PARASHAH: “Nitsavim” (you are standing) DEUT 29:10-30:20
We are coming up to the end of Moshe’s earthly ministry. He has walked with God’s people for 40 years and has gone through a lot with them. He received the Commandments from Elohim and taught the people HIS Word. As we remember, YHVH gave the people the Ten Commandments directly, and the rest of the 603 commandments were given to the people through Moshe, yet ALL the Torah comes from Adonai. Moshe has intervened quite a few times to rescue Israel from destruction. As you remember, YHVH wanted on a few occasions to destroy the whole nation because of their disobedience and unbelief, yet Moshe intervened on their behalf.
The same thing happens today when we have an advocate in Heaven who pleads our case before our Heavenly Father. Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Christ, is that person who is our “mediator” and pleads our case and atones for our sins. As long as we have the sin nature in our bodies, we need a redeemer, a Messiah who will stand before a Holy God, who sees us as “righteous” because we have accepted HIS righteousness by faith. Moses starts out saying...
” You stand, all of you, before YHVH your God, your chiefs, tribes, elders, officers, men, women, children, etc.” ...that you may enter into the covenant with YHVH your God."
He is making this covenant with you today so that “He may establish you as HIS PEOPLE! We can also say that we "Stand before our King" ready to receive orders, to serve, to love our neighbor, and to go into "action." We are part of HIS army. We are soldiers in God's army of believers. How does that affect us? Can we be part of “His People?” YES, through Yeshua, who gave his Life as a ransom.
We are counted as “Part of His People”. We must turn (Shoov) from our wicked ways to follow Yeshua. This scripture reading comes at a good time, the time of Yom Teruah, Rosh Hashanah. The term “repent” is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. Accepting Yeshua as Messiah and LORD enters us into the “covenant”
What is this covenant that Moshe talks about? It is the first covenant established by blood, the blood of rams, bulls, goats, and sheep, the establishment of the sacrificial system, which lasted many, many years. Yet about 1400 years later, Rav Shaul (Paul) writes that this covenant was changed to a “better covenant”, the “better covenant was NOT based on the blood of rams, bulls, sheep, and goats, but rather on the blood of YESHUA! The difference was that the sacrificial system continued for years, every day, day after day, and the blood of the animals only “Covered” sin for one year, and the covenant was renewed every “Yom Kippur”.
The covenant of YESHUA, however, was a “one-time deal”. His death on the cross was enough for ALL TIME. His covenant wiped away the stain of sin; it “atoned” or “got rid of” the curse of sin. So, one might ask, what was the reason for the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament? They were to “point” to Yeshua’s future sacrifice for sin. The animal sacrifices pointed to what Yeshua would do and fulfill in the future. People were still saved by faith; the only difference was that before Calvary, people looked “forward” to the cross, and after Calvary, we look “back” towards the cross. One thing both covenants have in common: “The Blood!”
Moshe announces that “everyone” is involved and included, from the tribal chiefs to the simple water fetchers; everyone was included, and NO ONE was excluded. He goes on to say,
“I am making this covenant and this oath with those who are here today and with those who are NOT here today….”
When Moshe mentioned “all who are not here,” he had us in mind. YHVH knew that one day, we would be here and this covenant would be for us too. The “Covenant Renewed” is our covenant, a covenant of faith which is not based on the blood of animals but on the blood of Messiah Yeshua. This “blood” covenant unites us with YHVH through Yeshua, which brings us YESHUAH (salvation).
Now, does this do away with the Torah (instruction) of Adonai? Never! In Yeshua’s own words, “I come not to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill the Torah” (or render a perfect interpretation of it). He fulfilled it with his own blood. The commandments are for our edification and our blessings, the blood of Yeshua is for our “Salvation!”
Moshe goes on to say that no one should ever think that one can live anyway one pleases, sinning here and there, living like the devil himself, and still say, “I have peace, everything is OK!” That is NEVER the case. That Person will be reaping curses and destruction.
29:30 says, “The secret things belong to YHVH Eloheinu (Our God), but the things revealed belong to us and our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this Torah!” So, what are the “secret things?” Perhaps things in scripture that we haven’t figured out yet, things like what the “Urim and Thumim” really were. One can suggest, but no one really knows for sure. There are many more things that, to us, are “secret” (known only to God), like things in the universe, faraway galaxies, where every single diamond, emerald, and ruby is located, where all the “buried treasure” is located, we could go on. Yet things that were considered “secret” hundreds of years ago are now “known”, but let us concern ourselves with the things that YHVH has revealed to us through HIS Word, and let us occupy ourselves in following HIS WORD and living a “Kadosh” (Holy) lifestyle.
Moshe also establishes “Yehoshuah” (Joshua) as his successor. He knows his death is near, and he knows that Israel will fall away from God; it has been revealed to him by God himself; there is no other explanation. HOWEVER, he also says that “when they repent, YHVH will bring them back to the land.” This is happening already. Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948, and the people are coming back! “Yehoshuah” is another way of spelling “Yeshua”. It is fitting that “Yehoshuah” leads the people to the “promised land” just as our LORD and Savior “Yeshua HaMashiach” has led us to the “salvation” experience, and is awaiting us in “His Promised Land” (The New Jerusalem), our heavenly home!
We are all standing before our King. What does He expect from us? Read HIS Word, it's all there.
We are coming up to the end of Moshe’s earthly ministry. He has walked with God’s people for 40 years and has gone through a lot with them. He received the Commandments from Elohim and taught the people HIS Word. As we remember, YHVH gave the people the Ten Commandments directly, and the rest of the 603 commandments were given to the people through Moshe, yet ALL the Torah comes from Adonai. Moshe has intervened quite a few times to rescue Israel from destruction. As you remember, YHVH wanted on a few occasions to destroy the whole nation because of their disobedience and unbelief, yet Moshe intervened on their behalf.
The same thing happens today when we have an advocate in Heaven who pleads our case before our Heavenly Father. Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Christ, is that person who is our “mediator” and pleads our case and atones for our sins. As long as we have the sin nature in our bodies, we need a redeemer, a Messiah who will stand before a Holy God, who sees us as “righteous” because we have accepted HIS righteousness by faith. Moses starts out saying...
” You stand, all of you, before YHVH your God, your chiefs, tribes, elders, officers, men, women, children, etc.” ...that you may enter into the covenant with YHVH your God."
He is making this covenant with you today so that “He may establish you as HIS PEOPLE! We can also say that we "Stand before our King" ready to receive orders, to serve, to love our neighbor, and to go into "action." We are part of HIS army. We are soldiers in God's army of believers. How does that affect us? Can we be part of “His People?” YES, through Yeshua, who gave his Life as a ransom.
We are counted as “Part of His People”. We must turn (Shoov) from our wicked ways to follow Yeshua. This scripture reading comes at a good time, the time of Yom Teruah, Rosh Hashanah. The term “repent” is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. Accepting Yeshua as Messiah and LORD enters us into the “covenant”
What is this covenant that Moshe talks about? It is the first covenant established by blood, the blood of rams, bulls, goats, and sheep, the establishment of the sacrificial system, which lasted many, many years. Yet about 1400 years later, Rav Shaul (Paul) writes that this covenant was changed to a “better covenant”, the “better covenant was NOT based on the blood of rams, bulls, sheep, and goats, but rather on the blood of YESHUA! The difference was that the sacrificial system continued for years, every day, day after day, and the blood of the animals only “Covered” sin for one year, and the covenant was renewed every “Yom Kippur”.
The covenant of YESHUA, however, was a “one-time deal”. His death on the cross was enough for ALL TIME. His covenant wiped away the stain of sin; it “atoned” or “got rid of” the curse of sin. So, one might ask, what was the reason for the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament? They were to “point” to Yeshua’s future sacrifice for sin. The animal sacrifices pointed to what Yeshua would do and fulfill in the future. People were still saved by faith; the only difference was that before Calvary, people looked “forward” to the cross, and after Calvary, we look “back” towards the cross. One thing both covenants have in common: “The Blood!”
Moshe announces that “everyone” is involved and included, from the tribal chiefs to the simple water fetchers; everyone was included, and NO ONE was excluded. He goes on to say,
“I am making this covenant and this oath with those who are here today and with those who are NOT here today….”
When Moshe mentioned “all who are not here,” he had us in mind. YHVH knew that one day, we would be here and this covenant would be for us too. The “Covenant Renewed” is our covenant, a covenant of faith which is not based on the blood of animals but on the blood of Messiah Yeshua. This “blood” covenant unites us with YHVH through Yeshua, which brings us YESHUAH (salvation).
Now, does this do away with the Torah (instruction) of Adonai? Never! In Yeshua’s own words, “I come not to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill the Torah” (or render a perfect interpretation of it). He fulfilled it with his own blood. The commandments are for our edification and our blessings, the blood of Yeshua is for our “Salvation!”
Moshe goes on to say that no one should ever think that one can live anyway one pleases, sinning here and there, living like the devil himself, and still say, “I have peace, everything is OK!” That is NEVER the case. That Person will be reaping curses and destruction.
29:30 says, “The secret things belong to YHVH Eloheinu (Our God), but the things revealed belong to us and our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this Torah!” So, what are the “secret things?” Perhaps things in scripture that we haven’t figured out yet, things like what the “Urim and Thumim” really were. One can suggest, but no one really knows for sure. There are many more things that, to us, are “secret” (known only to God), like things in the universe, faraway galaxies, where every single diamond, emerald, and ruby is located, where all the “buried treasure” is located, we could go on. Yet things that were considered “secret” hundreds of years ago are now “known”, but let us concern ourselves with the things that YHVH has revealed to us through HIS Word, and let us occupy ourselves in following HIS WORD and living a “Kadosh” (Holy) lifestyle.
Moshe also establishes “Yehoshuah” (Joshua) as his successor. He knows his death is near, and he knows that Israel will fall away from God; it has been revealed to him by God himself; there is no other explanation. HOWEVER, he also says that “when they repent, YHVH will bring them back to the land.” This is happening already. Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948, and the people are coming back! “Yehoshuah” is another way of spelling “Yeshua”. It is fitting that “Yehoshuah” leads the people to the “promised land” just as our LORD and Savior “Yeshua HaMashiach” has led us to the “salvation” experience, and is awaiting us in “His Promised Land” (The New Jerusalem), our heavenly home!
We are all standing before our King. What does He expect from us? Read HIS Word, it's all there.