear from Him directly at Mt. Sinai. They wanted someone else, in that case Moses, to hear for them. It requires a personal knowledge of, and relationship with, the LORD in order to hear His voice. Many Christians also do not have a personal relationship with either God or our Savior, Jesus. It is the pitfall of the religious system of man.
The LORD says in His Word to seek His face until we find it. (See Ps. 27:7-8, 2 Chron. 7:14, Rev. 3:19-22). The LORD says that He has carved each of our names into the palms of His hands so that He can never forget us. Not only has He engraved our names on His hands, but He tells us to see our names there. (See Isa. 49:15-16). It doesn't get more personal than that! Jesus addressed even the thoughts of those that He spoke to because He knew them. (See Lk. 5:22-26, Jn. 2:23-25). The LORD doesn't just see the outer appearance that we like to present to the world, but He sees every thought of our hearts. (See 1 Sam. 16:6-7). The LORD sees and knows our hearts. Do we see and know His heart?
When fixed ideas or doctrines begin to make me feel distanced from the Person of the LORD, these Sabbath reading portions help me to once again adjust my focus upon the LORD who created me and sent His Son to save me. It is most wonderful to learn about the LORD through the Sabbath that He gave to man. If you have never considered the LORD of the Sabbath, He is beautifully expressed by David in the familiar and beloved Psalm 23.
Even Moses, the lawgiver, tried to convince the people of God to draw nearer to Him in the Nitzavim, "are standing" Sabbath reading portion: "...return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you, and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, ..And (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God will circumcise (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off...But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." (Deut. 30:2-14, excerpt).
This is the same Moses who told the children of Israel this command of the LORD: "Hear O Israel, the LORD is one! You shall love (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart." (Deut. 6:4-6).
If we want to get closer to the LORD, we do it with the common language that He established between Himself and man - the language of love.
It is taught that this past month, Elul, was a month of repentance in preparation for the coming Feast of Trumpets, but Who were we repenting to? Why were we repenting? Out of what did our repentance flow? Obligation? Religion? Because someone told us to? If we repented because we love the Person of the LORD dearly, and not just the idea of Him, then that is a powerful repentance indeed. It is a repentance that can change us as individuals and change whole nations. Do we want to turn back to the LORD whom we have left behind, run to Him crying "Abba, Father!" and fall upon Him and kiss Him? Clap our hands and praise Him for the great things He has done - for when He kept loving us even when we forgot to love Him or when we forgot to trust in Him? What Father would not be pleased to receive this repentance joined with love? Trying to feed the LORD a repentance that does not come from the place in my heart of love and adoration for Him, but comes from a religious understanding or obligation, is like trying to feed the LORD a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly - He might find my repentance to look unappetizing, very dry and extremely difficult to swallow.
In other reading portions from this Sabbath, the prophet Isaiah declared his feeling for God after receiving the salvation and deliverance Word of the LORD (see Isa. 61:1-7). The prophet then wrote: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations." (v. 10-11). Isaiah was overwhelmed with worship. When Jesus read the same words from Isaiah 61:1-2a in the synagogue on the Nitzavim Sabbath, and pronounced them fulfilled on that day, the listeners in the synagogue "...all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." But then they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" (Lk. 4:16-22). They knew that they had just heard and been greatly affected by words of grace, but then turned away and discounted those words based upon what they thought they knew about Jesus.
This also brings us to another reading portion from this Nitzavim, "are standing", Sabbath from Isaiah 63. Isaiah again exalts the LORD with words that flow from the LORD's habitation within the prophet's heart: "I will mention the lovingkindness of the LORD and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. For He said, 'Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.' So He became their Savior (yasa - save, savior, deliver, help, preserved, salvation, avenging, defend, rescue, safe, victory, save from moral troubles, be or live in abundance, ample, be spacious, liberty, to set free, conqueror). In all their affliction He was afflicted (see also Isa. 53:6-7, Rom. 4:24-25), and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. And they rebelled and grieved His Holy (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Spirit (see also Eph. 4:30); So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them." (Isa. 63:7-10).
The LORD fought His own people on behalf of His Holy Spirit! Have we also underestimated the importance of the Holy Spirit to the Father in heaven? We have the Holy Spirit in a doctrinal box and do not understand His utmost importance within the children of God, in the redemption and judgment of the world, and the return of Messiah/Christ Jesus. Jesus said to His disciples that it was to their advantage if He goes to be with the Father so that He can send the Holy Spirit to them. It is also by the Holy Spirit that the ruler of this world is judged. (see Jn. 16:5-11, Rev. 22:17).
The LORD poured out/shed everything from within Him in lovingkindness towards His people. (See also Mt. 26:26-29, Mk. 14:23-25). He even afflicted Himself when they were afflicted (see above). However, His people neglected and turned from Him. Even though He became angry with His people for their rejection of Him, the prophet Jeremiah, in another portion from this Nitzavim Sabbath, wrote that the LORD had not finished the selfless and loving shedding or pouring out of Himself on behalf of His people. The LORD promised that He would establish a new covenant with His people, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel: "I will write (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My law in their minds/inward parts (qereb/qarab - inwards, midst, within, the seat of thought and emotion/draw near, come near, approach), and write it on their hearts (leb/labab - understanding, heart, wisdom/ravishment of my heart); and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...they all shall know Me...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (see Jer. 31:26-34). We need to draw near to the LORD from our most inward parts.
As we can see, this "are standing" Sabbath has much more meaning than the standing position of our physical bodies. It has to do also with being firmly fixed and established with and in the LORD. The fall Feasts of the LORD are quickly approaching, and it is time to draw near to Him from the deepest parts of our beings. It is time for us, for me, to return to the cross and look upon the Savior who poured everything out so that I may be saved to the uttermost. Repentance should be more than a peanut butter sandwich. It is the tears and the gratitude, the love and the adoration, from that part of us that is not expressed by religious words but is beyond words.
To learn more about standing before, with and in the LORD, you can join me in prayer: "Most gracious and loving Father, how can I begin to express the love and gratitude I feel for You, who gave everything to save me? How can I express the sorrow of my heart at the knowledge that I have said, thought, and done things that have brought You sorrow and disappointment? I draw near to You, as closely as I can get, and call upon Your lovingkindness to me that You continue to look upon me with Your eyes of mercy and forgiveness and teach me how to live a life that brings You joy and glory. Thank You for sending Your beloved Son to me. Thank You for the priceless gift of Your Holy Spirit, and increase my understanding and reverence for Both. Be blessed and exalted my Father and be glorified and enthroned by Your people. I ask this in Jesus' name. 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.
