Standing

      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. 

Good/Evil

We are living in times when we see a prophecy of Isaiah coming to pass:
"Woe to those who call evil (wickedness, giving pain, unhappiness, misery, malignant, unkind, distress, injury, calamity, wrong. Root word- to break, to be broken, crushing, raging, tumultuous) good, and good (pleasant, excellent, merry, valuable, prosperous, kind, benefit, bounty, delightful, act rightly) evil; who put darkness (misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness, dark place/prison/Hades) for light, and light (bright, clear, illumination, daylight, light of life, brightening of countenance, light of teaching. Root word-to become light, glorious, to make shine) for darkness; who put bitter (the end that comes from wickedness, pain, angry, discontented, sorrowful, the bitterness of death, fierce, powerful, raging, destructive, having a harmful effect especially in a gradual or subtle way) for sweet, and sweet (sweet, pleasant) for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"  Isa. 5:20-21
It is difficult to imagine how man could become so lost, so far from God as to be in this condition. We can see it all around us, but we don't have to look far to see it, because it is sometimes no farther than our own hearts and minds. It is a trap into which we can easily and quickly fall. There is an example in scripture.
There was a great and blessed king. On a day when he was in a place where he was not supposed to be, at a time when he shouldn't have been there, this king spotted a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, she was the wife of one of his trusted soldiers, who at that time was away fighting in battle on behalf of his king. The king began an affair with the soldier's wife, and she became pregnant. Wanting to prevent discovery, the king arranged a leave for her husband, and brought him back from the battlefield for a short visit with his wife. However, the soldier was a noble man, and felt he should not enjoy a visit with his wife while he was home on leave, because his fellow soldiers were still suffering away from home. The soldier, therefore, was not intimate with his wife on the visit. The Plan A cover-up was not successful. The king moved to Plan B. This plan had the soldier reassigned to the front line of battle upon his return to duty, where the likelihood increased that he would get killed. This plan is successful. The only person who would know besides the king and the soldier's wife that the child was not the husband's, had been killed in action (2 Sam. 11:1-17, 26-27).
This whole plot is evil at its worst. The king involved, King David, had an intimate knowledge and relationship with God, probably more so than most of us. He sought, loved and treasured God so much that God had called him, "A man after His own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). David received revelation knowledge from God, yet in this case he did not recognize the evil that he had done until a prophet of God showed it to him in a parallel example (2 Sam. 12:1-15). God sent His prophet because He needed David to face this evil in order to bring David to repentance, so David could live:
"So David said to Nathan ("Gift"), "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away ("abar"- put away, pass over, pass beyond, cross over, vanish, become invalid) your sin; you shall not die."  2 Sam. 12:13
God's great plan of redemption required that David live. David wrote Psalm 51 out of that repentance. However, there would be more to this picture than our minds could ever anticipate, which we will see later.
Our perception of good and evil gets twisted, because we tend to judge good and evil based upon appearances. We see with our eyes, hear with our ears, taste, touch and smell using our senses. We analyze the information that our senses receive with our natural minds. We are then judging these spiritual things using our flesh. Scripture says that no good thing dwells in the flesh:
"For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."   Rom. 8:17
The above is what apostle Paul spoke of himself. It is no different for you or me. Using the flesh, including the natural mind and its reasoning, is not the way to identify good and evil. It is a trap for failure.This is the same as eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which Adam and Eve were forbidden to do. As Eve observed the Tree and its fruit, this is what happened:
"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."   Gen. 3:6
After hearing the convincing argument of the Serpent, although it was a lie, Eve looked at the Tree and found that it didn't look any less beautiful than the other trees in the garden. The fruit of it looked fine also. The commandment of God not to eat of it didn't make sense considering the evidence she saw with her eyes, and the deductions being formed in her mind. Adam was with her, and he didn't see the evil of the situation either. Good and evil are spirit, and it is defined by what God says, not by what man sees and thinks. When Adam and Eve chose to rely upon their flesh to make the determination between good and evil, rather than by the revelation of God, it meant the death of them. Are we eating of this same Tree every day? If so, is it bringing us death, or death to others? This might very well be the case.
The greatest Good the world has ever received, the birth, atonement death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, could not and cannot be perceived by the natural senses and mind of men. Jesus said that the knowledge of Him could only be revealed to someone by the Father, Who is Spirit:
"And He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples), "But who do say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, who is in heaven."   Mt. 16:15-17
Paul said the same: the Gospel of Christ is foolishness to the wisdom of man, and can only be revealed by the Spirit (1 Cor. 1:21-24,  2:10, 14-15). If we cannot perceive this greatest Good, which is Jesus, by our flesh, what makes us think that we can perceive any other good, or by extension, any evil by our flesh?
Both Jesus and Paul warned of judging by the flesh (Jn. 7:24, 8:15-16, 1 Cor. 4:5). Yes, as Paul said, we will judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). However, it won't be by appearance or the use of natural knowledge and understanding. Yet we judge and analyze people and situations, good and evil, every day by incomplete information and natural understanding. It happens so quickly, and so "naturally", we don't realize that we have fallen into the trap.
We may feel confident that we can judge good and evil by the Word of God. This is true, as far as the extent of our knowledge of the Word goes. What we lack, however, is the omniscience of God, the knowledge of the eternal plan of God concerning any individual, even ourselves, unless He specifically reveals these things to us. This brings us back to our story of David.
God sent His prophet to bring David to a recognition of his evil, and to a place of necessary repentance, God also had something else in mind that was not indicated by appearances, and that no human reasoning could have deduced. As David pressed into the LORD in repentance, seeking forgiveness, God revealed something greater to David. God planned to redeem something good out of this evil. What David caught a glimpse of spiritually, was too precious and miraculous to imperil with other men's faulty, natural judgment. David said that this matter was between David and God only (Ps. 51:4). David determined that he must depend upon the righteous judgment of God, not the flawed judgment of men. On another occasion David had said,
"I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." 1 Chron. 21:13
David came to understand that not only was there cleansing in bringing to God the offering of repentance, there was also a redemption available that would result in renewal and restoration (Ps. 51:10-17). The words of revelation David used regarding this redemption were: create ('bara"- of new conditions and circumstances, of transformations, of birth, of something new, of miracles), renew ("chadash"- be new, renew, repair, make anew), and restore ("shuv"- turn back (from evil/to God), restore, refresh, repair, bring back, reverse).
Can we blame David for not trusting this work into the understanding of men?
It is only in the righteous, spiritual judgment of God, that good could possibly come from this evil situation of adultery and murder. Man could not have guessed that from this same couple, David and the soldier's widow Bathsheba, a second child would later be born (the first child had not survived). That second child, Solomon, David's tenth son over all, would become the next, and great king of Israel, known world-wide for his wisdom. Solomon built the temple of God in Jerusalem, following the plans left for him by his father, David. Solomon also wrote three books of the scriptures. Proverbs is a book of seemingly simple wise sayings, which are not simple at all, but deep truths, including the following, which pertains to our discussion here:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  Prov. 14:12
Solomon also wrote the deep book of Ecclesiastes, so named after the Greek translation of the word "Preacher", which Solomon called himself in the first verse of this book. This "Preacher", or kohehleth, is by the Hebrew meaning of the word, addressing an assembly of God's called out people, the Ekklesia.
The third book of scripture written by Solomon is the Song of Songs, sometimes called the Song of Solomon, or Canticles, meaning a hymn or chant based on scripture. This is another book that is not as it seems on the surface, but embedded within it is an astounding prophetic allegory of the Messiah.
Shortly before this terrible sin entered David's life, God had made a covenant with him. He prophesied of David's future generations, and the eternal kingship which would come from David's house (2 Sam. 7:12-19). This referred to the everlasting reign of the Messiah. A man might assume that this line could descend from one of David's already-born sons. However, God knew that the Messiah would descend from David's line through that yet-to-be-born son, Solomon. Solomon carried the seed of the coming Messiah, Jesus. From the genealogy of Christ as recorded in scripture comes this entry: "...David the king begot Solomon by her (who had been the wife of Uriah)." (Mt. 1:6).
This evil was placed in front of David's face for his repentance, to save David's life, and to continue the line of Messiah. God also showed s this example from David's life to show forth to all of us His redeeming power to fulfill His word, despite what was meant for evil, by the grace of the Passover Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God knows the end from the beginning, as He did in this case. We, on the other hand, do not. Could anyone have foreseen, anticipated, understood this redemption of good from the evil that David had committed?
The Psalms sing:
"O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all His iniquities."  Ps. 130:7-8
Most people do not choose evil, darkness, and bitterness because they want them in their lives. It is often a trap we fall into because man prefers to rely upon and exalt his own will, desires, observations, and reasoning, rather than the Word and Spirit of God. The Breastplate of Judgment worn by the priests of God contained Urim ("Lights") and Thummim ("Perfection, Righteousness") to be consulted in all things (Ex. 28:30). We are also commanded to wear our breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14, Isa. 59:16-17). Isaiah said that this is the breastplate worn by our Salvation, the Right Hand of God, Who eternally lives to make intercession for us, even when no man will intercede.
Let us learn from David's struggle. In the face of evil, we can pray for God's redemption. Let us ask God to "create, refresh, and restore", to turn for good what is meant for evil for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Our Redeemer lives, and He redeems good from evil to fulfill His plan for us.